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.