This document discusses the history of how truth and knowledge have been understood over time. It begins 500 years ago when the Roman Catholic Church determined truth through church authorities. Martin Luther challenged this view by believing individuals could understand the Bible.
The document then discusses how views of truth and knowledge have evolved from absolutism to pluralism and relativism. It notes we may be in a similar time today where dominant methods of knowing truth are being challenged. It questions how we will respond to such challenges. The document provides historical examples and perspectives on these issues over hundreds of years to encourage moving beyond absolutism and relativism to a proper confidence through understanding different viewpoints.
Fears and how to overcome them – law of attractionMadsRahbek
BEFORE approaching the fundamental principles upon which this lesson is founded it will be of benefit to you to keep in mind the fact that it is practical – that it brings you the discoveries of more than twenty-five years of research-that it has the approval of the leading scientific men and women of the world who have tested every principle involved.
The three styles of research are scientific evidence based, socially constructed (where the knower cannot be seperated from the known) and participatice (where meanng and questions emerge from sharin praxis)
JORDAN PETERSON about, The Post-modernists - Dangerous People Are Teaching Your Kids.
"12 Rules for Life"
The Sovereignty of the Individual
The Freedom of Expression
In this work, we try to find answers, in clear and simple language that agree with the common sense of most people, to questions such as: What are the basic aspirations of human being? What are goods and values? Can we aspire to find truth, beauty, goodness, love and happiness? Is there a commonly accepted concept of good and evil? What are the motivations that move human beings to do good? Are there universal moral laws? Is man good by nature? Does the problem of moral and social evils have a solution? What is conscience? Can ethics offer a solution to current human problems?
Fears and how to overcome them – law of attractionMadsRahbek
BEFORE approaching the fundamental principles upon which this lesson is founded it will be of benefit to you to keep in mind the fact that it is practical – that it brings you the discoveries of more than twenty-five years of research-that it has the approval of the leading scientific men and women of the world who have tested every principle involved.
The three styles of research are scientific evidence based, socially constructed (where the knower cannot be seperated from the known) and participatice (where meanng and questions emerge from sharin praxis)
JORDAN PETERSON about, The Post-modernists - Dangerous People Are Teaching Your Kids.
"12 Rules for Life"
The Sovereignty of the Individual
The Freedom of Expression
In this work, we try to find answers, in clear and simple language that agree with the common sense of most people, to questions such as: What are the basic aspirations of human being? What are goods and values? Can we aspire to find truth, beauty, goodness, love and happiness? Is there a commonly accepted concept of good and evil? What are the motivations that move human beings to do good? Are there universal moral laws? Is man good by nature? Does the problem of moral and social evils have a solution? What is conscience? Can ethics offer a solution to current human problems?
History and Philosophy of Contemporary Education. Empiricism versus idealism. With Empiricism and Positivism's etymology, history and proponents and it's different types.
Memes are an important part of modern society; this can be seen with some example memes, by examining how memes spread, and by looking at the modern internet meme.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection", would not suffer such emotions.
Presentation on gravitation for class 9th Rahul Shukla
It contains a brief description of gravitation with a video.
This presentation is with a deginer font and a classic theme.
It also consist a beautiful song
History and Philosophy of Contemporary Education. Empiricism versus idealism. With Empiricism and Positivism's etymology, history and proponents and it's different types.
Memes are an important part of modern society; this can be seen with some example memes, by examining how memes spread, and by looking at the modern internet meme.
Stoicism is a school of Hellenistic philosophy founded in Athens by Zeno of Citium in the early 3rd century BC. The Stoics taught that destructive emotions resulted from errors in judgment, and that a sage, or person of "moral and intellectual perfection", would not suffer such emotions.
Presentation on gravitation for class 9th Rahul Shukla
It contains a brief description of gravitation with a video.
This presentation is with a deginer font and a classic theme.
It also consist a beautiful song
Gravitation has been the most common phenomenon in our lives but somewhere down the line we don't know musch about it. So here is a presentation whic will help you out to know what it is !! I'll be makin it available for download once i submit it in school :P :P ! Coz last one of the brats showed the same presentation that i uploade and unfortunatele his roll number fell before mine ! I was damned..:D :D :P
Intuitivie Moments - Discernment of Conscience looks at the millennia from a historic perspective. Important insights into a millennial history either poorly understood or fundamentally unknown - great pictures and quotes for the seeker of truth.
this presentation gives a very basic knowledge about "what is mythology", and "what are myths ?".
this PPT contains just 6 slides. the last slide contains the references (i.e., where I have gathered this information).
Despite this PPT having fewer slides, it tells the importance of mythologies and the four types of mythology.
Symbols of Freemasonry. Freemasonry is one of mankind's oldest existing secular brotherhoods. Richly illustrated, this book is designed both for the initiated and newcomers interested in gaining a better understanding of this often misrepresented society.
Author: Daniel Beresniak
Copyright date: 1997
Students, digital devices and success - Andreas Schleicher - 27 May 2024..pptxEduSkills OECD
Andreas Schleicher presents at the OECD webinar ‘Digital devices in schools: detrimental distraction or secret to success?’ on 27 May 2024. The presentation was based on findings from PISA 2022 results and the webinar helped launch the PISA in Focus ‘Managing screen time: How to protect and equip students against distraction’ https://www.oecd-ilibrary.org/education/managing-screen-time_7c225af4-en and the OECD Education Policy Perspective ‘Students, digital devices and success’ can be found here - https://oe.cd/il/5yV
The French Revolution, which began in 1789, was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France. It marked the decline of absolute monarchies, the rise of secular and democratic republics, and the eventual rise of Napoleon Bonaparte. This revolutionary period is crucial in understanding the transition from feudalism to modernity in Europe.
For more information, visit-www.vavaclasses.com
Operation “Blue Star” is the only event in the history of Independent India where the state went into war with its own people. Even after about 40 years it is not clear if it was culmination of states anger over people of the region, a political game of power or start of dictatorial chapter in the democratic setup.
The people of Punjab felt alienated from main stream due to denial of their just demands during a long democratic struggle since independence. As it happen all over the word, it led to militant struggle with great loss of lives of military, police and civilian personnel. Killing of Indira Gandhi and massacre of innocent Sikhs in Delhi and other India cities was also associated with this movement.
Welcome to TechSoup New Member Orientation and Q&A (May 2024).pdfTechSoup
In this webinar you will learn how your organization can access TechSoup's wide variety of product discount and donation programs. From hardware to software, we'll give you a tour of the tools available to help your nonprofit with productivity, collaboration, financial management, donor tracking, security, and more.
2024.06.01 Introducing a competency framework for languag learning materials ...Sandy Millin
http://sandymillin.wordpress.com/iateflwebinar2024
Published classroom materials form the basis of syllabuses, drive teacher professional development, and have a potentially huge influence on learners, teachers and education systems. All teachers also create their own materials, whether a few sentences on a blackboard, a highly-structured fully-realised online course, or anything in between. Despite this, the knowledge and skills needed to create effective language learning materials are rarely part of teacher training, and are mostly learnt by trial and error.
Knowledge and skills frameworks, generally called competency frameworks, for ELT teachers, trainers and managers have existed for a few years now. However, until I created one for my MA dissertation, there wasn’t one drawing together what we need to know and do to be able to effectively produce language learning materials.
This webinar will introduce you to my framework, highlighting the key competencies I identified from my research. It will also show how anybody involved in language teaching (any language, not just English!), teacher training, managing schools or developing language learning materials can benefit from using the framework.
Synthetic Fiber Construction in lab .pptxPavel ( NSTU)
Synthetic fiber production is a fascinating and complex field that blends chemistry, engineering, and environmental science. By understanding these aspects, students can gain a comprehensive view of synthetic fiber production, its impact on society and the environment, and the potential for future innovations. Synthetic fibers play a crucial role in modern society, impacting various aspects of daily life, industry, and the environment. ynthetic fibers are integral to modern life, offering a range of benefits from cost-effectiveness and versatility to innovative applications and performance characteristics. While they pose environmental challenges, ongoing research and development aim to create more sustainable and eco-friendly alternatives. Understanding the importance of synthetic fibers helps in appreciating their role in the economy, industry, and daily life, while also emphasizing the need for sustainable practices and innovation.
The Roman Empire A Historical Colossus.pdfkaushalkr1407
The Roman Empire, a vast and enduring power, stands as one of history's most remarkable civilizations, leaving an indelible imprint on the world. It emerged from the Roman Republic, transitioning into an imperial powerhouse under the leadership of Augustus Caesar in 27 BCE. This transformation marked the beginning of an era defined by unprecedented territorial expansion, architectural marvels, and profound cultural influence.
The empire's roots lie in the city of Rome, founded, according to legend, by Romulus in 753 BCE. Over centuries, Rome evolved from a small settlement to a formidable republic, characterized by a complex political system with elected officials and checks on power. However, internal strife, class conflicts, and military ambitions paved the way for the end of the Republic. Julius Caesar’s dictatorship and subsequent assassination in 44 BCE created a power vacuum, leading to a civil war. Octavian, later Augustus, emerged victorious, heralding the Roman Empire’s birth.
Under Augustus, the empire experienced the Pax Romana, a 200-year period of relative peace and stability. Augustus reformed the military, established efficient administrative systems, and initiated grand construction projects. The empire's borders expanded, encompassing territories from Britain to Egypt and from Spain to the Euphrates. Roman legions, renowned for their discipline and engineering prowess, secured and maintained these vast territories, building roads, fortifications, and cities that facilitated control and integration.
The Roman Empire’s society was hierarchical, with a rigid class system. At the top were the patricians, wealthy elites who held significant political power. Below them were the plebeians, free citizens with limited political influence, and the vast numbers of slaves who formed the backbone of the economy. The family unit was central, governed by the paterfamilias, the male head who held absolute authority.
Culturally, the Romans were eclectic, absorbing and adapting elements from the civilizations they encountered, particularly the Greeks. Roman art, literature, and philosophy reflected this synthesis, creating a rich cultural tapestry. Latin, the Roman language, became the lingua franca of the Western world, influencing numerous modern languages.
Roman architecture and engineering achievements were monumental. They perfected the arch, vault, and dome, constructing enduring structures like the Colosseum, Pantheon, and aqueducts. These engineering marvels not only showcased Roman ingenuity but also served practical purposes, from public entertainment to water supply.
Unit 8 - Information and Communication Technology (Paper I).pdfThiyagu K
This slides describes the basic concepts of ICT, basics of Email, Emerging Technology and Digital Initiatives in Education. This presentations aligns with the UGC Paper I syllabus.
2. To a proper confidence,
otherliness, and respect
3. Let’s go back 500 years:
The Roman Catholic Church has a system for
preserving moral order.
Truth resides in people - known as THE
AUTHORITIES - who are given understanding by
God along with the right to tell others what to
think and believe.
Martin Luther questioned this system, believing
that the individual Christian could understand the
Bible rightly, and that THE AUTHORITIES could be
wrong.
4. THE AUTHORITIES believed that
this rebellion against the way truth
is known would result in anarchy,
violence, and atheism.
Were they right?
5. THE AUTHORITIES believed that
this rebellion against the way truth
is known would result in anarchy,
violence, and atheism.
Were they right?
What if we are in a similar time
today?
6. What if our dominant method of
knowing truth today is being
challenged by a new methodology …
How will we respond?
Questioning how truth is known
and disseminated is not a new
problem.
7. GOING WAY BACK …
The Sophists (5th century BC): Protagoras, Thales, Critias
- skepticism about ancient myths and more recent
theories, awareness of individual subjective bias and
perspective, pragmatic turn (we can’t know what’s true -
just what works), stimulation for individual thought and
exploration.
They energized and yet destabilized philosophy and
ethics, paving the way for Socrates.
8. Going Way Back:
Socrates - searching for absolute and universal goodness
and justice - so all acts may be evaluated, chosen,
rejected, or judged by a reliable, objective standard.
(There is no good, better, or worse unless there is a
standard to evaluate by.) A theory of ethics.
Plato - searching for the absolute and universal essence of
all things - so all things may be truly known. A theory of
being/reality (ontology) and knowledge (epistemology).
The search for the idea, the ideal, the form, the essence -
not a human construction, but a reality embedded in the
nature of things. (Example: Mathematics)
9. LET NO ON UNACQUAINTED WITH GEOMETRY ENTER HERE
- Inscription above the door of Plato’s Academy
10. Along comes Aristotle:
Shifts reality from essence (idea, ideal, form, universal) to
substance (existence, particular). Ideas/forms become
categories created by the intellect based on common
qualities - thus universal ideals are humanly constructed
(constructs).
Zoology and botany - not geometry - become the model:
all things grow and become, moving toward full
development. Matter grows or evolves towards form.
Forms are intrinsic patterns, intelligible structures,
governing dynamics, and the end or purpose (telos)
toward which things move.
11. The Classical Tension:
The relation between …
1. Universal unchanging objective invisible
principles, ideas, ideals, forms. (Perceived
through either rational mathematics or mystical
contemplation)
2. Particular changing visible phenomena.
3. The faculties of the subject - the observer and
thinker - who observes the visible phenomena
and seeks or ponders the invisible universals.
12. Again: questioning how truth
is known and disseminated is
not a new problem.
And it is not simply an
intellectual problem either.
It is profoundly social and
political.
14. Descartes’ anxious dreams
- Use the weapons of the enemy to
defeat the enemy.
Descartes’ experiment
-Use doubt to defeat doubt.
Descartes’ finding:
-I can doubt my way to an undoubtable
statement: I doubt therefore I am.
15. Newtonian (Modern) World:
Knowledge is like a building or wall.
“Fundamental” Beliefs are
established by research (doubt).
They must be “incorrigible” and universal - which
means non-subjective, and absolute.
Certainty is built from the bottom up.
16. Christians - Catholic and Protestant - at
first resisted and then accepted this shift
from the medieval approach to knowledge
(reliance on the authorities) to the
modern approach (reliance on doubt,
analysis, critique, experimentation,
scientific method, etc.).
Christianity has thrived in its
embrace of modernity.
Why upset the status quo?
18. The profound disquiet of postwar
European intellectuals:
How could we do this?
Has reason failed?
Where did we go wrong?
Michael Polanyi
19. The concern spreads -
Holocaust
Hiroshima
Colonialism
Racism and Apartheid
Pollution and the Environment
The Oppression of Women
Totalitarian Ideologies
Genocide
Terrorism
21. WHAT DO WE DO?
We name the disease:
Excessive confidence …
Universal systems/Ideologies …
Totalizing metanarratives …
Absolutism
Western Civilization prescribes the
treatment:
22. Western Civilization seeks to treat the
cancer of
ABSOLUTISM with
the chemotherapy
of
PLURALISM
and
DECONSTRUCTION
Jacques Derrida
23. ABSOLUTISM: Upholding the conviction
a) that one single explanatory system or
view of reality can account for all the
phenomena of life and b) that conceptions
of truth and moral values are universal
and timeless, not relative to the persons
or groups holding them.
24. PLURALISM
1. The condition of being multiple or plural.
2. Sociology.
A. A condition in which numerous distinct
ethnic, religious, or cultural groups are present
and tolerated within a society.
B. The belief that such a condition is
desirable or socially beneficial.
3. Philosophy.
A. The doctrine that reality is composed of
many ultimate substances.
B. The belief that no single explanatory
system or view of reality can account for all the
phenomena of life.
25. DECONSTRUCTION - NOT DESTRUCTION!
- A PROCESS OF ANALYZING THE
ASSUMPTIONS BY WHICH POWERFUL
PEOPLE ANALYZE.
- A PROCESS OF TURNING
METANARRATIVES BACK ON
THEMSELVES SO AS TO REDUCE THEIR
POWER TO DESTROY.
- A PROCESS OF DEMONSTRATING HOW
BELIEFS WERE CONSTRUCTED BY
HUMANS - OFTEN BY TELLING THE STORY
OF THEIR DEVELOPMENT.
27. When deconstruction and pluralism are
translated to the popular level, they may
become …
RELATIVISM
A theory, especially in ethics or
aesthetics, that conceptions of truth and
moral values are not absolute but are
relative to the persons or groups holding
them.
… which may degenerate into
28. FOLK RELATIVISM
The belief that all beliefs are equally valid,
that no belief is better than another, and
that every opinion is equally true.
29. The problem with folk relativism …
1. It is absurd: THERE ARE NO
ABSOLUTES! (except this one!)
2. It is like acid that eats away
commitment … a chemotherapy that
can kill the patient.
3. It isn’t strong enough to stand up to
violent fundamentalism and
consumerism.
30.
31. Thought experiment:
Remember the Taliban’s destruction of
the Pre-Islamic Buddhist statues in
Eastern Afghanistan?
If Christians were in control of
Afghanistan, should they have done
the same thing?
40. ABSOLUTISM AS CANCER
RELATIVISM AS CHEMOTHERAPY
IS THE GOSPEL AN ABSOLUTIST
(TOTALITARIAN) METANARRATIVE
OR A PRIVATE PERSONAL TRUE-FOR-ME
RELATIVIST NARRATIVE
Or … An embracing, redeeming,
and unfolding narrative that is
beyond both absolutism and
relativism?
41.
42. it ion
s
tr an
L ate
it ion
s
t ran
Old modelEarly
or
paradigm
43. it ion
s
tr an
L ate
it ion
s
t ran
Old modelEarly
or
paradigm
44. New
paradigm or
it ion model
s
tr an
L ate
n
s itio
Old t ran
y
E arl
paradigm
or model
45. What we need:
Not the excessive and arrogant
confidence of modernity.
Not the insufficient confidence of
relativism.
… We need a proper confidence
as followers of Jesus.
47. BEYOND MODERN
ABSOLUTISM AND EARLY
POSTMODERN RELATIVISM:
Thoughts from N. T. Wright
THE CHALLENGE OF JESUS
IVP, 1999
An epistemology of love
48. We dare not, as Christians, remain
content with an epistemology wished
upon us from one philosophical and
cultural movement, part of which was
conceived in explicit opposition to
Christianity. …we should allow our
knowledge of [Jesus], and still more
his knowledge of us, to inform us
about what true knowing really is.
49. I believe that a biblical account of
‘knowing’ should take love as the
basic mode of knowing, with the love
of God as the highest and fullest sort
of knowing that there is, and should
work, so to speak, down from there.
50. What is love all about? When I love, I
affirm the differentness of the
beloved; not to do so is of course not
love at all but lust. But at the same
time when I love, I am not a detached
observer, the fly on the wall of
objectivist epistemology. I am
passionately and compassionately
involved with the life and being of that
… which I am loving.
[note: beyond subject and objective)
51. I believe that we can and must as
Christians within a postmodern world
give an account of human knowing
that will apply to music and
mathematics, to biology and to
history, to theology and to chemistry.
We need to articulate, for the post-
postmodern world, what we might call
an epistemology of love.
52. This is at the heart of our great
opportunity here and now, for serious
and joyful Christian mission to the
post-postmodern world. We live in a
time of cultural crisis. At the moment
I don’t hear anyone out there pointing
a way forward out of the postmodern
morass; some people are still trying to
put up the shutters and live in a pre-
modern world, many are clinging to
modernism for all they’re worth …
53. But we can do better than that…. The
gospel of Jesus points us and indeed
urges us to be at the leading edge of
the whole culture, articulating in
story and music and art and
philosophy and education and poetry
and politics and theology and even,
heaven help us, biblical studies, a
worldview that will mount the
historically rooted Christian challenge
54. to both modernity and
postmodernity, leading the way into
the post-postmodern world with joy
and humor and gentleness and good
judgment and true wisdom.
55. I believe we face the question: if not
now, then when? … If not us, then
who? And if the gospel of Jesus is not
the key to this task, then what is?
(197-198)
57. To a proper, humble confidence (not
absolutism), and to love for neighbor,
stranger, and enemy (not simply
pluralism or relativism), rooted in the
good news of Jesus Christ
58. From E. Stanley Jones (1884-1973), The Christ of
the Indian Road:
When Mohammedanism confronted
Hinduism the demand was of absolute
surrender - a complete wiping of the
slate of the past and the dictates of the
prophet written in its stead…. Does
Jesus take the same attitude? Are his
demands upon India the same as
Mohammed? Is the slate to be wiped
clean and the past absolutely blotted
out?
59. It must be confessed that this has often
been the attitude and demand of the
Christian missionary. If Christianity is
more or less identified with Western
civilization and presented as such, or if
it is a system of church government and
a more or less fixed theological system,
blocked off and rigid and presented as
such, then I do not see how we can
escape the attitude of the Mohammedan.
The past must be wiped out and a clean
slate presented for our theological
systems, our ecclesiastical
organizations, and our civilization to be
60. But if our message be Christ, and Christ
alone, then this does not necessarily
follow. He may turn to India as he
turned to Judaism and say, “I came not
to destroy but to fulfill.” Just as he
gathered up in his own life and person
everything that was fine and beautiful in
Jewish teaching and past and gave it a
new radiant expression, so he may do
the same with India. The fact is that the
words that he used would imply that, for
it is a generic term: “I came not to
destroy but to fulfill,” it is locally applied
to the Law and the Prophets, but capable
61.
62. David Bosch
Born 1930
Died 1992 (killed in car crash)
Missionary in Transkei, 1957-1971
Professor of Missiology, University of South
Africa, after 1971
Dean, Faculty of Theology, 1974-1977, 81-87
Chair, National Initiative for Reconciliation,
1989-1992
Fluent in Xhosa, Afrikaans, Dutch, German,
English
63. “I don’t think I can leave my
colleagues and the struggle for
South Africa. It is a critical
moment and that is where God
has placed me”
(late 1980’s, regarding invitation
to teach in U.S.)
65. Eight Perspectives
1. Accept the coexistence of
different faiths … willingly, not
begrudgingly.
Christian mission must be
dialogical.
66. The seven formative factors in
theology …
experience, revelation, Scripture,
tradition, culture, reason …
(Macquarrie, 1977)
and dialogue
with other religions.
(TM 483)
69. “Without my commitment to the
gospel, dialogue becomes a mere
chatter; without the authentic
practice of the neighbor it becomes
arrogant and worthless.”
(TM 484)
70. Eight Perspectives
3. We assume that dialogue takes
place in the presence of God, that
God is an unseen partner in our
dialogues, with something to teach
all participants.
71. “We are not the “haves,” the beati
possidentes, standing over against
spiritual “have-nots,” the massa
damnata. We are all recipients of
the same mercy, sharing in the
same mystery.”
(TM 484)
72. Eight Perspectives
4. Missional dialogue requires
humility.
Apologetics often requires
apology: the line of error and
injustice runs through, not
between, all religions, including
Christianity.
73. …it is when we are weak that we
are strong. So, the word that
perhaps best characterizes the
Christian church in its encounter
with other faiths is vulnerability….
The people who are to be won and
saved should, as it were, always
have the possibility of crucifying
the witness of the gospel. (TM
485)
74. Humility also means showing
respect for our forebears in the
faith, for what they have handed
down to us, even if we have reason
to be acutely embarrassed by
their racist, sexist, and imperialist
bias. The point is that we have no
guarantees that we will do any
better than they did.
75. We delude ourselves if we believe
that we can be respectful to other
faiths only if we disparage our
own. (TM 485)
76. Eight Perspectives
5. We realize that each religion is
its own world, requiring very
different responses from
Christians.
77. Eight Perspectives
6. “We affirm that witness does
not preclude dialogue but invites
it, and that dialogue does not
preclude witness but extends and
deepens it.” (San Antonio CWME)
78. Eight Perspectives
7. Our version of the “old, old
story” may not have been the
“original true story,” and so we
must continually re-discover the
gospel.
79. Eight Perspectives
8. We must live with a paradox:
“We cannot point to any other way
of salvation than Jesus Christ; at
the same time, we cannot set limits
to the saving power of God…. We
appreciate this tension, and do not
attempt to resolve it. (San Antonio)
80. The goal: beyond absolutist, beyond
relativist …
To see the gospel as an integrative
story which weaves fragments into
a coherent, healing, growing fabric
of meaning and mission.
81.
82.
83. The Modern Missionary Movement:
Perhaps we’re entering the fifth?
1. Apostolic (Mediterranean Eurasia)
2. Patristic (North Africa)
3. Celtic (Northern Europe)
4a. Modern Catholic
4b. Modern Protestant
84. The Modern Missionary Movement:
1. Aligned with European colonial
empire/expansion (Northern and
Southern)
2. Attracted the most innovative,
progressive members of society
3. Aligned with modern technology and
medicine
4. Competitive
85. The Modern Missionary Movement:
5. Generally spread European culture with
the gospel
6. Generally led to “redemption and lift” in
early stages, but failed to extend the lift.
7. Promoted literacy and primary/secondary
education
8. Dominated by Rome, England, and U.S.
9. Largely denominational.
86. The Modern Missionary Movement:
10. “Absolutist” - colonial about theological
understanding as well as culture.
87. A BRIEF BUT IMPORTANT DIGRESSION:
PLURALISM, RELATIVISM …
AND
fRAGMENTATIOn
88. From Jonathan R. Wilson’s “Living Faithfully in a Fragmented
World: Lessons for the Church from MacIntyre’s After
Virtue.” (Thanks to James Mills)
One of the most popular ways of characterizing the
challenge of the modern world to Christian mission is
to say that we live in a pluralistic world. This pluralism
is supposed to be a particular challenge for a church
that has lived in a monolithic world for so long and
has not had to compete with other claims to truth.
89. The second lesson that we learn from MacIntyre’s After Virtue is
that we live, not in a pluralistic world, but among fragmented
worlds. As we will see, this characterization makes the
challenge of our situation much deeper than pluralism….
Pluralism, as I am using it here, describes a world of competing
outlooks, traditions, or claims to truth. It pictures a culture
made up of coherent, integral communities, traditions, or
positions that can be clearly differentiated from one another.
Although they disagree and may often be in conflict, where
these disagreements are located and why they arise are
generally clear to everyone. One’s Identity—as an individual or a
community—is clear, the convictions that constitute that
identity are coherent, and the life that follows from these
convictions is determined. When one of these communities
breaks down, we can say how it has failed. So even though
there are many competing communities, identities, or positions,
pluralism describes a situation in which these competing
outlooks are coherent and clearly defined.
90. MacIntyre argues that characterizing our culture in terms of
pluralism is misleading and obscures the real challenge that
we face. In his analysis, Western Culture is fragmented, not
pluralistic. It is incoherent; our lives are lived piecemeal, not
whole. The disagreements that we have are difficult to
resolve because we cannot locate them within some coherent
position or community. We do not live in a world filled with
competing outlooks; we live in a world that has fallen apart.
Although pluralism is often used to describe the new
situation and challenges facing the church, it more nearly
describes the world in which I grew up in the American
Midwest and South in the 1950s and 1960s. We are used to
thinking of American Culture in the 1950’s and early 1960s
as monolithic. However, in those years, we were all acutely
aware that we lived in a world of competing communities and
traditions. The melting pot was full of unmeltable goods.
91. In order to live faithfully today, we must recognize that
we have not moved from a monolithic world into a
pluralistic world; rather, we have moved from a time
when our communities were relatively coherent and
clear to a time when our communities and traditions
have become fragmented. Certainly, some coherent
communities still exist, but these are communities that
for various reasons have not been a part of our cultural
change. For example, the Amish, as well as Hasidic
Jews, remain relatively coherent as communities
because they have not participated in the larger culture.
Recent Muslim immigrants have coherent communities
because their participation in Western Culture is
relatively recent.
92. The church in the West is fragmented because its life has for so
long been intertwined with the larger culture. As that culture
has fragmented, so also has the church. MacIntyre’s narrative of
this fragmentation centers on morality He shows that moral
schemes that were previously coherent depend for their
coherence upon a conceptual scheme that gave a description of
(1) “where” humans are on the moral landscape, (2) where they
should be, and (3) how to get from where they are to where
they should be. In a lengthy and powerful analysis, MacIntyre
shows how and why modern culture abandoned the second
element of this scheme—any convictions about where humans
should be—our telos (goal, purpose, end). Once any notion of
telos is abandoned, we are left with where humans are and what
we should do, but what we should do—morality—makes no
sense apart from telos. Therefore our moral language, practice,
and concepts linger as fragments of a previously coherent
account. As time goes on, these moral fragments appear
arbitrary—mere exercises of power or expressions of emotion.
93. This same fragmentation has deeply affected the moral
life of the church, but its effects are not limited to
morality. The entire life of the church has been deeply
affected by this fragmentation. If we cling to pluralism
and neglect fragmentation as a description of our
situation, we will become more vulnerable over time and
will cease to live and witness faithfully. We will have the
appearance of life and health, but it will be only
simulacra of the church’s calling.
Selected, from Living Faithfully in a Fragmented World
94.
95. Why Al Qaeda Supports the Emergent Church
By Frank Pastore
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The greatest threat to world peace is radical Islam. If
not for the United States, millions more would be
suffering under the tyranny of sharia law all over the
world. Our Muslim enemies know post-Christian Europe
has already lost the will to fight. Africa, Asia, and South
America seem to be already lost. Russia, China, and
India would rather trade than fight…for now. And the
United Nations continues to be irrelevant.
96. Only the United States, and more specifically, only the
conservative, evangelical Christians of America are who
stand between radical Islam and their quest for global
domination.
If the world is to be saved from Muslim conquest, it will
be America who does it. And if America is to be saved,
only conservatism can do it. And if conservatism is to be
saved, it will be those Bible-believing patriots who do it–
those conservative, evangelical Christians who are the
bedrock of the American way of life.
97. Why? Because only Christianity has the intellectual and
spiritual horsepower to defeat radical Islam and prevent
the world from returning to the darkness of the 7th
century. After all, the story of the birth and growth of
Western Civilization is pretty much the story of the birth
and growth of Christianity. The divide between East and
West today, fundamentally, is the divide between Islam
and Christianity. Christians and Muslims know this, it’s
the secularists who don’t get it–or at least won’t admit
it.
98. That’s why anything that helps to further separate the
West from its Biblical roots ultimately weakens the
resolve of the West to fight. Anything that helps the
ACLU to further de-Christianize America, to further
silence the Christian voice like the current hate-crimes
legislation or the fairness doctrine, and to further
weaken the Church and devalue the Bible as the
religious left has done for decades, are things that
empower our enemies and weaken our allies.
A post-Christian, post-modern, secular-socialist America
will be no match for a radical Islam fueled by petro-
dollars and threatening the use of nuclear weapons.
But an America where the church is strong, resolute,
and courageous? That’s a different thing altogether.
Which is why al Qaeda supports the emergent church.
99. The emergent church is an ally in the war against radical
Islam–al Qaeda’s ally. Not in the sense they are
supplying bullets and bombs to Osama, of course, but in
the sense they are weakening our conviction to fight.
…The term “emergent church” refers to a loose
association of people who share common values and
attitudes toward, well, everything. It’s Christianity for
postmoderns who don’t like truth, knowledge, science,
authority, doctrine, institutions, or religion. They claim
absolute or objective truth is unknowable, that the only
“truth” that can be known is rooted in communities of
shared subjective experience–the infamous “it’s my
truth” of relativism.
100. And if nothing is objectively true, if no text has a
meaning independent of the reader, then the truth
claims in the Bible are no more authoritative than the
funny papers. Hence, there’s no emphasis on core
beliefs, essential doctrines, statements of faith or the
institutions built to defend and propagate them–
especially the institutional church and its Bible colleges
and seminaries.
… The emergent church and its allies on the religious left
are to Christianity what termites are to wood. They
devour it from the inside out, little bit by little bit, and
you don’t notice it until it’s too late–unless you look for
the droppings.
They’re leaving lots of droppings if you only have eyes
to see.
101. …It’s time to call these people out from the shadows and
expose them to the light of public scrutiny.
Their unwillingness to distinguish truth from error, right
from wrong, and good from evil leave them intellectually
immobilized to resist the encroachment of false teaching
and heresy, and even incapable of knowing the good
guys from the bad guys in the war for the free world.
The whole point of terrorism is to destroy the will of the
enemy to fight.
Whose side are they on, anyway?
102. What Yogi Berra said about baseball is true of this
war against radical Islam: “Half this game is 90%
mental.”
Yogi knew this. Osama knows this. I wonder if the
“emergents” do?
The Frank Pastore Show is heard in Los Angeles
weekday afternoons on 99.5 KKLA and on the web at
kkla.com, and is the winner of the 2006 National
Religious Broadcasters Talk Show of the Year. Frank
is a former major league pitcher with graduate
degrees in both philosophy of religion and political
philosophy.
Editor's Notes
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of a violent collision of two distant galaxies which triggered massive amounts of star formations in a spectacular fireworks show.
(Accessed on November 15, 2004 from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/sg_images/hubble_pic_browse.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/stargazing/stargazing_image.html&h=286&w=400&sz=13&tbnid=aS9vjMk1n4QJ:&tbnh=85&tbnw=118&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanetary%2Bcollision%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D)
Let’s draw a parallel. When 2 worlds collide in space, it creates a galactic fireworks show. When 2 worldviews collide, the effects are similar in the social, cultural, and spiritual realms.
On the lower left you see the leadership paradigm belonging to modernity. On the upper right you see the leadership paradigm belonging to postmodernity. Notice these are such distinct models that there is no overlap.
Modernity was characterized by organizations that were centralized, hierarchical, vertical, mechanistic, executive-oriented, bureaucratic, rigid and transactional. Postmodern organizations are decentralized, flattened, horizontal, team-based, organic, fluid, flexible and transformational.
The only connector is the fact that we are in transition from one to another. And it is this period of history, the transition, that we currently find ourselves in. And it’s bound to be a painful journey for leaders who care to make the trek. But as Ronald Heifitz of Howard University’s Leadership Education Project asserted, “There are lots of things in life that are worth the pain. Leadership is one of them.” That statement could never be more true than when applied to this most challenging period of worldview transition.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of a violent collision of two distant galaxies which triggered massive amounts of star formations in a spectacular fireworks show.
(Accessed on November 15, 2004 from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/sg_images/hubble_pic_browse.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/stargazing/stargazing_image.html&h=286&w=400&sz=13&tbnid=aS9vjMk1n4QJ:&tbnh=85&tbnw=118&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanetary%2Bcollision%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D)
Let’s draw a parallel. When 2 worlds collide in space, it creates a galactic fireworks show. When 2 worldviews collide, the effects are similar in the social, cultural, and spiritual realms.
On the lower left you see the leadership paradigm belonging to modernity. On the upper right you see the leadership paradigm belonging to postmodernity. Notice these are such distinct models that there is no overlap.
Modernity was characterized by organizations that were centralized, hierarchical, vertical, mechanistic, executive-oriented, bureaucratic, rigid and transactional. Postmodern organizations are decentralized, flattened, horizontal, team-based, organic, fluid, flexible and transformational.
The only connector is the fact that we are in transition from one to another. And it is this period of history, the transition, that we currently find ourselves in. And it’s bound to be a painful journey for leaders who care to make the trek. But as Ronald Heifitz of Howard University’s Leadership Education Project asserted, “There are lots of things in life that are worth the pain. Leadership is one of them.” That statement could never be more true than when applied to this most challenging period of worldview transition.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured this image of a violent collision of two distant galaxies which triggered massive amounts of star formations in a spectacular fireworks show.
(Accessed on November 15, 2004 from http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/sg_images/hubble_pic_browse.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/stars_galaxies/stargazing/stargazing_image.html&h=286&w=400&sz=13&tbnid=aS9vjMk1n4QJ:&tbnh=85&tbnw=118&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dplanetary%2Bcollision%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D)
Let’s draw a parallel. When 2 worlds collide in space, it creates a galactic fireworks show. When 2 worldviews collide, the effects are similar in the social, cultural, and spiritual realms.
On the lower left you see the leadership paradigm belonging to modernity. On the upper right you see the leadership paradigm belonging to postmodernity. Notice these are such distinct models that there is no overlap.
Modernity was characterized by organizations that were centralized, hierarchical, vertical, mechanistic, executive-oriented, bureaucratic, rigid and transactional. Postmodern organizations are decentralized, flattened, horizontal, team-based, organic, fluid, flexible and transformational.
The only connector is the fact that we are in transition from one to another. And it is this period of history, the transition, that we currently find ourselves in. And it’s bound to be a painful journey for leaders who care to make the trek. But as Ronald Heifitz of Howard University’s Leadership Education Project asserted, “There are lots of things in life that are worth the pain. Leadership is one of them.” That statement could never be more true than when applied to this most challenging period of worldview transition.
