Thursday, September 29, 2005

A one-eyed man's reflections

The saying goes: in the land of the blind, the one-eyed man i s king. That's my disclaimer.

Well not sure about the king part, but here are my "one-eyed" observations of the whole theological study enterprise...

As part of good scholarship, I have been assigned reading material from all views of the subjects being studied. Not only from people I agree with wholeheartedly, but also from people whom I would have problems considering even Christian. (my bad!)

The whole exercise reminds me sometimes of quote that I have heard repeated about our capacity for self-deception being infinite. Anyways, the way some of the arguements go is sometimes dizzying with regards to the loops they tie around their arguments. One the one hand they condemn "ideologically" biased opinoins and scholarship, and yet at the same time their own "ideologies" are not acknowledged! And all they really mean to say is that the "ideologies" in question don't fit their own comfortable template of what is right and wrong. Rather like the boy who shot his arrows then painted the bullseyes around where they landed.

All of it causes me to want to ask whether I have been as guilty of such self deception. Especially in the times I have confidently declared what I am saying is the truth!

Saturday, September 24, 2005

A Fresh Start

Welcome to my blog...

I'm just a little hesitant to put too much up here. I've discovered that whatever goes up on the net can come around to bite you in the butt, so I'll have to practice a little self censorship, and pray for the grace of God and you the reader so that I don't put my foot in my mouth too often!

If you want to hear how things are going in Pittsburgh (or more accurately Ambridge) check out the journal that Karen keeps on livejournal.com.

jon