Comments on: Bible Blitz, Day 5: Deuteronomy http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/ Thu, 08 Jan 2009 22:25:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5 By: david http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-435 david Sat, 24 Mar 2007 15:20:38 +0000 http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-435 hi just found your blog this morning, and read a little... i am a past MSB student, grad class '92... i am fairly new to blogs... ...do you know who the church is? sincerely, david r. dodson, drd. hi

just found your blog this morning, and read a little…

i am a past MSB student, grad class ‘92…

i am fairly new to blogs…

…do you know who the church is?

sincerely,
david r. dodson,
drd.

]]> By: chris_layton http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-124 chris_layton Tue, 27 Feb 2007 07:28:02 +0000 http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-124 It is tough looking back as far as Anselm, especially when we focus on a phrase so well worn as his “faith seeking understanding:” reading our expectations back into it is nigh on impossible. I could say that perhaps the pursuit of theology happens most appropriately from within a community of faith – “faith seeking understanding.” But that is certainly not what Anselm had in mind. Or that only having had our language shaped by faith can we then utilize our reasoning properly, and although Milton thought this (who gives this blog its title), I’m not sure Anselm would have phrased it this way. Perhaps Anselm just meant that “learning should serve the religious life.” I think that Anselm was pre-modern (in Lindbeck’s sense of the term), and therefore not really occupying the place that my definition of theology is resisting. Moltmann, on the other hand…you’re probably in a better place to speak to his thought than I am – you’ve met him! I think that what he says about theology (in the introduction to Theology of Hope in particular) is awesome. I don’t think that it provides – or even is meant to provide a fully-fledged definition and agenda for the theological task. I think that he is right the Christian faith has an essential eschatological character, and that one of the colloraries of this is that theological knowledge is always provisional because it awaits and looks forward to God’s future (or, I might say, the future consummation of the kingdom of God – a new “prelasparian” state). It is tough looking back as far as Anselm, especially when we focus on a phrase so well worn as his “faith seeking understanding:” reading our expectations back into it is nigh on impossible. I could say that perhaps the pursuit of theology happens most appropriately from within a community of faith – “faith seeking understanding.” But that is certainly not what Anselm had in mind. Or that only having had our language shaped by faith can we then utilize our reasoning properly, and although Milton thought this (who gives this blog its title), I’m not sure Anselm would have phrased it this way. Perhaps Anselm just meant that “learning should serve the religious life.” I think that Anselm was pre-modern (in Lindbeck’s sense of the term), and therefore not really occupying the place that my definition of theology is resisting.
Moltmann, on the other hand…you’re probably in a better place to speak to his thought than I am – you’ve met him! I think that what he says about theology (in the introduction to Theology of Hope in particular) is awesome. I don’t think that it provides – or even is meant to provide a fully-fledged definition and agenda for the theological task. I think that he is right the Christian faith has an essential eschatological character, and that one of the colloraries of this is that theological knowledge is always provisional because it awaits and looks forward to God’s future (or, I might say, the future consummation of the kingdom of God – a new “prelasparian” state).

]]> By: David http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-123 David Tue, 27 Feb 2007 06:26:58 +0000 http://www.christopherlayton.org/2007/02/26/bible-blitz-day-5-deuteronomy/#comment-123 So, I realize this question may be a bit off topic, but it does hit on point number four. I've recently had questions here at Union on the nature of theology, and I find that at least one friend always comes back to the idea of Anselm's definition of "Faith seeking understanding" (fides quaerens intellectum) and using that to allow for a more pluralistic idea of theology. I agree with your three points, and would have to say that I would take community farther to include tradition - saints of the past and their thoughts. Ironically I bring this up to my friend (hes actually Catholic) and he still talks about Anselm over and above tradition (I guess you can see where he falls on the scale of liberal and über liberal, heh.). Anyways, my question here is, where do you allow for Anselm? And for a bonus point, where does Moltmann's "Hope seeking understanding-I hope that I might believe" (spes quaerens intellectum-spero, ut intelligam) fit into all of this (Theology of Hope, 33)? So, I realize this question may be a bit off topic, but it does hit on point number four. I’ve recently had questions here at Union on the nature of theology, and I find that at least one friend always comes back to the idea of Anselm’s definition of “Faith seeking understanding” (fides quaerens intellectum) and using that to allow for a more pluralistic idea of theology.

I agree with your three points, and would have to say that I would take community farther to include tradition - saints of the past and their thoughts.

Ironically I bring this up to my friend (hes actually Catholic) and he still talks about Anselm over and above tradition (I guess you can see where he falls on the scale of liberal and über liberal, heh.).

Anyways, my question here is, where do you allow for Anselm?

And for a bonus point, where does Moltmann’s “Hope seeking understanding-I hope that I might believe” (spes quaerens intellectum-spero, ut intelligam) fit into all of this (Theology of Hope, 33)?

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