A previous post discussed the Pauline and Augustinian notion that we on this side of the eschaton can only, in the words of the First Letter to the Corinthians, “know in part”. Only in the gaze of Christ, face to face, can we come to knowledge as the Moderns would wish to have it: clear and absolute. It was also discussed how the Liturgy of the Eucharist embodies this kind of Augustinian epistemology, and in doing so reminding us of... Read more
There is a question hanging over the Church on what to do with New Media. This was discussed in a recent conference in Sydney on New Media, organised by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference. To give some idea on the difficulties posed by new media to an ecclesial form, one could refer to Felicia Wu Song Virtual Communities: Bowling Alone, Online Together, in an interview with Ken Myers in volume 108 of the Mars Hill Audio Journal, spoke of a... Read more
The prolific James KA Smith has penned another informative article on the issue of whether tradition is an obstacle to innovation. Far from seeing a dichotomy, Smith very insightfully gives the reader pointers on how the traditions of the Church, particularly those in liturgy, actually are occasions for innovation, in terms of transforming the world to something other than the status quo tries to dictate. Though aimed primarily at Evangelicals, the article provides some useful reference points for Catholics, Anglicans,... Read more
Much has been said about the often bandied phrase “separation of Church and State”. This separation is often seen as something natural, ordained by God to prevent the sad history of bloodshed brought about by bringing politics under religious influence. Religion is thus seen as a destructive force, and secularism is harmful (as Christohper Hitchens once argued) only insofar as it is pursued like a religion. It is important to take a step back from such ideological debates and ask,... Read more
Gregory of Nyssa, one of the Fathers of the ancient church, once described marriage as a form of philanthropy (philanthropia) and a liturgical work, in that it constitutes a service to the public. In a similar vein, Catholic moral theologians such as Paul Quay, William E. May, Ronald Lawler and Joseph Boyle maintain that marriage is a public institution and not merely a private contract. The proof of the publicness of marriage, they maintain is in the flesh of a... Read more
Smartphones have irreversibly changed the way of computing. In a space of less than 30 years, computers of ever-increasing procesing capabilities have shifted from being stuck on top of a desk to one’s jeanspocket. Moreover, exposure to computing is starting at younger and younger ages, to the point where it seems that the integration between humans and computers is either treated as a fait accompli or even an imperative. As a sign of this, edudemic.com wrote a piece on the... Read more
Readers might be interested to know of a number of conferences and presentations pertaining to a variety of topics. On the topic of the Liberal Arts, Campion College is organising and hosting a 3 day Colloquium entitled The Christian View of History and the Revival of the Liberal Arts from 31 August to 2 September 2012. This promises to be a highly stimulating event for those keen to see the humanities protected in Australian tertiary education, given its current unofficial... Read more
In a previous post, reference was made to the necessity for the Christian to be concerned for the environment, whilst at the same time being cautious of not buying into the anthropophobic premises of the most predominant strands of environmentalism. That post suggested that the key lay in finding a new form of anthropocentrism, a picture of the environment with humanity at its centre, which at the same time resists pitting a voraciously consumerist humanity against an innocent and vulnerable... Read more
The present meaning of the Resurrection for ethics is that we are never boxed in. As believers, we are not to be calculating on the basis of the assumption that we are boxed into a world in which there are no new options. Many “saving” events in history were unforeseeable, unplanned, but they happened. the resurrection was an impossible, unforeseeable new option, and it happened…We cannot show them how resurrection works with modern, scientific, causal models, Yet we are committed... Read more
The Art of the Good Life has alerted us to a fine video interview with Philip Goodchild on the relationship between theology and money. Far from being completely unrelated spheres of human experience, Goodchild very convincingly argues that the organisation of societies around money is actually underpinned by variations of a theology, dogma and set of articles of collective faith in a manner similar to many religious traditions. Concisely going through the mechanics of the most recent financial crisis, Goodchild... Read more
The Divine Wedgie
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In