Comments on: Myth, the Old Testament, and Theological Comfort Levels http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/ The out-of-context contextuality of a foolish sage Sat, 04 Sep 2010 06:24:56 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Foolish Sage http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125459 Foolish Sage Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:23:24 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125459 Darryl, My comment was not intended to be unloving, merely to signal that that I have no intereste in pursuing the theological debate we've had elsewhere on this topic. We've had it too many times and gotten nowhere. We ask "what about the data" and you respond "Warfield, Old Princeton and the WCF." We've got your answer; what's to add? I posted the quote because I interpret Pete as saying that myth <i>could</i> be one genre in which God transmits truth, because God is free to do so. As Pete said, that may offend your "theological comfort level," but God is not responsible for that. Myth works fine for me as one way of conveying truth, and I know it does for many others who understand myth as literary genre. That's the connection to this present blog (read the Context page); this isn't Sacred Journey and it's not going to be. I am very glad to leave that world behind me. And Condon's voice? Must be the booze. Actually, I think of him as a mockingbird, able to imitate other sounds he's studied (be they musical genres or singing styles) while adding his own unique character. Darryl,

My comment was not intended to be unloving, merely to signal that that I have no intereste in pursuing the theological debate we’ve had elsewhere on this topic. We’ve had it too many times and gotten nowhere. We ask “what about the data” and you respond “Warfield, Old Princeton and the WCF.” We’ve got your answer; what’s to add?

I posted the quote because I interpret Pete as saying that myth could be one genre in which God transmits truth, because God is free to do so. As Pete said, that may offend your “theological comfort level,” but God is not responsible for that. Myth works fine for me as one way of conveying truth, and I know it does for many others who understand myth as literary genre. That’s the connection to this present blog (read the Context page); this isn’t Sacred Journey and it’s not going to be. I am very glad to leave that world behind me.

And Condon’s voice? Must be the booze. Actually, I think of him as a mockingbird, able to imitate other sounds he’s studied (be they musical genres or singing styles) while adding his own unique character.

]]> By: D G Hart http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125458 D G Hart Sat, 07 Mar 2009 15:03:16 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125458 Mark, btw, how does a kid like Condon sound so middle-aged? I think there's hope for you and me. Mark, btw, how does a kid like Condon sound so middle-aged? I think there’s hope for you and me.

]]> By: D G Hart http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125457 D G Hart Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:57:42 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125457 Mark, have you also given up love of neighbor for Lent? (What does a New Life Presbyterian know about liturgy or church calendars?) One of the things involved in loving neighbors is communicating clearly. So again, simply saying God communicates truly in myth doesn't communicate clearly in our time, unless of course you can do an end run around our own age to a time when such a sentence may have made sense. In which case, you're not following Enns' point about truth being situated. Im situated in your time and you're not loving me. Please love me. Mark, have you also given up love of neighbor for Lent? (What does a New Life Presbyterian know about liturgy or church calendars?) One of the things involved in loving neighbors is communicating clearly. So again, simply saying God communicates truly in myth doesn’t communicate clearly in our time, unless of course you can do an end run around our own age to a time when such a sentence may have made sense. In which case, you’re not following Enns’ point about truth being situated. Im situated in your time and you’re not loving me. Please love me.

]]> By: Foolish Sage http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125456 Foolish Sage Thu, 05 Mar 2009 22:26:51 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125456 D G, I've given up systematic theology for lent, can't you tell? Inveterate poets have no problem with finding truth in myth. It's my opinion God doesn't have that problem either. Glad you enjoyed Condon/Beirut. He's got a new EP out in which he explores Mexican music. D G, I’ve given up systematic theology for lent, can’t you tell? Inveterate poets have no problem with finding truth in myth. It’s my opinion God doesn’t have that problem either.

Glad you enjoyed Condon/Beirut. He’s got a new EP out in which he explores Mexican music.

]]> By: pduggie http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125452 pduggie Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:27:38 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125452 What I keep trying to hint at is that if we say that God chose the genre of "myth" to communicate his truth, then one feature of the genre of myth is that it is to be regarded as factually true by the uninitiated peasant class. So we're supposed to believe it if we aren't in the priestly class. What I keep trying to hint at is that if we say that God chose the genre of “myth” to communicate his truth, then one feature of the genre of myth is that it is to be regarded as factually true by the uninitiated peasant class.

So we’re supposed to believe it if we aren’t in the priestly class.

]]> By: D G Hart http://foolishsage.com/2009/03/03/myth-the-old-testament-and-theological-comfort-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-125451 D G Hart Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:47:17 +0000 http://foolishsage.com/?p=1443#comment-125451 The problem, Mark, is that for many myth is synonymous with false. That may not be fair. But that's the reality. In which case, is Enns trying to say that God can communicate truth through falsehood? Or better, let's figure out a way to call something that is erroneous correct. For whatever reason, Enns' effort to hold these tensions together were not superior in my view to older Princeton and WTS statements on the human and the divine and the Bible's situatedness. The other problem for Enns and possibly you is that just as we are not in a position to dictate to God how he communicates to us, neither are we in a position to escape our own situatedness here and now and presume to rise above the way words like myth, truth, falsehood, and error operate. We're all situated. I don't think Enns' defenders ever quite grasped that. BTW, thanks for the links to Zach Condon. He is one of the most amazing pop musicians in recent times. The problem, Mark, is that for many myth is synonymous with false. That may not be fair. But that’s the reality. In which case, is Enns trying to say that God can communicate truth through falsehood? Or better, let’s figure out a way to call something that is erroneous correct.

For whatever reason, Enns’ effort to hold these tensions together were not superior in my view to older Princeton and WTS statements on the human and the divine and the Bible’s situatedness.

The other problem for Enns and possibly you is that just as we are not in a position to dictate to God how he communicates to us, neither are we in a position to escape our own situatedness here and now and presume to rise above the way words like myth, truth, falsehood, and error operate. We’re all situated. I don’t think Enns’ defenders ever quite grasped that.

BTW, thanks for the links to Zach Condon. He is one of the most amazing pop musicians in recent times.

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