Near Emmaus


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Live Blog: Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference: Day 2

That’s all folks! Great inaugural conference. I am excited for next year already!

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5:38p, CST: The church’s interaction w. creation is as informed by modernity as the “Christian script.”

5:35p, CST: The Bible presents an in-between space for humans using and Sabbathing creation.

5:33p, CST: We must engage in “ethical improvisation” in the cosmic drama when faced by things like climate change.

5:31p, CST: “It is finished…,” in the tomb Jesus is Sabbath.

5:29 p, CST: In Christ, creation and divine are brought together.

5:26p, CST: Sabbath = a time for restful re-creation.

5:22p, CST: Creation became a source for exploitation in modernity.

5:20p, CST: Christians want more than sustainability; Christians want flourishing.

5:18p, CST: Humans are priest who bring together the created world with the uncreated God.

5:17p, CST: Longbons discussing the imago Dei.

5:13p, CST: Longbons presenting “temple cosmology,” i.e. creation as temple (think Walton, Beale, Barker).

5:12p, CST: Longbons presenting:

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5:10p, CST: Begins w. Genesis. (1) God is before all things and things are ordained w. a purpose.

5:08p, CST: The Bible when read as a whole makes more ecological sense.

5:07p, CST: “Creation” is a bit more nuance, emphasizing dependence on a divine being.

5:06p, CST: Ecology is more all encompassing being that it includes humans.

5:05p, CST: Environment is used to discuss surroundings.

5:04p, CST: Nature and Creation don’t mean the same thing, necessarily. Nature =  non-human, without divine grace.

4:52p, CST: My presentation went well. It was a fun experience. I missed the last hour, but now I will be watching Jarrod Longbons presentation on “The Church as a Community of Creation: Ecological Ethics in Scripture and Theology”.

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To see my notes from my talk go here.

I’m presenting during this next hour, so I won’t be blogging, obviously (though that would be neat)!

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1:34p, CST: Hauerwas connects this discussing with current findings in neuroscience.

1:26p, CST: Doing the right thing for the wrong reasons is not virtue.

1:25p, CST: Habit is connected to acts that make the actor good.

1:24p, CST: To do the right thing rightly you must have the right passions.

1:18p, CST: Reason and will are form together through habituation (from Aquinas).

1:15p, CST: Vices are also habits.

1:14p, CST: Hauerwas discussing Aquinas’ development of Aristotle’s thoughts on habit/virtue.

1:13p, CST: Habits are not different from who we are.

1:12p, CST: Habit begins by imitating those who are virtuous.

1:10p, CST: Thus far, this talk reminds me a bit of N.T. Wright’s After You Believe (US)/Virtue Reborn (UK).

1:09p, CST: Through habit complex activities begin to look effortless.

1:08p, CST: It not a question of whether we will develop habits and virtues, but what habits and virtues.

1:04p, CST: Hauerwas presenting:

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12:59p, CST: Stanley Hauerwas, “Habit Matters”, next.

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12:53p, CST: One of the best Q&A sessions thus far!

12:34p, CST: Paul is not at odds with disciple making, but it probably wasn’t his paradigm. Rather, he used slave-master.

12:22p, CST: Slaves are property in the ancient world. This tells us a lot about Paul’s relational dynamic.

12:21p, CST: Paul refers to Jesus as Lord, not Teacher.

12:19p, CST: On the road to Damascus Paul is not called to be a disciple, but confronted by the risen Jesus. He sees himself as slave to master more than student to teacher.

12:18p, CST: What does this mean for Paul? Well, the concept is there, but he uses different language.

12:17p, CST: The use of “disciple” reminds us of the complexity of the Gospels as regards history and theology. The early church probably did not use the word “disciple” for the first few decades after the resurrection. The Evangelist blur the lines a bit between “the disciples” and later Christians to help make them models.

12:14p, CST: Does this mean we should use the word “disciple?” Well, the Gospels are written after Paul, so there must have been a purpose. Gupta suggest that “the disciples” became examples for later disciples.

12:13p, CST: Jesus as “Lord” seemed to be more relevant than Jesus as “Teacher” post-resurrection.

12:12p, CST: If Jesus broadened this invitation for disciples to make disciples why isn’t this word used by Paul, James, et al.? Maybe (1) it was to respect “the Twelve,” i.e., the word became another way of referring to Jesus’ original inner circle. (2) Maybe it had a “teacher-student” association, which seem unnatural after the resurrection.

12:10p, CST: 

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12:09p, CST: Jesus does appear to have extended the offer for a larger community.

12:07p, CST: Jesus reshaped the word disciple (“learner”) to have to do with following Jesus, obeying his teachings, engaging extraordinary costs, called into this particular community. This is true of the twelve.

12:06p, CST: What did “disciple” mean? What did Jesus mean? Why does the word fall out of use?

12:05p, CST: Some frame it as if Jesus called for us to make disciples, but Paul made “sinners into saints.”

12:04p, CST: The word “disciple” is not used in the rest of the NT.

12:03p, CST: Discipleship comes from the four Gospels and Acts alone.

Last week I split the day into two entries, but since I am one the afternoon presenters, and since Michael Barber’s presentation at 3p, CST, has been canceled, I will do one post today.

11:46a, CST: Next up: Nijay Gupta, “Did St. Paul Take Up the Great Commission? Discipleship Transposed into a Pauline Key”.

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11:29a, CST: Helig presenting:

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11:22a, CST: This is not an “evolution” of the Jewish idea of the resurrection. Origen maintains the need for future bodily resurrection.

11:20a, CST: First resurrection = pondering heavenly things w. Christ; Second resurrection = the general resurrection.

11:18a, CST: To walk in newness of life means to be a new person (though walking indicates continued process).

11:16a, CST: Eph. 2:6 = already raised w. Jesus; Rom. 6:8 = maintains future component; Col. 3:22 = things above ties future and present resurrection

11:15a, CST: Jesus’ resurrection was not only a model of future resurrection, but it had cosmic consequences.

11:09a, CST: For Origen resurrection had to include the body for death to be truly destroyed.

11:06a, CST: 1 Cor 15:41 glory connected to resurrection. Eternal life is the resurrection of the body in glory.

11:04a, CST: Helig notes that N.T. Wright (in The Resurrection of the Son of God) argues that (1) can be found in Origen’s writings, but not (2). Helig says that we do find (2) in Origen’s comments on Romans.

11:02a, CST: Resurrection as both an event and as a metaphor inform our ethics.

10:50a, CST: Several interesting sessions scheduled for this hour. I am going to listen to Christopher Helig (Postgraduate student at the University of St. Andrews), “Resurrection as ‘Metaphor’ in Origen’s Commentary on Romans”.

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10:43a, CST: Hollinger understands Sabbath as (1) something practiced by Jesus and the early church, though the church observed it on Sundays; (2) an eschatological foreshadow.

10:39a, CST: #5: A rhythm of life that protects humans (exemplified by Sabbath).

10:34a, CST: Hollinger presenting:

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10:31a, CST: #4: We were created for relationship.

10:30a, CST: Hollinger discusses work on a large, creation wide scale and a smaller, more personal scale (to glorify God and promote the common God).

10:27a, CST: The language of Rev. 21-22 shows there is plenty of continuation w. this creation.

10:22a, CST: #3: Work = a divine vocation

10:21a, CST: “While the image of God is marred, it is not destroyed.”

10:18a, CST: We have an ethical obligation to care for creation.

10:16a, CST: Humans are relational. Humans are stewards over creation. Humans are moral and spiritual beings. Humans are co-Creators with God. (understandings of the imago Dei)

10:15a, CST: #2: The unique creation of humans in God’s image.

10:12a, CST: Creation is the place of God’s calling.

10:09a, CST: Creation, Incarnation, Resurrection = affirmation of materiality.

10:08a, CST: #1: The world is good (Gen 1.).

10:07a, CST: The work of the Kingdom is the restoration of Creation, re-Creation.

10:04a, CST: God the Creator and God the Redeemer are one. We cannot separate God’s role as Creator from that of redeemer.

10:03a, CST: If our God is one then our ethics should be one. We cannot divide Father, Son, and Spirit.

9:55a, CST: Next up: Dennis Hollinger (Ph.D., Drew University; President at GCTS) on “Creation: The Starting Point of Ecclesial Ethics”.

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9:39a, CST: “It should break our hearts that one of the most segregated times is 11 o’clock on Sunday morning.” – quoting MLK

9:37a, CST: Claiborne presenting:

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9:35a, CST: ”We do not consider ourselves church planters, but neighborhood planters joining the church.”

9:33a, CST: “Our faith spreads best not through force, but through fascination.”

9:30a, CST: Peace doesn’t begin with the nations. It begins with the people of God who beat their own swords in the farm tools, who refuse to kill.

9:34a, CST: “We do not consider ourselves church planters, but neighborhood planters joining the church.”

9:29a, CST: Being a Christian = being a holy troublemaker (against injustice).

9:22a, CST: Interesting stories from Claiborne about the fight against city laws banning the feeding of those who are homeless and poor. They argued in court that it is a sacrament, and that we are commanded to feed them as if we fed Jesus, therefore, the law is against religious freedom.

9:18a, CST: One thing to observe is unjust laws, especially toward those who are homeless. “Any unjust law is no law at all.” – attributed to Augustine

9:16a, CST: We need to exegete Scripture and exegete our neighborhoods. We need to observe the obstacles to the Kingdom of God being realized in our neighborhoods.

9:14a, CST: Resurrection isn’t just something that happened two thousand years ago. It is something we participate in every day.

9:11a, CST: “The inner city is our new desert where we come to practice resurrection.” – Claiborne quoting a nun he knows who references inner city work as being similar to the work of the Desert Fathers and Mothers

9:03a, CST: “We can’t use our faith as a ticket into heaven while ignoring the hells all around us.”

8:46a, CST: Next up: Shane Claiborne

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8:43a, CST: Some questions I have after this presentation: What can pastors and other elders do to create an atmosphere in the church where people, especially those who feel marginalized, do not use online attacks as a first resort? Also, how does the size of a congregation impact this matter?

8:38a, CST: Online communication allows us to become disengaged from reality. James’ reminder that controlling our tongue is part of being a whole person is applicable to how we “speak” online. A complete person, a whole person, controls his speech. Even if invisible to others we remain visible to God.

8:29a, CST: James uses metaphors of small objects doing greater deeds. Though the tongue is presented as evil, if used correctly, it can help create a whole person.

8:22a, CST: If a person can control their tongue they will be a whole person (3:2). If our speech is controlled we can control the rest of our body.

8:20a, CST: We are reliant upon God to become complete, and there is an eschatological aspect that we begin to engage now. We will be completely complete someday, but we must live as complete as possible by being completely devoted to God now.

8:18a, CST: The “wholeness of person” (telos) is central to James’ epistle. We must be a whole person, completely dedicated to God.

8:17a, CST: The Epistle to James addresses how we use our tongue. Our speech is judged by our Creator, even if anonymous, even if online, even if invisible to those we attack. In other words, others may not see use, but God does see us.

8:16a, CST: Christians must recognize that we are the same person online as we are in person. Our actions may be different, and this reveals our real person. We cannot escape from how our online persona reflects our real person.

8:15a, CST: Brian Renshaw presenting:

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8:13a, CST: Another danger: invisibility. The online attacker knows who they attack, but the person being attacked doesn’t know their attacker.

8:12a, CST: Renshaw discusses how online anonymity can wreak havoc, especially in a church context.

8:11a, CST: Our social restraints dissipate when we use online communication. Many people remove their “in person” inhibitions.

8:10a, CST: Online communication has resulted in much criticism of one another, and often our use of words is different than the speech we use in person.

8:08a, CST: Our online personality can sometimes become a second personality. This dualism has raised many ethical questions. Can we differentiate our real self from our online self? How should we use new technology, especially for communication?

8:06a, CST: The Epistle of James addresses what it means to be a whole person, a complete person (telos).

8:03a, CST: Renshaw begins with a discussion of how social media, blogs, etc., have changed how we communicate, and has democratized our ability to speak and report.

8:01a, CST: First presenter: Brian Renshaw (M.Div student at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary), “The Dividing Nature of Online Communication: James’ Speech Ethics for Today”.

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Last week I blogged during the Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference sharing my notes and observations. To read those posts use one of the following links: Part 1 ; Part 2. Today I will be doing the same thing, except the session where I am presenting (2p, CST).

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Presentation at Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference

For those attending my presentation:

Handout: 

Brian LEPORT. May 25th. THE REVEALING OF THE SONS OF GOD. 8pm BST. 3pm EDT, 2pm CDT, 12pm PDT. HANDOUT

Important passages:

Romans 1 & 8

Genesis 1-3

Genesis 1:26-27, LXX:

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός Ποιήσωμεν ἄνθρωπον κατʼ εἰκόνα ἡμετέραν καὶ καθʼ ὁμοίωσιν, καὶ ἀρχέτωσαν τῶν ἰχθύων τῆς θαλάσσης καὶ τῶν πετεινῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ πάσης τῆς γῆς καὶ πάντων τῶν ἑρπετῶν τῶν ἑρπόντων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς. καὶ ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, κατʼ εἰκόνα θεοῦ ἐποίησεν αὐτόν, ἄρσεν καὶ θῆλυ ἐποίησεν αὐτούς.

Psalm 106:19-21

1QS 3.17-18: “He [God] has created humanity to govern the world (והואה ברא אנוש לממשלת תבל)…”

1QS 4.22-23: “Indeed, God has chosen them [those of the good spirit] for an eternal Covenant; all the glory of Adam shall be theirs alone (ולהם כול כבוד אדם). Perversity shall be extinct, every fraudulent deed put to shame.”

1QHa 4:14-15: “giving them all the glory of Adam (ולהנחילם בכול כבוד אדם).”

CD 3:20: “enduring life and all the glory of Adam

(לחיי נצח וכל כבוד אדם להם).”

4Q504, Frags. 1-2, Col. 3.4-7a: “In your name alone have we boasted, for we were created for your glory

(ולכבודכה ברתנו), you have adopted us in the sight of all the nations; indeed, you have called Israel, “My son, my firstborn’”

4Q504, Frag. 8 (recto): “You fashioned Adam, our father, in the image of your glory (אדם אבינו יצרתה בדמות כבוד); you breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and filled him with understanding and knowledge. You set him to rule over the Garden of Eden that you had planted.”

Quote from Morna Hooker:

“…the sequence of events outlined in Rom. 1 reminds us of the story of Adam as it is told in Gen. 1-3. Of Adam it is supremely true that God manifest to him that which can be known of him (v. 19); that from the creation onwards, God’s attributes were clearly discernible to him in the things which had been made, and that he was thus without excuse (v. 20). Adam, above and before all men, knew and allowed his heart to be darkened (v. 20). Adam’s fall was the result of his desire to be as God, to attain knowledge of good and evil (Gen. 3.5), so that, claiming to be wise, he in fact became a fool (v. 21). Thus he not only failed to give glory to God but, according to rabbinic tradition, himself lost the glory of God, which was reflected on his face (v. 23). In believing the serpent’s lie that his action would not lead to death (Gen. 3.4) he turned his back on the truth of God, and he obeyed, and thus gave his allegiance to a creature, the serpent, rather than to the creator (v. 25).

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Sources referenced in this post:

Michael Wise, Martin Abegg Jr., and Edward Cook, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A New Translation (San Francisco: Harper, 2005), 122, 526.

Morna Hooker, From Adam to Christ: Essays on St. Paul (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1990), 77-78.


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The Pre-Socratics, Hannibal, and other miscellany

Which Hannibal did you expect? Anthony Hopkins? (from kunstkopie.de)

Which Hannibal did you expect? Anthony Hopkins? (from kunstkopie.de)

Several people in my social media networks have praised Peter Adamson’s (King’s College London) podcast “History of Philosophy without Any Gaps” and I want to join the chorus. Adamson moves slowly and thoroughly through the history of western philosophy. It is very educating, and even funny at times (he is gifted in punnery). I listened to his talks on the Pre-Socratics yesterday and I’m hooked. (See also, Joel Watts’ link to many, many more philosophy related items online.)

Also, for those of you who scour iTunes U for good lecture series let me recommend the lecture series on Hannibal by Patrick Hunt of Stanford University. The first lecture was all I needed to gain interest in the whole course, as Hunt had some very interesting insights into Carthage, the Phoenicians, the worship of Baal, child sacrifice, and how these things were understood by ancient Romans and Israelites. Also, he has an interesting insight into the story of Abraham’s willingness to offer Isaac as a sacrifice based on his understanding of the Baal cult that changed the way I understand that narrative.

Finally, some miscellany:

- Lectures from George B. Caird on New Testament Theology at Oxford University in 1979-1982 have been made available online. To listen go here.

- Anthony Le Donne has a question about Jesus’ teachings on divorce.

- Rodney Thomas shares a quotation from Jurgen Moltmann on what Christians everywhere can learn from Black Theology.

- Rebecca Roache explains why our understanding of free will is important.

- Finally, John Byron shares a report indicating that more and more seminary graduates are finding work outside the traditional church context.


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This Saturday’s presentation

This Saturday I will be presenting at the Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference on “The Revealing of the Sons of God: Paul’s Restorative Eschatology in the Epistle to the Romans”. For those who are registered, and who are considering attending my presentation, let me provide you with the first few paragraphs in order to allow you to preview what I plan to address:

Romans 1:18-32 and 8:18-39 share several themes: creation (1:20, 25; 8:19-22), image (1:23; 8:29), body (1:24; 8:23), glory or glorifying (1:21, 23; 8:18, 21, 30), futility (1:21; 8:20), and revelation (1:18; 8:18-19). In the first passage (1:18-32) the mood in negative. Paul informs us that the wrath of God is being revealed against ungodly and unrighteous humans (v. 18). Although creation itself makes God known (v. 20), humans have chosen to ignore God (vv. 21-22), choosing instead to worship creation itself idolatrously (v. 25). Paul interprets this misplaced adoration as the exchanging of God’s glory for images of created things (v. 23). God has chosen not to intervene. Instead, he has allowed human thinking to become futile and misguided (vv. 21, 28). This has resulted in the misuse and erotic abuse of the human body (vv. 24, 26-27) as one example of the many dehumanizing actions embraced by humanity (vv. 29-32).

In the second passage (8:18-39) things have changed. Currently, creation is groaning and waiting patiently for the revealing of the sons of God (vv. 19-22), but this is hopeful. When the sons of God are revealed creation will be freed from its present captivity; it state of futility (v. 23). Similarly, humanity itself will be renewed. Paul describes this as resurrection (see 8:9-14), or “the redemption of our body (v. 23).” When this occurs the sons of God will be glorified (v. 30; cf. vv. 21, 23). This is equated with being conformed to the image of God’s Son (v. 29).

Why do we find this shift in mood? Why does Paul move from a pessimistic anthropology to an optimistic eschatology? Also, why does he use language and images that focus our attention upon the state-of-being of humanity and the created order? What is the connection between these two? The short answer: God has begun to restore the cosmos and renew humanity through the resurrection of Jesus.

If you are unable to attend my presentation don’t worry, they’ll be recorded for later viewing for those registered. If you have not registered let me encourage you to do so, even if you can’t participate Saturday. The cost is $10. The money goes to charity. Also, you can watch any of the previous presentations by signing into the online conference. Last Saturday’s presentations (including N.T. Wright’s, Michael Gorman’s, and Mariam Kamell’s) should be available online within the next couple of days and this weekend’s presentation (including Stan Hauerwas’, Nijay Gupta’s, and Michael Barber’s) will be available next week.
To register go here.


 


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More on the historicity or non-historicity of Adam and Eve

Justin Brierly, host of the radio show Unbelievable?, invited Denis Alexander, Peter Enns, and Fuz Rana to discuss the historicity or non-historicity of Adam and Eve. You can listen to the show here.

Darrell Bock and Richard Averbeck addressed the same topic in part 2 of the recent The Table podcast (part 1 compares the biblical creation account with one ANE accounts). You can listen to the podcast here.

evolution-man-computer


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Pentecost 2013

Coptic icon of Pentecost

Coptic icon of Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday! 

Some thoughts:

- I am hesitant to speak of Pentecost as “the birth of the church,” since this seems foreign to the Lukan message. If by “church” we mean followers of Jesus, then there have been followers before Pentecost. If by “church” we mean one group including Jews and non-Jews, then we are finding something in the narrative that doesn’t occur until several chapters later. It seems more appropriate to see Pentecost as the full inauguration of the New Covenant as depicted by the availability of the Spirit to all people, not a select few.

- It should be observed that this is not the first time people are filled with the Spirit. In Luke 1:15 John the Baptist is filled with the Spirit in his mother’s womb. In 1:41 Elizabeth is filled with the Spirit. In 1:67 Zacharias is filled with the Spirit. Old Covenant figures such Bezalel (Exodus 31:3; 35:31), Joshua (Deuteronomy 34:9), and Micah (3:8) receive the Spirit before Pentecost. This doesn’t detract from Pentecost, because Pentecost is the “democratization” of the Spirit (if you will). Moses imagined a day when all the people of God might be prophets (Numbers 11:29). In some sense (not to ignore that the New Covenant seems to include a new role of prophet distinct from that of the Old Covenant) Pentecost does make all the people of God a prophetic people. Similarly, as the prophet Joel foresaw, the Spirit would be poured out upon all sorts of people, many marginalized by society, including daughters and slaves (2:28-29). The apostle Peter interpreted the Day of Pentecost to be the fulfillment of Joel’s vision (Acts 2:16-21, though the exact nature of Peter’s interpretation is not as clear as we might like in that he includes much of the apocalyptic imagery).

- If we read Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4; 2:33; 13:23, 32 we find that Pentecost is a fulfillment of the Old Covenant: the Spirit has been “poured out” upon people; the Messiah have been revealed (through the resurrection). Pentecost is connected to the resurrection of Jesus as the two stage beginning of the “already, but not yet,” the eschaton before the eschaton.


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Live Blog: Ecclesia and Ethics Online Conference: Day 1, Part 2

6:00p, CST: A great first weekend! I’m excited for next weekend with folks like Nijay Gupta and Stan Hauerwas presenting.

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5:39p, CST: We need to live within our “creatureliness” rather than trying to be divine in how we manage nature.

5:37p, CST: Three fruits of the ecological vocation: (1) restraint, (2) resourcefulness, and (3) contentment .

5:34p, CST: Fortitude helps maintain these other virtues.

5:33p, CST: Virtues such as prudence and temperance being discussed now.

5:28p, CST: What is a virtue? What is its relationship to ecological ethics? Virtue = acquired human quality…to achieve particular goods and prevent us from not obtaining those goods.

5:27p, CST: Jorgenson presenting:

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5:26p, CST: Repentance is change, and this change is a radical reorientation toward ethical behavior. This isn’t a one time event, but we must do it daily

5:24p, CST: Sin is a “relational condition.” 

5:21p, CST: Repentance + a pursuit of particular virtues (restraint, resourcefulness, and contentment) are key.

5:20p, CST: Our ecological concerns have not addressed congregations as a whole. Our worship expressed our belief.

5:17p, CST: Jorgenson begins by discussing the “eco-shift” in American consciousness. But this doesn’t mean Americans are ecologically sustainable. Actually, it’s worse than ever.

5:15p, CST: Great shot of N.T. Wright presenting (from earlier today):

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5:10p, CST: Last session of Day 1:  Kiara Jorgenson (Ph.D. Candidate Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MN), “The Role of Repentance and the Virtues toward the Christian Fulfillment of Ecological Vocation”.

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4:48p, CST: To allow the aggressive actions to continue would have been unethical for Paul.

4:42p, CST: If the agitators are being aggressive, then expulsion is permissible. This is why his attitude is different than in Romans. The insiders can be expelled.

4:41p, CST: How does a persecuted group expel agitators?

4:32p, CST: Persecution associated the oppressed with Christ, marking their identity, making them the “right kind of children of Abraham,” while those who persecute do not represent Christ.

4:30p, CST: Baptism marks out more than membership, but addresses the kind of community: one with a crucified messiah.

4:29p, CST: Dunne presenting:

Screen shot 2013-05-18 at 4.29.11 PM

4:28p, CST: Suffering and persecution function as boundary markers.

4:25p, CST: The agitators are acting like Ishmael in their aggressive, persecuting behavior.

4:21p, CST: The agitators are not Jews in particular, but particular people.

4:18p, CST: Dunne addressing mission and ethics as it relates to outsiders.

4:13p, CST: Ok, I chose the paper on Paul because that is more my niche, but I do want to go back to watch the recording of Manby’s paper.

4:07p, CST: Two very interesting sessions to choose from next. Either John Anthony Dunne “Suffering, Christian Identity, and the Expulsion of the Galatian Agitators (Gal. 4:29-30): A Response to Susan Eastman” or Aaron C. Manby’s paper on absolute pacifism in the early church!!!

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3:47p, CST: The eschatological temple = the church.

3:40p, CST: Rosner explaining the connections between purity and being the temple based on the expectation that temples be pure.

3:30p, CST: If the church is the temple, the bread and wine are the sacrifice.

3:27p, CST: Solomon’s temple was the anti-type of the fulfilled temple which is the church.

3:24p, CST: Entered this session a little late: Brian Rosner, “The Church as Temple and Moral Exhortation in 1 Corinthians”.

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2:46p, CST: How does this address the prevailing wisdom of our day? (1) If this wisdom is not that of Plato, Aristotle, Socrates, but the prevailing upper class of Corinth? How does that compare to eudaimonia? (2) If this not universal, but specific to Corinth, how do we understand “wisdom,” “power,” and “foolishness” of our day? (3) Does the prevailing wisdom of the day play any role in following Apollos, or Paul, or Cephas, etc? (4) If the modern self-help movement compares favorably to the Corinthians concept of eudaimonia is it compatible with the Gospel? (5) How dangerous is it for Christians today to have our own guru and own wisdom? (6) Does self-help promote the power “in me” and not God?

2:39p, CST: Paul had a specific idea of “foolishness,” it is not a generic idea. Paul is against a particular prevailing wisdom at that time that was unable to point people to God.

2:36p, CST: Paul is addressing how people in Corinth understood the Gospel, as stupid. This is less about “knowledge” and more about influence. The Corinthians see the Gospel as “slave logic,” but it is powerful in God.

2:35p, CST: The contrast is not between wisdom and foolishness, but foolishness and the power of God.

2:34p, CST: Since Paul is vague here, using words like “wisdom,” “power,” and “foolishness,” people can insert their own ideas into this, critiquing what they want to critique, using Paul’s words, but Paul may have meant something less universalistic and more specific.

2:33p, CST: 1 Cor 1:18-25 = popular Christian response to questions of human wisdom

2:31p, CST: Estes presenting:

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2:31p, CST: Wisdom was on the mind of the ancients, so how do we read Paul’s statements in 1 Cor 1?

2:30p, CST: How do we speak to people who are interested in the practical wisdom of our day, and speak in this language, when presenting biblical wisdom?

2:28p, CST: North Americans are fascinated with the idea of reaching the fullest potential of our happiness.

2:26p, CST: Estes shares how ancient Greeks understood eudaimonia and whether self-help is a modern form.

2:22p, CST: Estes is introducing us to the self-help movement, it’s positives, it’s negatives, it’s money making potential, and how this relates to biblical wisdom.

2:16p, CST: Douglas Estes discussing “The Transformation of Wisdom: Self-help, Foolishness, and Moral Formation in an Ecclesial Context”.

2:05p, CST: Next up, my former professor and a mentor of mine, Douglas Estes!

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1:45p, CST: Cruciformity is not only theology and Christolgy, but ecclesiology!

1:41p, CST: What about “just war?” Paul’s logic: although you’ve been wrong, and you have an authoritative tradition allowing you to response, don’t follow that, overcome evil with good. (1 Cor 6, 9 and “rights”)

1:38p, CST: To follow God we are to forgive and be reconciled. This is not how God is viewed by much of Western society.

1:37p, CST: Rom 5:1, 6-1; 12:9-21

1:33p, CST: I see people using #ecclesiaandethics on Twitter for those interested.

1:30p, CST: 2 Cor. 5:14-15, 18-19, 21. Messiah’s death is an act of Christ’s love and God’s act of reconciliation and forgiveness.

1:29p, CST: The church becomes like God through narrative, cruciform practices.

1:23p, CST: Cruciformity is not merely spirituality, but imitation of Christ, specifically.

1:22p, CST: Cruciformity = cruciform + conformity

1:20p, CST: God is often left out of theology, oddly enough!

1:17p, CST: Paul as theologian: (1) messianic; (2) the cross and resurrection; (3) narrative; (4) ecclesial; (5) mystical.

Michael Gorman presenting:

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1:16p, CST: The cross of Jesus Christ answers both of these questions.

1:15p, CST: This passage addresses (1) who or what is God? (2) what is the church?

1:14p, CST: 1 Cor 2:2 tells us about Paul’s theology, Christology, ecclesiology, etc.

1:10p, CST: Technical difficulties resolved. So far, this is the first one. Not bad for an inaugural online conference!

1:06p, CST: Michael Gorman (Ph.D., Princeton Theological Seminary; Raymond E. Brown Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology, St. Mary’s Seminary and University) will begin the second half of day one speaking on “God, the Cross, and the Church” as soon as some technical difficulties are resolved.

See my notes from the earlier sessions: Day 1, Part 1.