In Isaiah Berlin’s study Freedom and Its Betrayal, is a study of how freedom was diminished in the writings and life of five figures – Helvétius, Rousseau, Fichte, Hegel, Saint-Simon, and Maistre. The chapters were originally given as talks on the radio in England but also as lectures elsewhere. They are models of lucid thinking and accessible discussion of complex figures. Today no one would agree with all the judgments of Berlin, and I have over the years learned much from the man, but his essays are still worth reading.
But haven't all Christians picked the parts they find helpful? The bible supports slavery in the old and new testaments. We leave those verses alone, or justify them with pretty absurd theological acrobatics. Paul's rules for women in church. Heck, whole books of the bible were thrown away because protestants felt like the deuterocanonical books didn't fit their theology. Basically all reformed theology is an example of reinterpreting the bible in light of the historical events they were in, whether they were aware of it or not. Shouldnt we stop acknowledge that part of the work we must do is to decide which verses are the important ones and which are the ones we can devalue?
OOPS! My comments just disappeared. Perhaps that's just as well (GRIN). It gives me more time to ponder Engberg-Pedersen's "and yet..." Sometimes it's too easy to toss out the baby with the bathwater.
How nice it must be to eat what one wants from the Paul buffet and leave the rest. This is really disturbing.
But haven't all Christians picked the parts they find helpful? The bible supports slavery in the old and new testaments. We leave those verses alone, or justify them with pretty absurd theological acrobatics. Paul's rules for women in church. Heck, whole books of the bible were thrown away because protestants felt like the deuterocanonical books didn't fit their theology. Basically all reformed theology is an example of reinterpreting the bible in light of the historical events they were in, whether they were aware of it or not. Shouldnt we stop acknowledge that part of the work we must do is to decide which verses are the important ones and which are the ones we can devalue?
OOPS! My comments just disappeared. Perhaps that's just as well (GRIN). It gives me more time to ponder Engberg-Pedersen's "and yet..." Sometimes it's too easy to toss out the baby with the bathwater.