Internet Tag: An Opportunity to Rip a Quote From Its Context.
So, I am not usually into these things but Matt is from Delaware and I figured because of that unfortunate fact, I should have pity on him.
So, here is what i am supposed to do:
1) Grab the book closest to you
2) Open to page 123, go down to the fourth sentence
3) Post the text of the following three sentences
4) Name the author and book title
5) Tag three people to do the same
So, the quote is:
Those who trust in these things, in their conversion and new birth as such, in their walk before God as an element of biography, ascribing credibility and the force of witness to a supposed ‘pneumatic actuality’ in the sphere of experience, and thus trying to live in faith in themselves, building their house upon the sand, and are only involved in a feat of juggling in which they may achieve a sensational but very dangerous interchange of supreme rapture and the most profound disillusionment, but will know nothing of the death of the old human being and the life of the new, and therefore nothing of our direction, preparation and exercise for eternal life. (Yes, that’s ONE sentence!) Indeed, one might go as far as to say that in such cases disillusionment is devoutly to be wished. For without it those trusting in their own experiences will never come to see that, regardless of such experiences, their own being as such, far from corresponding to their being in Christ, actually ‘contradicts’ it.
The book is: How to Read Karl Barth, The Shape of His Theology by George Hunsinger.
A note about this quote, the first sentence is actually a quote from Barth himself. Barth is known for his amazingly looooooong sentences and as you can tell, this is not any different. The next two sentences are from Hunsinger. If anyone can take this quote out of context (like we just did) and tell me what it actually means I’d be impressed. This book is actually really helpful. It’s definately hard to read and I wonder if someone needs to write a book called “How to Read: How to Read Karl Barth” or something! Seriously though, the book is good and I’m reading it for a class…
Oh, I have to tag someone… Gerald, Matt and Mr. Purple.
matt wilson said...
101/23/07 11:24 AM | Comment Link |
Thanks for having mercy on my living place.
Alright…we’re in delaware…
matt
Tom said...
201/23/07 12:01 PM | Comment Link |
Todd, in a fortcoming post I will reluctantly acknowledge that you’ve tagged me. Fortunately, Your Best Life Now is the book closest to me.
Todd said...
301/23/07 12:27 PM | Comment Link |
Tom, wonderful! I am actually interested in what ol’ Joel has to say to us in page 123..
Chris said...
401/26/07 8:34 AM | Comment Link |
Hey Todd,
I’ve read this book, and it is definitely hard to read. But I’ll take a shot at it.
It sounds like Barth is taking a shot at pietism and spirituality, and the idea that the Christian life revolves around the moments of conversion that we experience. Barth is very cautious when it comes to experience, because we can worship our experience of God rather than God himself. In our idolatry, we try recreate the experiences, and as a result, we put God in a box. How many times have we heard this in our teaching: “God TYPICALLY reveals our sin to us first, so that we can humbly come before him and repent and receive grace.” What does this mean? What are we supposed to take away from this sentence? “If I follow this formula, then I’ll get xyz from God.”
Hunsinger goes so far as to say that our disillusionment with our experience (doubt, or perhaps spiritually dry stage) can be the window through which we understand our dependence on God, rather than our own experience.
This does not do away with acts of piety in order to elevate theology above it. Theology, correctly understood, is another form of piety, and is thus subject to the same rebuke.
Of all things to quote, you sure happened upon a doozy! Thanks for the good thought!
D. W. Congdon said...
501/26/07 10:13 PM | Comment Link |
Nice job, Chris. Well said, but there’s more to unpack here.
My theology professor at Wheaton would tell us to NOT journal about our faith, because journaling misleads us into thinking that we can decipher the work of the Spirit through our own experiences, as if “an element of biography” will capture our Christian identity.
The ultimate point that Barth and Hunsinger are making is that we only truly understand ourselves when we look to Jesus Christ. We will not understand our “Christian” identity by searching through our past, by examining our moments of religious zen, but only by focusing on the life, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. In him, we discover who we actually are as followers of Jesus. In him alone we see what it means to be truly human.
So while there is an argument with piety, the bigger issue I think is the question of Christian identity. What or who defines the person that I am now? Where can I go to understand myself as a person of faith? What ultimate role do my experiences have in shaping and defining my identity in Christ? These are the kinds of questions being addressed here.
Todd said...
601/29/07 2:23 PM | Comment Link |
wow guys. thanks! now when i get to that part of the book i’ll have a clue as to what in the world he is talking about!