Comments for Through a Glass Darkly http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:56:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 Comment on Bloomberg on the Mosque by Paula Koenigsmark http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1369&cpage=1#comment-8916 Paula Koenigsmark Tue, 07 Sep 2010 01:56:23 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1369#comment-8916 * *

]]> Comment on How Many of These… by Michael W. Kruse http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1373&cpage=1#comment-8910 Michael W. Kruse Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:18:03 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1373#comment-8910 Just one ... 1985. Just one … 1985.

]]> Comment on The 9-11 Mosque by JHM http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1360&cpage=1#comment-8906 JHM Thu, 19 Aug 2010 20:42:49 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1360#comment-8906 Thanks for the links, professor Dane's discussion was really helpful for me. I initially had a gut feeling of "woah, that's not cool" but I thought that they were building it *on* ground zero and the guy heading up the project was perhaps shady. These articles really helped me to think more clearly about the issue and maybe correct some bad info. I try not to get into "group think" mode, and I'm trying to be self-critical regarding my Republican "brethren" but I frankly find it very difficult to find facts or even remotely objective articles anymore, "News" is just competing opinion pieces. Thanks for the links, professor Dane’s discussion was really helpful for me. I initially had a gut feeling of “woah, that’s not cool” but I thought that they were building it *on* ground zero and the guy heading up the project was perhaps shady. These articles really helped me to think more clearly about the issue and maybe correct some bad info.

I try not to get into “group think” mode, and I’m trying to be self-critical regarding my Republican “brethren” but I frankly find it very difficult to find facts or even remotely objective articles anymore, “News” is just competing opinion pieces.

]]> Comment on Greetings from the Alps by Nader http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1328&cpage=1#comment-8897 Nader Mon, 02 Aug 2010 20:21:16 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1328#comment-8897 Nice headshots! My only visceral discomfort is with the spectacles of an Emerging Church theologian *not* being thick and black-rimmed! Nice headshots! My only visceral discomfort is with the spectacles of an Emerging Church theologian *not* being thick and black-rimmed!

]]> Comment on Light from the Christian East: Speaking of God by David Opderbeck http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=950&cpage=1#comment-8896 David Opderbeck Mon, 02 Aug 2010 06:57:25 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=950#comment-8896 Gregory, thanks for the thought provoking questions. I suppose I could try to write a couple of books on these big questions -- they are in many ways the central questions of both the Protestant Reformation and the theological crisis of modernity! Maybe I need to do some more reflecting and writing about this. Scanning over your site, appreciate the Orthodox rootedness in Tradition. I agree with a central theme here: no human being can decide for him or herself who God is. God is, and He comes to human beings as He is. Theology, at its best, is worship. But when God comes to a person, what does that mean? Luther's "On the Freedom of a Christian" still rings true to me. And studying Barth, I can appreciate how Barth makes Luther relevant for a postmodern age. I still feel that there is danger in reifying tradition, in taking the "Word of God" to be anything other than Christ, proclamation and scripture, or else the very thing Orthodox and other apophatic theologies seek so assiduously to avoid -- claiming to define or capture God -- becomes the aim of tradition. Gregory, thanks for the thought provoking questions. I suppose I could try to write a couple of books on these big questions — they are in many ways the central questions of both the Protestant Reformation and the theological crisis of modernity! Maybe I need to do some more reflecting and writing about this. Scanning over your site, appreciate the Orthodox rootedness in Tradition. I agree with a central theme here: no human being can decide for him or herself who God is. God is, and He comes to human beings as He is. Theology, at its best, is worship.

But when God comes to a person, what does that mean? Luther’s “On the Freedom of a Christian” still rings true to me. And studying Barth, I can appreciate how Barth makes Luther relevant for a postmodern age. I still feel that there is danger in reifying tradition, in taking the “Word of God” to be anything other than Christ, proclamation and scripture, or else the very thing Orthodox and other apophatic theologies seek so assiduously to avoid — claiming to define or capture God — becomes the aim of tradition.

]]> Comment on On Anne Rice by gingoro http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1324&cpage=1#comment-8895 gingoro Sun, 01 Aug 2010 14:04:26 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1324#comment-8895 I agree with your comment David O. However, finding an appropriate Christian church can be daunting. I agree with your comment David O. However, finding an appropriate Christian church can be daunting.

]]> Comment on On Anne Rice by Peter Parslow http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1324&cpage=1#comment-8894 Peter Parslow Sun, 01 Aug 2010 06:55:26 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1324#comment-8894 Over here in the UK, I think there are a lot of people put off by us Christians, and I can often see why. It's easy to say she was put off by Catholics / fundamentalists / American Christians - but we all have to watch ourselves. Thank God (as it were!) that she hasn't been put off Christ himself! I guess some interactions with the church (i.e. us) are just so off putting that some people despair of finding another group - especially if those interactions are with one of the groups that insists the others are wrong, so doesn't make people aware that there are other options 'within the church'. Over here in the UK, I think there are a lot of people put off by us Christians, and I can often see why. It’s easy to say she was put off by Catholics / fundamentalists / American Christians – but we all have to watch ourselves. Thank God (as it were!) that she hasn’t been put off Christ himself!
I guess some interactions with the church (i.e. us) are just so off putting that some people despair of finding another group – especially if those interactions are with one of the groups that insists the others are wrong, so doesn’t make people aware that there are other options ‘within the church’.

]]> Comment on Light from the Christian East: Speaking of God by Abba Poemen the Ubermensch http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=950&cpage=1#comment-8893 Abba Poemen the Ubermensch Sun, 01 Aug 2010 01:06:16 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=950#comment-8893 I appreciate your answer, David. Refreshingly honest. Many are not able to say an honest word, because they cannot bear to be truthful with themselves. What is it about the evangelical-Reformed tradition that you think too individualistic? What is individualism and why is it bad? How do you reconcile with that, or else how do you manage to otherwise deal with it? What is it about the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions that you find authoritarian? What is authoritarianism and why is it bad? What is authority, and how does one negotiate what (if any) authorities are proper? How is authority legitimated? You are more honest with yourself, I think, than I am, so I hope you will suffer to offer an answer here for those of us who are interested in learning from your honesty. God's Peace, -Gregory I appreciate your answer, David. Refreshingly honest. Many are not able to say an honest word, because they cannot bear to be truthful with themselves.

What is it about the evangelical-Reformed tradition that you think too individualistic? What is individualism and why is it bad? How do you reconcile with that, or else how do you manage to otherwise deal with it?

What is it about the Orthodox and Roman Catholic traditions that you find authoritarian? What is authoritarianism and why is it bad? What is authority, and how does one negotiate what (if any) authorities are proper? How is authority legitimated?

You are more honest with yourself, I think, than I am, so I hope you will suffer to offer an answer here for those of us who are interested in learning from your honesty.

God’s Peace,
-Gregory

]]> Comment on Climate Change and Food by tgirsch http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1316&cpage=1#comment-8891 tgirsch Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:51:27 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1316#comment-8891 There's also this thing called "the sun" that hits different parts of the earth for different durations at different times of year and has a profound effect on growing seasons irrespective of relative warmth and coolness. It doesn't help that the Yukon and Alaska are much warmer if they're only seeing a few hours of sunlight per day. There’s also this thing called “the sun” that hits different parts of the earth for different durations at different times of year and has a profound effect on growing seasons irrespective of relative warmth and coolness. It doesn’t help that the Yukon and Alaska are much warmer if they’re only seeing a few hours of sunlight per day.

]]> Comment on Psalm for the Day by Cammie Novara http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1313&cpage=1#comment-8890 Cammie Novara Thu, 29 Jul 2010 16:50:34 +0000 http://www.tgdarkly.com/blog/?p=1313#comment-8890 "Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity." I am stunned by the truth in those words. “Your throne was established long ago; you are from all eternity.” I am stunned by the truth in those words.

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