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| **EDIT**
Over the next month or so, for several different reasons, I will be slowly phasing this site out. I won't completely shut it down--sometimes I like to go back re-read old posts, it's amusing and sometimes irritating and sad--but I won't be posting here very often, perhaps not at all. I'll keep blogging at blogspot. If you want to keep up with what I post go here.
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Dear Senator Inhofe,
I would like to express my thanks and
gratitude for your thirteen years of service to the great state of
Oklahoma and it’s citizens at the national level. I would also like to
congratulate your recent leadership and sponsorship of The Religious
Freedom Act (SB 178) and The Child Medication Act (SB 891). These are
important causes to Oklahomans and you are leading the way; because of
your representation, the voice Oklahoma is being heard and our place at
the table of democracy is being sustained.
It is because I want
the voice of Oklahoma to continue to be heard that I am sending you
this letter. Senator Inhofe, global warming and environmental
sustainability are among the most pressing and critical issues of our
time. As the ranking member of the Senate Committee on Environment and
Public Works, myself, the citizens of Oklahoma, the citizens of this
great country, and most importantly the future citizens of our state
and country, are relying on you to take the lead in this area. Our
window of opportunity is closing fast and we owe it to our children and
grandchildren to be good stewards of the environment and to leave them
a world worth living in. We cannot do this unless we act and for those
of us that are in leadership, the responsibility is even greater.
As
a fellow Christian, I would like to call your own denomination’s stance
on this issue to attention. Following the 127th general assembly of the
Presbyterian Church in December of 2006, the Advisory Committee on
Social Witness Policy issued a report available on their website
stating that, “…carbon neutrality is a basic step toward reversing the
scale of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions. Without
significant changes in public policy and corporate behavior to
complement actions of personal discipleship, massive and irreversible
climate changes will only accelerate over the next century.” This is
consistent not only with the consensus of the scientific community but
also with a Christian ethic of stewardship and sustainability. I
implore you to consider this affirmation as you act on behalf of the
state of Oklahoma and its citizens.
As responsible citizens and
leaders, we have a moral responsibility to affirm life and liberty.
Unless we reduce our exploitation of the earth and it’s resources, this
will not be ensured for future generations. I am calling on you,
Senator Inhofe to support, sponsor, and author legislation that
supports and prioritizes this affirmation. As our leader it is your
responsibility to do so; you are our voice, you are our hope. Please,
let that voice be heard, channel it and protect it. We are putting our
trust in you.
Again, thank you for all that you do. I am
confident that you will make this issue a priority as you seek to the
make the world a better place in the political arena; you will remain
in my prayers. I appreciate your service and I only ask that you
remember the common good for all in your decision-making. I am sure that you will.
Respectfully,
J. Blake Huggins | | |
| Following the Enlightenment and the shift from modernity into post-modernity, two movements arose within Christianity, one as a rejection of rationalism and post-enlightenment ideology the other as an affirmation and embracement of it. The former movement has been called ‘fundamentalism’ (an ironic description depending on what one categorizes as the ‘fundamentals’) and is today characterized by the ultra-conservative, evangelical group known as the christian right.† This group is similar to the Essenes and Zealots, two first century Judaic sects. The Essenes saw themselves as the exclusive ‘chosen’ and removed themselves from the evil culture in order to practice self-righteousness‡, conversely (or, complimentary for our context) the Zealots were known for their political activism and lust for dominance often characterized by violent revolution against the Empire. Synthesized, this is what the ‘fundamentalist’ movement has evolved into, a strategic socio-political sub-culture that sees itself as the savior of the secular culture while waving the banner of true Christianity and flaunting the mission of “Taking the world for Je-sus!.” This is one extreme; at its best it provides fervent passion and enthusiasm that can be channeled in a number of ways, at its worst (or most popular) it affirms exclusion to the point of degradation, promotes violence in the name of religion, and seeks dominance to the point of complete control—probably not the best response to post-modernity and the post-enlightenment age. The latter movement can be, at its worst, just as threatening as the aforementioned faction; however, if taken seriously it can be perhaps the best response to post-modernity, holding rationalism and theology in balance. This movement is know as the ‘quest’ for the historical Jesus and is the focus of our concentration. This ‘quest’ (comprised of sub-quests, which cannot be explored here), seeks to place Jesus as a figure within the historical narrative and objectively reconstruct a purely historical (or, a-theological for emphasis) biography of Jesus of Nazareth drawing on both canonical and non-canonical gospels as well as 1st and 2nd century historians. Particular attention is drawn to the sociological, political, cultural, economical, and religious contexts of first century Palestine especially the communities of Galilee and Nazareth. This is the first movement of the quest for the historical Jesus. Sadly, many celebrated scholars and historians, who very, very thoroughly participate in this first movement rarely move into the second which is just as important. The second movement is theological by nature synthesizing and consolidating the objective historical data and constructing a working theology around it. Whereas the aforementioned fundamentalist movement constructs a static theology which history must answer to, the complete quest for the historical Jesus (characterized by both movements, historical and theological) gathers the objective historical information and then forms an effective and efficient theology around that historical narrative. It seems that if Christianity is to survive in the 21st century and as serious disicples wrestle with the questions of post-modernity and seek to restore the image of the early church, we must take the quest for the historical Jesus very seriously giving both movements equal and careful attention as we build a practical, working theology around the Jesus of history within his context, not as an idol but as a mentor. † By emphasizing the lowercase letters of word like ‘fundamentalism’ and ‘evangelical’ I am employing a technique first shown to me by Brian D. McLaren in his outstanding work A Generous Orthodoxy, (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006). Here I am suggesting that the ‘fundamentalist’ and evangelical’ movements are altogether different from their parents from which they evolved; Evangelical is simply the good news (that is the good news that God through Christ is in the process of saving, renewing and re-creating the entire cosmos) and a Fundamentalist is simply a person who upholds and emphasizes the ‘fundamentals’ or the ‘basics’ of Christianity and the teaching of Jesus (e.g. the Sermon on the Mount, the Shema, etc.). We can now begin to see the remarkable and overwhelming difference, perhaps even the irony, between evangelical and Evangelical, fundamentalist and Fundamentalist. These modern pseudo-terms are a far cry from their root meanings and their post-modern manifestations. So, by emphasizing a term beginning with a lowercase letter I am drawing attention to the difference (and most often the opposite effect) between a sub-term and it’s root meaning.
‡ A great exposition of this modern idea and its counterparts can be found in H. Richard Niebuhr in Christ and Culture (New York: Harper-Collins, 1956). A better, more post-modern alternative can be found in Craig A. Carter’s forthcoming work entitled Rethinking Christ and Culture: A Post-Christendom Perspective (Grand Rapids: Brazos, 2007).
~bh ><>
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| According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ‘religion’ can be defined as “…a particular system of faith and worship [of a Divine Being],” or “…[the practice] of devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.” Etymologically, the word ‘religion’ is derived from the Latin word religare meaning ‘to rejoin,’ or ‘to tie or fasten.’ Essentially, at the most primitive and basic level, religion means to re-join, or to tie back and therefore implying that something has been disconnected or broken-off from something else. This is why the term ‘religion’—a western creation—has come to be so problematic when describing and discussing world religions particularly the ‘religions’ of the east and those of native and primitive peoples, primarily because in these cultures and traditions nothing as been disconnected or broken; that is, to be ‘religious’ is to be or to truly exist. The elements of religion, which have become detached from normality to westerners, are essential to the eastern and native way life. Therefore, for this treatise, religion will be defined as a holistic belief (or lifestyle) system rooted in communal relationship with others and the Sacred channeled by orthopraxic ethical behavior and the observance of certain ritual(s).
In order to further understand this definition, four major foci must be treated: community, ethics, ritual, and spirituality. For the remainder of this treatise, the image of the circle of right relationships will be used to better understand these foci. Imagine a set of circles each circle widening further out. Community with one another and the emphasis of religious experience within a communal context is the circle of right relationships with other people in the religious community; ethics and orthopraxy is the circle of right relationships with other human beings, nature, and the environment; finally, ritual and spirituality as a means to connect with the Sacred in a meta-physical way comprise the circle of right relationship with the Sacred.
Community: Relationship with Others
The first essential element in a religious system is that of a community. That is, religion as a corporate practice and experience within the context of a ‘group.’ Building relationships with one another and participating in rituals together in this setting are a means of connecting and participating in relationship with the Sacred. This aspect has—since the Protestant Reformation—been deemphasized in the West, particularly in Christianity and emphasized in the East, particularly in indigenous and native religions.
In the West, religion is very compartmentalized and very much about the individual: individual behavior, individual salvation, individual worship etc. Quite the contrary in the East and in the native religions; in these traditions the community always comes first and the individual is an after thought. The circle of right relationship within the community affects all other relationships. Starting with the community, the circle reaches further and further out like the ripples of water when a pebble is dropped, reaching to relationship with nature, the environment and the Sacred.
Western religion revolves around corporate worship and some communal rituals, but is generally exclusively an individual religion. Adherents are encouraged to pray or meditate alone and the reading and studying of Holy texts is generally considered to be a private discipline. While this may true, it should be noted that Western religion, specifically Christianity, was not originally meant to be a private or individual practice; this has come to pass with the advent of modernity and the advancement of technology (e.g. the printing press).
Early Christians met quietly in small groups forming a community of faith focused on others and until the invention of the printing press in 1447 and the printing of the first Gutenberg Bible in 1456, reading and studying of Scripture was a corporate discipline practiced within the community. John Wesley, the Anglican founder of Methodism, established small band/class societies (or communities) through which he believed persons could “have the form and seek the power of godliness” while “working out their own salvation.”
Relationship with others in a community setting is a form of participating in relationship with the Sacred and, as we have seen in the indigenous religions, affects all other relationships. Therefore, any religion should begin with some form of the element of community and build upon it. Every other aspect will eventually ‘trickle down’ to the community and based upon the nature and strength of the community will expose either the individualistic egocentric affections or the communal altruistic affections at the nucleus of the religions system.
Ethics: Relationship With All
Another foci or element that has been deemphasized in the West—perhaps not so much as community—and emphasized in the East is ethics and what can be called orthopraxy; that is, correct or right action and behavior in the context of pursuing righteousness and justice. Most Western religions, Christianity included, are characterized as being orthodox; that is focused on right belief and doctrinal uniformity. Conversely, Eastern religions, most notably Confucianism and Buddhism, are predominately orthopraxic, that is focused on justice for all characterized by equality and equity.
Again, this is due to the trickle down effect of the community element. Eastern religions focus more on the good of the community and the relationship of the individual within the community. Thus, action is motivated not by belief but by the need for the common good to be realized, adherence to the moral/ethical code of the community, and mutual obligation. In short, action dictates belief. Western religions—again, using mainstream Christianity as an example—being more orthodox, are concerned with belief and creedal confession of the individual. Therefore, action is motivated by doctrinal belief, adherence to a moral/ethical code internalized by the individual, and often times, guilt; thus, belief dictates action.
It is important to note that this assertions are generalizations based on the qualities of the mainstream religions mentioned. There are branches of Western religions that are more orthopraxic than orthodox just as there are branches of Eastern religions that are more orthodox than orthopraxic; however, the latter is much more unusual than the former.
Spirituality & Ritual: Relationship With the Sacred
Spirituality and the practice and observance of rituals are coupled together because they both share the characteristic of participating and fostering the relationship of and with the Sacred. In both Eastern and Western religions this is usually an individually emphasized aspect. Rituals and spiritual disciplines may be observed within the community but the emphasis is usually on individual relationship and connection with the Sacred.
Ritual(s)
Of all the aspects and elements of religion, the practice and observance of rituals and rite may be the most diverse. For our purposes, rituals and rite will be defined as “a formal procedure or act in a religious or other solemn observance.” The various meanings and purposes of certain rites and rituals are as diverse as the rituals themselves; suffice it to say that the underlying meaning of most rites and rituals is individual connection with the Sacred often within the context of the community. Example of some rituals and rites are: daily prayer or meditation, fasting, reading and studying of Holy texts, observance of sacraments (e.g. baptism, Eucharist, confession etc.), singing, dancing, vision quests, artwork, and chanting. In Eastern religions rituals are more often observed and practiced within the context of the community while in the West, rituals may by observed within the communal context, but are usually observed individually emphasizing personal reflection and piety.
Spirituality
Spirituality within the context of this treatise is almost exclusively an individual practice; however, this can and may be manifest within the context of the community. Spirituality inside the realm of religion pertains to the holistic harmony of one’s entire being as a means of connecting and participating in and with the Sacred. Emotional, physical, and psychological health and maturity are vital to the participation in the grace and re-creation of and with the Sacred. In the circle of right relationship, if the circle of relationship with the community is the innermost circle, then individual spirituality is the nucleus.
This does not negate the emphasis on community; in fact, it emphasizes it. Before one can participate in the life and growth of the religious community, one must come to terms with oneself, physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. Individual relationship and participation in and with the Sacred are vital launching points for any member of religious community. Paul Tillich describes the Sacred as the “ground of all being” and grounding oneself in the Being of the Sacred before grounding oneself in the identity of any given community is imperative to participating and be-ing in the community.
Holism and Affirming Diversity
Defining religion is no easy task. The different belief systems that claim the name religion are very, very, eclectic and diverse. However, most prominent religious systems in some way embody each of the four foci mentioned above. Each seeks to connect, participate, and be in relationship with the Sacred through a direct or indirect circle right relationships. Some emphasize certain foci more than others leading to the strengths and weaknesses of each system.
The diversity of the world’s religions is enriching and beautiful. Each can learn from and teach another, but only if the adherents are open and willing to listen. One can still be a devout adherent of his/her particular tradition and affirm the validity and wisdom of others. This can lead to a deeper appreciation of one’s own tradition and the strengths of the other can expose of the weaknesses of one’s own inspiring the need for a prominent prophetic voice. Ultimately participating in the relationship of the Sacred and the other leads to appreciation and reverence of the Sacred in the other spawning a vision of justice, equality, and equity for all of humanity.
~bh ><>
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| Take To The World
Derek Webb
Go in peace to love and to serve
let your ears ring long with what you’ve heard
and may the bread on your tongue
leave a trail of crumbs
to lead the hungry back to the place that you are from
(chorus)
and take to the world this love, hope and faith
take to the world this rare, relentless grace
and like the three in one
know you must become what you want to save
‘cause that’s still the way
He takes to the world
go, and go far
take light deep in the dark
believe what’s true
He uses all, even you
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| **Edit**
I'm usually not into editing current posts, but I ran across a song that I really like; probably may new favorite. I'll post the lyrics later, for now just listen. It's not everyday your get a good rock song with a great lyrical message.
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This may be my last xanga post. I haven't completely made up my mind. Lack of time, disinterest, many different reasons I suppose. When I started this blog two years ago I hoped to engage meaningful conversation and thoughtful dialogue with others. My experience has been hardly that.
For example, I was browsing through my subscriptions earlier and probably 95% of the entries were mindless ramblings. Maybe that's what this is for, but I'd hoped for something deeper. Frankly, I'm tired of wasting my time reading about the drama in people's life, hearing about someone's late night last night, answering shallow quiz questions, or reading cryptic one sentence statements. I guess is just seems like a waste of time. Especially when no one wants to take the time to comment or even read a post longer than a few sentences.
Perhaps I will keep this going. If I do it will be strictly for personal use. I've never been one of those journal people and I've always envied those that are. Maybe this will be my equivalent. I don't know. It would be nice one day to take a look back at myself and see how I've grown, matured, developed etc. Then again I guess there are many different avenues of doing that other than broadcasting it all over the internet for people to pretend read.
I guess I'm at a crossroads of sorts. In a few days, weeks, maybe even months I'll either be anti-weblog, or I suppose I'll embrace it fully, but for different reasons, and not-so high of hopes. Time will tell.
~bh ><>
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