commencement and controversy

"Or take the Trinity, for example. Even the best definitions end up sounding like a small child trying to play Mozart on pots and pans in the middle of the kitchen floor. The more you study the Trinity and what has been said about it over the years, the more you are left in wonder and awe about the nature of God."

I remember a few years back, when I was in college, Rob Bell's book Velvet Elvis was published and the conservative evangelical community answered with angry blogs, articles, and special meetings in the caves of Colorado to discuss how one could ask such difficult and deviant questions. Of course this was in the heat of the "post-modern" discussion so most people had swords drawn, no pun intended, anyways.

My assumption is that if more conservative evangelicals would read more of Bell instead of jumping on the bandwagon against him, they might discover that he is not as controversial as most suggest. He is not perfect, his theology is not perfect, but he is humble and, from what I can observe, honestly and responsibly seeking answers. But, I digress, this blog is not dedicated to Rob Bell and perhaps I will write later concerning him in another setting.

Moving on...

I can remember when I first read the opening chapters to Velvet Elvis I was doing so under a very critical paradigm as I had been "warned" against his teachings against things like the Trinity, the Virgin Birth, etc. (even though he openly affirms both of these p. 27). As I read his work I realized a couple of things. 1.) He likes to ask questions, and 2.) He appears to be less defensive about his theology and more engaging.

To better understand his theology, one must understand how he arrives (I say arrives instead of arrived because by his own admission he holds that theology is constantly reforming leading us to constantly "arrive") at his system of approaching theological discussions. His framework (which he views doctrine and beliefs as springs on a trampoline rather than a more foundational system which builds doctrine on top of doctrine) allows for him to disconnect certain "beliefs" from the very person of God for the sake of evaluation and examination. He sees them as ways of understanding who God is. Therefore, he views the concept of Trinity as doctrine which better helps us understand God.

I think that this is the point that some people get nervous. Because Bell then proceeds to ask questions that, if your theological system is more foundational, may be difficult to process.

After explaining his "springs" theology he makes the assertion that springs are not God, but rather propositions or ideas that further explain him. I see his point of view here and have to agree in part. However, in the case of the Trinity, I tend to believe that the "spring" of the Trinity would be entirely God. Sure, the conceptual analysis of the Trinity was added as doctrine later, but it does not diminish the intrinsic value of the Trinity before the councils gathered or the creeds were formed.

Nonetheless, in the example of Bell, I will continue to seek out what the Trinity looks like and its implications in the world and in the life of the Church. This is why this blog was created, other than passing our class, Ryan and I want to struggle with how we approach our understanding of the Trinity and we invite you to do so with us.


-j

COMMUNITY: What it teaches me.

I just recently finished watching the movie Into the Wild. I found the movie to be really really cool, so cool it actually made me want to drop out of seminary and wander around the country for a while. (Obviously, the fact that I am writing this blog displays I didn't actually follow through with my desires.) The whole theme of the movie was built upon the thought that people don't need other people to be happy or to have meaning and purpose. It was on that presupposition that the main character in the movie, Christopher McCandless, heads out with nothing and ultimately arrives in the wilderness of Alaska all alone. I don't want to ruin the movie for anyone that hasn't seen the film, but it was out of that theme I began to think about what purpose community serves and why we are so drawn to each other. (By the way, if you do rent the movie, it has some language and nudity in it....just fyi.)



As a self proclaimed "new comer" to the theological thought surrounding the Trinity I have found that many trinitarian attributes and functions of God are on full display for us daily. Most likely an equal amount of the trinitarian evidences take a little bit more effort to discover. Of all the possible discussions that we could release on this blog about the nature of God I find the most enjoyable aspect to be community. For the purpose of this discussion, I am most directly thinking of the community of friendship and family.

I have found that in my 18 years as a follower of Christ, my greatest understandings and awarenesses of God, his nature, his character, and his love have been revealed in and through community. It is the talks with my father about faith that have brought me perspective and insight. It is the time spent crying with my mother that has allowed me to better understand compassion and comfort. It is the enjoyment and accountability of true friendship that has pushed me to be more disciplined, more faithful, more selfless.....and the list goes on. And if I take a moment and step back, I realize this enjoyment and satisfaction that i receive from community is intended and desired by God and even more so an innate quality of who He is! It is through the interrelationships of the trinity, that is the mutual indwelling of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that we see the greatest and most perfect community on display.

Now I am sure that over the next few weeks more pointed and in depth discussions will take place of easy and not so easy topics dealing with the Trinity, but I wanted to make it clear as my first post that we desperately need each other (community). The movie, Into the Wild, was a great testimony to that simple truth. Since the creation of earth, God saw fit that we were not to be alone but to have community (Adam and Eve). At the crux of history, as Jesus in his human flesh bled on the floor of the Garden of Gethsemane, he made it known to us that we are in desperate need of community. As the Holy Spirit worked in the lives of the early church in Acts, we were reminded of our need for community. At the core of the God of the universe we find community. So in our quest as students, teachers, friends, family, husbands, and wives let us not forget that God created us so that we may have community with one another in order that we may know and enjoy Him more.

For if we have to go into the wild alone to figure that simple truth out, we have completely missed the nature of our God.

-r