The social architecture of the church, from leadership to prayer groups, all functions along protocols and vetting systems based on doctrinal beliefs, trust-building with leaders, participation in activities, meetings and conferences, etc. Alot of us have reached the point where the only left left to do is bring people together despite our differences. I have asked many people who say that they dont believe, what evidence would be sufficient for them to believe that God exists, and I think the opposite, what evidence would be sufficient to convince me that God does not exist I also visited Westminster Seminary in my early 20s and purchased some books in the store there, caught a glimpse of Cornelius Van Til, and later I exchanged emails with Paul Seely on biblical cosmology, a WTS graduate. Because of these aspects, thinking is a collaborative engagement. Peter is 61 years old. Pseudo-Solomon and His Scripture: Biblical Interpretation in the Wisdom of Solomon,, The Contribution of Ecclesiastes to Biblical Theology,. Most Evangelicals find themselves on that path when their evidence takes a beating and they retreat to the world of mystery. In regards to ones intelligence, I am reading St Teresa of Avilas Interior Castle right now and in the first parts of it she refers to herself as stupid and if they (the nuns she is writing to) understand what she is saying, it is not herself that is speaking but it is God through her. The realm of the elohim and the realm of the seen (1 sam 28.13). I do. . The more I learn about the cosmos and humanitys journey of understanding it, the more the term evidence seems to be an oxymoron. Pete Enns critiques John Piper's recent remarks about the Jewish conquest of Canaan in the Old Testament. Heh, that brings back memories of being taught as a child that every breath I took was the providential, direct action of Jesus. I like your emphasis here. Foreign Professionals in Babylon: Evidence from the Archive in the Palace of Nebuchadnezzar II Neo-Assyrian Texts from Nebuchadnezzar's Babylon: A Preliminary Report Cities and urban landscapes in the Ancient Near East and Egypt with special focus on the city of Babylon - with Paul Sinclair, Irmgard . St. Davids, PA 19087-3696 I know others mileage may vary. here s something about the bible of the peter enns June 1st, 2020 - think about that the old testament of the new testament writers and of the early church was a translation and an imperfect one at that you d think at key moment of god s self disclosure ten things i hate about church and why i go anyway How sure are you that those are eyewitness accounts. I suspect it is because they are not comfortable with any other way of knowing. What I have noticed especially in connection with your point about knowing God outside of our default rationalism, Pete, is that both as a church and as individual Christians in the West, we find it difficult knowing how to spend time in silence, or in solitude, away from our faith projects or church systems. It is not when I am going to meet him, but when I am just turning away and leaving him alone, that I discover that God is. With all due respect my guess is you dont really engage with non-believers in person? In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. But I dont think this way of knowing settles theGod question, since it presumes that God is anelement of the cosmos that occupies space and issubject to observation and testinglike a quasar, proton, or tectonic plateswaiting to be discovered or discerned through methods by which we know the physical world. Incarceration Nation Many dont understand that the contentions among faiths is fought (and will be won in the end) not on the grounds of being right, but on the grounds of making the world right. Perhaps even the characteristics on the other-way-of-knowing list are not beyond study. Thatjust doesnt work for me. What does is look like to seek God? In view of all that is eternal it would not be worth much to consider them other than to satisfy academic curiosity. Which does seem not tranrational but rather irrational. In fact, if comparisons between spiritual experience seem to demonstrate anything, it is that perhaps the only objectively true thing we can say about it is that it is a very unreliable means of experience vulnerable to various illusions of reality. Now, whether this evidence is good evidence or not. The other day he wrote a post that he entitled Why I Don't Believe in God Anymore. Redemption to a broken world? What of our spiritual experiences then? Evidence based knowledge may not be necessary for a person to believe in God, but it sure would be handy when it comes to rival claims about God between people in different religions, denominations and mystical sects, not to mention between various schools of non-religious philosophical theists, agnostics and atheists. To dig down a little deeper theologically, I can deeply understand the paradox of the Incarnation of not only a God-as-man, but in the form of a baby in a manager in Galilee in first century Palestine. Which then opens up the question of what reality it what knowing we are engaged in. I am Peter EnnsI am a biblical scholar. Your explanation, though a bit slippery to grab with my hands, is similar to some of my conclusions, though none have given me their answer. The universal and self-evident problem of death. darkness, a vulnerable faith, and the normal Christian life, Spirituality and the Awakening Self: The Sacred Journey of Transformation, http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/08/christians-or-non-christians-who-suffer.html, http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2016/01/gods-mixed-messages-youth-pastor-killed.html, http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/03/on-recovering-from-alcoholism-drug.html, http://infidels.org/library/modern/ed_babinski/experience.html, http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/01/leaving-ministry-left-ministry-polls.html, http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/cruz-any-president-who-doesnt-begin-every-day-his-knees-isnt-fit-be-commander-chief-nation, http://www.al-islam.org/tradition-myrobalan-fruit-hadith-al-halila-imam-jafar-al-sadiq/hadith. So true. And look to see if theyre shared. It was first proposed by the unorthodox church Father, Origen (ca. Talk of a vibrant Christian faith seems overblown. Im trying to think through/explore this. But I also get that Christianity isnt really transforming the world through compassion essentially better than anything or anyone else. They explore the potential behind reading the Bible creatively, the dangers of our modernist sense of truth, and the growing desire for . Biblical scholar and author Dr. Peter Enns will be in Lynchburg for a series of "Evolution Weekend" events February 15-16, joining with many other such efforts nationwide under the umbrella of the Clergy Letter Project.. 1300 Eagle Road Are you willing to also consider; Hindu scriptures, Muslim scriptures, Buddhist, scriptures, Taoists scriptures, etc? Its not that we dont know, its that our knowing is ultimately so relative. Were two thousand years in. It is into this "cross-pressured" situation that Peter Enns wades with this new book, The . Now one can doubt that the man, Peter ever lived, but there are extra-biblical references to him as being the head of the church. And it is that faith that is pleasing to God, and further that faith is a gift from God in the first place. Reason and sagacity cannot visualise Him. .without faith one cannot please God His words, not mine. It may be a way of knowing, but not necessarily yielding as many as true things as possible and as few as false things as possible. that Christians suffer like everyone else. Peter K. Enns. " To love as God loves means loving not just others like us, but those who are not. ), having that preverbal felt sense of wonder, well-being & delight, sitting in the little Cave of flesh of oneself, hearing the birds twittering in spring sunshine for the first time, the thrill of having learned ones ABCs and the letters becoming words & the words becoming sentences when one is 6 years old, the gift and thrill of ones sexuality(Intense pleasure!) As is knowledge of Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva. Here's where the money is going! He affirms that Israel's laws were not new in content but were uniquely in that they were connected to a monotheistic community-Israel (57). In asking does God exist?, Ive heard it said that two very large questions are revealed or not. 1. As Read Post The Evangelical Mind February 5, 2013 Category: General Tags: Doubt, Peter Enns, The Mind, The Scandal of the Evangelical Mind, Theology, Wisdom I mean, I continue to wonder about such questions after leaving Evangelicalism. To conclude, I'd like to quote Enns one more time. One thing that is crystal clear about Enns is that he hates rules. Here might be some: Healing, forgiveness, graciousness, redemption, justice, protection, universality. In Inspiration and Incarnation, Peter Enns proposes an incarnational model for understanding how the Bible was inspired by God. Namely the objective facts that these experiences are shared between many parents, that they have roughly the same qualia of experience, and that having a child of your own seems to bring them about. James KA Smiths Desiring the Kingdom. Rather, knowledge of God is described by terms like: immediacy http://www.al-islam.org/tradition-myrobalan-fruit-hadith-al-halila-imam-jafar-al-sadiq/hadith. If this is my basis, Im as comfortable (maybe more comfortable) with a Great Spirit of native Americans as I am with a YHWH of Israel. Intelligence, understanding and attainment cannot attain the depth of knowledge to study or scrutinise the Godhead. You can although quite innadequately (as with so many other things in life), still put them on the table. 298 . But in essence our Christian hope is a trust that God will in fact be good to his word (which is trust now verifying the identity of God through science observation seems impossible but there are many things, and I say many things we cannot fully grasp by using human studies, judgments, experimentation, etc). It is in this context, that Christianity, for me, is a profound disappointment. Peter Enns does it again!' Richard Rohr, author of Falling Upward For many Christians, the Bible is a how-to manual filled with literal truths about belief that must be strictly followed. Peter K. Enns Professor, Department of Government and Brooks School of Public Policy and Robert S. Harrison Director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences Summary Peter K. Enns is a Professor in the Department of Government and the Brooks School of Public Policy and Robert S. Harrison Director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences. Now I understand that that rational certainty is a gift from God, but would you say that 1 John 5:13 is false or irrational or not to be trusted? A Review by Norman Geisler of Peter Enns's, Inspiration and Incarnation: Evangelicals and the Problem of the Old Testament (Grand Rapids . You just need to go a little further, Peter. With the exact same merit. On the contrary, I have never been disappointed by God. After writing "Analysis of Rachel Held Evan's Book "Inspired" Part 1: Introduction" yesterday I noticed that Rachel Held Evans sees Peter Enns as a mentor. And there are child-rearing costs to and constraints concerning size of head vs. size of pelvis. This way of knowing, too, is a pluralistic way of knowing and can be reflected upon both with and without special pleading. None the less, I believe in Democracy and think Iron Man is awesome. First, let me say that I hold to the position that without faith one cannot please God His words, not mine. It goes without saying that the writings you mentioned can contain interesting concepts, but they do not reveal the God of the universe anymore than an Agatha Christy mystery, which I dearly enjoy. Thanks in advance for your thoughts. Such soon discover that He is indeed a God Who communicates and is very capable of laying out a clear path for us to follow. We also know how it may be tricked to produce the illusion of say motion or scale that is not really there. I think the fruit are the realities that a religion has caused to create. Evidence: The heavens declare the glory of God. Peter Enns Age He was born on January 2, 1961, in Passaic, New Jersey, in the United States. I agree that post-enlightenment empiricism is never going to lead to genuine interaction with the creator, but what about prayer? Concepts of God can propel or retard in this context. One atheist and evolutionist, Dr. Jerry Coyne, believes very strongly that evolution and Christianity are not at all compatible. Peter Enns is an American theologian, author, professor, and Biblical scholar. Not really. For the Tibettan Buddhidist, they may experience a vision of the peaceful and wrathful deities. If you ask your typical Tibettan Buddhist monk, deeply committed to this same type of contemplative knowing, to describe their experience they will articulate something akin to everything you describe. I think that if the objective is to free people from reifying and trusting their own beliefs rather than trusting the living God, invoking the word sin frequently, which is an evangelical habit, is counterproductive. So we have an eyewitness account of a historical event in which God reveals His great pleasure in His Son, Jesus Christ. longing (2 Peter 3:9), he does not force his love on anyone. He brings these questions to his conversation with Jim, wrestling with how the Bible relates to our lives today. We're raising 50k for our campaign. And if you dont fit into the system? I find cultural differences to be fascinating and rich sources in discovering what is possible within the human experience. Dr. Enns is a biblical scholar who teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. I use the words intelligent and basis. The question presumes that belief in God is something to be settled on the basis of intelligence, education, knowledge of facts, etc. And there are also periods of painful disillusionment and depression that look like withdrawal symptoms that even Christians suffer after at least partially self-Inducing and sustaining a high on Jesus for years. I say, God. and Ph.D. Harvard University If there is still to be a link to truth there at all. This blog was first posted in March 2016. This is why I read your blog, Pete! I have met lifelong atheists who never got high on Jesus in their youth like you or I did. Knowledge of God is described by terms like participation, longing, , immediacy.. You never know, He might answer you in a marvelous and loving way. The intersection of these (with a lot of other stuff thrown in there for good measure, such as Barths furious response to 19th century liberals on issues related to mediated/unmediated experience) was very compelling in my theological studies and has been fascinating to observe on a practical level in pastoral ministry in the conservative south, especially in this political and cultural moment. What gives? Even today Christians keep founding relatively new and youthful institutions devoted to walling themselves up against questions, like Liberty Christian U, or Tim LaHays Heritage Christian U, or Patrick Henry U, or all the televangelist stations on TV. On what basis is God still an option for you?. If the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does exist, watch out. I would take as examples of this people such as Jesus and the profound impact on the entire world for the good, that his truth has produced, and by extension, His Apostles and their experience. He has written or edited over a dozen books and many articles and essays. I think it is safe to say that much of my academic journey has been a process of synthesizing these (and other) influences in my life. Which I think is the case, but I dont want to speak for Ed. Try the works of John Hick, former Evangelical who became a fascinating philosopher of religion and sought a common transcendental basis for them all. Another mans spiritual experience cannot be denied. This happens not in our mind, but in our spirit. The universal and self-evident problem of death 2: The universal . Then once that person starts walking with God God (should) will reveal the truth to them. And the crash can be hard, just look at Mother Teresas painful decades long crash after getting high on Jesus in her teen years. Also try googling sea of faith.. I realize that there is a long and rich history of discussion over difficult philosophical issues concerning the existence of God. Rule out experience and youre forcing yourself into mysticism. I get your post. Mitchel Modine. Relationship is key, whether we are thinking about non-living parts of the cosmos, the living world, human-human relationships or human-divine relationships. When a European team of scientists and an American team and a Chinese team run an experiment, the results are consistent. But when you reach the point where there is little to differentiate between different encounters or transcendent perceptions yielding incompatible truth claims, then you are not just dealing with a measure of uncertainty to be tolerated, but rather a total lack of confidence in whether what you believe corresponds to actual reality. (Ive blogged on Benner several times, for examplehere. This discovered aspect is something that has given us shared trust in the way of knowing and ability to converge on what is true. That said, I can see the contemplative Hindu or Buddhist saying the exact same thing. But lacking a definitive first hand revelation of God and with all of your questions, at what point does one cease asking yet more questions, and perhaps start to view all religions as limited expressions or interpretations of God like prof. of religious philosophy John Hick eventually did after growing up Evangelical? Such a person in fact believes Him to exist in Parts. It went something like this: Your desire to employ empiricism as a means of knowing God; you are like a person in the middle of a realm with night-vision goggles, microscopes, radar equipment, headphones and such. ". So Im not really sure what your point is. including the high rate of depression and dropping out among pastors (sure theres always plenty to take their place but look at the turnover! Academically, I graduated from Messiah College in 1982 (Behavior Science), WTS in 1989 (MDiv), and Harvard University in 1994 (PhD, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations). Again, while it takes a God-given faith to believe the substance of Peter and Johns testimonies, are we to take from your article that we should not put trust in the authenticity of their writings? Eastern University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarships, loan programs, athletic and other programs. Are we to have doubts that Lincoln actually wrote it there are no living eye-witnesses needless to say. Religious conviction without evidence based knowledge is why there are so many religions, denominations, sects and cults and demonizations of one by the other. and disasters It sounds like you are on that path. All, or none, of the above?). Robert Anton Wilson pointed out how many people cling tightly to a single reality tunnel and dont dare to seek all the ways their tunnel overlaps with that of others. It is no more Western and modern than the Greek-named constellations are ancient and Greek or the Arabic-named stars are Medieval and Arab. Instead, it should be understood as participation in the mystery of the transformational journey toward union with God in love. That said, I can see the contemplative Hindu or Buddhist saying the exact same thing. I am not sure that is the name. You use the word sin in your title; I havent read your book, but I hope that in the discussion in the book you avoid much use of the term. He is the Robert S. Harrison Director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences and Executive Director of the Roper Center for Public Opinion Research. Peter Enns (PhD, Harvard University) is the Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. ), and you certainly dont hear much about divorce, suicide It is knowing of a different order. It just begs the question, which one? Read Nondiscrimination Policy. True mystics do experience God in a tangible manner that is more real than anything that could ever be experienced through the five senses although those senses may be secondarily affected. They long to know Gods love andthereby to be filled with the very fullness of God[Ephesians 3:17-19]. Which then opens up the question of what reality it what knowing we are engaged in. Fideism is a rich and credible approach to knowing God. Peter Enn's Argument for a Metaphorical Interpretation of the Bible and Why Universalism Is As Legit As . Rather, knowledge of God is described by terms like: participation Acts of Interpretation features essays by biblical scholars and theologians offering broad reflections on key interpretive issues, rich readings of challenging biblical texts, and interaction with the Christian exegetical tradition from Melito of Sardis to Dietrich Bonhoeffer.The contributors to this volume are leading figures in the theological interpretation of Scripture. Hi Pete, Living with uncertainty is a relative thing. Peter K. Enns is a Professor in the Department of Government and the Brooks School of Public Policy and Robert S. Harrison Director of the Cornell Center for Social Sciences. There are great books written by the likes of Brennan Manning on trusting God and there are great books written on eschatology (Jurgen Moltmann, N. T. Wright, etc) about Gods salvation extending from the ends of the earth. As a United Methodist, part of how I articulate this is in the language of experience (1 part of what Albert Outler named the Wesleyan quadrilateral). Professor; Executive Director, Roper Center for Public Opinion Research; Robert S. Harrison Director, Cornell Center for Social Sciences. Peter Enns, Ph.D. Peter Enns Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies 610-341-1491 McInnis 200B penns@eastern.edu Dr. Enns is a biblical scholar who teaches and writes on Old Testament, New Testament, Second Temple Judaism, and the intersection of biblical studies and contemporary Christian faith. I do not think the gospel stands on whether we can read Paul's Adam in the . If I have the experience of perceiving spiraling motion when looking upon a static optical illusion, you cannot deny that I have the experience of perceiving motion. The Spirit? Show Notes This episode was . Probably a different version of God I would presume. Westminster Theological Seminary My point is that we ought to consider seriously the word of an eyewitness, especially when the eye witness is a confirmed historical figure. Like someone is running for political office. Piper argues that God's judgments are just and shouldn't be questioned. The good news is that those who humble themselves and say yes when He calls do experience Him in an undeniable complete way. Thats why all we need to focus on is the Way; which is your way that youre honestly seeking God. Maybe more so than that of our sense perception of sight? So lets give that a shot. I have been following your story since the Westminster brouhaha (and enjoyed and endorsed your books to others online) but I dont recall reading your whole story from your youth, which I am sure would be interesting, probably some overlap with Randal Rausers and my own Evangelical Christian youth. Pete: I much prefer your brand of Christianity to others, and the world would be a better place if more people thought like you. It isnt about intellectual knowing and many people butcher Christianity when they think it is Im afraid. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. Treasures Old and NewSunday, December 30, 2018. Thoughts. I have posts on my blog, Scrivenings, about depressions and suicide among Christians, and their gullibility, i.e., religious affinity fraud. I think the wrong way of knowing Peter refers to as rational analysis possibly could be better worded as non-paradoxical., In some ways (at least today), I cant help but think the answer to the does God exist? riddle is the Zens .. Some come by more rational means, others emotional, others mystical, Who am I, or you, to say any one way is the right way. Which may be revealed when two people have mutually incompatible direct perceptions in these experiences. I count it a great privilege to help students keep their horizons in front of them and come to know God better on their life-journey. . There is an even less certain, less dogmatic, less religious, kind of trust. Im not sure the world would be a better place if more people thought like me, though do you mind if I out this on my resume? Instead, he needs to go the edge of the realm and scratch against the edges. Enns prefers this approach because it supports his view of Adam as proto-Israel (107) and maintains an Israel-centered focus rather than a universal one (106). Many say, Lord, Lord. Small is the gate and narrow is the road. Thanks for an honest perspective which does not offer more than can be proven. And even ones blindness to this And lAck of understanding the necessity of grAtitude for thAt Is not a barricade to the reality of the creator of ones flesh & spirit. And for doing it at Westminster Theological Seminary, just as Paul Seely did. The only reason I could see us being worried about being wrong about a certain path/religion/idea/concept would be because God (our Creator) might reject us if we chose the wrong path. Sorry, curious. I teach courses in Old and New Testaments at Eastern University (near Philadelphia). It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where "'the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.' And I echo your sentiments on the value of a more actively contemplative way of life. Im more so now in my life in the former group of people. It is transrational. Or even what the cosmos is? Thats not to say that understanding the world as-is doesnt matter; it does. One of the things I wonder is how these two general groups not talk past each other. Thank you Joseph. How we study and understand these relationships, and their separate parts, and the enjoyment of the results of that understanding, are very important, fulfilling, stretching etc. Mitchel Modine is an Old Testament scholar who works at Asia-Pacific Nazarene Theological Seminary. In passing, he also makes a very interesting observation about contemporary Protestant theology: "I live in an ecclesial world in which those who value Christian orthodoxy as a concept seem invariably to drift towards either Rome or Constantinople or some amalgamation of the two which is represented by no existing church. But I see no reason to believe that Jesus of Nazareth has been, is, or will be the means of grace or hope of glory. In fact, presuming that evidence-based knowledge is the only sure way of knowing anythingworth knowing lies behind both the angst and the sense of certainty many feel about Gods existence or non-existence. But what we can do is employ language to describe those deep experiences in a way to see if we are alone in them or if there are other people who in the way they respond hint at having had the same shared experience as us. We would then be wise to doubt the veracity of our own sight. Peter Enns. Previously he was a Senior Fellow of . Without discounting all those wonderful things, I do not think that the God question is settled this way. And two, what does exist mean? There is no difference between His Person and His Attributes, and His Attributes should not be differentiated or distinguished from His Person. 14 Tage gratis - jederzeit kndbar | Lies & hre unbegrenzt | Groe Auswahl an neuen Bchern | 9/10 lesen mehr mit Nextory | Fr Buchliebhaber . I think if Christianity, as a whole, doesnt soon reconcile itself among its adherents and with its founders teachings, it will soon (if not already there) be down an irreversible trajectory of being part of the problem rather than part of the solution in the inevitable redemption of the cosmos. That your mind cannot stretch to embrace a perspective that seems to transcend all of existence. And there is no one way to come to belief or faith in God, and in Christ our Savior.
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