टेस्टिंग टेस्टिंग

सींग इफ थिस वोर्क्स.

The Icon and the Axe

This is in line with my recent posts on Eastern theology.

This summer I saw my foundations crumble. After reading loads of Milbank, James Smith, and David Hart, I began to do to my own system what Van Til did to unbelieving systems: I applied a presuppositional analysis to it. While I stand in the Reformational tradition, many of the arguments the Reformed folk use against FV and NPP can just as easily be applied to the Reformed tradition.

I began reading the Eastern guys. I was amazed at how robust and matter-affirming their worldview was. Gone was the gnosticism and false "spiritualizing the text" that plagued Reformed thought. They took concepts like the Incarnation and vindicated all of God's created order. Instead of "Creation-Fall-Redemption," it is "Creation, Incarnation, Re-creation."

Then there is Russia. It is evident that US Foreign Policy is both imperial and revolutinary. Russia's actions, on the other hand, demonstrate it stands for the old order, the ancien regime, the Order of Westphalia. All of the arguments the neo-con imperials use against Russia can be as equally applied to neo-conism with devastating affect. Russia, not America, stands in the best position to oppose the Christ-haters in the EU, deal decisive blows to Islam*, and restored aspects of the old Christendom. See any of the posts by Dr Srda Trifkovic.

I took the title of this post from a neat book on Russian culture.

*Many would think that the US invasion of Iraq is opposing Islam. This is not true. The US might oppose Islam in the Middle East. It supports it everywhere else in the world.

More thoughts on Russia

Why is is that US-trained Georgian troops can shell cities but Russians are the bad guys when they respond to attacks on ethnic Russians?

Compare NATO and Russia's view of war:

NATO: spreading the gospel (e.g., democracy) by force across the world

Russia: "With its reaction to the Georgian aggression, Russia has set a certain standard of responding that fully complies with international law," Lavrov said. Russian soldiers, he said, followed "our deeply Christian tradition of dying for our friends."

At the Corner of East and

A few people on Facebook wondered if I would go to Constantinople. Probably not. I did meet with an Orthodox priest the other day, though. Here are my thoughts on the East:

• They have a powerful response to Gnosticism. When many in the West (both Rome and Calvinists, but mainly modern day Calvinists) are "spiritualizing" the faith, the East stresses the concrete, the material.
  
• They understand that the Christian faith is not reducible to mental recollections. Thus their beautiful architecture (which is simply the book of Revelation put in concrete form).
• While I cannot go with Icons in a worship service, I have seen that most Protestants responses to Icons (see Puritanboard.com) usually employ some form of Christological heresy. I appreciate the fact that the Icon is used to "see" elsewhere. I have an Icon of Prince St Lazar on my Computer screen.

But I have a few differences with them. But this isn't the place for them. Calvinists spend way too much time focusing on how they disagree with everybody. That won' be me (except when I get to bash the Republican Party!).

At the end of the day I still lean to the West. It is my hope that in my mind I can reunite them (if momentarily and on a cultural level).

I guess what kept me West--and if you asked me where I am--would be the Eucharistic, Worship-oriented work of Robert Webber.
http://www.ancientfutureworship.com/


Eastern Resources
http://www.ourlifeinchrist.com/ (excellent podcast; it is like the Eastern form of White Horse Inn, only better).

Western Stuff
http://www.amazon.com/Plato-NATO-Idea-West-Opponents/dp/0684827891

On inactivity

My father and I were unloading a refridgerator from the truck. The dolly slipped and the fridge ripped my finger open. I had 11 stitches. The stitches are gone but I cannot move my finger well. Obviously, I haven't really wanted to type.

I got a lot of neo-cons mad (ironically, both war mongers and pacificist anabaptists are on the same side) with my comments on Russia on facebook. I have talked to some South Ossetians and there are charges of genocide. America has no ground to criticize Russia (in fact, Russia' actions, in light of 15 years of NATO imperialism and saber-rattling, are noble).

But enough of that. I am even thinking of changing/dropping this blog. While I could never become Eastern Orthodox, I am very sympathetic to many of their traditions. If that is true, I cannot call myself a "thomist" of any sort.

We will see where it goes.

The Failure of Anabaptist Ethics

Doug Wilson Archives

Doug Wilson's refutation of Greg Boyd is too masterful. Unfurtunately, I can't type well due to a hurt finger. When I can, d.v., I will do an exposition on it

Theology is Political: Deal with It

Fukuyama’s famous thesis was that, with the ruin of communism, there remained no viable alternative to Western liberalism on the stage of history. We are still sorting through the rude awakening from this fantasy. What seems clear, however, is that the bland, narcotic world that Fukuyama envisioned, the “victory of the VCR” over sectarian strife, has not come to pass. Theological voices have been instrumental in opposing that vision. Theological discourse has
refused to stay where liberalism would prefer to put it. Theology is politically important, and those who engage in either theology or politics ignore this fact at a certain peril.

William Cavanaugh, The Blackwell Companion to Political Theology, p. 1