This document discusses how Christians determine theological truths by examining scripture, tradition, and experience. It provides three examples of how personal experiences have challenged traditional interpretations of scripture. The first example discusses Jesus healing a man born blind on the Sabbath and how the Pharisees' traditional understanding of scripture conflicted with this experience. The second example describes Peter's vision that led him to realize God sees all people as equal, challenging the tradition of not associating with Gentiles. The third example questions whether gay people can be Christian, suggesting experiences knowing gay Christians have added new dimensions beyond scripture and tradition alone. Overall, the document advocates considering all three elements together to arrive at spiritual understanding.
6. “SCRIPTURE AS VALIDATED BY EXPERIENCE,
AND EXPERIENCE AS VALIDATED BY TRADITION
ARE GOOD SCALES FOR ONE’S SPIRITUAL
WORLD VIEW.”
Fr. Richard Rohr
WHAT WEIGHT DO WE GIVE TO SCRIPTURE, TRADITION, AND EXPERIENCE?
7. Experience
Scripture
Tradition
“Catholics claim to be the
Tradition people and
Protestants claim to be the
Scripture people. This is only
half-true and results in a
dualistic food fight. [If our
methodology for discerning
Truth is a tricycle], the front
wheel is Experience,
because I think it wins out
anyway, even though we
don’t admit it.“ (Rohr)
8. Experience
Scripture
Tradition
“Your cultural/personal
experience, and how you
perceive reality is going to
determine what you pay
attention to in Scripture and what
you don’t pay attention to, and
what you do or don’t pay
attention to in Tradition. We’ve
got to reveal this bias we’re all
working with, and it seems that
God is willing to work with it.
How else could God work? God’s
got to work through our
experience.” (Rohr)
11. TRADITION
JOHN 9:1 AS JESUS WENT
ALONG, HE SAW A MAN WHO
WAS BLIND. HE HAD BEEN
BLIND SINCE HE WAS BORN. 2
JESUS’ DISCIPLES ASKED HIM,
“RABBI, WHO SINNED? WAS
THIS MAN BORN BLIND
BECAUSE HE SINNED? OR DID
HIS PARENTS SIN?”
12. JOHN 9:3 “IT ISN’T BECAUSE THIS
MAN SINNED,” SAID JESUS. “IT ISN’T
BECAUSE HIS PARENTS SINNED. HE
WAS BORN BLIND SO THAT GOD’S
POWER COULD BE SHOWN BY
WHAT’S GOING TO HAPPEN. 4 WHILE
IT IS STILL DAY, WE MUST DO THE
WORKS OF THE ONE WHO SENT ME.
NIGHT IS COMING. THEN NO ONE CAN
WORK. 5 WHILE I AM IN THE WORLD,
I AM THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.”
TRADITION
13. JOHN 9:6 AFTER HE SAID THIS, HE
SPIT ON THE GROUND. HE MADE
SOME MUD WITH THE SPIT. THEN
HE PUT THE MUD ON THE MAN’S
EYES. 7 “GO,” HE TOLD HIM.
“WASH IN THE POOL OF SILOAM.”
SILOAM MEANS SENT. SO THE
MAN WENT AND WASHED. AND
HE CAME HOME ABLE TO SEE.
TRADITION
14. JOHN 9:13 THEY BROUGHT TO THE
PHARISEES THE MAN WHO HAD
BEEN BLIND. 14 THE DAY JESUS
MADE THE MUD AND OPENED
THE MAN’S EYES WAS A SABBATH
DAY. 15 SO THE PHARISEES ALSO
ASKED HIM HOW HE WAS ABLE
TO SEE. “HE PUT MUD ON MY
EYES,” THE MAN REPLIED. “THEN I
WASHED. AND NOW I CAN SEE.”
TRADITION
15. JOHN 9:16 SOME OF THE
PHARISEES SAID, “JESUS HAS
NOT COME FROM GOD. HE DOES
NOT KEEP THE SABBATH DAY.”
BUT OTHERS ASKED, “HOW CAN
A SINNER DO SUCH SIGNS?” SO
THE PHARISEES DID NOT AGREE
WITH ONE ANOTHER.
TRADITION
16. JOHN 9:24 AGAIN THE PHARISEES
CALLED THE MAN WHO HAD BEEN
BLIND TO COME TO THEM. “GIVE GLORY
TO GOD BY TELLING THE TRUTH!” THEY
SAID. “WE KNOW THAT THE MAN WHO
HEALED YOU IS A SINNER.”
25 HE REPLIED, “I DON’T KNOW IF HE
IS A SINNER OR NOT. I DO KNOW ONE
THING. I WAS BLIND, BUT NOW I CAN
SEE!”
TRADITION
17. JOHN 9:28 THEN THEY BEGAN
TO ATTACK HIM WITH THEIR
WORDS. “YOU ARE THIS
FELLOW’S DISCIPLE!” THEY
SAID. “WE ARE DISCIPLES OF
MOSES! 29 WE KNOW THAT GOD
SPOKE TO MOSES. BUT WE
DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE THIS
FELLOW COMES FROM.”
TRADITION
18. JOHN 9:30 THE MAN ANSWERED,
“THAT IS REALLY SURPRISING! YOU
DON’T KNOW WHERE HE COMES FROM,
AND YET HE OPENED MY EYES. 31 WE
KNOW THAT GOD DOES NOT LISTEN TO
SINNERS. HE LISTENS TO THE GODLY
PERSON WHO DOES WHAT HE WANTS
THEM TO DO. 32 NOBODY HAS EVER
HEARD OF ANYONE OPENING THE
EYES OF A PERSON BORN BLIND. 33 IF
THIS MAN HAD NOT COME FROM GOD,
HE COULD DO NOTHING.”
TRADITION
19. JOHN 9:34 THEN THE
PHARISEES REPLIED, “WHEN
YOU WERE BORN, YOU WERE
ALREADY DEEP IN SIN. HOW
DARE YOU TALK LIKE THAT TO
US!” AND THEY THREW HIM OUT
OF THE SYNAGOGUE.
TRADITION
20. WHAT DO OUR EXPERIENCES
TODAY TEACH US ABOUT WHY
SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT JUST
BORN BLIND, BUT NOT EXACTLY
THE SAME AS OTHER PEOPLE?
•SOME STICK WITH TRADITIONAL
THINKING
•CHANGE THINKING BASED ON
EXPERIENCE (AND REASON)
TRADITION
22. ACTS 10:9 PETER WENT UP ON THE ROOF
TO PRAY. 10 HE BECAME HUNGRY. HE
WANTED SOMETHING TO EAT. WHILE THE
MEAL WAS BEING PREPARED, PETER HAD
A VISION. 11 HE SAW HEAVEN OPEN UP.
THERE HE SAW SOMETHING THAT
LOOKED LIKE A LARGE SHEET. IT WAS
BEING LET DOWN TO EARTH BY ITS FOUR
CORNERS. 12 IT HAD ALL KINDS OF
FOUR-FOOTED ANIMALS IN IT. IT ALSO
HAD REPTILES AND BIRDS IN IT. 13 THEN
A VOICE TOLD HIM, “GET UP, PETER. KILL
AND EAT.”
SCRIPTURE
23. ACTS 10:14 “NO, LORD! I WILL NOT!”
PETER REPLIED. “I HAVE NEVER
EATEN ANYTHING THAT IS NOT
PURE AND ‘CLEAN.’ ” 15 THE VOICE
SPOKE TO HIM A SECOND TIME. IT
SAID, “DO NOT SAY ANYTHING IS
NOT PURE THAT GOD HAS MADE
‘CLEAN.’ ” 16 THIS HAPPENED
THREE TIMES. RIGHT AWAY THE
SHEET WAS TAKEN BACK UP TO
HEAVEN.
SCRIPTURE
24. ACTS 10:17 PETER WAS
WONDERING WHAT THE VISION
MEANT. AT THAT VERY MOMENT
THE MEN SENT BY CORNELIUS
FOUND SIMON’S HOUSE. THEY
STOPPED AT THE GATE 18 AND
CALLED OUT. THEY ASKED IF
SIMON PETER WAS STAYING
THERE.
SCRIPTURE
25. ACTS 10:19 PETER WAS STILL THINKING
ABOUT THE VISION. THE HOLY SPIRIT
SPOKE TO HIM. “SIMON,” HE SAID,
“THREE MEN ARE LOOKING FOR YOU. 20
GET UP AND GO DOWNSTAIRS. DON’T
LET ANYTHING KEEP YOU FROM GOING
WITH THEM. I HAVE SENT THEM.”
21 PETER WENT DOWN AND SPOKE TO
THE MEN. “I’M THE ONE YOU’RE
LOOKING FOR,” HE SAID. “WHY HAVE
YOU COME?”
SCRIPTURE
26. ACTS 10:23 THE NEXT DAY PETER WENT
WITH THE THREE MEN. SOME OF THE
BELIEVERS FROM JOPPA WENT ALONG.
24 THE FOLLOWING DAY HE ARRIVED IN
CAESAREA. CORNELIUS WAS EXPECTING
THEM. HE HAD CALLED TOGETHER HIS
RELATIVES AND CLOSE FRIENDS. 25
WHEN PETER ENTERED THE HOUSE,
CORNELIUS MET HIM. AS A SIGN OF
RESPECT, HE FELL AT PETER’S FEET. 26
BUT PETER MADE HIM GET UP. “STAND
UP,” HE SAID. “I AM ONLY A MAN MYSELF.”
SCRIPTURE
27. ACTS 10:44 WHILE PETER WAS STILL
SPEAKING, THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME ON
ALL WHO HEARD THE MESSAGE. 45
SOME JEWISH BELIEVERS HAD COME
WITH PETER. THEY WERE AMAZED
BECAUSE THE GIFT OF THE HOLY
SPIRIT HAD BEEN POURED OUT EVEN
ON THE GENTILES. 46 THEY HEARD
THEM SPEAKING IN LANGUAGES THEY
HAD NOT KNOWN BEFORE. THEY ALSO
HEARD THEM PRAISING GOD.
SCRIPTURE
28. ACTS 10 THEN PETER SAID, 47
“SURELY NO ONE CAN KEEP
THESE PEOPLE FROM BEING
BAPTIZED WITH WATER. THEY
HAVE RECEIVED THE HOLY
SPIRIT JUST AS WE HAVE.” 48
SO HE ORDERED THAT THEY BE
BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF
JESUS CHRIST.
SCRIPTURE
29. WHEN HAS ONLY EMBRACING
SCRIPTURAL TRUTH OR
TRADITIONAL TRUTH AND IGNORING
EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH PROVEN TO
BE A TERRIBLE MISTAKE?
30. EXPERIENTIAL TRUTH HAS THE POWER TO CORRECT DISTORTIONS OF SCRIPTURAL & TRADITIONAL TRUTH
OUR HUMBLING AND EVEN HORRIFIC CHRISTIAN HISTORY
First Century Anti-Semitism
Atrocity of the Holocaust
XWOMEN CAN’T SPEAK OR LEAD
Women Can’t Speak or Lead
True in Many Churches Today
White Christian Privilege
& Supremacy
Invade, Enslave, Rape, Kill,
Subdue & Steal in name of Christ
31. “POLITICAL FIGURES, MILITARY LEADERS, AND RISING
DEMAGOGUES CONSISTENTLY CONSOLIDATE POWER BY
SCAPEGOATING AND DEHUMANIZING AN OUTSIDER, AN
OUTCAST, OR AN ENEMY…”
Brian D. Mclaren
FROM “THE GREAT SPIRITUAL MIGRATION” (2016)
32. “BUT CHRISTIAN LOVE RESISTS THEIR AGENDA BY
HUMANIZING ‘THE OTHER’ SO THAT WE SEE ALL PEOPLE
AS BROTHERS, SISTERS, NEIGHBORS, LOVING THEM AS
OURSELVES, STANDING WITH THEM IN SOLIDARITY.”
Brian D. Mclaren
FROM “THE GREAT SPIRITUAL MIGRATION” (2016)
