The Tapestry of Christian Theology: Modern Minds on the Biblical Narrative - Research Paper Example

The Tapestry of Christian Theology: Modern Minds on the Biblical Narrative By Gregory C. Higgins On his book, “The Tapestry of Christian Theology: Modern Minds on the Biblical Narrative,” Gregory Higgins provides a study of theology in perspective with nine influential theologians of the twentieth century who have expounded on the belief of the Christian faith and of the life that Christians live. It presents an understanding of the basis of theology, a structure on a model of how it cold be understood and the tackling of the obscure questions that they seek to answer. Among these theologians featured in the book is Hans Küng and his discourse on what it is to be a Christian. From the start, he has been surrounded by controversies especially with his work on justification as implemented in the Roman Catholic Church. An issue widely tackled in the Lutheran tradition and that of his which is very similar to Karl Barth’s, a prominent Protestant theologian. In the 1960s, he published a series of writings which tackles the changes that should be made within the church. This created some animosity toward him from a very sacred and dogmatic institution particularly so with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. In 1979 his mission canonica, or license to teach as a Catholic theologian was revoked. It was a very controversial and highly politicized event that included high Vatican officials and German authorities. But the verity of his teachings remains. He called for an encompassing type of faith and his audience knows no boundaries. In ‘On Being a Christian,’ he critiques the state of the church as being somewhat regionalist. “The specific danger of Protestant belief is Biblicism, the danger of Eastern Orthodox belief is traditionalism, the danger of Roman Catholic belief is authoritarianism. All these are defective modes of believing” (as quoted by Higgins, 2003). A focus on the historical Jesus sets the perspective of his writings. He trudges on the accuracy of the Gospels and the presentation of the apostles in their weight toward the religion. Questioning how much truth there is on the Gospels that we hold dear especially of Christ’s resurrection and other discrepancies. He maintains that what we know of Jesus are ‘relatively reliable’ but justifies that this is significantly acceptable contrary to other antagonistic claims. The resurrection according to Küng is a statement of Jesus. He argues that the Christian concept of truth “is a truth which is not merely to be sought and found, but to be pursued, made true, verified and tested in truthfulness. A truth which aims at practice, which calls to the way, which bestows and makes possible a new life” (Higgins, 2003). The disparity between modern science and the miracles that surround the religion is among the most talked about concept of Christian tradition. The anchoring of the entire faith on these bases brings about the questioning nature of a great number of people. In his efforts to come to terms with these factors, Küng faced many challenges that brought about changes career-wise. But above all these, his message was not on whether the ‘empty tomb’ phenomenon actually happened. It was that whether or not it happened does not make it of the highest import, but that the teachings of Christ as a theologian were the gear of his existence. That to love one’s neighbor and to live a life of charity is what he aimed for, without boundaries of geography and without centering on ethnicities. Supreme Authority: Understanding Power in the Catholic Church By Mary Faulkner The catholic faith has had a long tradition of reaching out to the poor, the sick and the ones in need. A tension between the church and the commitment of the community has existed centuries ago. This could by attributed to the cynicism which is largely founded on control among groups of people. Organization often leads to a sense of nervousness among others because it creates a sense of belongingness within the group but at the same time could lead to ostracizing others. The fundamental fact that leadership creates an obligation to lead its members towards what is deemed to be right and what must be done yields certain resentments. The hierarchy that coincides with it makes it open to vulnerabilities and criticism from those who may not belong to the organization but takes part in the community. But despite all of these, the Second Vatican Council established the pursuit of peace and justice which now becomes the aim of various church organizations (Faulkner, 2003). The church is a movement. It is a concerted effort that goes beyond the confines of its architectural establishment. The church in essence is the community and the people that comprise it. The diversity that could otherwise signify a discord is now a matter of challenge that must be addressed with compassion. There is such a difference between living the gospel and the living gospel. Ergo, it is a totality of actions which favors the faith. “As religion takes root in the heart, principles are lived” (Faulkner, 2003). Meaningful worship is realized through various forms that is often initiated by the parish priest. This is necessary to create a linkage among the people in general. Not just because they are Catholics but because they are all the children of God. In all of these, one cannot dismiss that it involves the agenda of spreading the gospel. Regardless, the desire to help is the subliminal message of these actions of reaching out. Latin American base communities are encouraged to be made models by European and U.S. communities. American Hispanics are attuned into creating tight-knit communities as opposed to those within developed countries. Third world communities have a more cultivated sense of community and community organization which takes root from their Latin or Hispanic influenced culture. On the other hand, the sense of independence must first be addressed, because it is not a direct feature of as can be regarded from first world type of population. This is oftentimes a task delegated to the priest as the leader of the group. As with Latin American communities, they value the decisions and opinion of the clergy for they imbibe the teachings of Christ and would intrinsically lead them to good (Faulkner, 2003). Arthur Koestler created the term ‘holon’ which is a combination of the Greek word ‘holos’ which means whole and the suffix ‘on’ which translates to ‘part’ or ‘particle.’ He observed there is no self-supporting single-unit entity in the entire universe, that every unit exists in relationship to another and that this relationship is determined by complexity and not of hierarchy. The strength of the ‘holons’ depends on the smaller units while the larger organism holds it together. The capability to organize on its own is the basic concept of the ‘holon theory.’ This applies to all organizations including social systems which include cities, states, nations, religions, etc. (Faulkner, 2003). Parish Church as Community Temple Dr. Roy Catchpole “Parish Church as a Community Temple” was mainly a study on Saint Wilfrid’s Church in Calverton, United Kingdom wherein its rural church has been losing grasp from the community. It had been a persistent institution that holds its ground until recently when new settlers and the changing times have put the church in the background of the community. It struggles to find a new role that would encourage the people to look at it with a renewed perspective. Such is the case with many other community churches who have been placed in the background because people have had too many things going on. They can no longer find time to be active members of the church which they regard with no significance in their day to day existence within the community. Communities in effect are no longer communities per se, they just happen to be geographical locations where houses are erected. But the sense of belonging and of being a part of something has lost itself in translation. The main goal of the study is to sensitize the congregation to the numerous traditions that exists within. It gears toward being able to juxtapose the different aspects of these discrepancies so that they may become responsive to the diverse nature of the community church. The church, through a series of undertakings, has revised the image it portrays as being similar to that of a temple where God dwells. Saint Wilfrid’s church employed nonchurch people into being a part of secular occasions. Through this, they have ascertained the church as a local resource for everyone. “Its religious ethos is to demonstrate its faith by good provision as well as by proclamation of the Word. The Priest-as-scribe was a new and important idea arising from the project” (Catchpole, 2007). The church has become more than a secular building but a temple which embraces all people no matter what religion or background. It focuses on the spiritual upliftment of the people and consequently the teachings of the religion may coincide with it. The tasks of Christians to get involved in the community and execute community work for the benefit of others become a service to God which the parish pastor becomes the main catalyst of. Without the priest as scribe, the people may go astray as what happened before his active involvement was called upon. The people working together and providing whatever they can for others was the main goal of the parish and a rewarding accomplishment for those who take part. The major thrust of the parish priest was poverty and helping out those who are in need. He sees the opportunity of the small community to figure out solutions on existing problems. It was not a matter of having less dilemmas and complications as there are fewer interests, that of politicians and others, involved but because they are ripe for the picking. There are other problems like drugs which needed to be addressed as a community (Catchpole, 2007). Because no matter how busy or urbanized the community gets it is all the more reason that there will be others who will need help. The pastor then persuades them to lend a hand as it builds the strength of the church in the community while providing the work of God. A Testimony to Church Community: The Life and Writings of Eberhard Arnold By The Brothers and Sisters of the Bruderhof Communities The book tackles the life of Eberhard Arnold, a discreet and generous man few of us may have heard. Arnold was born of a modest family but was later on exposed to the value of community giving. He was sixteen when he had an epiphany of wanting to help out and reach the people who are in dire circumstances. He had been a Christian with inclinations of looking for people who share the same spirit of generosity mainly done through bible studies and deeper understanding of Christ. He joined the Salvation Army and went to Breslau where he advocated men from misdoings. There he also saw the incongruity of the poor people on the East End to that of the middle and upper class within the place. After college, his parents, most especially his father wanted him to study philosophy. He finished with a doctoral dissertation “Early Christian and Antichristian Elements in the Development of Friederich Nietzsche” and became a famous lecturer thereafter. When he contracted a lung disease, he and his family moved Bozen where he was able to meditate and write his books which include It was then that Eberhard started the chapters his book ‘Innerland’ including some of his most important essays such as “Love to Christ,” “Love to the Brothers,” and “The Power of the Life of Prayer” (The Brothers and Sisters of the Bruderhof Communities, 2007). Erwin Wissman on one conference spoke highly of Eberhard and the credence of his work, “Eberhard Arnold burned it into our hearts with passionate spirituality, hammered it into our wills with prophetic power and the tremendous mobile force of his whole personality. This was the Sermon on the Mount in the full force of its impact, in its absolute and undiminished relevance, its unconditional absoluteness. Here there was no compromise. Whoever wants to belong to this Kingdom, must give himself wholly and go through with it to the last! To be a Christian means to live the life of Christ” (as quoted by The Brothers and Sisters of the Bruderhof Communities, 2007). His contemplations led to the many innovations in thinking which have been very influential in German Christian theology. He advocated for peace and opposed the current violence that plagued the nation. It led him altercations with the state which had a great influence over the church but it did not hinder him to release his publications despite the danger that it brings. Eberhard had put so much emphasis on brotherly love and on the things that we can do for one another without asking to be repaid. He answers the question of where to begin. As there are so many in need, whose voices must be answered first? Those in rural communities who have very little access to imperative necessities must be reached. The working middle class who are able to afford going the distance for them should travel the geographical difference. In 1920, together with his wife they went to the village of Sannerz, Kries Schluchtern where they set up a community to discuss the searing questions the people might have. What can be seen through all these efforts is the desire to build up a community founded on the virtues of compassion and belief. These core principles allow for the formation of a true Christian community that people would like to be a part of. A Comparison of Church Mobilisation and Church and Cmmunity Mobilisation By Tearfund Foundation Among the many teachings of Christ, his most popular proverbs include “Give man a fish and he will live for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he will live for a lifetime.” With all the calls for charity it cannot be denied that self-sustenance is still an integral part that is beyond being a Christian but being a respectable human being. Independence is a self-attribute that no decent person would dismiss as part of life. The competence to be able to provide for one’s own family or even just for himself creates a feeling of fulfillment that must be aspired. The world’s poor by far exceeds the world’s rich. But when those who ‘can’ do not extend to those who ‘can’t,’ then what could be done. This is where the power of church takes rein, the ability to move people to act. More than the homilies that they utter every week, it is more than just indulgence but a call for action. At the same time, these actions can only go for so long before they can exhaust their resources. This is why positive reinforcement is essential. Being able to provide temporary needs would not guarantee the welfare of the people, regardless of religious affiliation or ethnicity. This is where projects such as church and community mobilization show its merit. This is more than just church mobilization which is focused on the co-existence between the church and community. Church mobilization regards the church as a facilitator once the program is already up and running or ‘mobilized.’ In church and community mobilization the local church envisions while empowering the community to recognize and respond to their own needs instead of the church just providing answers for their requirements (Tearfund Foundation, 2007). Church mobilisation Church and community mobilisation Mobilize church Envision pastors and members to carry out integral mission Envision pastors and members to carry out integral mission Train church Train church to identify needs and provide some technical training in responding to a particular identified need Train church to envision and mobilize the community Church action in community Church meets a need in the community Church envisions and mobilizes community to meet its own needs Community action None or may work with local church in a limited time Community identifies needs and responds to them with their own resources where possible Source: Partnering with the Local Church (Tearfund, 2007) These new approaches create a whole new stimulant to the relationship of the church and the community. It explores the possible best solutions to enhance the lives of parishioners and community members through inventive means of identifying the problems and providing the solutions. Church and community mobilization banks on the potential of the community and the self-sufficiency that it consequently generates. A specialized approach that may be apparent of a church endeavor may not be effective toward a certain community which is why the programs must be in accordance to the most suitable for the community that will benefit from it. Bibliography Catchpole, R. (2007). Parish Church as Community Temple. University of Sheffield. Faulkner, M. (2003). Supreme Authority: Understanding Power in the Catholic Church. Indianapolis: Alpha Books. Higgins, G. C. (2003). The Tapestry of Christian Theology: Modern Minds on the Biblical Narrative. New Jersey: Paulist Press. The Brothers and Sisters of the Bruderhof Communities. (2007). A Testimony to Church Community:The Life and Writings of Eberhard Arnold. Farmington: Plough Publishing House. Tearfund. (2007). Church and Community Mobilisation. Teddington, United Kingdom. Read More