Divine Synchronicity: What Does It Mean for Christianity?

LOST in Purgatory?
(Purgatory - Yeah or Nay?)

Part 1 of 2

While reviewing Roger Olson's thoughts on a conjectured Protestant Purgatory I couldn't help but think of another popular purgatorial position being espoused not long ago in the TV series LOST as it was aired over a six year period (Sept 2004 - May 2010). Here we witnessed the island adventures of trapped celluloid souls living through decisive moments of their re-created lives. Some failed their tests and immediately "died" (possibly to revisit the island again-and-again in a never-ending cycle of "purgatory" until they got it right; or, if they didn't get it right, to proceed immediately to hell, death, or some final stage of life); some passed their first tests but later failed to pass their "summary review test" and then were immediately killed; some got it right and left with a suddenness, separating from the constant struggles of island life (I assume to go to heaven, or some place of personal completion); and some knuckleheads took awhile to get it right but eventually did to then be reunited with all their island loved-ones in one grand finale six years later.

And though the LOST purgatorial theory at the end of season 1 was immediately and hotly denounced by the show's producers, Damon Lindelhof and Carlton Cuse, in the end we viewers who tenuously clung to our theories of an island purgatory were granted vindication (along with an unsettling feeling of being surreptitiously lied to over the very long, lost years of faithfulness at the end of season 6's grand finale). And so, I would point to this form of purgatory as a modern day, updated, sophisticated, form of purgatory held by today's cultural standards and understandings of the afterlife (appealing not only to those theists amongst us, but to those agnostics and atheists amongst us as well!). Where death is never quite dead, and where mankind gets repeated opportunities for eternal solidarity and redemption.

LOST became an immediate TV-land fan hit and lived mostly in the Internet's chat rooms and blogs to be fussed and fumed over by addicted LOSTIES such as myself. It was a great ride and one that gave a very satisfying sense of relief when completing its journey - or the journeys - of all its survivors from Oceanic 815 seen in Clip #1.

So how does this all tie into the biblical themes of love and justice, reconciliation and spiritual healing? Well, let's first get a better sense of the many theologic and philosophic issues LOST was dealing with through its global audiences (Clip #1) and while we're at it, peruse the 3-minute Clip #2 created by a chap using yellow post-it notes to help add to the quirkiness of this very unusual show!

Clip #1
Lost (The Ending Explained REAL)
~ the quality is poor but content excellent




Or, What Many of Us Thought...

LOST, the REAL Ending




Clip #2
LOST in 3 minutes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=-HWECQa23Cs

Before proceeding towards biblical themes I must also mention another book and movie that also comes to mind on this same topic of purgatory. Taken from Mitch Albom's fictitious biography of "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" in which he shares how our past sins might be absolved in heaven's absolution of divine love and forgiveness. Here is a very fine summary that must, MUST, be viewed in order for me to say what I intend to say next:

This is an Excellent Summary

and may be watched by clicking to "YouTube"



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYwlJXWuL2w

or

http://youtu.be/qYwlJXWuL2w

Point 1

Overall, I am unconvinced that a Christian purgatory was ever a requirement for heavenly destination - even though I am a Lostie and Mitch Albom fan at heart! - for the concept seems to rest upon the silence of the bible if it is at all true. However, what I do know is that from the clips I have provided above, we can expect our lives to work within a process similarly conducted within this life. It will have its own judgments, as well as its own blessings, and I think that Thornton Wilder may have gotten it right when writing of the completeness and finality of this life before being ushered into the next in his book, The Bridge of San Luis Rey (1927) - . In it he took the historical instances of a Peruvian tragedy from a long time ago (about 500-600 years ago) and worked through it the theosophic questions of:

"Does everything in life happen for a reason? Or are there some unexplainable, random events we may expect within it? If everything happens for a reason, why do bad things happen to the innocent? Why do some of the wicked prosper and the just suffer? If there is a reason, what is it? And if the universe is purely a random set of events, how does one explain the obvious order in most aspects of the physical and social universe? Did all of this order come out of chaos? Does accepting the fact that there are some chance occurrences which will occur in this life deny the existence of God? Or, can the two matters be reconciled logically?

And so, when I listen to, and review, these Lost clips, and the very fine clip made by an English student on Mitch Albom's book above, I think to myself that all these existential elements must be applied within this life of ours first and foremost. That we should - we must - expect the essential themes of forgiveness, reconciliation from abandonment, release, love, persistence, resolution, as vital parts of our earthly existence. And to not assume those qualities of life to occur separately - and unconnectedly - from our contemporary experience of this frail, human life we live in now. To be then experienced later in resolution at another time and place outside of our experience of this life we live and breath within (such as a purgatory, a heaven, or a hell). No, it occurs in the here-and-now of our daily existences, in our relationships, and at our work-a-day worlds of impoverishment and plenty.

Point 2

This, I would submit, is another important emergent Christian theme that we must accept when we speak of God's dynamic interaction with our world and our lives. A theme demanding a full appreciation for the meaningfulness of life this side of heaven (or hell, or death). One that does not wait for goodness and mercy to come after death, but works diligently to rectify and reconcile our humanity within our own personal experiences of society. That healing and forgiveness importantly occur now in this life, and not in the next. Otherwise there is no value in holding to the belief of seeing the Kingdom of God become a structural part of our earthly history. For it is, at the last, a Kingdom of flesh and blood, and not of ethereal spirits devoid of evil's affects. Hence, God's redemption is both historical (by Covenant, and by Jesus), and historically working itself out within man's existential experiences (salvation, and renewal). It is meant to be especially meaningful in this life of ours now, and not to be regarded as some non-sequitur metaphysical property to be discovered later in a dimensionless time and space. This would be an illogical inference or conclusion to the biblical idea of God's here-and-now Kingdom.

That we must grasp the indefatigable truths that God, through his Holy Spirit, ineffably works  within our seemingly small, but very sacred lives, towards those many essential themes that would fill us with a hope and determination. Which speak to the fact that through Jesus, God is dynamically reconciling, and is intimately involved with, the world - both within our private lives as well as our communal, relational lives. And it is within these spiritually esoteric intricacies wherein lies our complex of hope connecting our living present to God's living eternity.

RE Slater
August 16, 2011

The Concept of Synchronicity
Part 2 of 2

(Continued from the above article, "LOST in Purgatory")

A significant concept that was not readily apparent on the TV show LOST until the flash forwards and flash sideways episodes began appearing in the third and fourth seasons was the concept of synchronicity. When reviewing my notes from several years back I believe that some of what was being implied through the concept of purgatory discussed above could easily fall into this metaphysical idea here, where, during our lifetimes, and quite unknown to us (if at all), coincidences based upon a-causal events may interlope (or intersect) within our lives in phenomenal ways. Some Christians call these events miracles, others an "intervention of grace," where non-normative events, ideas or people may enter into our lives in either profound or non-significant ways.

Most philosophers, psychologists and physicists, regard synchronicity as an extremely rare event (as initially conceived), but I am more or less of the opinion that synchronicity is a very common, normative event at work at all times in everyone's lives and that we are simply unaware of it, just like we are unaware of the act of breathing, or thinking, or behaving, or acting, or passing through time for most of our lives. It is an all-pervasive fact that we only may rarely glimpse like the tip of an iceberg. This has become known as a joined collective dynamic very similar to the physics term of quantum mechanics, but operative on a metaphysical level that occasionally intersects with our physical, symbolic world, and with others who cross-sect our daily routines sometime in life.

Taking this concept one step farther, I would entertain the idea that the operating mechanism behind the concept of synchronicity is that of the Holy Spirit infilling (or, infusing) all creation to bring it into the very plans and purposes of the Godhead. And it is through this metaphysical idea of a joined collective dynamic that God interweaves the lives of people with one another through the work of His Spirit to bring about both His purposes as well as our spiritual well being. Not our physical well being, but our spiritual well being (some would call it a blessedness to our lives). So that, regardless of our experiences in this life under the reign of sin, death, hatred, evil, wickedness, brokenness, abandonment, dissertion, betrayal, and dysfunctionalism and so on; but through all of this, God is weaving a redemptive tapestry predicated upon His purposes of redemption, reconciliation, wholeness, and healing. Whether we understand this or not. Whether we see this or not. Whether we acknowledge this or not. It is synchronous.

So then, we are given this time to make amends, to recover, to process our existence into a meaningful existence at one with the union of God's purposes. To allow what order can be made of it before we are removed from this life. And in a sense, this life of ours is our time of purgatory (one which emergent Christians have lately been calling our "heaven on earth" or a "hell on earth": sic, Rob Bell's book, Love Wins). Now I'm sure this is not what Bell had in mind, but as long as we're thinking through the concept of purgatory, we could very easily align it into this life rather than into a future expectation that is un-discovered (or, un-stated) in the Bible, just like Bell is aligning acts of heaven and hell into this life (otherwise known as Inaugural Kingdom Eschatology).

Consequently, though there may be a purgatory-like existence into heaven's entrance, (or in fact, into hell's entrance) - if we wish to allow for a type of universalism into this discussion - but I am not of the opinion that it is either necessary or biblical. For me, this meager life that we live will contain all those facets of purgatory, heaven and hell, to be sufficient for the redemptive purposes of God of establishing a creative order of blessedness. He does not need to extend our agonies nor our pains yet another second beyond this, our lifetimes. He will have worked out his purposes in our lives sufficiently despite evil, the devil, this sinful world, and ourselves, to be satisfied with its culminating end (which is a good working definition of Sovereignty). And the true fact is - one that should cause fear and trembling in our souls - is that we must not allow even one more breath or life-event to pass living separate from God's grace, love, and care in our lives!

For like the survivors on the mythical island of LOST we may be indeterminately and immediately snatched away by death once our purpose of existence have been completed. Should those purposes have striven towards wickedness and sin, towards striving against God, towards hatred and creating a hell for those around us, than we should not expect anything less than what we have brought into the lives of those whom we have harmed. And if, as Christians believers, we continue to seek ungodly and wicked demonstrations of harsh judgments upon both innocents and the true seekers of God alike, we too should expect nothing less than a judgment upon our hearts (known as the bema seat of God in Scriptures). There will be tears and agonies, vexations and the gnashing of teeth, on both sides of heaven and hell, but in the end God shall rule as He now rules in a broken, mis-shapened world. So then repent and be at peace.

RE Slater
August 17, 2011

  

Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve

 

As intro to the NPR story I would refer all readers to the many earlier discussions we have been having on this subject that will present better questions and lines of thought than will be found below. Please reference the sections on "Science" regarding Origins and the Search for Adam within this blog.

Consistent to my fundamental/evangelical background, the pervasiveness of allegory found in the bible was considered forbidden. But when examining Scriptures from a non-fundamental/non-evangelical standpoint the pervasiveness of allegorical usage in the bible will require re-examination and re-consideration as we go forwards. My preference still leans to the historical-critical/contextual method of biblical interpretation (or "hermeneutic") which method leaves little room for allegorical usage within the passages of Scripture. However, if departing from the method of biblical literalism it would now have to be reconsidered since allegory would fall into the category of the "contextual history" of Scripture's literary environs. In fairness to the biblical literalist, allegory implied a subjective, relative reading of biblical passages... which was the very thing that the literal hermeneutic wished to avoid from the spurious mouths of non-bible believing heretics and disbelievers. Moreover, the practical mindset of 19th and 20th century Enlightenment wished for a tighter correlation between words and ideas in the language of man... one that presumably cannot be found it now seems given the fluidity of human linguistics.
 
Relative to the the Genesis creation story, my preference at this time is not to view it as an ancient Hebrew myth but as a allegorical story couched in mythological terminology. Perhaps these phrases carry the same meaning, but as a myth we tend to disregard any claims of theological reality to the Genesis story. That is, if granting a mythic treatment of Genesis it causes an indifference that is no more, nor no less, than other lightly regarded mythological stories of creation, flight and fancy. (As example, the ancient creation stories of Chinese dragons swallowing up the world. Or, the Mayan, Mesopotamian, Greek legends of god both fickled and weak, and destructive of whim). But, as a biblical form of allegory, the bible's theological claims may still be regarded as true when reconstructed from the ancient mindset into today's more scientific/modern mindset. Rather than being indifferently regarded the Genesis story may now carry validity with strong theological import to the continuing story found in Jesus' Incarnate Passion for man's sins. Which, at this point, is a pretty phenomenal statement from a former biblical literalist, don't you think?
 
Too, the Hebrew Creation story set within Genesis 1-3 is not written in today's modernity as a scientific journal of natural origins, but as an ancient nation's primitive understanding of the world's origins in theologic (or, broadly, religious) terms, where function and order is established from non-functioning chaos and the dark void of matter/non-matter by a Creator God known as Yahweh (YHWH) who we find to be loving, just, personal, almighty, wise, directive, purposeful - among many other qualities. RJS has declared as much himself (http://relevancy22.blogspot.com/2011/08/search-for-historical-adam-5.html) as does NT Wright (http://relevancy22.blogspot.com/2011/07/nt-wright-how-can-bible-be.html) in their past articles here listed about how to read the Genesis story in authoritative, non-scientific terms.

Otherwise, I wish to list the NPR story as the sad tale that is gripping conservative Christianity pulled by academic integrity in one direction while being pulled by obtuse (and irrelevant) theological statements of faith and conviction in the other direction. I would wish to see emergent Christians significantly differ from their evangelical kin and err in the direction of academic integrity to the abandonment of traditional beliefs. Thus allowing for a freedom of academic research that could better uncover the current mis-statements espoused by both conservative and liberal researcher and theologian. By-and-by I firmly believe that the fields of science, theology, philosophy, linguistics, etc, will all eventually form a generalized consensus of opinion on a number of interpretive grounds that later generations of theologians will be more adept at deciphering within today's vast arrays of conflicting data.

Taking a patient "wait-and-see" approach that is honest would be a far more hopeful plan and loving response than that of conducting Christian Inquisitions of defamation and inflammatory statements upon individuals, schools, churches and organizations. Let us not repeat the Catholic Church's mistake of locking up a Galileo while pretending the starry heavens ever circled our lowly earth because we think it so.

Nor do I think we Christians should fear that our faith will "unravel" as is quipped by Albert Mohler near the end of NPR's article. But rather, we will find a more secure, better informed faith than could be found through the fearful acts of naivety and disruption.

skinhead
August 11, 2012


*Five months later I wrote a second follow up to NPR's observations entitled "How God Created by Evolution: A Proposed Theory of Man's Evolutionary Development." Here, I had grown tired of talking round-and-round about the story of creation and simply wanted to find an evolutionary depiction of it. Failing that, I wrote one myself proposing a stricter account of evolutionary creation that attempted to remove the impasses to the traditional Christian understanding of Sin, the Fall, Adam and Eve, and corollaries to Jesus. By doing this it helped me to think more in evolutionary terms of this world's creation up to its present state of tension held in sin and death. And from that point forward it has assisted me in further redefining the story of us held in the larger story of our Creator-Redeeming God.

R.E. Slater
November 14, 2012

 

* * * * * * * * * *

 

http://www.npr.org/2011/08/09/138957812/evangelicals-question-the-existence-of-adam-and-eve

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

August 9, 2011

Listen to the Story

Morning Edition

[7 min 44 sec]

Let's go back to the beginning — all the way to Adam and Eve, and to the question: Did they exist, and did all of humanity descend from that single pair?

According to the Bible (Genesis 2:7), this is how humanity began: "The Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul." God then called the man Adam, and later created Eve from Adam's rib.

Polls by Gallup and the Pew Research Center find that four out of 10 Americans believe this account. It's a central tenet for much of conservative Christianity, from evangelicals to confessional churches such as the Christian Reformed Church.

But now some conservative scholars are saying publicly that they can no longer believe the Genesis account. Asked how likely it is that we all descended from Adam and Eve, Dennis Venema, a biologist at Trinity Western University, replies: "That would be against all the genomic evidence that we've assembled over the last 20 years, so not likely at all."

Researching The Human Genome

Venema says there is no way we can be traced back to a single couple. He says with the mapping of the human genome, it's clear that modern humans emerged from other primates as a large population — long before the Genesis time frame of a few thousand years ago. And given the genetic variation of people today, he says scientists can't get that population size below 10,000 people at any time in our evolutionary history.

To get down to just two ancestors, Venema says, "You would have to postulate that there's been this absolutely astronomical mutation rate that has produced all these new variants in an incredibly short period of time. Those types of mutation rates are just not possible. It would mutate us out of existence."

Venema is a senior fellow at BioLogos Foundation, a Christian group that tries to reconcile faith and science. The group was founded by Francis Collins, an evangelical and the current head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who, because of his position, declined an interview.

And Venema is part of a growing cadre of Christian scholars who say they want their faith to come into the 21st century. Another one is John Schneider, who taught theology at Calvin College in Michigan until recently. He says it's time to face facts: There was no historical Adam and Eve, no serpent, no apple, no fall that toppled man from a state of innocence.

"Evolution makes it pretty clear that in nature, and in the moral experience of human beings, there never was any such paradise to be lost," Schneider says. "So Christians, I think, have a challenge, have a job on their hands to reformulate some of their tradition about human beginnings."

'Fundamental Doctrines Of The Christian Faith'

To many evangelicals, this is heresy.

"From my viewpoint, a historical Adam and Eve is absolutely central to the truth claims of the Christian faith," says Fazale Rana, vice president of Reasons To Believe, an evangelical think tank that questions evolution. Rana, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Ohio University, readily admits that small details of Scripture could be wrong.

"But if the parts of Scripture that you are claiming to be false, in effect, are responsible for creating the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, then you've got a problem," Rana says.

Rana and others believe in a literal, historical Adam and Eve for many reasons. One is that the Genesis account makes man unique, created in the image of God — not a descendant of lower primates.

Second, it tells a story of how evil came into the world, and it's not a story in which God introduced evil through the process of evolution, but one in which Adam and Eve decided to disobey God and eat the forbidden fruit.

Albert Mohler, president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, says that rebellious choice infected all of humankind.

"When Adam sinned, he sinned for us," Mohler says. "And it's that very sinfulness that sets up our understanding of our need for a savior.

Mohler says the Adam and Eve story is not just about a fall from paradise: It goes to the heart of Christianity. He notes that the Apostle Paul (in Romans 5 and 1 Corinthians 15) argued that the whole point of Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection was to undo Adam's original sin.

"Without Adam, the work of Christ makes no sense whatsoever in Paul's description of the Gospel, which is the classic description of the Gospel we have in the New Testament," Mohler says.

Intellectual Rift

That's only true if you read the Bible literally, says Dennis Venema at Trinity Western University. But if you read the Bible as poetry and allegory as well as history, you can see God's hand in nature — and in evolution.

"There's nothing to be scared of here," Venema says. "There is nothing to be alarmed about. It's actually an opportunity to have an increasingly accurate understanding of the world — and from a Christian perspective, that's an increasingly accurate understanding of how God brought us into existence."

This debate over a historical Adam and Eve is not just another heady squabble. It's ripping apart the evangelical intelligentsia.

"Evangelicalism has a tendency to devour its young," says Daniel Harlow, a religion professor at Calvin College, a Christian Reformed school that subscribes to the fall of Adam and Eve as a central part of its faith.

"You get evangelicals who push the envelope, maybe; they get the courage to work in sensitive, difficult areas," Harlow says. "And they get slapped down. They get fired or dismissed or pressured out."

Harlow should know: Calvin College investigated him after he wrote an article questioning the historical Adam. His colleague and fellow theologian, John Schneider, wrote a similar article and was pressured to resign after 25 years at the college. Schneider is now beginning a research fellowship at Notre Dame.

It's actually an opportunity to have an increasingly accurate understanding of the world — and from a Christian perspective, that's an increasingly accurate understanding of how God brought us into existence.

'A Galileo Moment'

Several other well known theologians at Christian universities have been forced out; some see a parallel to a previous time when science conflicted with religious doctrine.

"The evolution controversy today is, I think, a Galileo moment," says Karl Giberson, who authored several books trying to reconcile Christianity and evolution, including The Language of Science and Faith, with Francis Collins.

Giberson — who taught physics at Eastern Nazarene College until his views became too uncomfortable in Christian academia — says Protestants who question Adam and Eve are akin to Galileo in the 1600s, who defied Catholic Church doctrine by stating that the earth revolved around the sun and not vice versa. Galileo was condemned by the church, and it took more than three centuries for the Vatican to express regret at its error.

"When you ignore science, you end up with egg on your face," Giberson says. "The Catholic Church has had an awful lot of egg on its face for centuries because of Galileo. And Protestants would do very well to look at that and to learn from it."

Abandoning Theology?

Fuzale Rana isn't so sure this is a Galileo moment: That would imply the scientists are correct. But he does believe the stakes are even higher in today's battle over evolution. It is not just about the movement of the earth, but about the nature of God and man, of sin and redemption.

"I think this is going to be a pivotal point in Church history," he says. "Because what rests at the very heart of this debate is whether or not key ideas within Christianity are ultimately true or not."

But others say Christians can no longer afford to ignore the evidence from the human genome and fossils just to maintain a literal view of Genesis.

"This stuff is unavoidable," says Dan Harlow at Calvin College. "Evangelicals have to either face up to it or they have to stick their head in the sand. And if they do that, they will lose whatever intellectual currency or respectability they have."

"If so, that's simply the price we'll have to pay," says Southern Baptist seminary's Albert Mohler. "The moment you say 'We have to abandon this theology in order to have the respect of the world,' you end up with neither biblical orthodoxy nor the respect of the world."

Mohler and others say if other Protestants want to accommodate science, fine. But they shouldn't be surprised if their faith unravels.*

 

Academic Integrity in the face of Evolutionary Eviction by Evangelicals

A Search for Acceptance?

http://musingsonscience.wordpress.com/2011/08/11/a-search-for-acceptance/#more-768

by rjs5

posted August 11, 2011

NPR had a story on Morning Edition this last Tuesday entitled Evangelicals Question The Existence Of Adam And Eve. You can download, listen, read a transcript of read the story at the link. The short piece – 7:44 – involves commentary and snippets of interviews with a number of people, many of whom have come up in various posts on the blog as we’ve looked at the question of Adam.

Among those questioning the historicity of Adam and Eve are John Schneider, until recently a professor of Religion at Calvin College (he took early retirement in the wake of the controversy surrounding his article in PSCF). Dennis Venema, an associate professor of Biology at Trinity Western University in British Columbia who posts regularly at BioLogos, Karl Giberson, and Daniel Harlow, a professor of Religion at Calvin College and author of another controversial article in PSCF (discussed here in two posts: 1, 2).

Albert Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and Fazale Rana, vice president of Reasons To Believe, Ph.D. in Biochemistry, provide the counterpoint defending the traditional understanding of Adam and Eve as essential to the Christian faith.

The NPR story is fairly predictable. It emphasizes two widely separated extremes in evangelical thinking, but doesn’t have the time to really dig into the complexities of the discussions or the range of possible views. This is interesting, but not particularly informative. In the post today I don’t want to focus on the question of Adam – instead I would rather pose a related question for discussion.

Why do so many Christian scholars stick their neck out on this issue?

What is the motivation?

The end of the NPR story is what really caught my attention – and it is the aspect that I would like to highlight.

This debate over a historical Adam and Eve is not just another heady squabble. It’s ripping apart the evangelical intelligentsia.

“Evangelicalism has a tendency to devour its young,” says Daniel Harlow, a religion professor at Calvin College, a Christian Reformed school that subscribes to the fall of Adam and Eve as a central part of its faith.

“You get evangelicals who push the envelope, maybe; they get the courage to work in sensitive, difficult areas,” Harlow says. “And they get slapped down. They get fired or dismissed or pressured out.”

Evangelicalism is not content to devour the young – the middle-aged and elder statesmen are also fair game. I don’t think I could work at an evangelical school – not because I expect my faith to unravel, but because I would not be comfortable if required to conform my understanding of the faith by a statement and commitment that goes beyond the ancient creeds and a general appreciation for the authority of scripture. While theology certainly helps to inform my interpretation of creation, life, and purpose, we err when we declare for some reason or other that a fact can not be a fact because of its theological consequence. This was true in the day of Galileo and is true today.

“This stuff is unavoidable,” says Dan Harlow at Calvin College. “Evangelicals have to either face up to it or they have to stick their head in the sand. And if they do that, they will lose whatever intellectual currency or respectability they have.”

“If so, that’s simply the price we’ll have to pay,” says Southern Baptist seminary’s Albert Mohler. “The moment you say ‘We have to abandon this theology in order to have the respect of the world,’ you end up with neither biblical orthodoxy nor the respect of the world.”

Mohler and others say if other Protestants want to accommodate science, fine. But they shouldn’t be surprised if their faith unravels.

But is the problem really accommodation and a desire for acceptance? Did Pete Enns, Richard Colling, Dan Harlow, John Schneider, Darrel Falk, Bruce Waltke, Tremper Longman, and more, put their jobs on the line, in many cases losing them, because they valued the acceptance of the world, the intellectual and academic world, above all else? This suggestion, often repeated, is excessively cynical and damaging to both individuals and to dialog. It is method used to disparage individuals and remove the need for real conversation.

I agree with Dr. Mohler that if we say we have to abandon theology to have the respect of the world we will have neither. But that is not really the issue. The full context and intent of Dr. Harlow’s comment and this ongoing discussion is not to retain respect for the sake of respect, but to remain engaged in a sincere search for truth – God’s truth. If the evidence for evolution and a non-traditional view of Adam and Eve really is overwhelming – and I believe that it is – we have no choice but to go with the data. This isn’t a search for the acceptance of the world but a profound need to retain personal intellectual integrity. I am convinced that science, specifically evolution, and faith are compatible because I am convinced that both are true – we can and will work out the details.

The conversation is important, and worth taking a stand on, not to achieve personal acceptance and respect – but because the issue has caused so many to struggle with faith, lose faith, or refuse to consider faith.

Here we can quote St. Augustine:

If they find a Christian mistaken in a field which they themselves know well and hear him maintaining his foolish opinions about our books, how are they going to believe those books in matters concerning the resurrection of the dead, the hope of eternal life, and the kingdom of heaven, when they think their pages are full of falsehoods on facts which they themselves have learnt from experience and the light of reason? (The Literal Meaning of Genesis Ch. 18)

God is the God of truth and we should not fear to seek truth wherever it is found, and this includes scripture and it includes our pursuit of a scientific explanation and understanding of the workings of God’s creation. St. Augustine’s reflections in the passage from which the quote above was taken are particularly relevant – when more than one interpretation of scripture is possible, and more than one intent can be ascribed to the author, we should leave room for the ambiguity and let future study either confirm both or determine the truth.

Above all let us be governed by love. We need to avoid cynicism and the appearance of cynicism. Those who question the traditional view of Adam are not sacrificing all to seek the approval and respect of the world. Those who feel that the traditional view is a lynchpin of our faith are not out to win the approval of men, secure power, or appease donors. We won’t get anywhere if we disparage and distrust the motivations of others. Nor will we witness effectively to those outside of the faith or struggling with faith. This is a family discussion we need to have. It would be nice if we could model the discussion of a healthy and loving family as we move forward.

What do you think? What drives this discussion?

Can we agree to disagree and take our time working through the issues? Or is it essential to take a strong stand here and now, either for or against?

If you wish to contact me directly you may do so at rjs4mail[at]att.net

If you have comments please visit A Search for Acceptance? at Jesus Creed.

The Names of God in Scripture

(Click to Expand)

R e v e l a t i o n

Compiled by R.E. Slater

Old Testament  Genesis  Exodus  Leviticus  Numbers  Deuteronomy  Joshua  Judges  Ruth  1 Samuel  2 Samuel  1 Kings  2 Kings  1 Chronicles  2 Chronicles  Ezra  Nehemiah  Esther  Job  Psalm  Proverbs  Ecclesiastes  Song of Solomon  Isaiah  Jeremiah  Lamentations  Ezekiel  Daniel  Hosea  Joel  Amos  Obadiah  Jonah  Micah  Nahum  Habakkuk  Zephaniah  Haggai  Zechariah  Malachi

New Testament  Matthew  Mark  Luke  John  Acts  Romans  1 Corinthians  2 Corinthians  Galatians  Ephesians  Philippians  Colossians  1 Thessalonians  2 Thessalonians  1 Timothy  2 Timothy  Titus  Philemon  Hebrews  James  1 Peter  2 Peter  1 John  2 John  3 John  Jude  Revelation

 

YHWH = Tetragrammaton = The Hebrew name for God

Abhir The Mighty One

Father of Spirits (NT)
Attiq Yomin Ancient of Days
Father of heavenly lights (NT)
El Berith Covenanting God
Son of Righteousness
El Elyon Lord Most High
Stone Made without Hand
El Gibhor Mighty God
Tsaddiq Righteous One
El Olam Everlasting God
Tsemach Branch
El Mighty God
Wonderful Counselor
El Ro’I All-Seeing God
Yah My God
El Shadai God Almighty
Yahweh I AM
Eloah God
Yahweh Covenanting God
Elohim Mighty Creator
Yahweh Eloheenu
Everlasting Father
Lord God
First & Last Gaol Redeemer God
Eyaluth my Strength
Yahweh Elohim Lord God
God of Abraham, Isaac & Jacob
Yahweh Elohim Israel Lord of Israel
Yahweh Hossenu
God of our Fathers
Lord our Maker
Kadosh The Holy One
Yahweh Jireh my Provider
Kanna Jealous God

(Click to Expand)

Yahweh M’Kaddesh my Sanctifier
Magen God my Shield
Yahweh Nissi my Banner
Melekh The King
Yahweh Ro’I my Shepherd
Palet Deliverering God
Yahweh Ropheka who Heals
Prince of Peace
Yahweh Sabbaoth of Hosts
Shaphat The Judge
Yahweh Shalom my Peace
Yahweh Tsidkenu our Righteousness
The Angel of Lord
Yahweh Shammah who is There
Yeshua Savior God
Zur God our Rock
Holy Father

God’s Names in Scripture

Compiled by R.E. Slater

God the Father

Abhir The Mighty One

Attiq Yomin Ancient of Days

El Berith Covenanting God

El Elyon Lord Most High

God's Names written in OT Hebrew
(read from right to left)

El Gibhor Mighty God

El Olam Everlasting God

El Mighty God

El Ro’I All-Seeing God

El Shadai God Almighty

Eloah God

Elohim Mighty Creator God

Everlasting Father

Eyaluth God my Strength

Gaol Redeemer God

God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

God of our Fathers

Kadosh The Holy One

Kanna Jealous God

Magen God my Shield

Melekh The King

Palet Deliverering God

Prince of Peace

Shaphat The Judge

The Angel of the Lord

The Father

The First and Last

The Father of Spirits (NT)

The Father of heavenly lights (NT)

The Son of Righteousness

The Stone

Tsaddiq The Righteous One

Tsemach The Branch

Wonderful Counselor

Yah My God

Yahweh (YHWH) I AM

Yahweh (YHWH) Covenanting God

Yahweh Eloheenu Lord God

Yahweh Elohim Lord God

Yahweh Elohim Israel The Lord of Israel

Yahweh Hossenu The Lord our Maker

Yahweh Jireh The Lord my Provider

Yahweh M’Kaddesh The Lord my Sanctifier

Yahweh Nissi The Lord my Banner

Yahweh Ro’I The Lord my Shepherd

Yahweh Ropheka The Lord who Heals

Yahweh Sabbaoth The Lord of Hosts

Yahweh Shalom The Lord my Peace

Yahweh Shammah The Lord who is There

Yahweh Tsidkenu The Lord our Righteousness

Yeshua Savior God

Zur God our Rock


God the Son

Advocate (Paraclete)

Almighty (Pantokrator)

Alpha & Omega

Ancient of Days

Anointed One, Christ (Meshiach)

Bishop and Guardian of our Souls

Branch

Bridegroom

Comforter

Daystar

Deliverer

Beloved

Blessed and only Sovereign

Chief Cornerstone

Cornerstone

Emmanuel

Father

Father, Son & Holy Spirit

First Born

Firstborn of all creation

God (Theos)

Godhead (Theotes)

Good Shepherd

Great High Priest

Head of the Body

Head of the Church

Highest (Hupsistos)

Holy One

I Am

Image of God

Immanuel

Jesus (Y’shua)

Jesus Is Salvation (Y’hoshua)

Judge of the living and the dead King of the Jews

King of Kings

Lamb of God

Lamb Slain before the foundation of the world

Last (Second) Adam

Lord God (Adonai, Kurios)

Lord God Almighty

Lord Master (Despotes)

Lord of Lords

Mediator between God and man

Messiah

Only Begotten

Physician

Potentate

Prophet

Rabbi (Teacher)

Rock

Root of Jesse

Ruler of the earth (Adon, Adonim)

Savior (Soter)

Shepherd

Shepherd and Guardian of our souls

Shepherd of Israel

Shepherd of the Sheep

Son of Abraham

Son of God

Son of David

Son of Man

Son of Mary

Spiritual Rock

Suffering Servant

The Amen, the Faithful & True Witness

The Author and Finisher of our Faith

The Bright Morning Star

The Chief Apostle

The Lamb who is Slain

The Lion of the tribe of Judah

The Passover Lamb of God

The Pioneer and Perfecter of our Faith

The Root & Descendant of David

The Stone whom the builders cut

The Word (Logos)


God the Holy Spirit

Holy Spirit Advocate

Baptizer

Breath or Wind

Counselor

Comforter

Dove

Fire

Light

Oil

Sanctifier

Seven-Fold Spirit

Spirit of Christ

Spirit of God

Spirit of Grace

Spirit of Holiness

Spirit of Life

Spirit of Mercy

Spirit of Truth Strengthener

Water

EARLY CHRISTIAN SYMBOLS

Compiled by R.E. Slater

The "lamb (arnion) standing as if it had been slain" is also prominent in the Book of Revelation (5:6, and 30 times total).

Christians later used the Chi-Rho symbol (first two letters of "Christ" in Greek) as a monogram for Jesus.

The inscription place on the cross above Jesus' head said "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" (John 19:19; cf. Mark 15:2-26; Matt 27:11-37; Luke 3-38), from which is derived the common abbreviation INRI (from the Latin "Iesus Nazarenus Rex Iudaeorum").

The ancient symbol at the right contains abbreviations for the name "Jesus" and "Christ" (the first and last letters of each word in Greek), along with the verb "NIKA", meaning "to conquer, win, be victorious"; thus the phrase means "Jesus Christ is victorious".

But the best-known image is obviously the FISH.  The most common Greek word for "fish" is ICQUS ("Ichthus"), which the early Christians connected with the first letters of the words in the Greek phrase IhsouV CristoV Qeou UioV Swthr ("Jesus Christ, God's Son, Savior).

~  Symbols of the Trinity  ~

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

God’s Name in Textual Phrases

From A to Z

Compiled by R.E. Slater

Ancient of Days

Accepted in the Beloved

Abba Father

Praise to the God who holds the Key of Life

Almighty

Author and Finisher

Advocate

Bread of Life

Bridegroom

Bright and Morning Star

Captain of our Salvation

Counselor

Creator

Christ

Cornerstone

Dayspring from on High

Deliverer

Door of the Sheep

Everlasting Father

Eternal One

Father of Mercies

Friend closer than a Brother

Friend of Sinners

God of all patience and consolation

Gracious

Head of the man is Christ

High Priest

I AM

(Click to Expand)

Immanuel

Image of the Invisible God

Jesus

Jesus Christ

Judge

Just One

King of Kings

Keeper

Lamb of God

Lover of our Soul

Lord

Light of the World

Man of Sorrows and aquainted with grief

Merciful High Priest

Master

Mighty God

Nigh unto all who call upon You in truth

Only Wise God

One in Whom we live and move and have our being

Physician

Prince of Peace

Precious

Promise / Covenant Keeper

Quickening Spirit

Resurrection and the Life

Redeemer

Reconciler

Ruler

Righteous Judge

(Click to Expand)

Rock

Savior

Spirit

Shepherd

Son of Righteousness

Truth

Thou God Seest Me

Touched with the feelings (pain) of our infirmity

Teacher

True Vine

Underneath are the Everlasting Arms

Understanding is limitless

Visit us

Very Present Help in time of trouble

Vengeance is Mine, I will repay

Victor

Word

Water of Life

Worthy to be Praised

Wisdom

eXceeding Greatness of

eXcellent Majesty

Yearn Over Us

Your Power Zealous to guard our bodies

For Thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory forever.

We ask this in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,

Amen.

Jesus, Name above all Names