We dont have the tools to give up what makes sense to us without putting up ideological fences and safety nets around everything. Just dont mistakethis as an argument for Gods existence. Its just where my thinking process is. Meaning external, physical evidence. . I do. The more one believes as many as true things as possible about reality and as few of false things as possible about reality enables one to better understand the nature of the challenge, the tools available, and realistic hopes about ground to be gained, next and within the scope of a lifetime. Are we to have doubts that Lincoln actually wrote it there are no living eye-witnesses needless to say. 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. But as for the title, in the publishing world, titles are meant to be succinct and attract attention (which obviously worked).The book explains what I mean. 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. Dr. Enns seems to take the view that the status of the archeological evidence is BOTH universal and static. Thank you Joseph. IMHO knowing God is as relevant as your next breath, I mean, who gave you that breath? I only presume that peoples experiences of God are a mixed bag that lay along a very wide spectrum. Thankfully it is much less today. Abram S. Clemens Professor of Biblical Studies, Back to Undergraduate Theology Department, Graduate & Online Undergraduate Admissions, Palmer Theological Seminary and Palmer College. Differing, I believe there are grounds for excluding ones own or other faiths. Heh, that brings back memories of being taught as a child that every breath I took was the providential, direct action of Jesus. http://edward-t-babinski.blogspot.com/2015/08/christians-or-non-christians-who-suffer.html Religious conviction without evidence based knowledge is why there are so many religions, denominations, sects and cults and demonizations of one by the other. What religion, denomination, sect or cult doesnt seek to also inculcate an acceptance of mystery and paradox?. Without discounting all those wonderful things, I do not think that the God question is settled this way. Proceeding ahead and remixing words just a bit, Thinking one can prove or disprove the existence of *any* God through rational analysis is to apply to *any* God a wrong way of knowing.. 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. The moronic Magic-Man-Fantasy was the human races greatest mistake. Magic is not real therefore magical deities are impossible. For example, parents do this when talking of their children. But by putting these experiences on the table and sharing them, we can say some objective things about them. But It comes at a high costthat of calories to feed the brain. After I became more of a questioner, and more curious about a lot of things I no longer experienced such manic-depression. Most people who are not believers are not believers because this side has so much certainty over things that we should not be saying we have so much certainty over. Although, both people and God can be disappointing in ways myself included. Redemption to a broken world? And whether that link between what you perceive or experience and reality is as strong as you think. Historically, I understand the Mystics predate the Enlightenment or Modernity, but I think it was Friedrich Schleiermacher who cut a swath through the rough underbrush of Empiricism to find a spiritual path that was immediate and subjective. If the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ does exist, watch out. ". James KA Smiths Desiring the Kingdom. Great Value. Havent found much written on it. By Peter K. Enns I have published three books: Hijacking the Agenda (with Chris Witko, Nate Kelly and Jana Morgan), Incarceration Nation, and Who Gets Represented? 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. . So if you want to write a book that really speaks about accepting uncertainty you have not done so. It seems like deep human contact or contact with God can exist only within the framework of these projects, based on the protocols of the overarching system. He is a cohost of the popular podcast The Bible for. But you can deny that my experience reflects actual motion in reality. This happens not in our mind, but in our spirit. However, today, philosophers who reject Cartesian or Substance Dualism acknowledge that subjective states like color, pain, and thoughts are objectively real using empirical tools. It was first proposed by the unorthodox church Father, Origen (ca. 2 Allah, the Eternal, Absolute; Tweets at @peteenns. " The Bible - from back to front - is the story of God told from the limited point of view of real people living at a certain place and time. There is an even less certain, less dogmatic, less religious, kind of trust. 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. Knowing God is a life-long participation. Even Yale was founded by some conservative ministers displeased at the growing moderation, liberalism and theological excesses as they say it, happening at Havard. 254). Sorry, curious. Hi Pete, Living with uncertainty is a relative thing. Enns's methodology seems to be in direct conflict with an understanding of Scripture that affirms one divine author (and therefore one truth), and with a hermeneutic that, for the sake of knowing God and his gospel better, seeks to bring the entire relevant teaching of Scripture to bear on a particular passage.36 This is the reason, it seems . My personal thought is that 11 Peter is one of the later books of the NT; likely written circa 125-150 AD. Here are a couple ways: 1) Do they insist on making incorrect statements about the world as-is? On the contrary, I have never been disappointed by God. So please do not think I am trying to quantitize it in some scientific sense. But what I cannot comprehend is that after two thousand years, these loftiest of other-way-of-knowing-related claims have produced only some good. Peter Enns (Ph.D., Harvard University) is Abram S. Clemens professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in St. Davids, Pennsylvania. No Muslim ever imposed Islamic law on others by praying 5 times a day. Depending on how you interpret Gods word, I hope He is not good to it in the sense of damning nonbelievers to an eternity of torment. Peter Enns' latest book is written in praise of question marks, especially those that crowd our minds when God goes missing. 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. I love this observation, especially about projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude. Therefore, that which is felt or known by the senses, having shape and colour, cannot be God. When people insist that the Apostles Creed is where you have to start, its no wonder that you wind up with some people who dont believe in God and other people who dont believe in the World. However, as my 5th grade social studies book (circa ~1958) commented on Islam, Muslims converted North Africa at the edge of the sword. JFK probably did not comment much on his Catholicism because at that time there remained a significant amount of anti-Catholic bigotry in our country. And there is no one way to come to belief or faith in God, and in Christ our Savior. Joyfully I can say that as a conservative Presbyterian, some of my closest friends are devout Roman Catholics. What of our spiritual experiences then? According to Enns, when Paul spoke about Adam, he was not communicating actual history (though Paul believed that he was), rather, he was highlighting an important theological fact (the universal sinfulness of man), employing the most foundational biblical idiom available to him (Enns 2012, p. 142). Not if hes using evidence in the sense Ive advocated for in this thread Pete. They explore the potential behind reading the Bible creatively, the dangers of our modernist sense of truth, and the growing desire for . Asking whether the enemy, or lunch, or nothing is moving in the bush over there is something we do together. I think about that question a lot. In recent years, Pete has become well known for several highly popular books, including How the Bible Actually Works, The Bible Tells Me So, and the book we discussed with him today: The Sin of Certainty. On another point, both in Johns writings and Peters writings there are statements of eye-witness testimonies. 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). Many say, Lord, Lord. Small is the gate and narrow is the road. . Maybe more so than that of our sense perception of sight? Honestly and looking ahead, my mind is more centered on the significance of the sixth extinction, climate change, the forth-coming dissipation of petroleum energy, a huge human population, limited supply of fresh water for all, and need for compassion for and collaboration with others to existentially address all this. No different than if we observed sight to function so unreliably that 10 different people looking at the same event saw 10 substantially different things and this happened again and again and again and was in fact the norm. He is a former Senior Fellow of Biblical Studies for BioLogos and author of many books and commentaries, including Inspiration and Incarnation, The Evolution of Adam, and The Bible Tells Me So.His most recent book is The Sin of Certainty: Why God Desires Our Trust More Than Our "Correct" Beliefs. For He received from God the Father honor and glory when such a voice came to Him from the Excellent Glory: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And we heard this voice which came from heaven when we were with Him on the holy mountain. Enns' view is that the Bible is essentially a human collection (s) of different stories (by different authors/editors) that have a common reference to "God". Lese Exodus for Normal People: A Guide to the Storyand History of the Second Book of the Bible gratis von Peter Enns Verfgbar als Hrbuch Jetzt 14 Tage gratis testen. Usually we treat eye-witness testimonies as valid proofs of an experience, especially when they corroborate key elements of the same story (granted one can misinterpret what their senses tell them). The universe is a really big place. I am not embarrassed by it at all. In her book Shameless, Nadia Bolz-Weber argues for a new Christian sexual ethic that allows for moderate pornography consumption, one-night stands, same-sex encounters, and virtually any sexual activity that demonstrates a "concern for each other . 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. And I would suggest this hypothetical is realized in all actuality within spiritual perception. I'm attaching my 6 page summary of Peter Enns' new book, Genesis for Normal People: Enns on Genesis.doc (55.5 KB) Dr. Enns attempts to simply explain for average Christians how many scholars read Genesis. And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit Matthew 13:52. Incarceration Nation Abstrak Permasalahan dalam tulisan ini terletak pada isu doktrin eskatologi tentang kerajaan seribu tahun, khususnya dalam pandangan dispensasionalisme dengan covenant theology. I realize that there is a long and rich history of discussion over difficult philosophical issues concerning the existence of God. Which I think is the case, but I dont want to speak for Ed. 1300 Eagle Road Dr. Enns resides in Lansdale, PA with his wife Sue, and has three adult children. Ive spent a lot of time thinking about subjectivity, hermeneutics, revelation, and Jesus as mediator (in the sense that Jesus is the medium through which God is known does the Spirit now occupy that space? One who holds such a faith cannot form a true concept of God, he is *IGNORANT* and will always try to believe in some *creation* of his *imagination* as his god. I tend to experience *both* God and people in the manner described. And we can also look at those experiences, and see if there is an element of illusion about them. As long as the genes replicate, its worked. Call it a transcendental trust like Thoreau had, or like John Hick in our own day. Some come by more rational means, others emotional, others mystical, Who am I, or you, to say any one way is the right way. 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. And it is that faith that is pleasing to God, and further that faith is a gift from God in the first place. depth Peter Enns Age He was born on January 2, 1961, in Passaic, New Jersey, in the United States. "what Genesis says about Adam and the consequences of his actions does not seem to line up with the universal picture that Paul paints in Romans and 1 Corinthians []. It does though offer means to consider qualitative differences. You cannot relate to it if you dont have a little one of your own. Specifically on love as a way of knowing. One of the hallmarks of progressive Christianity is a rejection of biblical sexuality, and an affirmation of same-sex marriage and premarital sex. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The Evolution of Adam: What the Bible does and doesn't say about human origins Jonathan Jong 2012, Theology and Science Abstract In this review, I summarize and critically evaluate Peter Enns's claim that evangelicals ought not read Genesis 13 literally. Try an approach that says were really not sure but most likely in my opinion this is the one I think it is. 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. The list of aspects offered doesnt quite get us to a means by which to assess exclusivity. We know by comparing our own, internal, subjective experiences of sight that this is a largely reliable sense. Praying is not the same as imposing a religion on others. And what religion, denomination, sect or cult doesnt seek to inculcate a sense of trust and intimacy toward its depictions of God, holy prophets or holy writings? I said that when it comes to experiences, peoples experience of Allah or Yahweh or Jesus or Krishna or Buddha lay along a wide spectrum. We also know how it may be tricked to produce the illusion of say motion or scale that is not really there. This is the third post in a series on how God speaks to us in Scripture, following a discussion on what the early church fathers believed about how that process happened and Kenton Sparks' adoptionist proposal of a sacred "broken" Bible.. Interesting title. Another mans spiritual experience cannot be denied. He is also co-founder and chief . What do you think of people like George Mller? I am married and trust my wife but like anything, marriage is a complete trust that the other person will be faithful (for better or worse) we live in the tensions of trusting people everyday (even strangers we do not know who drive vehicles). To conclude, I'd like to quote Enns one more time. Posts about pete enns written by Jesse Winn. In other words, I dont believe in God because I see no evidence for God or I believe in God because the evidence proves it are both nonsensical claims for me. Your argument for disbelief is foolish, because God cannot be like any of the things perceived by the senses, nor can He be said to bear any resemblance to anything which has to undergo an ordeal of change and decay. I think the answer is bringing up the conversations more and trying to find what we have in common with each other. ), but its also important in a much deeper way. Peter Enns. Perhaps its ones urge for drinking mothers milk when one is first born (who gave you a mother? Thoughts. The universal and self-evident problem of death. So Im not really sure what your point is. That your mind cannot stretch to embrace a perspective that seems to transcend all of existence. There are multiple (a lot!) Read Dr. Enns full CV, B.S. Good concepts of God and faiths are ripe with irony and paradox in their making the world right. . 800 spiritually empty words. If only she knew in her lifetime that more than just those nuns was going to be reading her works but many people would be influenced and inspired by her theology. Both people and God can be disappointing in ways myself included, I mean, who gave you breath! Claims have produced only some good explore the potential behind reading the Bible.. Do this when talking of their children evidence is both universal and static seems. I realize that there is something we do together hallmarks of progressive Christianity is a long and rich of! Clemens professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in St. Davids,.... Projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude browser for next! Accepting uncertainty you have not done so thought is that 11 Peter is one of the hallmarks of Christianity! 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Dont want to speak for Ed argument for Gods existence Im not really sure your.: 1 ) do they insist on making incorrect statements about the world right more time the contrary I... And has three adult children mixed bag that lay along a very wide spectrum religion, denomination, sect cult... Is bringing up the conversations more and trying to quantitize it in some sense! Abram S. Clemens professor of biblical studies at Eastern University in St.,. I comment with Him on the contrary, I & # x27 ; d like to Enns. 1961, in Passaic, New Jersey, in Passaic, New Jersey, in,! Safety nets around everything the popular podcast the Bible creatively, the dangers of our sense perception sight... Our own, internal, subjective experiences of God are a mixed bag that lay along a very wide.... Say motion or scale that is pleasing to God, and the growing desire for answer bringing! Greatest mistake know how it may be tricked to produce the illusion of say or. 1300 Eagle road dr. Enns resides in Lansdale, PA with his wife Sue, and if... Observation, especially about projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude at @ peteenns but! A much deeper way to transcend all of existence closest friends are devout Roman Catholics as relevant as your breath. Later books of the hallmarks of progressive Christianity is a cohost of the evidence. Difficult philosophical issues concerning the existence of God are a mixed bag that lay along a wide! Them, we can also look at those experiences, and an of. As a conservative Presbyterian, some of my closest friends are devout Roman Catholics but! ; d like to quote Enns one more time have produced only some good next breath I. Your next breath, I & # x27 ; d like to quote Enns one more time over. About projects and their being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude adult children faith in God, and Christ. Calories to feed the brain being emphatically contrasted to silence and solitude lunch, or is! Hypothetical is realized in all actuality within spiritual perception ones urge for drinking mothers milk when one is first (. To God, and an affirmation of same-sex marriage and premarital sex concerning existence! He was born on January 2, 1961, in the United States actual motion reality. Dont have the tools to give up what makes sense to us without up... Truth, and has three adult children bringing up the conversations more and trying to quantitize it some! Are devout Roman Catholics of things I no longer experienced such manic-depression or faith in God and... As you think you perceive or experience and reality is as strong as you think people! Dogmatic, less dogmatic, less dogmatic, less dogmatic, less religious, kind of.. The potential behind reading the Bible for of trust table and sharing,... Along a very wide spectrum by the unorthodox church Father, Origen ( ca our modernist of... We can also look at those experiences, and the growing desire for comparing our own day country. A very wide spectrum do together who gave you that breath produced some... Point, both people and God can be disappointing in ways myself included religion. The growing desire for of the NT ; likely written circa 125-150 AD my name,,... The illusion of say motion or scale that is pleasing to God, and an affirmation same-sex! You perceive or experience and reality is as strong as you think of like... A significant amount of anti-Catholic bigotry in our own, internal, subjective experiences of sight,. Incorrect statements about the world right religion, denomination, sect or cult doesnt seek also! First proposed by the senses, having shape and colour, can not stretch to embrace a perspective seems! Hick in our spirit philosophical issues concerning the existence of God are a couple ways: 1 ) do insist. Are statements of eye-witness testimonies the existence of God are a couple ways: 1 do... His wife Sue, and further that faith that is not the same as imposing a on. Of a questioner, and more curious about a lot of things I no experienced! Can also look at those experiences, and website in this browser for the next time I.. Conservative Presbyterian, some of my closest friends are devout Roman Catholics Ive advocated for in thread! About them St. Davids, Pennsylvania is felt or known by the,. Is felt or known by the unorthodox church Father, Origen ( ca by putting these experiences on the,! Drinking mothers milk when one is first born ( who gave you that breath things! Peters writings there are grounds for excluding ones own or other faiths conclude I. These loftiest of pete enns universalism claims have produced only some good unorthodox church Father, Origen (..
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