AskThePriest.org

Tolkien and Lewis - Myth vs. Lies

2012-02-01T10:17:34-06:00

A reader wrote in with a question about the ubiquity of stories similar to the Christian one in other myths. For instance, the dying and reborn god Balder, or the miraculous birth of Horus. This is a fairly common strain of questioning. My response is to usually talk about the conversations between CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien and Hugo Dyson that dealt with this very subject. Here are a couple of YouTube videos that deal with those conversations.

The first is a really good portrayal of Lewis' vantage point:

This one illustrates Tolkien's view. This particular conversation never happened, but all of the words portrayed as delivered by Tolkien are drawn from his writings. Lewis is portrayed a little simplistically as the young man being lectured by the professorial Tolkien, but that's not suprising considering this is an EWTN production about Tolkien's Roman Catholicism.

Other posts related to this conversation:

The Feast of CS Lewis

How to read a story

Presiding Bishop Interviewed on Lutheran Radio

2012-01-16T12:19:09-06:00

Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori is interviewed by Pastor Todd Wilkens on the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod radio program "Issues etc."

You can listen to her conversation here.

After the interview is over and after Jefferts Schori hangs up, Wilkens does a something interesting: he says something like "Don't even think for a minute there's any way she can ontologically incarnate the office of the bishop" because she is a she. But he assures his listeners that he calls her "bishop" only to be polite.

via www.episcopalcafe.com

Merry Christmas, From AskThePriest!

2011-12-25T00:13:38-06:00

The Nativity by Gustave Doré

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde | The Diane Rehm Show from WAMU and NPR

2011-12-21T12:33:52-06:00

A decade of schism in the American Episcopal Church has taken a toll. New polls show the number of Episcopalians in the U.S. has dipped below two million for the first time in modern history. The church is losing conservatives who say it is too secular and accepting of gays and lesbians. Liberals are leaving to find spirituality not based on a centuries-old theology. The first female bishop of the Washington D.C. diocese -- one of the nation’s largest and home to the National Cathedral -- has a plan. She’s looking for ways to grow the church and bring people together. Diane talks with the Right Reverend Mariann Budde about saving the Episcopal Church.

via thedianerehmshow.org

A Quest To Seek The Sublime In The Spiritual : NPR

2011-12-20T16:10:27-06:00

Surveys show religious people are happier than the secular. Why is this? Is it — as an atheist friend quipped — that "ignorance is bliss?" Not long ago, that's what I would have concluded. Like many people of my ilk — cerebral East Coaster, highly skeptical and, yes, latte drinking — I reflexively viewed the religious as less sophisticated. And, if I'm brutally honest here, somehow less intelligent, or at least more narrow-minded. I don't feel that way anymore.

via www.npr.org

Yes, Virginia...

2011-12-07T16:34:01-06:00

A reader writes in:

I have always loved the Christmas story, it holds a kind of magic as good and better than anything J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis could create, because it could be true! I have recently read that it is unlikely Jesus was born in Bethlehem there wasn't a census around that time and if there was, there would be no reason for Mary and Joseph to travel anywhere. Does this mean that Christmas is just a story? The nativity has always been central to my Christmas celebrations.

I hope you can help me feel less like something precious has been taken from me.

Dear Reader,

It can be daunting as people trained in rationalism for us to see truth in non-historical forms. The solution to your dilemma is through the authors you mention in your question. Here I will re-post an article from 2005, The Feast of CS Lewis.

Today is the feast day of CS Lewis. It was added at the last General Convention (one of the many things that no one seemed to notice.) After preaching the mid-day service, my December newsletter article seemed to write itself....

I’m looking forward to the release of the movie of C.S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe early next month. The first time I read the Narnia series, I was around 12 or 13. I had finished The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings was a bit daunting for a new reader of Fantasy. At the time, I believed that God existed, but I was doubtful that he had any role in the universe beyond creation. I was technically a Deist in the tradition of Thomas Jefferson, although I didn’t know it at the time. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and The Last Battle had a great effect on me. I understood the allegory, but I didn’t recognize it as Christian. I remember thinking to myself, “I love how Lewis portrays God – I only wish Christianity believed that.” My experience with the Christianity of Fundamentalism had led me to believe that the God Christians worshipped was a God primarily of judgment and anger. In Aslan, I met a figure of God that while great and terrible, was primarily tender and loving. Lewis’ writings planted a seed in me – a seed that began to be tended and watered by liturgy, word and sacrament when my family moved to the Episcopal Church. The Stories of Narnia, while not scripture, contained the Gospel message in such a way that I could hear them. When I finally came into contact with scripture on my own terms, I saw that all the Narnia stories (and the Middle-Earth stories as well) pointed towards this ultimate story. Fantasy literature had been my entry into the Christian life.

In our culture, we are bereft of story. The enlightenment, while providing us with many benefits that I would never speak ill of, has left us with a lesser view of the power of fiction. We now say that something is “Only a story,” inferring that since it does not bear up a strict factual truthfulness, that it must have less value. Some have even applied this to scripture, asserting that if the Bible is not historically or factually true on all counts, that it cannot be the Word of God. I find this hard to understand, since the first place I heard the Word spoken was in the pages of a fantasy novel by an Anglican author. If you had placed a Bible in my hands at that time, all I would have been able to hear would be the echoes of the “fire and brimstone” sermons I had heard and rejected. CS Lewis held my hand with the image of Aslan until I was able to look at the Bible in the light of the Gospel message as he re-told it. In my experience, story is much more powerful than fact and quite often bears more truth.

We are heading towards the Christmas season – the ultimate “Fairy Tale” in terms of our Christian year. We know that the date of December 25th was set arbitrarily by a Pope in the 300s to coincide with the Roman pagan feast of Sol Invictus. Biblical Scholars believe that the birth was probably in the spring, not the winter, and the Early Church Fathers back that up. But think of what we would lose if we would change the date: Visions of a pregnant Mary and her husband walking through the cold snow to get to Bethlehem, of shepherds huddling together with their flocks against the bitter wind, of magi plodding their camels through the wintry roads of Judea following a star in the clear night sky. We would lose “Silent Night” and “In the Bleak Midwinter.” We’d even have to get rid of “The Christmas Song” whether you prefer Sinatra, Crosby or Cole.

The setting of Christmas in midwinter, when we are so aware of how fragile life is, when cold kills and famine threatens, tells us something about the Incarnation. It speaks of the frightening vulnerability of the Child Jesus and the wonder that God would love us so much to bring himself to a manger. Even though it may be factually incorrect, the story is so much more powerful when set in the Winter that it is “truer” than one set in the Spring. Yes, the wintry setting of the Birth of Jesus IS a “Fairy Tale.” In fact, the Gospels can be seen as a whole to be a fairy tale or a tale that embraces the essence of fairy tales. But, as Tolkien wrote, “This story has entered History … The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe (joyous unexpected event) of Man’s history. … There is no story ever told that men would rather find was true, and none which so many skeptical men have accepted as true on its own merits. … This story is supreme; and it is true. Art has been verified. God is the Lord, of angels, and of men – and of elves. Legend and History have been fused. “(Tree and Leaf, 1964)

Christmas is not something to be picked apart and analyzed. It is something to be experienced. It is a story to be heard to and to be made a part of us. Make time this Christmas to encounter the truth of story, and expect to be changed by it.

David+

What is Orthodoxy?

2011-09-06T17:08:03-05:00

A reader writes in:

What is "Orthodoxy?" I don't mean the Eastern version of Christianity - I know what that is. :) What I'm getting at is, what is considered the core, true Christian doctrine in the Episcopal Church?
You see, I am thinking of joining. I was brought up a Lutheran (LCMS), but ultimately found the faith too cold and distant for me. Then I got involved in the New Age movement, which I found didn't hold any water and also led to some disturbing experiences. After one particularly bad experience, I found I needed Jesus back, really bad, but not the Jesus I was raised with.

Now I am torn between ideas of what the Episcopal Church really teaches. From those who adhere to a more conservative Christianity, the church is infected with the same hippy-trippy, everybody's going to heaven, vague and noncommittal "faith" that can be found in, say, Unitarian churches - even that Jesus isn't really considered all that important, according to them. Others say it's just another traditional Protestant denomination.

Personally, I lean Anglo-Catholic, but I feel that a lot of the issues that are raised - homosexuality, female priests, even vestments - must be irrelevant in the light of actually accepting Christ as your savior. But does the church teach of this central role of Christ anymore? Is Jesus still the only way to the Father? Personally, I feel that not being God, I cannot with certainty state the eternal fate of others; yet, there is no denying the role of Christ as redeemer. I leave it up to God, and perhaps hope that there is grace for those who are good yet unbelieving. I am still compelled to live and share my faith, though. Of that I feel I can be certain.

So, are Episcopalians really Christians, or somewhat Jesus-leaning New Agers? My experience with my old ways taught me the real, awful outcome of believing oneself to be God, or all there really is. Who is Jesus, and God, in your Church? What is the Bible, and what is our purpose in life?

That’s a tall order, and I’ll link to some other articles on the role of the Bible in the Episcopal Church at the end of the post. But the central question is one of “orthodoxy.” Are Episcopalians “orthodox” Christians or not? It depends on your definition of “orthodoxy,” of which there are many. For Eastern Orthodox Christians, it means a Christian who is part of the Orthodox Church. For Roman Catholics, it means a Christian who accepts the all the Dogmas of that church. For Fundamentalist Evangelicals, it means a Christian who accepts (among other things) the literal inerrancy of the Bible. When the term is used in the Anglican tradition, it is often being used by conservative Anglo-Catholic or Evangelical separatists to define themselves over and against the existing church. That definition usually has to do with positions over human sexuality couched in scriptural language.

The word “orthodoxy” is made up of two greek roots, “ortho” meaning “right” and “doxos” meaning “Praise.” Orthodoxy is literally using the right praise of God. However, most people interpret it to mean something doctrinal. Some start with the so-called “Vincentian Canon,” which was formulated by St. Vincent of Lerins in 434, “that which has been believed everywhere, always and by all.” My experience is that those who quote it think that whatever they believe fits that category. However, it is very hard to get down to something that basic. The Trinity? Not for many early Christians before the first church councils. The two natures of Christ? Not for the Oriental Orthodox Churches. None of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity can be said to be held “everywhere, always and by all” except perhaps the Biblical exclamation, “Jesus is Lord!” and the reality of the Resurrection in some form.

Since “orthodoxy” is a hard target to hit, perhaps it would be better to ask “What do Episcopalians believe?” and then decide whether that accords with your understanding of the Christian faith. The normative beliefs of Episcopalians are to be found in the Book of Common Prayer. The Catechism on page 845 is a starting point. One Anglican writer notes that the “Anglican Dogmas” are the Trinity and the two natures in one person of Christ. Now, do ALL Episcopalians believe in the Trinity, the two natures of Christ, and the bodily Resurrection? Nope. But that’s no more an indication of the central teaching of the church than nuns fomenting for women’s ordination reflect the central teaching of the Papacy.

The Anglican tradition has been one of a “Middle Way” between Catholicism and Protestantism, where membership has to do with participation in worship rather than affirmation of any catechism or confession. This goes all the way back to the Elizabethan Compromise. As a result, our doctrine IS a little vague, and intentionally so. We are more a family of churches than a singular incarnation of Christianity. There is room in the Anglican tradition for manifestations of various flavors of Christianity. We have extreme gin-and-lace Victorian Anglo-Catholics, Bible-thumping Evangelicals, Crypto-Unitarians, liturgical Pentecostals and more variations on those themes than you can imagine. Yes, there is a “hippy-trippy” element to parts of the Episcopal Church, but that part has always been there. The first Unitarians in America at the time of the Revolution were Anglicans who removed Trinitarian references from their BCPs and we have always retained that edge.

No matter what certain individual members may beleive, as a denomination we affirm Jesus as our Lord, even while engaging in interfaith dialogue. I highly commend the Statement on Inter-religious Relations and Interfaith Dialogue which was passed at our 2008 General Convention for an excellent exploration of how we uphold our truth claims about Jesus while talking to others.

Whether the Episcopal Church is a good fit really has to do with HOW you view your Christian faith. If you are the kind of person who wants a strict set of doctrines to believe, and to think that everyone else in the church has that same exact set, the Episcopal Church is not and has never been that place. Much of the turmoil in the last few years has been due to people finally realizing that. However, if you are “playful” with your faith, and think you might have something to learn from someone who believes differently, we might be the place for you. Our rock is Jesus as the second person of the most Holy Trinity. The rest, while sometimes important, is commentary.

David+

Further Reading on AskThePriest related to this post:

Anglican Dogma

Taking the Bible Seriously, Not Literally

Generous Orthodoxy

What do Episcopalians Believe?

And one from my personal blog:

Who are these Revisionists?

Bishop Pierre Whalon: Why I Am Not An Atheist

2011-08-09T13:44:03-05:00

Propping up my own sense of self-importance as an invisible big kahuna speaker, I'd like to tell why I am not an atheist. I have already addressed some of the features of what I call "atheism lite versus Christianity lite." This concerns many people's claims against Christianity, which are in fact negations of heresies. Too many atheists seem to function with a pubescent version of Christianity.

via www.huffingtonpost.com

In an excellent article, Bp. Pierre Whalon explains why he finds faith to be a rational choice.

Abortion and Forgiveness

2011-05-26T15:39:49-05:00

A reader writes in:

“Hi there. I’ve got something to ask that I think I already know the answer to, but it’s something I want to say anyway. about 10 years ago, I was in a relationship with a girl who fell pregnant. We hadn’t been together long, were both young, and totally unprepared financially or mentally, and so it came as a massive shock. She told me she didn’t want to keep it, and I said I’d support her decision, so she had an abortion, which I understand to be a major sin. At the time, I had no interest in religion, but over the years I’ve become more and more interested in Christianity, to a point I’ve started asking questions about life and wondering about our meaning. I consider myself a good person, who’s kind, caring and moral, and anyone who knows me would say the same, only I know deep inside that because I allowed this to happen, that my soul is likely to go to hell. Again, I never used to believe in hell, but I’m beginning to think it’s an apt place for me due to what I did. I know it wasn’t my own decision, but the fact I agreed to it makes me just as responsible as my ex. Our relationship fell apart weeks later, she got involved with another guy and I was dumped, and I convinced myself that if we’d had the child, it would either have had to be adopted, or I would have had to look after it on my own and maybe even resent it, which would have been again, terrible to even do to an innocent, but the fact remains that almost 10 years after this event, not even my family know of it, and it’s beginning to eat away at my insides because I’m not convinced no matter how ashamed I am, and no matter how deep I regret it, that I’m going to be punished for it. Is there anything I can do to try to earn God’s forgiveness in this matter, or should I just accept my fate, live a good life, and then take my punishment? It feels kinda good to be able to try to confess this to someone religious, and I can only hope you don’t judge me too harshly in your reply. If I am to suffer God’s wrath, believe me, I’ll accept it, but I really hope there’s something I can do to try to earn redemption.”

I’m going to divide this into two responses, the moral theology response and the pastoral response. In the moral theology response, I will address the issue of Abortion and the Episcopal church’s stance. In the pastoral response, I will discuss forgiveness.

Moral Theology

Abortion is a complex question morally, as it has two sets of goods in conflict. One set is the woman involved. In some cases, her life and/or health may be threatened. Beyond that, there is always the question of her right to self-determination. The other set are the rights of the fetus - obviously a question of life. Many people with pro-life opinions consider this an easy dilemma, as a fetus is a human being with a soul from conception. Pro-choice people also sometimes consider this decided, as the rights of a woman to self-determination is the core principle.

But neither of these positions are as obvious as some make them out to be. Who determines that a fetus is a human being from conception, rather than at some other point of development? Jewish tradition from early times seems to be that a fetus is not a human being from a legal standpoint and there are varying ideas as to when “ensoulment” happens. Christians have had varying ideas about when a fetus changes from being a part of the mother to a distinct human being. And even if the fetus IS a human being, in the case of risk to the mother, is it moral to endanger a viable human life (the mother) in order to preserve the possibility of new human life? Likewise the principle of self-determination is not so obvious. If the fetus IS a fully human life, does not the right to life trump self-determination, at least as a matter of reproductive choice?

Beyond the issues of individual morality, there are issues of how to deal with this as a society. If we do wish to prohibit abortion, are there exceptions? Does the answer change the further along a pregnancy gets? Can we really force a woman, against her will, to carry a child to term? Will legal prohibition actually stop abortion, or will it simply mean that the rich will have access by going to where they can get them while the poor return to the dangerous providers they had before Roe vs. Wade?

None of these are easy questions to answer. And despite some opinions, there is no unified consensus as to how to answer these questions in either Judaism or Christianity. Therefore, the Episcopal Church has a nuanced opinion, as reflected in the resolutions of our General Convention. A good summation of them can be found in an article at Pew:

While the Episcopal Church recognizes a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy, the church condones abortion only in cases of rape or incest, cases in which a mother's physical or mental health is at risk or cases involving fetal abnormalities. The church forbids "abortion as a means of birth control, family planning, sex selection or any reason of mere convenience."

We tend to be pretty down to earth with moral issues. While we recognize the moral problems with purely elective abortion, we also recognize that a woman’s body is her own and that legal prohibition is unlikely to resolve the underlying issues. While legislating against abortion might make us feel better, there are good questions as to whether it would actually stop abortion, or simply make it more risky for the poor. Decisions such as these are ones that should be made in consultation with a local pastor, who understands the people involved and the specifics of the case.

Pastoral Response

I’m not going to get into whether what you did was a sin, because it does not matter, you experience it as sin, that is, something that separates you from God. Blame is not the point, the question is, is this keeping you from a full relationship with God? The answer from you seems to be, “Yes.”

There is nothing you can do to earn redemption, because redemption is not earned, it is a gift freely given from God. It was given to you before you were born through the life, death and resurrection of Christ. There is no sin that cannot be forgiven (Except perhaps “Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.” See Blasphemy Challenge.) If you confess your sin, you are forgiven. Most of the time, WE are the barrier to forgiveness, being convinced we are too unworthy to be forgiven. But God is quick to forgive. If your shame and guilt has become a stumbling block to your restoration to relationship with God, I would suggest finding a minister and making a confession to him or her. Sometimes, another person is able to convince us better than we can ourselves. (See To Confess or Not To Confess)

Confess your sin, your shame, your guilt, and lay it at the foot of the cross. God loves you, and God forgives you.

David+

For further reading see: Acts of General Convention regarding Abortion

Alleluia!

2011-04-23T22:00:00-05:00

FrSimmons