The (Christian) Holiday Tree -- As a Christian, I could care less about the controversy over municipal trees being called "Holiday Trees" instead of "Christmas Trees." But as an defender of the uniqueness of religious traditions, I have to agree with Gil Student, an Orthodox rabbi, who objects to the change for another reason: It's offensive to Judaism.
Eudaimonia and Buffy After long hiatus, John Mark Reynolds is back with an excellent post on human flourishing and Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Sages of the Sagebrush -- Cowboyology has a too infrequent series on cowboy proverbs. The latest: #7 A Good Horse is Never a Bad Color (Externals matter little when character and conduct are reliable.)
Something Rotten in Stockholm (Update) -- Steve Adams of Trophy Husband has some surprising news on Ake Green, the Swedish pastor who was charged with hate speech for preaching against homosexuality: He was unanimously acquitted.
The Peretti Problem -- In an intriguing post on “theological innovations", Jared from The Thinklings claims: “… Frank Peretti essentially invented the contemporary Church’s conception of spiritual warfare.” While I’m not sure Peretti is the inventor, I think Jared is right that he popularized the idea and brought it to the “mainstream” charismatic movement. For a group that isn’t exactly known for reading, it seems we evangelicals tend to pick up a lot of speculative theology from works of fiction (This Present Darkness, Left Behind, etc.)
The Sweetest Sound -- What is the most popular last name in the US? (I guessed it rather easily but I was surprised that Carter is the 41st most popular surname) Find out how popular your name is here
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"For a group that isn’t exactly known for reading, it seems we evangelicals tend to pick up a lot of speculative theology from works of fiction."
One would think our primary source of theology, speculative or otherwise, would be the Bible.
posted on 11.30.2005 8:15 AM2
HA! Mitchell is #40. Gotcha beat, Carter.
And I second Mr. Rew's comment.
posted on 11.30.2005 9:34 AM3
It bothered me greatly that Peretti's books seemed to give Satan parity with Jesus, a sort of Darth Vader to Jesus' Luke Skywalker. I mentioned this to a friend who knew Peretti and he told me that it also bothers the author that people read his fiction as though it is doctrinal teaching.
One further refinement on Peretti, Joe. He did not popularize "spiritual warfare" for charismatics. It was already widespread. But he did aggregate and unintentionally formalize the concepts, if not doctrines, that are now commonly held on the subject.
posted on 11.30.2005 9:50 AM4
Thanks for the link to Cowboyology, Joe.
I'll try to be more frequently proverbial.
And with regards to the Peretti post, the cycles of escapism, speculation and abdication seem to characterize too much of Evangelicalism.
Does this mean that the faith of Evangelicals is more and more fictitious?
posted on 11.30.2005 10:03 AM5
From the website you cited:
A representative of House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert said, "To rename a Christmas tree as a holiday tree is as offensive as renaming a Jewish menorah a candlestick"
In the US the Christmas tree dates from maybe 1850, in Europe there's a few cases around the year 1570 but nothing really like we know it today until around the same time. The menorah, however, dates from before 40 BC. It has been the chief symbol of Hanukkah while the Christmas tree is fun but it is at best a bit player in the field of Christian symbols.
As for it being offensive to Judism, the writer is correct that the tree has never been a symbol for Hanukkah, yet many Jews who would not allow a cross or nativity in their house will tolerate a Christmas tree because the holiday has long since crossed over into the secular world. Additionally totally manufactured holidays such as Kwanza time themselves to be around Christmas so there's no reason to be offended at calling it a Holiday tree. On the other hand I'm not going to make a dramatic point of calling it anything other than a Christmas tree... I think this is a case where anti-political correctness has become the new political correctness of the right.
Something Rotten in Stockholm (Update) -- Steve Adams of Trophy Husband has some surprising news on Ake Green, the Swedish pastor who was charged with hate speech for preaching against homosexuality: He was unanimously acquitted.
Wow, back when we were discussing gay marriage Gordon was telling us that to accept gay marriage would unavoidably lead to the prosecution of anti-gay Christians by the gov't. Yet Sweden, to my knowledge, still has gay marriage (http://www.slate.com/id/2100884/).
One would think our primary source of theology, speculative or otherwise, would be the Bible.
Could you please tell me which books and chapters in the Bible contain the 'speculative theology'?
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Joe:
Doesn't it bother you that the attack on Christmas is just one more little attack on Christianity--especially Christianity as the basis for US law and culture?
posted on 12.02.2005 7:37 AM7
Except for the fact that there is no attack on Christmas.
posted on 12.02.2005 11:58 AM8
Dude:
your "Peretti problem" insight is on the money. It has something to do with itchy ears.
posted on 12.05.2005 7:40 AM