Tacitus on the Christians

“But all human efforts, all the lavish gifts of the emperor (Nero) and the propitiations of the gods, did not banish the sinister belief that the conflagration (burning of Rome in 64 AD) was the result of an order (given by Nero). Consequently, to get rid of the report, Nero fastened the guilt and inflicted the most exquisite tortures on a class hated for their abominations, called “Chrestians” by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of one of our procurators, Pontius Pilate, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome, where all things hideous and shameful from every part of the world find their center and become popular. Accordingly, an arrest was first made of all (Christians) who pleaded guilty; then, upon their information, an immense multitude was convicted, not so much of the crime of firing the city, as of hatred against mankind. Mockery of every sort was added to their deaths. Covered with the skins of beasts, they were torn by dogs and perished, or were nailed to crosses, or were doomed to the flames and burnt, to serve as a nightly illumination, when daylight had expired.” Tacitus, Annals, 15.44

‘Never Be Afraid’: William Faulkner’s Speech to His Daughter’s Graduating Class in 1951

“Years ago, before any of you were born, a wise Frenchman said, ‘If youth knew; if age could.’ We all know what he meant: that when you are young, you have the power to do anything, but you don’t know what to do. Then, when you have got old and experience and observation have taught you answers, you are tired, frightened; you don’t care, you want to be left alone as long as you yourself are safe; you no longer have the capacity or the will to grieve over any wrongs but your own.

“So you young men and women in this room tonight, and in thousands of other rooms like this one about the earth today, have the power to change the world, rid it forever of war and injustice and suffering, provided you know how, know what to do. And so according to the old Frenchman, since you can’t know what to do because you are young, then anyone standing here with a head full white hair should be able to tell you.

“But maybe this one is not as old and wise as his white hairs pretend to claim. Because he can’t give you a glib answer or pattern either. But he can tell you this, because he believes this. What threatens us today is fear. Not the atom bomb, nor even fear of it, because if the bomb fell on Oxford tonight, all it could do would be to kill us, which is nothing, since in doing that, it will have robbed itself of its only power over us: which is fear of it, the being afraid of it. Our danger is not that. Our danger is the forces in the world today which are trying to use man’s fear to rob him of his individuality, his soul, trying to reduce him to an unthinking mass by fear and bribery — giving him free food which he has not earned, easy and valueless money which he has not worked for; the economies and ideologies or political systems, communist or socialistic or democratic, whatever they wish to call themselves, the tyrants and the politicians, American or European or Asiatic, whatever they call themselves, who would reduce man to one obedient mass for their own aggrandizement and power, or because they themselves are baffled and afraid, afraid of, or incapable of, believing in man’s capacity for courage and endurance and sacrifice.

“That is what we must resist, if we are to change the world for man’s peace and security. It is not men in the mass who can and will save man. It is man himself, created in the image of God so that he shall have the power to choose right from wrong, and so be able to save himself because he is worth saving — man, the individual, men and women, who will refuse always to be tricked or frightened or bribed into surrendering, not just the right but the duty too, to choose between justice and injustice, courage and cowardice, sacrifice and greed, pity and self — who will believe always not only in the right of man to be free of injustice and rapacity and deception, but the duty and responsibility of man to see that justice and truth and pity and compassion are done.

“So, never be afraid. Never be afraid to raise your voice for honesty and truth and compassion, against injustice and lying and greed. If you, not just you in this room tonight, but in all the thousands of other rooms like this one about the world today and tomorrow and next week, will do this, not as a class or classes, but as individuals, men and women, you will change the earth; in one generation all the Napoleons and Hitlers and Caesars and Mussolinis and Stalins and all the other tyrants who want power and aggrandizement, and the simple politicians and time-servers who themselves are merely baffled or ignorant of afraid, who have used, or are using, or hope to use, man’s fear and greed for man’s enslavement, will have vanished from the face of it.”

Source: https://www.openculture.com/2020/05/never-be-afraid-william-faulkners-speech-to-his-daughters-graduating-class-in-1951.html#google_vignette

Principles of Clear, Effective Writing

Short words

Use a short word instead of a long word if the meaning of the shorter word is as precise as the longer one.

Familiar words

The reader wants information that he can grasp easily and quickly. Short words and familiar words have a big impact. Specific rather than abstract words Specific words pinpoint your meaning; abstract words have many connotations and are subject to each reader's interpretation.

Precise words

Be sure that each word conveys its precise meaning. Use your dictionary and thesaurus.

Strong verbs

Use the active voice wherever possible. Active verbs strengthen your sentences and convey their meaning in a direct and straightforward way. Passive verb forms weaken the message.

Few qualifying words and phrases

Check your adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases. Are they needed? If not, strike them out. Be especially alert for long strings of prepositional phrases.

Short sentences

Keep sentences short on the average--not more than an average of 20 words. For promotional writing, sentences should average 15 to 17 words.

Varied sentence pattern

Balance long sentences with short ones. Monotony in sentence length puts the reader to sleep, whether the sentences are long or short.

Straightforward sentences

Take the most direct route between subject, verb, and object. Rambling sentences, filled with qualifying clauses, cause th reader to lose the trend of thought.

Simplicity

Avoid wordiness, jargon, pompous phrases, and generalities. When you find these barriers to communication in your copy, cut them out.

SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR SIMPLE, CLEAR WRITING

1. Define your audience and purpose.

If you are writing a pamphlet on mental health to be read by nearly all adults, you must ask two question. What do they want to know in order to build a background for what they need to know. You must get into the reader's shoes and think and feel as he does, be as ignorant or as bright as he is. What is your own purpose in writing the material? Do you have five or six key ideas that experts think everyone ought to know about mental health? What do you want the reader to feel and do about mental health? Are you trying to change your reader, or merely remind him about something he already believes? Samuel Johnson said that men need to be reminded more than they need to be instructed.

2. Avoid a lengthy introduction.

Catch your reader's attention quickly. Many introductions are both dull and useless. Your reader may give up before he gets to your first point. Use a short introduction, if any, to make quite clear what is coming, the questions that will be answered. This, too, will help you sharpen the logic of the material.

3. Tell a logical story.

Study your key points and note the basic arguments and ideas being presented. Are your big ideas clearly outlined and developed, or are they hidden? Could a reader easily remember them and tell them to someone else? Is there a logic of time, cause and effect, etc., that you can use?

4. Make your key points visible.

A reader should be able to skim your article, see quickly what it says, decide whether he wants to read it. Therefore, visual guides can make the article clearer and more inviting. Sometimes you can help the reader by subheads, italics, boldface, or by numbering the points made. You can spread your material out typographically, make it less dense in appearance by more paragraphing. Aerate your material, let it breathe, let the white paper show up more.

5. Be concise but clear.

Maybe you have covered too much in one article. It is better to fully uncover one point than to cover 10 points. However, a serious article on a serious problem for a serious reader can be long. Make the article as long as it needs to be. But stop just before the reader's cup runs over. The popularity of proverbs is often due to their crisp and easily remembered wording.

6. Make it personal.

Think of writing a personal letter rather than an article. You can make material personal by using conversation in it, by putting personal the stories, real names, real places. Notice how personal the stories are in Reader’s Digest. Do you nearly always read the "letters" column in Time, Newsweek, or Life? They are personal, simple, and nearly everybody can read them.

If you are writing a story about municipal government, you might well quote what the local citizen said about the garbage problem: "It stinks." Effective writing often sounds like talk.

The dividing line between impersonal reporting and personal reporting is at about the eighth-grade level. When material deals with a named person and his problems it tends to be at this level or below. When it deals with impersonal ideas it tends to be above this level.

7. Invite reader participation and involvement.

All reading material explicitly or implicitly answers the questions of the reader. Note the effectiveness of questions and answers used in printed interviews. Our studies show that they are two or three grade levels easier to read than the rest of the magazine. Effective writing causes the reader to identify himself with, or to involve himself in, the writing.

8. Use pointed examples.

You can simplify and clarify an article by inserting examples. Many highly condensed articles need illustrations, "for examples." These examples may include anecdotes, a more concrete explanation, an illustration which makes an abstract idea concrete. Lazy writers often say: "The reader will think of other examples." This usually means that the writer has run out of them himself. Season writing with anecdotes. You enter the world of the abstract through the door of the concrete. Amplify by examples: in short, "examplify."

9. Simplify the vocabulary.

Avoid pedantic mumbo-jumbo. You can sometimes substitute short, simple, vivid, easily understood words for the longer Latin or Greek equivalents. Instead of confronting problems, just face them. A sine qua non is merely a necessity. A multifacted problem is many-sided. Don't proceed on the assumption. Just assume. Avoid polysyllabic profundity which may dazzle but not illuminate. There is no need to dress up the obvious in the finery of the obscure. However, if important and difficult technical words are needed in an article, explain them or put them into a context that suggests their meaning without insulting the intelligence of the able reader. People do like to learn new, hard words. So don't rob them of this unexpected bonus, this enjoyable serendipity. Important hard words might well be repeated the article. Planned duplication is important.

10. Watch your sentence structure.

Sentences may become too long and too involved by much qualification. This may be necessary when writing for fellow specialists but not for laymen. Remove unnecessary qualification. It is the complexity of the sentence and not its length that is the chief cause of its hardness. You would not make John Dewey's Democracy and Education any easier to read by cutting all the sentences in two. However, some specialized writing can be changed to make necessary qualifications less cumbersome, more easily seen.

11. Repeat and summarize thoughtfully.

As you approach the end of your article you should be answering the reader's questions: So what? What is the author driving finished your article. When the article is long, the reader will forget points made earlier. Carry key points along with you, don't drop them abruptly. When you reach the third or fifth points, you may wish to remind the reader what the and second ones were. In a long article, a summary may recast the key points that have been made. But tell them in a fresh way. Mere repetition is not good enough.

From "Writing for Nearly Everybody" by Edgar Dale. The News Letter, November 1969, College of Education, The Ohio State University.

Rules for Good Writing

1. Prefer the plain word to the fancy.

2. Prefer the familiar word to the unfamiliar.

3. Prefer the Saxon word to the Romance.

4. Prefer nouns and verbs to adjectives and adverbs.

5. Prefer picture nouns and action verbs.

6. Never use a long word when a short one will do as well.

7. Master the simple declarative sentence.

8. Prefer the simple sentence to the complicated.

9. Vary your sentence length.

10. Put the words you want to emphasize at the beginning or the end of your sentence.

11. Use the active voice.

12. Put statements in a positive form.

13. Use short paragraphs.

14. Cut needless words, sentences, and paragraphs.

15. Use plain, conversational language. Write like you talk.

16. Avoid imitation. Write in your natural style.

17. Write clearly.

18. Avoid gobbledygook.

19. Write to be understood, not to impress.

20. Revise and rewrite. Improvement is always possible.

Source: Writer's Digest School, Cincinnati, Ohio

The Holistic Milieu in the Pacific Northwest Church

This article presents relevant data from the 2007 McMinnville Project regarding the New Age Movement—a.k.a. the holistic milieu, and provides four key implications from that data concerning the direction the holistic milieu is moving in the Pacific Northwest—that people in the holistic milieu express their faith more as radical individualists than communally or institutionally, that despite being anti-institutional, they are not necessarily opposed to the notion of Jesus or the use of the Bible, that they are personally committed to their spiritual quests, and that they appreciate and utilize non-traditional avenues of religion and spirituality in their lives.  Matthew Fox writes, “Renewal implies a new beginning, a new spirit, a new energy unleashed, a new paradigm, a new way to see the world.  Enter the phrase, ‘New Age.”’

 It argues that, contrary to Paul Heelas et al.’s prediction that “Those forms of spirituality in the West that help people to live in accordance with the deepest, sacred dimension of their own unique lives can be expected to be growing,” the holistic milieu is not usurping the traditional religious domain in people’s lives and priorities.  It still has a limited presence, but it is not a strong one nor one that will be taking over the spiritual scene very soon, if at all (based on the statistical data of participation, longevity, etc.).  Compared to traditional avenues of spirituality, the holistic milieu is difficult to find, although once found, it is not hard to join.

One of the more difficult aspects of the McMinnville Project’s sociological study of religion has involved the defining, locating, and sampling of the alternative spirituality practices.  Peter Ellway suggests that, based on religious studies such as Knoblauch’s, “Europe displays declining religiosity, but shows how this is qualified by a real takeup of what he [Knoblauch] calls alternative religion, a wider term than ‘New Age’ which means privatized non-traditional and non-institutional religions.”

Concerning spirituality in the United States, Dan Kimball remarks,

In our increasingly post-Christian culture, the influences and values shaping emerging generations are no longer aligned with Christianity.  Emerging generations don’t have a basic understanding of the story of the Bible, and they don’t have one God as the predominant God to worship. Rather, they are open to all types of faiths, including new mixtures of religions.  

Heelas et al. mention that these activities and groups are “less obvious” and that they are synonymous with the New Age movement. Heelas states,

One’s initial impression is of an eclectic hotch-potch of beliefs, practices and ways of life.  Esoteric or mystical Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam and Toaism enter the picture.  So do elements from ‘pagan’ teachings including Celtic, Druidic, Mayan and Native American Indians.  An exceedingly wide range of practices—Zen meditations, Wiccan rituals, enlightenment intensive seminars, management trainings, shamanic activities, wilderness events, spiritual therapies, forms of positive thinking—fall under the rubric.  

Because of the aforementioned, the holistic milieu, or New Age Movement, has been described as a “cultural fog bank,” “undeniably nebulous” and “subjective-life spirituality”—labels that describe the sometimes-ambiguous, very personal nature of the holistic milieu.    

Certainly connected to its ubiquitous floating presence is the challenge to find such centers and gathering places of its adherents.  Obviously, there is no “Church of the Holistic Milieu” officially set up in the Pacific Northwest; rather, there are pockets of people coming together to share a commonality of faith/spirituality different from the mainstream understanding. Not only are these assemblies difficult to find, but also they are also difficult to scientifically examine. Very often, people from the outside are welcomed in as seekers, but not always as observers (from personal experience during the 2007 McMinnville Project).           

What follows is an analysis of participants’ understandings of religion, spirituality, and the role of the individual in McMinnville, and the implications to greater society in the Pacific Northwest. 

Key Characteristics

There are a few specific traits that seem specific to the holistic milieu.  These include a belief in and involvement with alternative spirituality practices that holistic milieu participants consider spiritual in nature, a plurality or dualism in religious activity that allows for dual membership in traditional and alternative practices, a strong sense of community, and a cautionary outlook in life and relationships.   

Belief in the Spirituality of Holistic Activities

First and foremost, the holistic milieu participants experienced or were clearly aware of a spiritual connection in the alternative spirituality activities they were involved in outside of church. Some 90% of participants indicated that they had recently and regularly participated in a spiritual activity that they considered spiritual or religious in nature.  Furthermore, holistic milieu participants were involved with the holistic milieu activities for an extended period of time.  This involvement was not a one-time affair but ongoing in their lives.  Their involvement in the holistic milieu also was more diffused than in the congregational study; 90% of holistic milieu participants had tried multiple alternative activities. 

Sacro-Communalism

A seemingly paradoxical characteristic of the holistic milieu participants was a strong sense of community that embraced people with a strong sense of individualism.  Stephen Hunt states, “The movement is sufficiently broad, however, to embrace all-comers.” The holistic milieu survey responses also provided some light in this matter.  In the survey, several people indicate that they joined their particular groups, “to meet like minded people.”  They were looking for a spiritual support group where they could be fed (by a personal and community experience) and led (through individual and community enlightenment).  As one survey participant wrote, “I like the teachings of my community because I like what my spiritual leader says and what he says we are to do.  He wants us to be free in our thinking, he wants us to question, but there are certain laws we have to obey or we will suffer.”

Additionally, Both Neil and Laura voiced their appreciation for their approach to spirituality and spoke highly of the benefits it had brought to their lives.  In his interview, Neil confided about a family crisis where he was estranged from his wife and children.  He said, “There were some overwhelmingly ripping mystical experiences that made that happen.  That I was contacted and my wife was contacted by the Central Force in the Universe in a profound, jarring sort of way that brought me back to my family and sort of brought us back together.” The holistic milieu had a therapeutic aspect to it that helped heal, not only spiritual wounds, but emotional and physical ones as well.  It helped bring Neil back into community with his loved ones.

Laura, too, in her interview, opened up and shared her past experiences of church life.  She said, “As a youth I never felt connected in a way that I felt I should be.  Intuitively, I felt there was way that I should be connecting; I thought I must not be very spiritual since I was not. Now I feel connected.” Before she had felt disconnected from God despite being deeply involved in church (her father was a Methodist minister; later he became a Presbyterian minister instead); however, with her husband and their new-found embrace of the holistic movement, she felt comforted and part of a spiritual community.  

Cautionary Disposition

Another provocative aspect of the holistic milieu is its participants’ seemingly hyper-cautious response to outside investigation.  All-too-frequently, when asked if I could observe a holistic group in action, do a demographic count, and distribute a survey, the contact person would ask, “Why do you want to know that about us?”  Despite any further explanations and promises of innocuous intent, they would often reply, “I do not think we would be comfortable discussing our spiritual life with you.”  Their response went beyond privacy, and I sensed they were threatened by the notion of a public, academic study of their belief system.

This is not mere paranoia; historically, the New Age Movement and the holistic milieu have been criticized, chastised, and ridiculed by others in mainstream religion. Concerning the traditionalist appraisal of the holistic milieu, Partridge explains, “What they see as New Age immanentism has prompted not only the Catholic Church but also other Christian Churches to attack the movement as a form of modern paganism. They often consider any spiritual approach outside of the orthodox world to be a cult, “. . . the term ‘cult’ being adopted from Evangelical Christians as the appropriate label for the despised new religions.” Just on the sales website page of Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler’s book, The New Tolerance: How A Cultural Movement Threatens To Destroy You, Your Faith, And Your Children, one reads,

Best-selling author Josh McDowell and Bob Hostetler unmask the true nature of the cultural movement of ‘tolerance’ in this powerful release. It will not only help you to understand it, but equip you to counter its insidious effects on your faith and your children. In addition, the authors teach you how to: neutralize this threat by discerning truth from error, teach your children to discern between acceptance and approval, and lovingly respond to a hostile culture that seems willing to tolerate just about anything except biblical truth. 

Evangelicals are not the only Christian group to criticize the holistic milieu.  The Catholic Church also has condemned this New Age movement.  The Pontifical Councils for Culture and Interreligious Dialogue warned Catholics that

It must unfortunately be admitted that there are too many cases where Catholic centres of spirituality are actively involved in diffusing New Age religiosity in the Church. This would of course have to be corrected, not only to stop the spread of confusion and error, but also so that they might be effective in promoting true Christian spirituality.

Furthermore, Jesuit Catholic Priest Father Mitch Pacwa called the New Age movement “downright dangerous.” It is clear that both Evangelical Christian groups and the Catholic Church are actively fighting against New Age beliefs and considers New Age groups to be generally spiritually harmful to Christianity and the world.

With this in mind, it is no wonder that many in the holistic milieu are reticent to divulge their innermost religious/spiritual beliefs and feelings.  In one interview, one person said that she had “learned to live her spiritual life underground” because of the hostility she has experienced from mainline Christians.  Another mentioned that she does not let anyone know at the church she is attending that she also embraces New Age spirituality. When I sent a short email to the New Thought group (found on their website), my email went through four people before it was replied to.  I found a great deal of information from their web site, but I asked three supplemental questions: 1) How long has New Thought been in existence in McMinnville?; 2) How many attendees do you normally have during the week (Sundays and during your Silent Meditations)?;  and 3) Would you consider yourselves part of the New Age Movement or do you consider yourselves another facet of religion?  

In the final email, which included the members’ exchanges about my request, one person had written, “Seems harmless.  You might want to reply to this guy.” Apparently, there was some question as to my motivation by the group; perhaps they had others try to trick them into giving up information used later to hurt them somehow.

A cautionary disposition was evident in the responses; it made arranging the interviews and surveys that much more difficult.  Being such a small segment of society, it makes sense that they would feel “ganged up on” or self-preservative.  Many of the beliefs of the holistic milieu practitioners are still considered taboo in traditional churches.  If knowledge about their beliefs made it back to their home churches, they could risk exclusion or embarrassment.  

The Future of the Holistic Milieu in McMinnville

According to the 2007 McMinnville Project data, what is happening with the holistic milieu in the Pacific Northwest at most falls more along the lines of Steve Bruce’s morbid conclusion than Paul Heelas and Linda Woodhead’s spiritually-expansive future. Yes, there are some people in the traditional congregations engaging in alternative spirituality practices, but they are doing them more out of fashion or personal curiosity than religious fulfillment (based on their survey responses that indicate no religious association). There is a minor percentage of people in McMinnville active in various holistic milieu groups who are very serious about their spirituality, but their numbers are small considering the overall state population size; however, the largest oak tree began as a small acorn, so time will only tell what becomes of the holistic milieu in Oregon and the Pacific Northwest.

ELTON TRUEBLOOD: HERALD—OR HARBINGER—BRINGING NEWS OF GREAT . . .

In his 1949 comparative mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces, American writer and professor of literature Joseph Campbell (1904–1987) discusses the archetype of the herald, stating, “The crisis of his appearance is the ‘call to adventure.’ The herald’s summons may be to live, as in the present instance, or, at a later moment of the biography, to die. It may sound the call to some high historical undertaking. Or it may mark the dawn of religious illumination.”[1] Synonymously, the term, “harbinger,” is often used in the same vein, although typically with more ominous overtones of delivery.

Thus, in the gospel of Luke, Gabriel and an unnamed angel of the Lord (both acting as heralds) brought “good news of great joy” to Mary, the shepherds, and the world (Luke 2:30–30, 10, NASB), but in the book of Daniel (acting as a harbinger), the prophet warns, “But the court will convene for judgment, and his dominion will be taken away, annihilated and destroyed forever” (Dan 7:26, NASB). Biblically (and historically), the herald or harbinger often come bearing significant “news” from the king (or God)—and whether it is news of great joy or of great sorrow depends much upon the audience’s reception of the future prediction, their willingness to own their sins or to accept the consequences of their past actions or attitudes, and/or the particular potential promises of recovery, release, and recovery offered to them in the future.

Such is the pivotal plight in modernity observed and cautioned about in American professor of philosophy Elton Trueblood’s The Predicament of Modern Man,[2] which was “directed principally at theologians, philosophers, and other academics.”[3] In this critique of modernity’s social advancement, Trueblood focuses on four particularly detrimental aspects of modern society: 1. The sickness of civilization, 2. The failure of power culture, 3. The impotence of ethics, and 4. The insufficiency of individual religion. In his fifth and final chapter (5), Trueblood discusses the necessity of a redemptive society, and “a consciously contrived fellowship of work and worship.”[4]

In chapter one, “The Sickness of Civilization,” Trueblood discusses the decay of modern Western society (much like Rome’s), stating, “We have now a counterpart of the ancient situation.”[5] In fact, according to Trueblood, “The recognition that something has gone wrong with our civilization is now so widespread as to be almost universal”[6]—and it is wrong in so many ways.

Humanism/atheism has replaced theism, but cynicism and skepticism remain, unchecked. Moreover, while humanity has advanced in artificial contraptions and conveniences, it has simultaneously lost its soul and sympathy for its members. Not just a philosophical consequence, technology has also dehumanized humanity and is progressing faster than can be comprehended or corralled by its “masters”—leading to abuses and neglect. Sadly, Trueblood notes, “This is the predicament of Western man. He has built up a complex civilization, but he may lose it because, in his proud hour of achievement, he has so largely lost or never developed the inner resources that are needed to keep a possible boon from becoming a calamity.”[7]

Ultimately, Trueblood writes,

Unless the spiritual problem is solved, civilization will fail; indeed, we already have a foretaste of that failure in many parts of the world. Man’s sinful nature is such that he will use instruments of power for evil ends unless there is something to instruct him in their beneficent uses. Without the conscious and intelligent buttressing of what has been demonstrated as precious, human society goes down.[8]

Trueblood continues his critique in chapter two, “The Failure of Power Culture,” proclaiming, “What is so amazing in our day is not the rejection of Western civilization in practice, for that has always occurred, but the rejection of Western civilization in theory.”[9] Furthermore, this rejection of Western civilization has also removed the stabilizing and restraining Christian social ethic (and conscience) that accompanied it for centuries. What is left in modern society is superficial at best, tyrannical at worst.

Trueblood writes, “The essential notion of power culture is the effort to organize human life independent of moral inhibitions. It is the non-ethical creed.”[10] This creed also brings several dangerous new doctrines into modern society such as an emphasis on obtaining/retaining “sheer power,”[11] maintaining the presumption that good leaders are superior—“physically, intellectually, morally, or culturally,”[12] and promoting the ideal of expert authority so that people “are set free from freedom,”[13] This is a dangerous phenomenon for as Trueblood notes, “That individualism is incompatible with the proposed creed is easy to see. The notion that each person is a separate object of infinite worth because he is a child of God made in God’s image must be rooted out if sheer authoritarianism is to flourish.”[14]

Making this paradoxically worse (though better in comforts and general knowledge) is the continuing advancement of science, but science without integrity can easily become Frankenstein’s monster.[15] One can easily see terrifying comparisons to COVID-19 era’s Big Pharma/Big Brother abuses when Trueblood asserts,

Science in the Western world is based is the sacredness of truth. It is incompatible with a system that breeds a disregard for objective truth or undermines the standard of personal honesty that requires a man to submit unfavorable as well as favorable evidence when he is testing a hypothesis. Science is possible because there are men engaged in it who will not sell out to the political boss, who will not falsify reports to support a preconceived notion, who will stay on the job even when the ordinary rewards are denied. Science, then, depends on ethical foundations, the chief of which is the unmercenary love of truth. 

Yet, not even democracy, education, socialism, or infrastructures can save humanity (as history abundantly attests).

            In the end, Trueblood concludes,

The chief weakness of modern Western man is weakness of the head rather than weakness of the heart. He is sympathetic and full of good aspirations; he is mild and kind; and he hates war. His strange delusion is the notion that the kind of world he seeks can be supported in mid-air, without a foundation . . . Modern man is, therefore, a pathetic creature—pathetic in his hope.[16] 

There can be no healthy or benevolent civilization with a strong ethical foundation. Trueblood concludes, “A mere power culture will eventually cease to be a culture at all.”[17]

In chapter three, “The Impotence of Ethics,” Trueblood continues his ethical analysis and discourse, focusing on the futility of modern ethics. Speaking of the commonly accepted “love thy neighbor” maxim, he remarks, “We take our creed for granted; we have little interest in how it came to be; and we assume uncritically that it will naturally survive. This is the pathetic faith of Western man in the middle of the twentieth century, a faith utterly unjustified by experience.”[18] While there might be universal acceptance, it is more about reducing stress levels, emptiness, or loneliness than truly and actively embracing the Greatest Commandment as a conviction of the heart. Trueblood notes, “We have inherited precious ethical convictions that seem to us to be profound, central, and essential. But they have a curious inefficacy. They are noble, but they are impotent.”[19]

The most serious problem though, in Trueblood’s mind, is modern man’s lack of faith in God. He laments, “The fearful aspect of the present situation is that those who have inherited the major tradition of the West now have an ethic without a religion, whereas they are challenged by millions who have a religion without an ethic.”[20] Even worse, he confesses, “We are now trying the utterly precarious experiment, in which the odds are against us, of attempting to maintain our culture by loyalty to the Christian ethic without a corresponding faith in the Christian religion that produced it.”[21]

Trueblood’s final solution to the disconnected, apathetic humanist culture poisoning and gutting Western civilization is probably as triggering in modern, individualistic society as it is diagnostically spot on, spiritually. He declares,

What men need, if they are to overcome their lethargy and weakness, is some contact with the real world in which moral values are centered in the nature of things. This is the love of God, for which men have long shown themselves willing to live or to die. The only sure way in which we can transcend our human relativities is by obedience to the absolute and eternal God.[22] 

This reality, though, must be grounded in true faith and not some abstract or watered-down system of pseudo-religion appealing to the masses stuck in modernity’s maze of malaise. Instead, Trueblood reflects, “We must not forget that, in the Roman Empire, Christ won and won against tremendous odds. He won because the faith in Christ really changed the lives of countless weak men and made them bold as lions. He has taken poor creatures who could not even understand the language of moral philosophy and shaken the world through them.”[23]

Such a spiritual victory is still available in modernity (and postmodernity), but it is dependent (as it always has been) upon the peace found in “the love of God who, as the Source of goodness, makes us know that, even at best, we are not really good. This is the peace that passes understanding, though it is not a peace that negates the understanding.”[24]This form of “genuine conversion”[25] is required for true social betterment to be achieved; however, it rests upon the belief that God is God, and we are not—an antithetical proposition for the typical humanist, atheist, or modernist devoted to the self.

Speaking of which, in chapter four, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” Trueblood pushes back against the tide of slippery, half-hearted, self-serving neo-Christianity flooding the West. He warns, “Twentieth century man, if pressed for an answer, admits that he believes in a moral order, that he believes in religion, and that he believes in the Christian religion, but there he stops.”[26] Most Westerners might have some cursory knowledge of Christianity, but it remains “a vague and tenuous residuum of Christian piety, devoid of any intention of doing anything about it.”[27] Of course, this does them no good and they are in great danger of being eternally rejected by God for their lukewarm sentiments (Rev 3:6).

Exacerbating the problem, True blood notes that too many compromised or counterfeit churches only offer the hurting and searching “some ugly stained-glass windows and a holy tone and a collection plate full of dimes.”[28] Most current studies of religiosity point to an ever-growing rejection of institutional Christianity and an embrace of radical religious individualism.[29]

Also adding to the problem, the same limitation holds true for parents who fail to raise their children in the faith “once entrusted to the Saints” (Jude 3:3, NASB). Trueblood explains, “Parents are amazed at the moral bankruptcy of their children. They cannot see why their children fail to have the same standards as their own, but in truth they have denied their children any practical contact with the ongoing tradition that is chiefly concerned with keeping these alive in our culture.”[30]

Faith begins and grows in fellowship, which was (and still is) “central to the gospel.”[31] Participation, personal involvement, and investment are all cornerstones of a vibrant, genuine relationship with God. Intellectual acknowledgement (and isolation) does not suffice. Churches may not be perfect, but they can still assist in evangelization and discipleship through their egalitarian witness, their testimony for peace, their brotherhood of all humanity, and their renunciation of living according to the flesh. They can show that God is worth any worldly sacrifices because His love is what they truly need in life.[32]

Finally, in Trueblood’s final chapter, he shows that he is just as much a herald of God’s great news than merely a harbinger of doom. Despite previously pointing to the numerous failings, compromises, and dangers promulgated by the post-Christian New World Order, Trueblood proclaims loudly and succinctly his hope for healing a broken and sick world devoid of faith and Spirit:

We need a world-shaking movement to offset the planetary dangers that a peculiar combination of factors has now produced. What is required to save us from the destruction of which world wars constitute a foretaste is a new spirit. We need this far more desperately than we need any new machine or anything else.[33]

People need real relationships with real believers to cultivate a real faith in a real God. More than just being voices crying alone in the wilderness, Trueblood recommends trying something new in modernity—actually developing closer bonds with other Christians, despite denominational differences[34]—so that people can see what true unity can be like for God’s community of believers centered within the loving perichoresis of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. He writes, “Real fellowship is so rare and so precious that it is like dynamite in any human situation.”[35] People do not need or want the smoke of moral therapeutic deism; they need the warm BOOM! of a relationship with God and His adopted children in Jesus Christ.

Throughout the entirety of The Predicament of Modern Man, Trueblood has continually “called for the reinvigoration of religious faith as the essential force necessary to sustain the ethical, moral, and social principles on which a humane and livable world order could be built.”[36] Even more so, “[Trueblood] warned against what he called ‘churchianity’ and ‘vague religiosity,’ but he also cautioned against the overly optimistic expectations of secular social-reformism.”[37] As the apostle Peter exhorted, Christ’s followers are to live in purity and love (1 Pet 1:22–23). As the apostle Jude admonished, believers (in all ages) are to contend for the faith (Jude 3:3). As the apostle Paul acknowledged, we might be pressed down but we are not crushed (2 Cor 4:8), and as the apostle John affirmed, whoever lives in love, lives in God, and God in them (1 John 4:16).

Likewise, Trueblood’s last words in the chapter how this heraldic heart of hope and trust in God (and His people). He declares, “We have to strive to keep our faith, but we are keeping it. We are perplexed, but not unto despair. We believe that we can survive a civilization gone rotten and that the essential faith of Western man can be restored to this end.”[38] Eighty years later, Trueblood’s words are still an inspiring and provocative call for greater renewal and reformation movements in an even more detached world full of darkness.  

Bibliography

Bolling, Laundrum. “D. Elton Trueblood.” Earlhamite (Winter 1995). Available at https://www.waynet.org/people/biography/trueblood.htm. 

Campbell, Joseph, and David Kudler. The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Vol. 30th Anniversary Special edition. E-Book: Joseph Campbell Foundation, 2020. 

Knox, John S. “Sacro-Egoism and the Shifting Paradigm of Religiosity.” Implicit Religion 11, no. 2 (2008): 153–172. doi:10.1558/imre.v11i2.153 

Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York:  Penguin, 1983. 

Trueblood, Elton. The Predicament of Modern Man. New York City: Harper & Brothers, 1944. Available at https://www.religion-online.org/book/the-predicament-of-modern-man/.

Endnotes

[1] Joseph Campbell and David Kudler, The Hero with a Thousand Faces: Vol. 30th Anniversary Special edition (E-book: Joseph Campbell Foundation, 2020).

[2] Elton Trueblood, The Predicament of Modern Man (New York City: Harper & Brothers, 1944); available at https://www.religion-online.org/book/the-predicament-of-modern-man/.

[3] Laundrum Bolling, “D. Elton Trueblood,” Earlhamite (Winter 1995); available at https://www.waynet.org/people/biography/trueblood.htm.

[4] Trueblood, “The Necessity of a Redemptive Society,” in The Predicament, 10.

[5] Trueblood, “The Sickness of Civilization,” in The Predicament, 10.

[6] Trueblood, “The Sickness of Civilization,” in The Predicament, 3.

[7] Trueblood, “The Sickness of Civilization,” in The Predicament, 10.

[8] Trueblood, “The Sickness of Civilization,” in The Predicament, 11.

[9] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 2.

[10] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 3.

[11] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 4.

[12] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 5.

[13] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 5.

[14] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 5.

[15] Mary Shelley, Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus (New York: Penguin, 1983).

[16] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 6.

[17] Trueblood, “The Failure of Power Culture,” in The Predicament, 11.

[18] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 3.

[19] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 4.

[20] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 4.

[21] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 5.

[22] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 9.

[23] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 10.

[24] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 11.

[25] Trueblood, “The Impotence of Ethics,” in The Predicament, 12.

[26] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 2.

[27] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 2.

[28] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 4.

[29] See John S. Knox, “Sacro-Egoism and the Shifting Paradigm of Religiosity,” Implicit Religion 11, no. 2 (2008): 153–172. doi:10.1558/imre.v11i2.153

[30] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 5.

[31] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 6.

[32] Trueblood, “The Insufficiency of Individual Religion,” in The Predicament, 7–9.

[33] Trueblood, “The Necessity of a Redemptive Society,” in The Predicament, 5.

[34] Trueblood, “The Necessity of a Redemptive Society,” in The Predicament, 7.

[35] Trueblood, “The Necessity of a Redemptive Society,” in The Predicament, 8.

[36] Bolling, “D. Elton Trueblood.”

[37] Bolling, “D. Elton Trueblood.”

[38] Trueblood, “The Necessity of a Redemptive Society,” in The Predicament, 5.

The Epistle of Mathetes to Diognetus (written around the 2nd Century)

Introduction

 The following interesting and eloquent Epistle is anonymous, and we have no clue whatever as to its author. For a considerable period after its publication in 1592, it was generally ascribed to Justin Martyr. In recent times Otto has inserted it among the works of that writer, but Semisch and others contend that it cannot possibly be his. In dealing with this question, we depend entirely upon the internal evidence, no statement as to the authorship of the Epistle having descended to us from antiquity. And it can scarcely be denied that the whole tone of the Epistle, as well as special passages which it contains, points to some other writer than Justin.  

Accordingly, critics are now for the most part agreed that it is not his, and that it must be ascribed to one who lived at a still earlier date in the history of the Church. Several internal arguments have been brought forward in favour of this opinion. Supposing chap. xi. to be genuine, it has been supported by the fact that the writer there styles himself "a disciple of the apostles." But there is great suspicion that the two concluding chapters are spurious; and even though admitted to be genuine, the expression quoted evidently admits of a different explanation from that which implies the writer's personal acquaintance with the apostles: it might, indeed, be adopted by one even at the present day. More weight is to be attached to those passages in which the writer speaks of Christianity as still being a new thing in the world. Expressions to this effect occur in several places (chap. i., ii., ix.), and seem to imply that the author lived very little, if at all, after the apostolic age. There is certainly nothing in the Epistle which is inconsistent with this opinion; and we may therefore believe, that in this beautiful composition we possess a genuine production of some apostolic man who lived not later than the beginning of the second century.

The names of Clement of Rome and of Apollos have both been suggested as those of the probable author. Such opinions, however, are pure fancies, which it is perhaps impossible to refute, but which rest on nothing more than conjecture. Nor can a single word be said as to the person named Diognetus, to whom the letter is addressed. We must be content to leave both points in hopeless obscurity, and simply accept the Epistle as written by an earnest and intelligent Christian to a sincere inquirer among the Gentiles, towards the close of the apostolic age. 

Chapter I. — Occasion of the epistle.

Since I see thee, most excellent Diognetus, exceedingly desirous to learn the mode of worshipping God prevalent among the Christians, and inquiring very carefully and earnestly concerning them, what God they trust in, and what form of religion they observe, [264] so as all to look down upon the world itself, and despise death, while they neither esteem those to be gods that are reckoned such by the Greeks, nor hold to the superstition of the Jews; and what is the affection which they cherish among themselves; and why, in fine, this new kind or practice [of piety] has only now entered into the world, [265] and not long ago; I cordially welcome this thy desire, and I implore God, who enables us both to speak and to hear, to grant to me so to speak, that, above all, I may hear you have been edified, [266] and to you so to hear, that I who speak may have no cause of regret for having done so.

Chapter II. — The vanity of idols.

Come, then, after you have freed [267] yourself from all prejudices possessing your mind, and laid aside what you have been accustomed to, as something apt to deceive [268] you, and being made, as if from the beginning, a new man, inasmuch as, according to your own confession, you are to be the hearer of a new [system of] doctrine; come and contemplate, not with your eyes only, but with your understanding, the substance and the form [269] of those whom ye declare and deem to be gods. Is not one of them a stone similar to that on which we tread? Is [270] not a second brass, in no way superior to those vessels which are constructed for our ordinary use? Is not a third wood, and that already rotten? Is not a fourth silver, which needs a man to watch it, lest it be stolen? Is not a fifth iron, consumed by rust? Is not a sixth earthenware, in no degree more valuable than that which is formed for the humblest purposes? Are not all these of corruptible matter? Are they not fabricated by means of iron and fire? Did not the sculptor fashion one of them, the brazier a second, the silversmith a third, and the potter a fourth? Was not every one of them, before they were formed by the arts of these [workmen] into the shape of these [gods], each in its [271] own way subject to change? Would not those things which are now vessels, formed of the same materials, become like to such, if they met with the same artificers? Might not these, which are now worshipped by you, again be made by men vessels similar to others? Are they not all deaf? Are they not blind? Are they not without life? Are they not destitute of feeling? Are they not incapable of motion? Are they not all liable to rot? Are they not all corruptible? These things ye call gods; these ye serve; these ye worship; and ye become altogether like to them. For this reason ye hate the Christians, because they do not deem these to be gods. But do not ye yourselves, who now think and suppose [such to be gods], much more cast contempt upon them than they [the Christians do]? Do ye not much more mock and insult them, when ye worship those that are made of stone and earthenware, without appointing any persons to guard them; but those made of silver and gold ye shut up by night, and appoint watchers to look after them by day, lest they be stolen? And by those gifts which ye mean to present to them, do ye not, if they are possessed of sense, rather punish [than honour] them? But if, on the other hand, they are destitute of sense, ye convict them of this fact, while ye worship them with blood and the smoke of sacrifices. Let any one of you suffer such indignities! [272]  

Let any one of you endure to have such things done to himself! But not a single human being will, unless compelled to it, endure such treatment, since he is endowed with sense and reason. A stone, however, readily bears it, seeing it is insensible. Certainly you do not show [by your [273] conduct] that he [your God] is possessed of sense. And as to the fact that Christians are not accustomed to serve such gods, I might easily find many other things to say; but if even what has been said does not seem to any one sufficient, I deem it idle to say anything further.

Chapter III. — Superstitions of the Jews.

And next, I imagine that you are most desirous of hearing something on this point, that the Christians do not observe the same forms of divine worship as do the Jews. The Jews, then, if they abstain from the kind of service above described, and deem it proper to worship one God as being Lord of all, [are right]; but if they offer Him worship in the way which we have described, they greatly err. For while the Gentiles, by offering such things to those that are destitute of sense and hearing, furnish an example of madness; they, on the other hand by thinking to offer these things to God as if He needed them, might justly reckon it rather an act of folly than of divine worship. For He that made heaven and earth, and all that is therein, and gives to us all the things of which we stand in need, certainly requires none of those things which He Himself bestows on such as think of furnishing them to Him. But those who imagine that, by means of blood, and the smoke of sacrifices and burnt-offerings, they offer sacrifices [acceptable] to Him, and that by such honours they show Him respect, — these, by [274] supposing that they can give anything to Him who stands in need of nothing, appear to me in no respect to differ from those who studiously confer the same honour on things destitute of sense, and which therefore are unable to enjoy such honours.

Chapter IV. — The other observances of the Jews.

But as to their scrupulosity concerning meats, and their superstition as respects the Sabbaths, and their boasting about circumcision, and their fancies about fasting and the new moons, which are utterly ridiculous and unworthy of notice, — I do not [275] think that you require to learn anything from me. For, to accept some of those things which have been formed by God for the use of men as properly formed, and to reject others as useless and redundant, — how can this be lawful? And to speak falsely of God, as if He forbade us to do what is good on the Sabbath-days, — how is not this impious? And to glory in the circumcision [276] of the flesh as a proof of election, and as if, on account of it, they were specially beloved by God, — how is it not a subject of ridicule? And as to their observing months and days, [277] as if waiting upon [278] the stars and the moon, and their distributing, [279] according to their own tendencies, the appointments of God, and the vicissitudes of the seasons, some for festivities, [280] and others for mourning, — who would deem this a part of divine worship, and not much rather a manifestation of folly? I suppose, then, you are sufficiently convinced that the Christians properly abstain from the vanity and error common [to both Jews and Gentiles], and from the busy-body spirit and vain boasting of the Jews; but you must not hope to learn the mystery of their peculiar mode of worshipping God from any mortal.

Chapter V. — The manners of the Christians.

For the Christians are distinguished from other men neither by country, nor language, nor the customs which they observe. For they neither inhabit cities of their own, nor employ a peculiar form of speech, nor lead a life which is marked out by any singularity. The course of conduct which they follow has not been devised by any speculation or deliberation of inquisitive men; nor do they, like some, proclaim themselves the advocates of any merely human doctrines. But, inhabiting Greek as well as barbarian cities, according as the lot of each of them has determined, and following the customs of the natives in respect to clothing, food, and the rest of their ordinary conduct, they display to us their wonderful and confessedly striking [281] method of life. They dwell in their own countries, but simply as sojourners. As citizens, they share in all things with others, and yet endure all things as if foreigners. Every foreign land is to them as their native country, and every land of their birth as a land of strangers. They marry, as do all [others]; they beget children; but they do not destroy their offspring. [282] They have a common table, but not a common bed. [283] They are in the flesh, but they do not live after the flesh. [284] They pass their days on earth, but they are citizens of heaven. [285] They obey the prescribed laws, and at the same time surpass the laws by their lives. They love all men, and are persecuted by all. They are unknown and condemned; they are put to death, and restored to life. [286] They are poor, yet make many rich; [287] they are in lack of all things, and yet abound in all; they are dishonoured, and yet in their very dishonour are glorified. They are evil spoken of, and yet are justified; they are reviled, and bless; [288] they are insulted, and repay the insult with honour; they do good, yet are punished as evil-doers. When punished, they rejoice as if quickened into life; they are assailed by the Jews as foreigners, and are persecuted by the Greeks; yet those who hate them are unable to assign any reason for their hatred.

Chapter VI. — The relation of Christians to the world.

To sum up all in one word — what the soul is in the body, that are Christians in the world. The soul is dispersed through all the members of the body, and Christians are scattered through all the cities of the world. The soul dwells in the body, yet is not of the body; and Christians dwell in the world, yet are not of the world. [289] The invisible soul is guarded by the visible body, and Christians are known indeed to be in the world, but their godliness remains invisible. The flesh hates the soul, and wars against it, [290] though itself suffering no injury, because it is prevented from enjoying pleasures; the world also hates the Christians, though in nowise injured, because they abjure pleasures. The soul loves the flesh that hates it, and [loves also] the members; Christians likewise love those that hate them. The soul is imprisoned in the body, yet preserves [291] that very body; and Christians are confined in the world as in a prison, and yet they are the preservers [292] of the world. The immortal soul dwells in a mortal tabernacle; and Christians dwell as sojourners in corruptible [bodies], looking for an incorruptible dwelling [293] in the heavens. The soul, when but ill-provided with food and drink, becomes better; in like manner, the Christians, though subjected day by day to punishment, increase the more in number. [294] God has assigned them this illustrious position, which it were unlawful for them to forsake.

Endnotes

[264] Literally, "trusting in what God, etc., they look down."

[265] Or, "life,"

[266] Some read, "that you by hearing may be edified."

[275] Otto, resting on ms. authority, omits the negative, but the sense seems to require its insertion.

[276] Literally, "lessening."

[277] Comp. Gal. iv. 10.

[278] This seems to refer to the practice of Jews in fixing the beginning of the day, and consequently of the Sabbath, from the rising of the stars. They used to say, that when three stars of moderate magnitude appeared, it was night; when two, it was twilight; and when only one, that day had not yet departed. It thus came to pass (according to their night-day (nuchthemeron) reckoning), that whosoever engaged in work on the evening of Friday, the beginning of the Sabbath, after three stars of moderate size were visible, was held to have sinned, and had to present a trespass-offering; and so on, according to the fanciful rule described.

[267] Or, "purified."

[268] Literally, "which is deceiving."

[269] Literally, "of what substance, or of what form."

[270] Some make this and the following clauses affirmative instead of interrogative.

[271] The text is here corrupt. Several attempts at emendation have been made, but without any marked success.

[272] Some read, "Who of you would tolerate these things?" etc.

[273] The text is here uncertain, and the sense obscure. The meaning seems to be, that by sprinkling their gods with blood, etc., they tended to prove that these were not possessed of sense.

[274] The text here is very doubtful. We have followed that adopted by most critics.

[279] Otto supplies the lacuna which here occurs in the mss. so as to read katadiairein.

[280] The great festivals of the Jews are here referred to on the one hand, and the day of atonement on the other.

[281] Literally, "paradoxical."

[282] Literally, "cast away foetuses."

[283] Otto omits "bed," which is an emendation, and gives the second "common" the sense of unclean.

[284] Comp. 2 Cor. x. 3.

[285] Comp. Phil. iii. 20.

[286] Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 9.

[287] Comp. 2 Cor. vi. 10.

[288] Comp. 2 Cor. iv. 12.

 [289] John xvii. 11, 14, 16.

[290] Comp. 1 Pet. ii. 11.

[291] Literally, "keeps together."

[292] Literally, "keeps together."

[293] Literally, "incorruption."

[294] Or, "though punished, increase in number daily."

THOMAS KELLY’S SUPERLATIVE EPISTLE OF DEVOTION AND DISCIPLESHIP

It has been said that “Spiritual formation is life.”[1] Dutch priest and writer Henry Nouwen also once proclaimed, “[Spiritual Formation] is about the movements from the mind to the heart through prayer in its many forms that reunite us with God, each other, and our truest selves.”[2] Additionally, American theologian Tim Tsohantardis explained, “The beatitudes, then, are nothing but the Lord's answer to that prayer of the human heart to regain its lost happiness. It was as if the Lord said that morning to that crowd and to all of us (I saw your life, I felt your pain, I heard your prayer, and lo and behold, if you want to regain your lost joy, take these keys and unlock the secret of happiness).”[3]

Faith is not just a medal to be worn around one’s neck, but rather a spiritual journey that one yearning to grow closer to God (in healthiness and intimacy) strives to undertake in obedience to Christ’s greatest commandment (Mark 12:30–31). Assuredly, these poignant truths have been affirmed and attested to by numerous authors across the ages, from the writers of the Bible—“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me” (Psalm 51:10–12, NIV) to the sages of church history—“And every spiritual and moral virtue you possess is through divine grace,”[4] and into modernity.

Thus, it is not surprising that a Quaker mystic and educator like Thomas Kelly (1893–1941) endeavored putting to pen and future publication (posthumously) an epistle of devotion to ostensibly help others “learn the disciplines of His Grace.”[5] Afterall, he wrote, “Deep within us all there is an amazing inner sanctuary of the soul, a holy place, a Divine Center, a speaking voice, to which we may continuously return.”[6] In total, he offered five essays in consideration and implored his readers, “Let us explore together the secret of a deeper devotion, a more subterranean sanctuary of the soul, where the Light Within never fades, but burns, a perpetual Flame, where the wells of living water of divine revelation rise up continuously, day by day and hour by hour, steady and transfiguring.”[7]

In his first essay, “The Light Within,” Kelly discusses the inner life of the soul, beseeching readers to acknowledge and accept the presence of God within them, who desperately and benevolently wants only to reconcile with his beloved creations, providing the ultimate divine source for their reclamation and restoration. Kelly writes, “But, more deeply, He who is within us urges, by secret persuasion, to such an amazing Inward Life with Him, so that, firmly cleaving to Him, we always look out upon all the world through the sheen of the Inward Light, and react toward men spontaneously and joyously from this Inward Center.”[8] He assures his readers that a reorientation toward the inward light is the wisest and most beneficial move that they can make in our brief lives.

In Kelly’s second essay, “Holy Obedience,” he exhorts his readers to seek a deeper, more sincere relationship with God. He writes, “But when such a commitment comes in a human life, God breaks through, miracles are wrought, world-renewing divine forces are released, history changes.”[9] Moreover, “Here is an infinite fountain of lifting power, pressing within us, luring us by dazzling visions, and we can only say, the creative God comes into our souls. An increment of infinity is about us. Holy is imagination, the gateway of Reality into our hearts. The Hound of Heaven is on our track, the God of Love is wooing us to His Holy Life.”[10] Ultimately (according to Kelly), “The wholly obedient life is mastered and unified and simplified and gathered up into the love of God and it lives and walks among men in the perpetual flame of that radiant love. For the simplified man loves God with all his heart and mind and soul and strength and abides trustingly in that love. Then indeed do we love our neighbors”[11]—just like Jesus Christ did in the Gospels.

In Kelly’s third essay, “Blessed Community,” he discusses the bride of Christ—the church—and how our fellowship with like-minded and hearted believers only adds to the joy of our salvation. He explains, “Fellowship searches friendships, burning, dissolving, ennobling, transfiguring them in Heaven’s glowing fire.”[12] After all,

The early days of the Evangelical movement showed the same bondedness in love. The disclosure of God normally brings the disclosure of the Fellowship. We don’t create it deliberately; we find it and we find ourselves increasingly within it as we find ourselves increasingly within Him. It is the holy matrix of "the communion of the saints,” the body of Christ which is His church.[13]

In fellowship through Christ, social divisions are dissolved, destructive burdens are shared, prayers are intertwined, true unity is achieved, and believers become His body and His blood to each other (and for anyone in need). As Kelly puts it, “Holy is the Fellowship, wondrous is the Ministrant, marvelous is the Grail.”[14] Christ’s followers can experience a taste of the loving-accepting-comforting-supportive home that their hearts have always yearned for in this life.

In Kelly’s fourth essay, “The Eternal Now and Social Concern,” he discusses the collision, collusion, and confusion of some regarding which side of eternity matters the most. Kelly notes, “I submit that this is a lamentable reversal of the true order of dependence. Time is no judge of Eternity. It is the Eternal who is the judge and tester of time.”[15] Instead of being at peace, too many believers are anxious about their present and futures. Instead of walking as new creations, believers schlep all their former worldly concerns (really, chains) when they trudge through life, as if they were accoutrements of defense—just in case the God of the universe cannot get the job done, after all.

Instead, Kelly encourages readers, proclaiming, “Instead of anxiety lest our past, our past defects, our long-standing deficiencies blight our well-intentioned future efforts, all our past sense of weakness falls away and we stand erect, in this holy Now, joyous, serene, assured, unafraid. Between the relinquished past and the untrodden future stands this holy Now.” God not only has our back and pasts—He has our fronts, bottoms, and all-overs. We can let go of the old fears and frustrations for “Now is that of unspeakable and exquisite joy, peace, serene release.” God—Emmanuel—is with us now.

Finally, in “The Simplification of Life,” Kelly provides readers with the realities, rationale, and reassurance to prune back the business of our lives, to focus on the one true Person (and priority) who “speaks in us and through us to the world. We have all heard this holy Whisper at times.”[16] Unfortunately, for too many,

Our professional status, our social obligations, our membership in this or that very important organization, put claims upon us. And in frantic fidelity we try to meet at least the necessary minimum of calls upon us. But we’re weary and breathless. And we know and regret that our life is slipping away, with our having tasted so little of the peace and joy and serenity we are persuaded it should yield to a soul of wide caliber. The times for the deeps of the silences of the heart seem so few. And in guilty regret we must postpone till next week that deeper life of unshaken composure in the holy Presence, where we sincerely know our true home is, for this week is much too full.[17]

The cure is simple but costly in the world’s eyes. Kelly remarks, “But if we center down . . . and live in that holy Silence which is dearer than life and take our life program into the silent places of the heart, with complete openness, ready to do, ready to renounce according to His leading, then many of the things we are doing lose their vitality for us.”[18] Therefore, believers need to reconsider and reconnect with the God from truly whom all good things come. They need to exercise their complete and utter joy and delight in Him—“at every hour of the day and night.”[19]

Owen summarizes Thomas Kelly well when he states, “Now I see Kelly as a mystic whose life is one of commitment to the world, not escape from it. And he can be a resource for those of us searching for a worldly engaged spirituality.”[20] Such an appraisal makes great sense as Kelly ends this devotional with the loveliest, most amazing promise of what life can be for God’s children. He writes: “Life from the Center is a life of unhurried peace and power. It is simple. It is serene. It is amazing. It is triumphant. It is radiant. It takes no time, but it occupies all our time. And it makes our life programs new and overcoming.”[21]

Kelly’s Testament of Devotion provides a trustworthy and inspiring path of fulfilling faith for believers struggling in this world. He concludes, “We need not get frantic. He is at the helm. And when our little day is done, we lie down quietly in peace, for all is well.[22] All we need do is embrace His presence in our hearts, submit to His holy and perfect ways, lean into the Spirit of Jesus in each other, remembering that the chaos and cuts of the world have died on the Cross with Christ, who beckons to us to come to Him, “For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30, NIV).

Bibliography

Chrysostom, John. On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom. Liguori: Liguori/Triumph, 1996.

Galli, Mark. “A Life Formed in the Spirit.” Christianity Today (September 2008); https://www.christianitytoday.com/2008/09/life-formed-in-spirit/.

Kelly, Thomas. A Testament of Devotion. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1941. 

Owens, L. Roger. “A Mysticism for Our Time.” Friends Journal (September 2017); https://www.friendsjournal.org/thomas-kelly-mysticism/.

Nouwen, Henry. Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit. E-book: HarperCollins, 2010.

Tsohantaridis, Tim. “The Solid Rock: Healthy Spiritual Formation.” Sacroegoism.com (2016/17); https://www.sacroegoism.com/blog/2024/10/20/spiritual-formation.

Endnotes

[1] Mark Galli, “A Life Formed in the Spirit,” Christianity Today (September 2008); https://www.christianitytoday.com/2008/09/life-formed-in-spirit/.

[2] Henry Nouwen, Spiritual Formation: Following the Movements of the Spirit (E-book: HarperCollins, 2010), 11.

[3] Tim Tsohantaridis, “The Solid Rock: Healthy Spiritual Formation,” Sacroegoism.com

(2016/17); https://www.sacroegoism.com/blog/2024/10/20/spiritual-formation.

[4] John Chrysostom, On Living Simply: The Golden Voice of John Chrysostom (Liguori: Liguori/Triumph, 1996), 32.

[5] Thomas Kelly, A Testament of Devotion (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1941), 31.

[6] Kelly, A Testament, 29.

[7] Kelly, A Testament, 31.

[8] Kelly, A Testament, 32.

[9] Kelly, A Testament, 52.

[10] Kelly, A Testament, 60.

[11] Kelly, A Testament, 75.

[12] Kelly, A Testament, 78.

[13] Kelly, A Testament, 81.

[14] Kelly, A Testament, 87.

[15] Kelly, A Testament, 91.

[16] Kelly, A Testament, 116.

[17] Kelly, A Testament, 112.

[18] Kelly, A Testament, 118.

[19] Kelly, A Testament, 121.

[20] L. Roger Owens, “A Mysticism for Our Time,” Friends Journal (September 2017);

https://www.friendsjournal.org/thomas-kelly-mysticism/.

[21] Kelly, A Testament, 121.

[22] Kelly, A Testament, 124.

The Solid Rock: Healthy Spiritual Formation by Tim Tsohantaridis (2016–2017)

**I found these short essays that Tim had shared with me in one of my Dropbox folders for a spiritual formation book that never officially materialized, sadly. Reading over them, it is great to hear Tim’s wise, loving, beneficent, pastoral admonitions in my head again. I miss my friend and brother-in-Christ.**

The Strongest Foundation

Discipleship programs are foundational to church life today. They take many forms: small groups, intentional communities, cell groups, mid-week Bible studies, early morning men’s or women’s meeting at a popular coffee shop, house meetings, and so on. These opportunities for spiritual growth take a variety of approaches. Some use the teacher/student approach, others are discussions facilitated by a leader, and yet others are very informal where there is a honest openness to the sharing of ideas. All of these programs and others not listed here have a common goal. They are organized to promote spiritual growth, spiritual community, and help in the spiritual development of the people in these communities.

I propose that a very important subject for such groups to study is the development of the biblical foundation of each member’s life. It is not enough that we meet to share, study and pray. Every follower of Christ must posses a biblical foundation for his/her faith. Our philosophy of life (theology of life) must be built on a strong biblical foundation. In the following chapters, I will share the biblical basis for my life as an example. This I do as a lifelong follower of Christ. It was introduced to me during my seminary years at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, when I was asked, “What was the basis for your calling to ministry that led you to the seminary?”

The nourishing of my soul started in the Greek Evangelical Churches in Katerini and Thessaloniki Greece, and later in the Greek Evangelical Church (Boston, MA) under the teaching of Rev. Argos Zodhiates. In the Newton United Presbyterian Church (Newton Corner, MA), I began to practice the skills of my calling under the guidance of Rev. Burton Smith, and was further encouraged by the Rev. James Brantingham of the Evangelical Friends Church in Newport, RI. To these men, I want to publicly say, “Thank you for believing in me;” to their churches, I want to say, “Thank you loving me, nourishing my soul, and for trusting me to practice my faith.” To the many individuals in these communities, “Thank you for being a Christian witness.”

These communities developed in me the hunger and thirst for God, and the passion for a systematic, study of the Holy Scriptures so that I could with the Apostle Paul with confidence say (Philippians 4:8-9), that I trained my mind, and I am also willing to put my life out there as an example of a Christian on his journey with Jesus Christ and the Church.

My Biblical Theology of Life

“And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” (Luke 2:52)

“Finally, brothers, what is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.  Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8,9)

“Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.” (1 Timothy 4:16)

“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anyone.” (1 Thessalonians 4:11,12)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” (Hebrews 12:1,2)

“….whom I love in the truth…all who know the truth, because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever.” (2 John 1,2:)

“For this reason, make every effort to add to your faith, goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

The Essence

The following great hymn of the church captures the essence of the foundation upon which a life should be built upon.  The strength and stability of such a foundations give the person the confidence to live life fully. It provides something or someone to lean on, be supported by, and fill one with hope and stay. Jesus had such a foundation and was able to grow in all areas of His life completely. Luke tells (Luke 2:52) of Jesus growing up in all area of His life. All aspects of His personality (spiritual, physical, emotional, social, and intellectual) are mentioned.

“The Solid Rock”

by Edward Mote, 1797–1874

1. My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly lean on Jesus' name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

2. When darkness seems to hide his face,
I rest on His unchanging grace;
In ev'ry high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

3. His oath, His covenant, His blood
Support me in the whelming flood;
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my hope and stay.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

4. When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh, may I then in Him be found;
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

Here, we are given a glimpse of the healthy life built on a strong foundation. A quick observation around us would indicate that many over-emphasize an aspect of life, which they would like to develop.  All around us, we are encouraged to look good, to be healthy, to have the right job, the right home, the right car, to belong to the right group, etc. However, very little is pointing to a comprehensive growth. The hymn declares that one’s life will be built on nothing else.

The Eight Keys to Happiness

It was at a great turning point in his life that the Lord spoke these words to us, which today are known to us as "The Beatitudes." It was when he elected those twelve who would become his apostles, and thus assembled for himself the first nucleus of the body that would become his Church, that he addressed these words to the people. This is inferred from a combined study of Matthew and Luke. All night long he had taught her in prayer, and when the new day dawned, he called his disciples to him, and from them he elected twelve who would now become his apostles.

But the day had not progressed much, and crowds of people, Luke tells us, from all Judea and even from the shores of Tyre and Sidon flocked to the slopes of the mountain, where Christ was with his apostles, and brought their sick to him to heal. It was at some point on this day that Christ lifted his eyes and saw the multitudes of people who had surrounded him, and addressed to them this sermon, which begins with the Beatitudes.

From this sermon, we will take only its beautiful introduction, the Beatitudes, to make them, in a series of nine sermons, the subject of our special study. Today, we will not enter into the content of the Beatitudes, but will confine ourselves to a few general considerations. We will confine ourselves today to standing with that crowd on the mountainside, and to look at the Speaker and take a very general look at His speech.

Or rather, I would say that we will let Him gaze upon us, because that is how this sermon began, which had the Beatitudes as its introduction (and see the mobs), says Matthew (He opened His mouth and taught them). He saw the multitude of people, and there was something in that crowd of people that caused this speech. It was something the Lord saw beneath the surface of that crowd that invited Him, as it were, to address this speech to them. Many see the crowd, but do not see the people who make up the crowd.

But Christ, with the look He cast at that crowd, saw them one by one separately. His gaze embraced every special life represented in that crowd. And he bent down and watched this life carefully, and saw with how many unfulfilled desires this life was filled, and with how many hopes were dashed, and even how many disappointments and bitterness this life had experienced and how many tears it had shed.

That morning on that mountainside a conversation took place between the heart of that crowd and Him, who was the Maker of that heart. The heart said to its Maker, You created me to be an instrument of happiness, You created me to be a receiver of joy. You made me for laughter, for light, for music. But look at me how sin has descended me. Laughter withered on my lips, music faded from my life. And instead of joy, bitterness and pain and tears is my share of life. I have a great need, And that is to rediscover lost joy, to become an instrument of happiness again,

All this was said to Him by the heart of the crowd that morning, and He answered (open, says Matthew, his mouth), and told the crowd that it is possible to regain their lost happiness. This is the meaning of the Beatitudes. Blessed means happy. The beatitudes, then, are nothing but the Lord's answer to that prayer of the human heart to regain its lost happiness. It was as if the Lord said that morning to that crowd and to all of us (I saw your life, I felt your pain, I heard your prayer, and lo and behold, if you want to regain your lost joy, take these keys and unlock the secret of happiness).

That is why Christ came. This is the deeper reason for His coming into our world and into man's life. To give back to man the keys to happiness that he has lost. How misunderstood many people are about Christ's mission in the world. They say (Religion), they say (Gospel), they say (Faith) and in their minds immediately rises the cold and melancholy image of a monastery. People think that Christ came to steal the joy from their lives, that He came to make their lives poorer and uglier, when the reality is exactly the opposite. Christ came to make man's life richer and more beautiful and to give it back the joy it had lost because of sin.

Suffering Just Like Jesus

I just happened upon this email that I sent to a hurting student many years ago, but I think its truths might still be relevant to many people right now:

Dear _________

To say I am sorry to hear about your sufferings is an understatement, to say the least. Life is cruel, at times, and kind, sweet people like you too often bear the brunt of bad tidings and bad treatment. It would not be a sin for you to question God’s allowance of these sorrowful matters. You are human and in pain; you have experienced more abuse and anguish than most people encounter in our brief existence on this side of glory.

Just know, even at home, I am crying inside for you and wish I could just give you a big hug. You are hurting, but you are also loved and approved, broken and all. I hope you are talking to a counselor right now. Emotions can blind us to what hope can prove in time.

Still, life is not hopeless, even amongst sorrowful passages such as yours, right now. You have been hurt by others who should have protected you—just like Jesus. You have prayed to have the storm pass by, but it didn’t—just like Jesus. You are in the whirlwind and are struggling to see God, your Father—just like Jesus. You may feel abandoned by God, but you are not—just like Jesus.

God will rescue and restore you in the end because He is the great Healer. No wound is too deep that he cannot mend it with His unending love. No matter how black the darkness is around you, God’s light of love shines brighter.

God has allowed these things to happen, but like Job in the Old Testament, I don’t think it is because you are a bad person and deserve them. It is more likely because you are a strong person whom He knows can take painful experiences and turn them into inspiration and help for others in the future. I hear your story and I am blown away by your bravery and resilience.

So, be strong and hold on to God even tighter. Anchor yourself to Him. The stronger the wind, the closer you should move into the shelter of His arms. This storm will pass, eventually, and God will not let go of your hand. I promise.

I will be praying for you and want to hear how you are doing, regularly.

God bless.

Love, Knox

MEETING GOD FOR THE FIRST TIME: HANNAH WHITALL SMITH’S PRACTICAL THEOLOGY

A cursory search on the Internet[1] for the question, “Who is God?” provides a plethora of choices from experts in theology, philosophy, and metaphysics speaking on God’s “summary definition,” “15 Attributes,” “Infinite Nature,” and so on. Many (if not all) of these sites provide robust and thorough descriptions about God but lack any interpersonal introductions between the Divine One and mortal beings. They are more informational and observable rather than personal and relational.

In fact, the Bible itself provides one of the best examples of the latter in Exodus 3, when Moses first encounters God in the Burning Bush and God introduces Himself stating, “I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Eventually, when asked by Moses how to introduce God to the sons of Israel, God’s response is simply perfect and personal—Man: “Who is God?” God: “I AM.”

The Bible also famously laments, “My [God’s] people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” (Hos 4:6, NASB) and nothing could be closer to the truth as every good thing comes solely from God and not humanity (Jas 1:17, NASB). Thus, without or apart from Him, we are lost; with Him, “Nothing will be impossible” (Luke 1:37, NASB).

This reality was not lost on Quaker author and suffragette Hannah Whitall Smith (1832–1911) who powerfully proclaimed, “Comfort and peace never come from anything we know about ourselves, but only and always from what we know about Him.” Therefore, it is no wonder that Smith explicitly wrote her book, The God of All Comfort, “To show what God is, not theologically, nor doctrinally, but simply what He is in actual, practical reality, as the God and Father of each one of us.”[2] As between the Patriarch Abraham and God (Isa 41:8, NASB), Smith yearned to help people in her era (and their churches) build better relationships with God.

In other words, she sought to introduce her readers (many of whom who were suffering from a dysfunctional relationship with their Maker) to the true God of the Bible and the universe, utilizing (perhaps unknowingly) a practical theology approach. As Stephen Pattison notes, “Relationality is as fundamental to practical theology as it is to life itself. Within conversation lies otherness, difference, in-betweenness, togetherness and ultimately friendship and exploration of relationships of all kinds.”[3]

One can definitely sense this sentiment in Smith’s writing, when she explains:

It is our ignorance of God that does it all. Because we do not know Him, we naturally get all sorts of wrong ideas about Him. We think He is an angry Judge who is on the watch for our slightest faults, or a harsh Taskmaster determined to exact from us the uttermost service, or a self-absorbed Deity demanding His full measure of honor and glory, or a far-off Sovereign concerned only with His own affairs and indifferent to our welfare.[4] 

Moreover, according to Smith,

We may spend our days in what we call our religious duties, and we may fill our devotions with fervor, and still may be miserable. Nothing can set our hearts at rest but a real acquaintance with God; for, after all, everything in our salvation must depend upon Him in the last instance; and, according as He is worthy or not of our confidence, so must necessarily be our comfort.[5] 

Smith spends the next two chapters of The God of All Comforts striving to bridge the rift between people and God—through Jesus Christ, so that “[their] religious lives ought to be full of joy, and peace, and comfort, and that, if we become better acquainted with God, they will be.”[6] This aligns well with Bebbington’s understanding of an evangelical practical theology,[7] which exhibits four distinctive characteristics:

         1. Biblicism: through history, evangelicals have used a mix of tradition, experience, and reason. However, the Bible is always seen to have ultimate authority in all aspects of faith and practice.

         2. Crucicentrism: the death of Christ on the cross, and his resurrection from the grave, are held as centrally important by evangelicals.

         3. Conversionism: evangelicals believe that there needs to be a definite turning away from a sinful life to living in the way of Jesus Christ.

         4. Activism: evangelical faith moves its adherents to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. 

         Demonstrating this, Smith takes great pains to be sure her readers comprehend the quintessential intersections between God, Jesus, and humanity. She writes, “If we would know then the length, and breadth, and height, and depth of what God meant when He gave to Moses that apparently unfinished name of ‘I am,’ we shall find it revealed in Christ.”[8] Ultimately, “Only in Christ do we see God as He is; for Christ is declared to be the ‘express image’ of God.”[9]Moreover, “Christ revealed God by what He was, by what He did, and by what He said.”[10]

Dangerously, in Smith’s estimation,

If, in short, we have imagined [God] in any way other than that which has been revealed to us in “the face of Jesus Christ, we must go back in all simplicity of heart to the records of that lovely life, lived in human guise among men, and must bring our conceptions of God into perfect accord with the character and ways of Him who declares that He came to manifest the name of God to men.[11] 

Instead, she recommends, “It becomes, not only our privilege, but our bounded duty to cast out of our conception of God every element that could in any way conflict with the blessed life and character and teaching of Christ.”[12] This is how God can truly become “the God of all comforts”[13] for His followers rather than letting them remain distrustful doubters who “Spread gloom and discomfort around them wherever they go.”[14]

Smith concludes her chapter with a practical appraisal of the right way and the wrong way to exercise one’s faith. She writes: “Christ comforts, man scolds. Christ’s Gospel is always good news, and never bad news. Man’s gospel is generally a mixture of a little good news and a great deal of bad news; and even where it tries to be good news, it is so hampered with ‘ifs’ and ‘buts,’ and with all sorts of man-made conditions, that it utterly fails to bring any lasting joy or comfort.”[15] Christ died to being humanity joy, not downheartedness or defeat.

Fortunately for all her readers, Smith provides a welcome remedy to this malady:

If we want to be comforted, we must make up our minds to believe every single solitary word of comfort God has ever spoken; and we must refuse utterly to listen to any words of discomfort spoken by our own hearts, or by our circumstances. We must set our faces like a flint to believe, under each and every sorrow and trial, in the divine Comforter, and to accept and rejoice in His all-embracing comfort.[16] 

In a secularized, humanist, postmodern world that craves reasons to abandon God and to fall into the darkness of cynicism and distrust, Jesus’s words in John 6:67–70 and Peter’s immediate response to Him still ring true today: “So Jesus said to the twelve, ‘You do not want to leave also, do you?’ Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. And we have already believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.’” Likewise, Jesus’s followers are not to fear nor be weary for we have the gift of personally knowing our loving Savior and God who died for us to comfort us, eternally (Ps 147:3).

Bibliography

Bebbington, David W. Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s. London: Unwin Hyman, 1989.

Pattison, Stephen. “Conversations in Practical Theology.” Practical Theology 13, no. 1–2 (2020): 87–94. doi:10.1080/1756073X.2020.1722345.

Smith, Hannah Whitall. The God of All Comfort. E-book: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2024.

Endnotes

[1] “Who is God;” https://www.google.com/?client=safari. Accessed 09/28/2024.

[2] Hannah Whitall Smith, The God of All Comfort (E-book: Christian Classics Ethereal Library, 2024), 10.

[3] Stephen Pattison, “Conversations in Practical Theology,” Practical Theology 13, no. 1–2 (2020): 92. doi:10.1080/1756073X.2020.1722345.

[4] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 7.

[5] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 11.

[6] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 12.

[7] David W. Bebbington, Evangelicalism in Modern Britain: A History from the 1730s to the 1980s (London: Unwin Hyman, 1989), 2–17.

[8] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 20.

[9] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 19.

[10] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 19.

[11] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 23.

[12] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 24–25.

[13] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 29.

[14] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 29.

[15] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 45.

[16] Smith, The God of All Comfort, 43.

JOHN WOOLMAN: APPLIED CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL HEALING

In 1959, American theologian Reinhold Niebuhr (1892–1971) provocatively wrote, “The basic difficulty of the church is that it is not facing the central moral problems of our era . . . It embroiders life with its little amenities, but it does not change the pattern.”[1] Sadly (but perhaps not unexpectedly), this diagnosis is ubiquitous in the historical annals of the church. One can easily find other concerned critiques (throughout the centuries) of the church lapsing into cold-hearted apathy or rationalized abuses in the works and writings of St. Paul, Ambrose of Milan, Berno of Cluny, Teresa of Avila, Jan Hus, Martin Luther, George Whitefield, and so on. In eighteenth-century America, many in Christian society also lamented that the church had once again slid into sinfulness and dysfunctionality, with numerous heralds (from all denominations) calling out for sincere reflection, repentance, and restoration of proper Christian morality in the lives of God’s chosen people.

One such harbinger was Quaker preacher and activist John Woolman (1720–1772), who tirelessly shared his Christian cultural convictions with many congregations and communities along his journey through the colonies and into the borderlands of the American frontier. In his journal, Woolman wrote, “While I was on this journey, my heart was much affected with a sense of the state of the churches in our southern provinces; and believing the Lord was calling me to some further labor among them, I was bowed in reverence before him, with fervent desires that I might find strength to resign myself to his heavenly will.”[2] He felt called by God to apply his Christian convictions in all areas of social existence and injustices that violated his sacred Quaker beliefs.

For Woolman, far too many colonists had adopted an unacceptable way of life and ungodly attitudes for those calling themselves, “Christian.” He bemoaned, “but for lack of steadily regarding this principle of Divine love, a selfish spirit takes place in the minds of people, which is attended with darkness and manifold confusions in the world.”[3]Instead, Woolman sought to share his inward sense of God’s loving, holy direction for himself and his brothers and sisters in Christ. He testified, “Words were spoken to my inward ear, which filled my whole inward man: they were not the effect of thought, nor any conclusion in relation to the appearance, but as the language of the Holy One spoken in my mind; the words were: Certain Evidence of Divine Truth.”[4]

In particular, Woolman addressed the problems that he personally observed in American colonial life—specifically regarding the overall hostility of his countrymen, the evils of the slave trade, exploitative taxation, and unreasonable conscriptions. Woolman noted in his journal,

It appeared to me, that through the prevailing of the spirit of this world, the minds of many were brought to inward desolation; and instead of the spirit of meekness, gentleness and heavenly wisdom, which are the necessary companions of the true sheep of Christ, a spirit of fierceness and the love of dominion, too generally prevailed.[5] 

This fierceness was no better perceived than in the mistreatments, oppression, and apathetic Christian acceptance of the African slave trade in America. Woolman wrote, “Conduct is more convincing than language; and where people, by their actions, manifest that the slave-trade is not so disagreeable to their principles but that it may be encouraged, there is not a sound uniting with some Friends who visit them.” Moreover, Woolman added, “If the white people retain a resolution to prefer their outward prospects of gain to all other considerations, and do not act conscientiously toward them [the slaves] as fellow creatures, I believe that burden will grow heavier and heavier, until times change in a way disagreeable to us.”[6] Woolman’s prediction was remarkably-yet-regrettably found to be true as evidenced by the American Civil war, nearly a hundred years later.

Regarding the taxation imposed upon the colonists by the British Empire for their hegemonic pursuits, Woolman confessed, “A few years past, money being made current in our province for carrying on wars, and to be called in again by taxes laid on the inhabitants, my mind was often affected with the thoughts of paying such taxes; and I believe it right for me to preserve a memorandum concerning it.”[7] Being a Quaker, Woolman found the prospect of his taxes funding any warfare vexatious to his religious scruples. Although he had no outward desire to rebel against the British government, “To refuse the active payment of a tax which our Society generally paid, was exceedingly disagreeable; but to do a thing contrary to my conscience, appeared yet more dreadful.”[8]

Taking it even one step further, Woolman thereafter advocated the more noble, godly path of pacifism, explaining, “It requires great self-denial and resignation of ourselves to God, to attain that state wherein we can freely cease from fighting when wrongfully invaded, if by our fighting, there was a probability of overcoming the invaders.”[9] According to Woolman (and many others), “They could not bear arms for conscience-sake; nor could they hire any to go in their places, being resigned as to the event of it.”[10] Thus, as for conscriptions, Woolman confessed, “I was fully convinced that the proceedings in wars are inconsistent with the purity of the Christian religion; and to be hired to entertain men, who were then under pay as soldiers, was a difficulty with me.”[11] He knew this would not sit well with the British military, but he was more concerned with first pleasing God.

In all these important social affairs, Woolman demonstrated his heartfelt beliefs that in the business of life, by embracing “a sympathizing tenderness with the sheep of Christ”—and by obeying the dictates of our Heavenly Lord over the demands of our earthly lords (regardless of the social difficulties brought about because of one’s convictions)—“True unity may still be preserved among us.”[12] Ultimately, Woolman’s final admonition in chapter six of his journal offers a divinely beneficent and accomplishable path toward healing and holiness in American society—mainly because it depends more upon God’s power and wisdom than our own.

Woolman concludes:

If we humbly meditate on his perfections, consider that he is perfect wisdom and goodness, and that to afflict his creatures to no purpose, would be utterly averse to his nature, we shall hear and understand his language, both in his gentle and more heavy chastisements; and take heed that we do not, in the wisdom of this world, endeavor to escape his hand by means too powerful for us.[13] 

Woolman’s understanding of Christianity (and the world) was true in the darkness of his own culturally chaotic era and, some two hundred and fifty years later, it still stands true today.

Regarding the “operations of divine love,”[14] Woolman’s applied apologetic can perhaps be best summed up by the chorus in Gene MacLellan’s song, “Put Your Hand in the Hand,” composed in 1970 and sung by Canadian vocal artist Anne Murray:[15]

Put your hand in the hand of the man who stilled the water,
Put your hand in the hand of the man who calmed the sea,
Take a look at yourself and you can look at others differently,
By putting your hand in the hand of the man from Galilee.

As so often espoused by John Woolman, God’s way for His people is the only way for true peace and harmony because it was, is, and will always be the best, holiest way. Any other mortal recourse can only lead to increased “judgment, oppression, discord, envy and confusions.”[16]

Bibliography

MacLellan, Gene. “Put Your Hand in the Hand.” In Honey, Wheat and Laughter (LP). Toronto: Capitol, 1970.

Niebuhr, Reinhold. “The Weakness of the Modern Church.” In Essays in Applied Christianity: The Church and the New World. Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1959. 

Woolman, John. The Journal and Writings of John Woolman. Ebook: Friends Library Publishing, 2024.

[1] Reinhold Niebuhr, “The Weakness of the Modern Church,” in Essays in Applied Christianity: The Church and the New World (Cleveland: The World Publishing Company, 1959), 69–70.

[2] John Woolman, The Journal and Writings of John Woolman (Ebook: Friends Library Publishing, 2023), 54.

[3] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 57.

[4] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 61.

[5] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 70.

[6] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 67.

[7] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 76–77.

[8] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 78.

[9] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 81.

[10] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 84.

[11] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 85.

[12] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 95.

[13] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 96.

[14] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 14.

[15] Gene MacLellan, “Put Your Hand in the Hand,” in Honey, Wheat and Laughter (LP) (Toronto: Capitol, 1970), Track A1.

[16] Woolman, The Journal and Writings, 97.

GEORGE FOX: AN ENGLISH PROPHET IN THE MODERN AGE

Throughout the Bible, from the Hebrew Scriptures to the Greek, readers can easily find story after story of God’s prophets[1] stepping forward as the spokesman (or woman) of God, delivering God’s truths regarding His sovereignty, heralding warnings of His imminent judgment for the worldly and unrepentant, offering His exhortations of reformation and responsibility, but also sharing His absolute promises of delivery and loving reconciliation with Him in the aftermath. The Hebrew word for these prophets (nabi or hroeh), means “one called or seer;” the Greek word (prophetes) means “one who proclaims a interprets divine revelation.”[2]

As prophetic example, Isaiah states to the people of Israel and Judah, “Woe to the sinful nation, a people whose guilt is great, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption! They have forsaken the Lord; they have spurned the Holy One of Israel and turned their backs on him” (Isa 1:4, NIV). Later in the same chapter, Isaiah also reveals,

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isa 1:18–20, NIV). 

These prophets historically have been encouragers—and accusers—of kings and commoners. They are moved by the Holy Spirit, bringing messages of exile, destruction, and hope, often to resistant or openly hostile audiences (Matt 23:31). Although faithful followers can find many literary examples in the Old and New Testaments, the Bible also records that God has sent out many other prophets throughout human history to reform and redeem His people (Hos 12:10; Acts 2:17; 1 Cor 12:28, NIV).   

 This reality is profoundly observable in The Journal of George Fox, which George Fox dictated to his stepson-in-law, Thomas Lower, in 1674 or 1675.[3] Like other biblical prophets, Fox felt supernaturally empowered and called to be the “Voice of God” across England. He expressed in his journal,

The Lord opened my mouth, and the everlasting truth was declared amongst them, and the power of the Lord was over them all. For in that day the Lord’s power began to spring, and I had great openings in the Scriptures. Several were convinced in those parts, and were turned from darkness to light, from the power of Satan unto God; and many were raised up to praise God. When I reasoned with professors and other people, some were convinced, and did stand.[4]

Once Fox became aware of God’s mission for him (and he embraced it),[5] he followed the patterns of most other prophets of old, presenting often unwelcome messages from God concerning the behaviors and attitudes English laypeople, pastors, and parishioners alike. In particular, he brought four types of prophetical messages to them: 1. Indictments regarding idolatry and social injustice, 2. Judgments regarding their political relationships and abuses, 3. Instructions on how and why to stop their wicked conduct, and 4. Promises of reward for their repentance and reformation.

Concerning Fox’s indictments regarding English idolatry and social injustice, in chapter two, he wrote: “The Lord saith, ‘I will come near to judgment, and will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, against the false swearers, and against the idolaters, and against those that do oppress widows and fatherless.’”[6] Concerning Fox’s judgments regarding his fellow countrymen’s political relationships and abuses, in chapter one, he wrote, “It was upon me from the Lord to go and speak to the justices, that they should not oppress the servants in their wages.”[7]

In chapter two, he also wrote,

As I travelled through markets, fairs, and divers places, I saw death and darkness in all people, where the power of the Lord God had not shaken them. As I was passing on in Leicestershire, I came to Twy-Cross, where there were excise-men [tax collectors]. I was moved of the Lord to go to them and warn them to take heed of oppressing the poor; and people were much affected with it.[8] 

Concerning Fox’s instructions on how and why his English listeners should stop their wicked conduct, in chapter three, he wrote, “So I declared God’s everlasting truth amongst them, warning them of the day of the Lord that was coming upon all sin and wickedness; and exhorted them to repent” Finally, regarding Fox’s sharing God’s promises of reward for their repentance and reformation, in chapter one, he wrote,

I was sent to turn people from darkness to the light, that, they might receive Christ Jesus: for, to as many as should receive Him in His light, I saw that He would give power to become the sons of God; which I had obtained by receiving Christ. I was to direct people to the Spirit that gave forth the Scriptures, by which they might be led into all Truth, and so up to Christ and God, as they had been who gave them forth. I was to turn them to the grace of God, and to the truth in the heart, which came by Jesus; that by this grace they might be taught, which would bring them salvation, that their hearts might be established by it, and their words might be seasoned, and all might come to know their salvation nigh.[9] 

Ironically or unavoidably, Fox (like every other biblical or true prophet of God) also suffered for his divine calling, experiencing persecution, incarceration, physical assaults, and unjust slander and accusations from those people (at all social levels) to whom he had been sent to plead change their ways, according to the Holy Spirit’s expressed message to Fox (in agreement with the Scriptures). Fox explained, “These things I did not see by the help of man, nor by the letter, though they are written in the letter, but I saw them in the light of the Lord Jesus Christ, and by his immediate Spirit and power. . . [but] what the Lord opened in me, I afterwards found was agreeable to [the Scriptures].”[10]

So many more examples from Fox’s journal could be provided, but focusing on Fox’s testimonies in his journal, evidentially, it is clear that Fox’s calling from a young age (like other biblical prophets) was to proclaim God’s will to all people needing repentance (which started with himself). Thereafter, Fox was convinced that he had an immediate saving prophetic mission in England to reach his countrymen about the holiness and sovereignty of God, the horror of their sins, their need for repentance, true righteous worship of God, and the indefatigable power of God’s Spirit and His Word.

Ultimately, perhaps the best “snapshot” of Fox’s prophetic spirit can be found in his personal revelation shared in chapter one, which is also a perfect model of the mindset of an authentic prophet of God. Fox wrote,

Great things did the Lord lead me into, and wonderful depths were opened unto me beyond what can by words be declared; but as people come into subjection to the Spirit of God, and grow up in the image and power of the Almighty, they may receive the word of wisdom, that opens all things, and come to know the hidden unity in the Eternal Being.[11]

Bibliography

Fox, George. The Journal of George Fox. Ebook: Braunfell Books, 2023.

Martin, Marcelle. “The Radical Original Vision of George Fox.” Friends Journal (2024): online. Https://www.friendsjournal.org/the-radical-original-vision-of-george-fox/.

Nickalls, John L., ed. The Journal of George Fox. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1952. 

Tsohantardis, Tim, and John S. Knox. God in the Details: A Biblical Survey of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures. Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt, 2017.

[1] See the Major and Minor prophetical books in the Old Testament for a more comprehensive understanding of their lives, ministries, and ultimate fates.

[2] Tim Tsohantardis and John S. Knox, God in the Details: A Biblical Survey of the Hebrew and Greek Scriptures (Dubuque: Kendall-Hunt, 2017), 158.

[3] John L. Nickalls, ed., The Journal of George Fox (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1952), vii.

[4] George Fox, The Journal of George Fox (Ebook: Braunfell, 2023), 37.

[5] Marcelle Martin, “The Radical Original Vision of George Fox,” Friends Journal (2024): online; https://www.friendsjournal.org/the-radical-original-vision-of-george-fox/.

[6] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 64.

[7] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 43.

[8] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 60.

[9] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 49.

[10] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 50.

[11] Fox, The Journal of George Fox, 45.

Choice and Consequence in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: The Ethics of Romanticism and Knowledge

Few works examine the mortality and natural limitations of humanity more than Mary Shelley’s Romantic novel, Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus. In her preface, Shelley states, “I busied myself to think of a story—a story to rival those which had excited us to this task. One which would speak to the mysterious fears of our nature and awaken thrilling horror” (Shelley ix) and she managed to do so quite well.  In this wonderfully macabre tale, the scientist, Victor Frankenstein, learns “the cause of generation and life” (Shelley 51), wherein he is capable of “bestowing animation upon lifeless matter” (Shelley 51).  Much like the Greek god Prometheus who was the god of forethought and shrewd counsel assigned with the duty of molding humanity out of clay, Victor Frankenstein sets out to create his own “Adam” without much thought into the repercussions of creating someone in his (Victor’s) own mortal, ungodly image. 

Before he creates this creature that he will come to despise and lament, Victor finds himself faced with several pivotal choices regarding his newfound powers of creation, found in chapter four of Shelly’s novel.  In this passage, the reader can see how Shelly used setting, tone, language, descriptions, organization, and certain main themes to show the vanity of one man and the foolishness of his arrogance to think that he could succeed in creating humanity like God of the Old Testament.  Victor’s statement before this passage is quite telling:

Learn from me, if not by my precepts, at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of knowledge and how much happier that man is who believes his native town to be the world, than he who aspires to become greater than his nature will allow (Shelley 52).  

This provocative statement is his final admonition after much pain and suffering caused from his choices in this matter seen in this early passage in the novel.

Interestingly, the question that Victor initially ponders is not whether he should attempt to bestow life to a creation, but rather into what form he should create this life. Victor comments, “When I found so astonishing a power placed within my hands, I hesitated a long time concerning the manner in which I should employ it” (Shelley 52).  Surrounded by scientific tools, instruments, and machinery, Victor has no doubt that he will succeed despite the experiment being a “work of inconceivable labour” (Shelley 52).

Victor has surrounded himself with the trappings of the scientific method, which was promised by those in the Age of Reason to be the cure of all the ills of humanity. This prideful tone in human achievement is evident when Victor states, “I doubted not that I should ultimately succeed” (Shelley 52). Victor, as with many of his era, was caught up in the glory of humanity and science, and the ending of human misery.

The language employed by Victor also demonstrates the naiveté of a man in love with human scientific achievement. He is one who sees this moment only through rose-colored glasses and thus, he speaks in positive, affirming ways of what he is about to undertake. Victor uses phrases and statements like “so astonishing a power” and “my imagination was too much exalted by my first success to permit me to doubt of my ability to give life to an animal as complex and wonderful as man” (Shelley 52) in his inner dialogue; however, it all builds up his view of this scientific adventure. He writes, “Although I possessed the capacity of bestowing animation, yet to prepare a frame for the reception of it, with all its intricacies of fibres, muscles, and veins, still remained a work of inconceivable difficulty and labour” (Shelley 52).  In this passage, Victor shows himself to be an idealistic, optimistic, natural philosopher.

Even the organization of this passage works into Victor’s scientific zeal and affirmation of his dream of human regeneration and creation because it reads like the blueprint for Scientific Methodology. As Victor discusses what he will do, he talks about the Question (Can I re-animate human tissue?), the Hypothesis (Yes, I can using the modern scientific ideas and machinery I have developed), the Prediction (I am going to piece together a giant man and bring him to life), the Test (Even if I have some failures, I am going to continue until I succeed), and the Result (And Victor saw his creation and thought it would be good). This is most evident when Victor says,

I prepared myself for a multitude of reverses; my operations might be incessantly baffled, and at last my work be imperfect; yet, when I considered the improvement which every day takes place in science and mechanics, I was encouraged to hope my present attempts would at least lay the foundations of future success (Shelley 52). 

Most importantly, in this passage, Shelley demonstrates several important themes presented in this novel, that of individualism, enlightened rationality, the pursuit of knowledge, ethics, and human arrogance.  Concerning the self-centeredness of Victor, in this passage alone, he use “I” fifteen times and “me, my, myself” an additional fifteen times, too.  Clearly, he, like God before the world, is at the center of his universe, unfortunately without the same eternal perspective.  Considering what he has accomplished, he should be humbled; instead, he becomes full of himself.  With his own words, Victor boasts of his new, unique scientific knowledge and the mysterious wonders that it has conquered and will in the future; unfortunately, he talks little of the dangers of what could happen because of that knowledge—who could be killed, what can be destroyed, or how nature can be perverted into a monstrosity.

Ultimately, the inclusion of this passage in Shelley’s novel is ironic considering the final outcome in the final chapter.  The initial goal of Victor for his creation was life from lifelessness, but in the end, both the creator and the creation sadly lose their lives.  Finding his creator dead, the weeping Monster states,

I shall collect my funeral pile and consume to ashes this miserable frame, that its remains may afford no light to any curious and unhallowed wretch who would create such another as I have been. I shall die. I shall no longer feel the agonies which now consume me, or be the prey of feelings unsatisfied, yet unquenched. He is dead who called me into being; and when I shall be no more the very remembrance of us both will speedily vanish. I shall no longer see the sun or stars, or feel the winds play on my cheeks. Light, feeling, and sense will pass away; and in this condition must I find my happiness (Shelley 211). 

In the passage from chapter four, Victor (almost prophetically) says, “Nor could I consider the magnitude and complexity of my plan as any argument of its impracticability. It was with these feelings that I began the creation of a human being” (Shelley 52) and starts his journey toward annihilation. Through the setting, tone, language, descriptions, organization, and main themes in this passage, the reader comes to better understand the dangerous trap that Victor Frankenstein has set for himself (and others) when he vainly made his choices of what to do with his newfound scientific skills.

Works Cited

 Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: Or, The Modern Prometheus. New York:  Penguin Books, 1983. Print.

WILLIAM PENN: THE TRUE CHRISTIAN AND THE BE-BAD-ITUDES

Few leaders have been as socially and spiritually influential across the globe more than William Penn (1644–1718), the son of a British navy admiral who was “by conviction pro-Anglican and royalist.”[1] His son (William), although raised in high British society and Anglican religious circles, chose a controversially different path—much to his father’s disapproval and inconvenience. William Penn, who converted to Quakerism in 1668, eventually traveled to America to govern the colony that would come to be named after him—“Pennsylvania.”

According to Stern, under this new colonial charter, William Penn “sought to reconcile liberty and authority in his frame of government.”[2] Knox adds, “Penn established this colony with the hope that religious toleration would be maintained without abuse by the government.”[3] Although Penn (self-admittedly) did not succeed as fully as he had hoped with this “Holy Experiment,” he still managed to implement his ideal of governance that, while still strongly hierarchical, protected religious freedoms and “established an electoral legislative system, prohibited taxation without representation, and guaranteed free trade.”[4]

Yet, decades before this famous American colonial enterprise, William Penn found himself in a far darker and more dangerous predicament, having been imprisoned in the Tower of London in 1667 for writing a tract entitled, “The Sandy Foundation Shaken Speaking Against the Doctrine of the Trinity.”[5] While in the Tower, he also composed, “No Cross, No Crown,”[6] as well as several other religious essays. Penn wrote these monographs to defend both his Quaker beliefs and his fellow Quaker family who he saw being unfairly persecuted and abused for their religious convictions. No doubt experiences like these provided the impetus for his Penn’s future colonial goals of governance and toleration.

The first three chapters of “No Cross, No Crown” are especially poignant (especially considering that he wrote them from within his prison cell), with each chapter highlighting important truths about the corruption of Christian culture in Penn’s time (and today), its righteous remedy through true faith and repentance, and the crucial centrality of the theology of the Cross. In many ways, Penn’s work builds upon the case for Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3–16), showing how the cross of Christ empowers people through the virtues of the beatitudes (being poor in spirit, hungering for righteousness, embracing peacemaking, being persecution for righteousness’ sake, and so on).

To wit, in these first three chapters alone, readers can clearly see Penn’s zeal for the Lord, his enthusiasm of Quaker tenets of faith, and his desire to encourage others to draw closer to Christ. This is summed up well in chapter three when he writes, “The heart of man is the seat of sin, and where he is defiled, he must be sanctified; and where sin lives, there it must die: it must be crucified.”[7]Aphorisms like this were not always received well by his accusers and jailers, but Penn did not waver in his beliefs.

Janney shares that one of Penn’s servants approached him with the news that:

The bishop was resolved he should either publicly recant or die a prisoner. He [Penn] answered, “All is well: I wish they had told me so before, since the expecting of a release put a stop to some business; thou mayest tell my father, who I know will ask thee, these words: that my prison shall be my grave before I will budge a jot; for I owe my conscience to no mortal man; I have no need to fear, God will make amends for all; they are mistaken in me; I value not their threats and resolutions, for they shall know I can weary out their malice and peevishness, and in me shall they behold a resolution above fear; conscience above cruelty, and a baffle put to all their designs by the spirit of patience, the companion of all the tribulated flock of the blessed Jesus, who is the author and finisher of faith that overcomes the world, yea, death and hell too.”[8] 

Penn goes into great details and discussions in his treatise, first taking care in chapter one to explain the “Be-Bad-itudes” of Christian culture in England and concluding that “. . . the generality of Christendom do miserably deceive and disappoint themselves in the great business of Christianity, and their own salvation.”[9] Moreover, even the clergy are guilty of wicked, idolatrous anti-Christianity, in Penn’s appraisal. He writes, “There seems very little left of Christianity but the name; which being usurped by the old heathen nature and life, makes the professors of it but true heathens in disguise.”[10] In fact, according to Penn, what existed then was a false, apostate church—“the mother of harlots and all abominations: because [she] degenerated from Christian chastity and purity, into all the enormities of heathen Babylon.”[11] Ultimately, in Penn’s judgment and experiences, “The religion of the wicked is a lie.”[12]

In chapter two, Penn takes a more positive, yet still somber tone as he discusses the spiritual remedy for the aforementioned wickedness. He writes, “Now, behold the remedy! an infallible cure, one of God’s appointing; a precious elixir, indeed, that never fails; and that universal medicine which no malady could ever escape.”[13] He further exhorts his readers to consider his Good News: “So that, if thou truly believest in him, thine ear will be attentive to his voice in thee, and the door of thine heart open to his knocks. Thou wilt yield to the discoveries of his light, and the teachings of his grace will be very dear to thee.”[14]

For Penn, all Christians caught up in the false church in England ought to repent of their ways and quickly:

Turn their minds to the appearance of Christ, the Light and Saviour of the world; who by his light shines in their souls, and thereby gives them a sight of their sins, and discovers every temptation and motion in them unto evil and reproves them when they give way thereunto; that so they might become the children of light and walk in the path of righteousness.[15]

Even more so, they need to remember the testimonies of the early church that was so zealous for the Lord—and without compromise. He writes, “And, while this integrity dwelt with Christians, mighty was the presence, and invincible that power that attended them; it quenched fire, daunted lions, turned the edge of the sword, outfaced instruments of cruelty, convicted judges, and converted executioners.”[16] One is reminded of Bishop Polycarp’s own persecution story, which tells readers, “But the proconsul said: ‘I have wild beasts. I shall throw you to them, if you do not change your mind.’ But he [Polycarp] said: ‘Call them. For repentance from the better to the worse is not permitted us; but it is noble to change from what is evil to what is righteous.’”[17]

Although the shortest, chapter three provides the great “Why” of Penn’s exhortations—the cross of Christ. Through the cross, believers receive full empowerment to free their souls from the slavery and condemnation of sin and can experience newfound reconciliation with their holy and righteous Father in heaven. Penn explains,

So that the cross mystical is that Divine grace and power which crosseth the carnal wills of men, and gives a contradiction to their corrupt affections, and that constantly opposeth itself to the inordinate and fleshly appetite of their minds, and so may be justly termed the instrument of man’s wholly dying to the world, and being made conformable to the will of God.[18]

The embrace of the cross of Christ is not just a one-and-done affair; rather, it is a constant living out of one’s true faith in Christ as our deliverer and model for love of the Father (and His good ways). He explains, “The way, like the cross, is spiritual: that is an inward submission of the soul to the will of God, as it is manifested by the light of Christ in the consciences of men, though it be contrary to their own inclinations.”[19] It is an “entire resignation,” and one that “continually” watches out to be obedient, to have love and confidence in God, and to personally “die” on the cross with Jesus, daily.[20] Penn ends this chapter with a serious warning to his readers: “O this shows to every one’s experience how hard it is to be a true disciple of Jesus! The way is narrow indeed, and the gate very strait, where not a word, no not a thought must slip the watch, or escape judgment; such circumspection, such caution, such patience, such constancy, such holy fear and trembling.”[21]

In a postmodern world of excess and hedonism, this might seem too harsh or austere a calling to ask of a believer, but for Penn, rotting away in the Tower of London for the “crime” of simply believing whole-heartedly in the Good News rather than merely submitting to artificial and authoritarian man-made rules, it must have been painful but affirming. As Penn concludes in chapter three, “They that cannot endure the cross must never have the crown. To reign, it is necessary first to suffer.”[22] At the deepest level, for Penn, it is all about making a true, life-changing (and life-charging) connection to Jesus that changes everything in the Christian’s life, despite the possible controversies to this approach. All else is dangerous scandal and deception.

Bibliography

The Apostolic Fathers. The Apostolic Fathers (Moody Classics). Ebook: Moody, 2009.

Broner, Edwin, and David Fraser, William Penn’s Published Writings: 1660–1726: An Interpretive Bibliography. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986

Janney, Samuel M. The Life of William Penn, Sixth Edition. Philadelphia: Friends’ Book Association, 1882. 

Knox, John S. “William Penn’s Holy Experiment.” World History Encyclopedia; https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2001/william-penns-holy-experiment/.

Penn, William. No Cross, No Crown. Ebook: Friends Library Publishing, 2023.

Wildes, Harry Emerson. William Penn. London: Macmillan, 1974.

[1] Harry Emerson Wildes, William Penn (London: Macmillan, 1974), 10.

[2] T. Noel Stern, "William Penn on the Swearing of Oaths: His Ideas in Theory and Practice," Quaker History 2, no. 70 (1981): 85.

[3] John S. Knox, “William Penn’s Holy Experiment,” World History Encyclopedia; https://www.worldhistory.org/article/2001/william-penns-holy-experiment/.

[4] Knox, “William Penn’s Holy Experiment.”

[5] Edwin Broner and David Fraser, William Penn’s Published Writings: 1660–1726: An Interpretive Bibliography (Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1986), 96.

[6] William Penn, No Cross, No Crown (Ebook: Friends Library Publishing).

[7] William Penn, No Cross, No Crown (Ebook: Friends Library Publishing, 2023), 32.

[8] Samuel M. Janney. The Life of William Penn, Sixth Edition (Philadelphia: Friends’ Book Association, 1882), 55.

[9] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 9.

[10] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 9–10.

[11] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 13.

[12] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 16.

[13] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 20.

[14] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 22.

[15] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 23.

[16] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 26.

[17] The Apostolic Fathers, The Apostolic Fathers (Moody Classics) (Ebook: Moody, 2009. Kindle Edition), 139.

[18] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 31.

[19] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 33.

[20] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 34.

[21] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 34.

[22] Penn, No Cross, No Crown, 34.

Built on the Rock of Faith: Guiding Christian Principles During Political Change

For many (or most?) people, it seems like every political election cycle brings with it an ominous cloud of doubt, incertitude, and foreboding. That which has been established and functional is assaulted with challenge and change, which all too frequently ends with arbitrary dysfunction ostensibly contrived for the sake of partisan appeasement or domination. With Jobian angst, we fear our consequential and unrelenting fate: “But the falling mountain crumbles away, and the rock moves from its place; water wears away stones, its torrents wash away the dust of the earth . . .” Even more, we often blame God for own specious human transgressions—“So you destroy man’s hopes” (Job 14:18–19).

This stressful state seems to be deeply and universally engrained in the human condition (and our collective affairs). Cynicism and suspicion are regularly coupled with despair and capitulation, until the terrifying tempest passes by, for a time. Unsurprisingly, our resolve and confidence can and often does wane as we wait for the noxious winds to return (as they always do). While such feelings may feel novel to those in the moment, the grander reality is that political change and political fears have been a constant in human history since its genesis thousands of years ago.

Being human, the followers of God have not been spared from social-civic interactions with their neighbors. Rather, we who live by faith also live in the now and on the earth and so encounter the same belligerent or transformative forces that those who live by the flesh experience. And while our Creator may be perfect, we exist far from that condition and so reveal our hearts and beliefs and dependencies during periods of political chaos. This can be easily observed in the biblical accounts as well as the during the early church movement, with prominent figures displaying their inner convictions and perceptions in times of trial and tribulation—for better or for worse.

In all cases, their stories put flesh and spirit around the parable of Jesus shared with His disciples two thousand years ago:

Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like the wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against the house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matt 7:24–27) 

Succinctly, Jesus’ parable tells readers to listen to the Lord, to adapt their behavior according to God’s commands and advice, which will guarantee stable and productive lives regardless of what’s going on around them–socially and physically. The opposite holds true, of course, for those who ignore the Lord, remain hard-hearted in their rebellion, reaping the results of their foolishness or wickedness.

 I can think of no two better examples than Joshua and King Ahab, both political-religious leaders of Israel but two men diametrically opposed in core beliefs and personal missions, inevitably leading to their final fates and fame (or infamy).

Joshua, the Son of Nun and the successor of Moses (ruling around 1400 BCE), was a man of noble character, great military mindedness, and a steadfast voice literally calling out in the desert for Israel to follow God with all their heart, mind, soul, and strength. During the initial establishment of the kingdom of Israel in Canaan, Joshua demonstrates the rock that his faith rested upon when he admonished his people,  

Now fear the Lord and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your ancestors worshiped beyond the Euphrates River and in Egypt and serve the Lord. But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord (Josh 24:14–15).

 Joshua’s unwavering faith in God and searing commitment to God carried him and the people of Israel from Egypt, through the desert of testing and battling, all the way to the Promised Land. As Geisler concludes, “[Joshua] is a book of triumph for faithful obedience to God.”[1] Even more, it shows how faith in God, regardless of whatever storms people travel through, creates safe pathways to success and peace.

Alternatively, King Ahab is perhaps one of the most contemptible “rulers” of Israel in the Bible. Whereas Joshua is known for his great persona, leadership skills, and fearlessness, Ahab could be called “the Great Corruptor” in his abdication of Godly, royal responsibilities and his political capitulation to Queen Jezebel’s wicked, pagan schemes. The author of 1 Kings 16 writes,

Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord than any of those before him. He not only considered it trivial to commit the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, but he also married Jezebel daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians and began to serve Baal and worship him” (vss. 30–31).

 Ahab abandoned God’s kingly calling for him to appease his aggressive wife, to accumulate great wealth and comforts, and to cultivate political strength in the world. This rebellious king’s self-serving compromises resulted in the loss of his lands (1 Kings 21:26), the death of his queen (2 Kings 9:30–37) and the execution of all seventy of his sons (2 Kings 10:6–8). By focusing and relying solely upon the fruits of the flesh, Ahab only guaranteed himself and his progeny a short and sour-lived reign. He foolishly set his throne upon shifting sands, where it was destined to be toppled.

While some might presume that such parabolic teaching is for vaulted leaders alone, the truth is that we all are both leaders and followers to those around us. In fact, some of Jesus’ highest praise came for those from the lowest social classes (Matt 15:28) or with the most to lose, socially, for their faith in Him and God (Matthew 8:10). During periods of political chaos or change, everyone is involved, everyone responds, and everyone shows their heart in the matter at hand—be it in noble submission to God’s commands or hedonistic rebellion (or surrender) to human agencies.

Thus, it is no wonder that in the dawn of the Christian movement, when faced with unjust persecution and martyrdom for their political views, thousands of believers stood their ground, proclaimed their adoration and fidelity, and refused to deny Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Polycarp was one such ambassador for the Way.

A lifelong Christian and elderly pupil (age 86 years old) of the Apostle John, Polycarp had been targeted, politically, for his embrace of a monotheistic religion in a cultic period in Greco-Roman society, which demanded submission and oaths of loyalty and worship to the Emperor. Dragged before a proconsul, it was demanded that Polycarp denounce Christ and receive freedom or persist in his faith and be executed.

But the proconsul was insistent and said: “Take the oath, and I shall release you. Curse Christ.” Polycarp said: “Eighty-six years I have served him, and he never did me any wrong. How can I blaspheme my King who saved me?” And upon his persisting still and saying, “Swear by the fortune of Caesar,” he answered, “If you vainly suppose that I shall swear by the fortune of Caesar, as you say, and pretend that you do not know who I am, listen plainly: I am a Christian.”[2]

 In that instance, Polycarp’s righteous response showed the depth of his convictions and the lengths that he was willing to go to do the right thing. Regardless of the storm beating down upon him, despite the threats of ignorant and impious people unaware of the dangers of religious compromise for political gain, Polycarp did not waiver in his obedience and trust in God.

But the proconsul said: “I have wild beasts. I shall throw you to them, if you do not change your mind.” But he [Polycarp] said: “Call them. For repentance from the better to the worse is not permitted us; but it is noble to change from what is evil to what is righteous.”[3]

 Polycarp’s timeless response is a model to follow for all believers and has been echoed throughout the lives of people like Joshua, King David, the Prophet Jeremiah, John the Baptist, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Stephen, Ignatius of Antioch, Perpetua, Justin Martyr, Ambrose of Milan, Augustine of Hippo, John Chrysostom, Athanasius, Wycliff, Jonathan Edwards, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and so on. Polycarp’s was and is the response of a person fully convinced, committed, and courageous in their relationship with God, for whom they owe everything. Deviation was never an option for people such as these faithful ones.

Once again, we are on the precipice of yet another political storm in America (one that has been building up for decades). It feels like the winds and rains have never occurred with such intensity, but the timeless truth still remains: God’s followers are to be submissive to the governmental powers (1 Pet 2:13) while also contending for the faith (Jude 1:3), restoring each other gently (Galatians 6:1), and walking in the light (1 John 1:6–7). Truly, this is a daunting task to accomplish on our own. Blessedly, we have Jesus—our guide, our protector, and our model—who also shared in the chaos of politics while on His earthly mission. He showed us how and why meandering through the storms of life can be done for the glory of God and the benefit of mankind.

Perhaps no one has ever summarized the Christian mindset regarding righteous political principles so eloquently than the great Reformer Martin Luther who, standing before the Diet of Worms for heresy, bravely proclaimed,

 Since then your Majesty and your Lordships seek a simple answer, I will give it in this manner, neither horned nor toothed. Unless I am convinced by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason (for I do not trust either in the pope or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradicted themselves), I am bound by the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. May God help me. Amen.[4]

 Though the political winds blow and the rain aims to beat us down, God’s followers do not waiver, we do not relent, we do not despair, for we personally know the One true God from whom all blessings come (Ps 16:2), and He is worth it all.

[1] Geisler, A Popular Study of the Old Testament (Baker, 1977), 96.

[2] The Apostolic Fathers, The Apostolic Fathers (Moody Classics) (Moody, 2009. Kindle Edition), 138.

 [3] The Apostolic Fathers (Moody Classics), 139.

 [4] Martin Luther, Luther’s Works, 33: Career of the Reformer III (Fortress, 1957).

John Wesley and Christian Perfection

For centuries, the idea of what it means to be a Christian has been a source of controversy and debate. Theologians and scholars alike have presented in the pulpit and in literature differing taxonomies and interpretations of what true Christian behavior and thought should be. In the 1700s, Anglican preacher and the founder of the Methodist church—John Wesley—promoted his own interpretation of the Bible and presented to his followers and peers a written treatise on just what holiness meant to him as a devout Christian.

In this disputatious work, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection, John Wesley offers a concise and articulate explanation and defense of his understanding of Christianity. He begins this work by stating, “What I purpose in the following papers, is, to give a plain and distinct account of the steps by which I was led . . . to embrace the doctrine of Christian perfection.”[1] To this end, throughout his writing, he attempts to enlighten his critics and readers to the true understanding of the appearance, motivation, substance, and practice of being a real Christian. He offers examples of the proper conduct and attitudes that can lead one to Christian perfection. He then goes on to explain the source and motivation for this exemplary status and the benefits of striving for it. Once stating what Christian perfection is, he goes on to explain what it is not. Wesley finally ends his work with a plea for understanding and compassion for an ideal of Christianity which (to him) has an established basis in scripture.

Although the whole book has innumerable references to Christian perfection, chapter ten has perhaps the best summation of what Wesley thinks the appearance of a real Christian should be. The whole chapter is full of pithy and powerful pronouncements of true Christian etiquette. He makes statements like, “Pure in heart God reigns alone,”[2] “Keeps all the commandments Does all to the glory of God,”[3] and “He hath now ‘put on bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering.’”[4] Also, “He cannot speak evil of his neighbor, any more than he can lie either for God or man. He cannot utter an unkind word of anyone.”[5] Truly, foro Wesley, the actions of a Christian must be above reproach as much as it is in the believer’s will.

Wesley does not just issue edicts for the Christian to follow. He also offers biblical evidence and exhortations for striving after and expecting holiness from the believer. Perfect behavior can happen because once saved, “His [the Christian’s] heart is lifted up to God at all times, and in all places.”[6] Furthermore, “Christians are saved in this world from all sin, from all unrighteousness; that they are now in such a sense perfect, as not to commit sin, and to be freed from evil thoughts and evil tempers.”[7] Most importantly, “They are freed from self-will, as desiring nothing but the holy and perfect will of God.”[8] The true Christian’s whole heart and mind are so attuned to God that his or her will is now ultimately God’s—thus, enabling perfection in thought and deed. This perfected Christian is “all devoted,”[9] and this loving devotion is the substance and foundation for all Christian behavior.

Wesley is also careful to put to rest any misconceptions his opponents might think of his theological interpretations. He makes sure to point out that in his paradigm, Christians “are not perfect in knowledge. They are not free from ignorance, no, nor from mistake . . . They are not free from infirmities, such as weakness or slowness of understanding, irregular quickness or heaviness of imagination.”[10] Furthermore, “It is as natural for a man to mistake as to breathe.”[11] In other words, they are permitted to be human although as Christians, they are expected to follow Christ’s example of perfect love. Wesley states, “A person may be sincere who has natural tempers, pride, anger, lust, self-will. But he is not perfect, till his heart is cleansed from these, and all its other corruptions.”[12] Christian perfection, then, is solely following God’s loving will; Christian imperfection is solely following humanity’s selfish will.

With this understanding in mind, Wesley begins to wind up his treatise with various admonitions towards perfection. He states, “Watch and pray continually against pride,”[13] “Always remember, much grace does not imply much light,”[14]“Be always ready to own any fault you have been in,”[15] “Beware of Antinomianism.”[16] ”Do all the good you possibly can, to the bodies and souls of men,”[17] “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might,”[18] and “We ought quietly to suffer whatever befalls us, to bear the defects of others and our own.”[19] Clearly, the suggestions elucidate the pitfalls that Wesley sees for perfection and his hopes that his readers will avoid them.

Wesley finishes his work with a plea for impartiality and Christian integrity. In order to avoid a biased misunderstanding of what Christian perfection truly is and the importance of it in our relationship with God, he imparts the reader to “Look at it [Wesley’s doctrine] again; survey it on every side, and that with the closest attention.”[20] Then, with the full understanding that his approach is “the purity of intention . . . It is the giving God all our heart,” and answering the question of “What man, who calls himself a Christian, as the hardiness to object to the devoting, not a part, but all our soul, body, and substance to God?”[21] Wesley asks the reader to then make an informed, reasonable judgment.

Reflection

As I read Wesley’s work, I found myself both drawn and repulsed by his words. On the one hand, I agreed with Wesley’s conviction that as one who professes to love God, I should respond to Him in ways that clearly demonstrate my faith in Him. Purity of heart, mind, and soul should be at the top of my list all the time and if I could totally devote myself to Him, I probably would find “perfection.” Yet, on the other hand, I find Wesley’s expectations for perfection unrealistic, at least as far I have so far experienced and perceived. It seems to me that if one can become perfected, there would be no need for Jesus, even if one was already a Christian.

Personally, I know that I love God, but I still sometimes flounder in my sins, which makes me concerned about the healthiness of my own walk with God (as it should). However, I look around and see no other “perfect” Christians—except perfected in the saving love and sacrifice of Christ. As I read the scriptures, I see our perfection coming from Christ's efforts alone and not from our actions. I do believe that holiness and perfection are things to be strived for; they please God and show our devotion to Him—but they are not the sign that we are saved. That sign is the cross and I believe that is where the focus should be.

Therefore, Wesley’s theology to me is like a bag of mixed nuts. Some things I cherish; others taste like pinecones. Total adoration and total surrendering of our will to God could potentially make us “perfected,” but I believe our fallen nature always limits our performance. True sustained perfection can only come from God through Jesus Christ. To lay the power at human feet is too dangerous for, in my mind, it risks either glorifying man or subjugating God.

Bibliography

Wesley, John. A Plain Account of Christian Perfection. Beacon Hill: Missouri, 1966.

[1] John Wesley, A Plain Account of Christian Perfection (Beacon Hill: Missouri, 1966), 9.

[2] Wesley, A Plain Account, 17.

[3] Wesley, A Plain Account, 19.

[4] Wesley, A Plain Account, 21.

[5] Wesley, A Plain Account, 18.

[6] Wesley, A Plain Account, 27–28.

[7] Wesley, A Plain Account, 29.

[8] Wesley, A Plain Account, 38.

[9] Wesley, A Plain Account, 23.

[10] Wesley, A Plain Account, 79.

[11] Wesley, A Plain Account, 84.

[12] Wesley, A Plain Account, 95.

[13] Wesley, A Plain Account, 96.

[14] Wesley, A Plain Account, 96.

[15] Wesley, A Plain Account, 99.

[16] Wesley, A Plain Account, 101.

[17] Wesley, A Plain Account, 101.

[18] Wesley, A Plain Account, 107.

[19] Wesley, A Plain Account, 117.

[20] Wesley, A Plain Account, 117.

[21] Wesley, A Plain Account, 118.

The Graceful Teacher

Shame and grace have profound influences over people’s lives, whether in a personal or public arena. As a teacher, word and deed can greatly influence the student, either for their betterment or to their detriment. It is important to understand that the philosophic approach to education (as well as the avenues from which it is pursued) can produce both productive or negative results in the student. These results may last a lifetime, so the teacher needs to carefully weigh his or her responses to the student. Even more so, the teacher needs to have perfect clarity in his or her calling and craft.

The American Heritage Dictionary (1992) defines “education” as:

1. The act or process of educating or being educated.

2. The knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process.

3. A program of instruction of a specified kind or level.

4. The field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning.

5. An instructive or enlightening experience.

Clearly, with this definition, education is seen in a positive, favorable light wherein the student learns knowledge or skills adding to their educational welfare.

As such, the teacher has the responsibility to speak and act in ways that enable the educational process and not in ways that burden the student with emotional baggage. Every day, teachers face common situations wherein they must evaluate students’ progress and performance. How the teacher responds clearly shows whether the teacher is using grace to motivate the student to become educated or using shame for other dubious purposes.

All too often, teachers react or respond to the student in harmful and abusive ways. VanVonderen, in Tired of Trying to Measure Up (2008), states, “Abuse, in my definition, is when Person A uses his power or his position and authority to force Person B to perform in order to meet the needs of Person A” (p. 56). Thus, in order to maintain an atmosphere to their personal liking (or for other more sinister reasons), a teacher may resort to abusiveness to accomplish that goal. This abusiveness may manifest itself as public humiliation, disqualification, ambiguity/inconsistency of rules and regulations, physical harm, and even simple character-bashing in the public and private sphere. The goal of these actions is to crush the student into submission and raise the teacher in power over them. The result can be emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual suffering for the student, leading to long-lasting negative trauma.

Often, teachers verbally embarrass their students if they show a lack of knowledge or skill. This shaming occurs because of a weakness of character or poor emotional health of the teacher. Fossum and Mason, in Facing Shame: Families in Recovery (1989), state, “Beneath the power oriented, manipulative behavior we usually see a frightened person” (pp. 88–89). Teachers are human beings, too, and so may incorporate behaviors that soothe their self-esteem instead of helping the educational community.

In addition, when faced with the reality of a student’s ignorance, the teacher may respond with a “What’s wrong with you?” attitude. This can be a shift of blame away from the teacher to the student. The teacher gets paid for educating the student, and if the academic standards are not met by the student, it may reflect poorly upon the teacher as an educator (and affect funding). Therefore, blame is placed on the student to “regain the illusion of control” (Fossum & Mason, p. 95) Outwardly, the teacher has done all that was necessary; the student has merely slacked off again.

Furthermore, the teacher might have an undefined system of rules and regulations that areas solid as an amoeba. Drifting without form or substance, the student is often unaware as to what expectations are required of him or her. They stumble again and again trying to determine what the teacher wants and demands from them, scholastically. All too often, they find that what had earned them an ‘A’ the week before has been disqualified for some apparent hidden reason that the teacher believes the student should have known. Thus, in order to succeed, students basically need “invisible code books that they carry in their heads . . . to survive” (VanVonderen, 2008, p. 45) in the shame-based system that the teacher has created in the classroom.

Failure or lack of perfection from the student may result in a harsh critique from the teacher and a possible lecture on their short-comings. This may be done in front of the class but may also be done in private. Unfortunately, this shaming may even take on violent attributes with the teacher physically shaking, slapping, shoving, etc. the student. However, no matter whether in verbal or physical form, the shaming comes to the same outcome: poor self-esteem, unwarranted and burdensome guilt, and emotional imbalance.

With an understanding of what education is and a comprehension of what constitutes an abusive relationship between the teacher and student, what, then, makes up healthy, graceful teaching practices? If the negative actions of the shaming teacher mentioned above detracts from the educational process, then a positive, graceful approach must be supportive to the student’s goals of learning. This positive, graceful teaching style will manifest itself in actions that are affirming, open, and consistent. A teacher incorporating grace in their teaching methods will let students know that despite their performance, they are accepted and valuable as members of society.

True, they may have not met certain academic standards, but that has little to do with their worth as a person. As VanVonderen states in Families Where Grace Is in Place (2010), in a healthy system, “People are affirmed for being who they are” (p. 141) as opposed to a shame-based system where “behavior is the most important thing” (p. 141). The student needs to hear from the teacher that grades are only an indicator of knowledge learned, not acceptance earned.

In this graceful teaching system, the teacher will also create a realistic learning atmosphere. Rules, regulations, expectations will all be accessible for the student and will be fairly bestowed upon them. The student will not have to read between the lines or second-guess what the teacher is really saying or requiring of them. Deadlines and assignments will be what they appear to be on the surface. Students will be responsible for their academic performance because “people are responsible for their choices, and it is appropriate to hold them accountable for them” (p. 145).

In fact, that is one of the great lessons learned from school. Supplementing this, a graceful teacher will provide consistency and reliability for the student. Much of the time, it is difficult enough just learning the facts in school. Compounding student education with a confusing and conflicted teaching style only muddies the water more than it already is for students. Definitively, the teacher exists solely to provide cogent, beneficial knowledge to the student that will help him or her in the future.

Therefore, the best transmission of that instruction is when it is accomplished with clarity and stability. To that end, standards and grades should be consistent for all students over time and throughout it all. The student should be given the consistent message that the evaluation of their performance is done mainly to see what more they need to learn and not to determine what quality of a student they are.

Not many positions hold as much importance and impact as the teacher. The effects that educators have on their students may last for years and years. Hopefully, this influence will be a positive one but, sadly, far too often the student leaves the educational system with more emotional hang-ups than when they entered. In the end, the teacher has been a confusing and weakening factor rather than a beacon of support and truth. If education is truly supposed to be an instructive or enlightening experience, then it is quintessential for the teacher to pass on pedagogy of the head and the heart.

In other words, the graceful teacher will not merely help the student learn academic knowledge but will also do so without impairing students’ mental and emotional health. The graceful teacher will demonstrate to the student that he or she, no matter what their academic standing, is a valued member of the community and a person of worth. This knowledge of the heart may in many ways be the empowerment needed for students to soar high and far in their future educational and vocational endeavors.

The Best "Lord's Prayer"

I love Jesus's prayer in Matthew 6:9–13 for its uncomplicated message for believers wanting to be more like Him and aligning their expectations with the will of God. Clearly, Jesus's focus in His concise prayer is on the majesty, beneficence, and power of Father God in our lives.

After this manner therefore pray ye:

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.

This prayer is not focused on human empowerment at all; rather, it is all about what Father God can, does, and will do for His believers. Yet, progressivechristianity.org writer Francis Mcnab incorrectly and anthro-centeredly rewrites how we are to pray to God in the passage. First, note that Mcnab immediately removes the fatherhood of God (disregarding Jesus’s specific address as trivial or outdated). Then, note how many more times Mcnab adds us, we, and our compared to the original Scripture. Note the additions of “within us” to the passage (shifting the outward power of God to the inward power of His adherents). Note also Mcnab’s emotional emphases of avoiding anxiety, rising above ugly realities, overlooking stupid people, and feeling personal acceptance in life. Speaking of which, note how the kingdom of God is demoted to simply being the kingdom of life—which is what? Nature? And while Mcnab does end his translation with three “Yous,” readers are left to ponder just exactly who (or what) the “good caring presence” is that Mcnab refers to initially in his narcissistic version. Read for yourself:

Good caring presence within us, around us, and above us;
Hold us in a sense of mystery and wonder.
Let the fullness of your goodness be within us and around us;
Let all the world know your ways of caring and generosity.

May we find we have all we need
to meet each day without undue anxiety.
Overlook our many stupidities, and help us
to release everyone from their stupidities.

May we all know that we are accepted.
Strengthen us that we will reach out
to the best, always with the faith
to rise above the ugly realities of our existence.

And we celebrate the gifts you have given us –
the rich kingdom of life’s possibilities
the power to do good and the triumphs of good
and the moments when we have seen
the glory and wonder of everything.

You are life’s richness.
You are life’s power.
You are life’s ultimate meaning –
Amen.

This is not a paraphrase of the Lord’s Prayer; it is a humanist, self-empowering, eisegetical revision wherein the profane replaces the Divine. Even Mcnab’s inclusion of “Amen” (So be it) at the end feels more like blasphemy than any affirmation of biblical truth. A better basic takeaway of the Lord’s Prayer might include the following conclusions:

• We are to think of God as our divine Father (Jesus even calls Him, "Abba” [daddy], in Mark 14:36 and the apostle Paul calls Him, "Abba," in Romans 8:15 & Galatians 4:6).

• God lives in heaven, is holy, and is the King of Kings.

• God alone is our great Provider, our Mercy, our Model, our Protector, and our Deliverer.

• Father God can all do all these things because He is the One, true, loving eternal God.

To flip the script might feel good to some (as in Mcnab’s Prayer) but it runs dangerously contrary to the reality of our relationship with God—according to Jesus Christ (and the Word of God). Ultimately, the authoritative prayer of Jesus requires His followers to be humble, unpolitical, submissive, supportive, and grateful to Father God—absolutely asserting the singularity of God's importance in our lives. There can be no greater or “good-er” news than that! Can I get an Amen?