The Destruction of Apologetics
Chrstian apologetics have been around since the earliest days of "The Way." As the world argued against the truth of Christianity the early followers of Christ had to respond in ways that would satisfy the intellect of thier opponents. Thus the beginning of Christian Apologetics.
In our own day and Age there are plenty of people who are seeking answers to questions that demand very reasoned, sound, intellectual answers. However there is an increasingly large population of people, especially the group that is composed of teenagers up through early to mid-thirties, who are not easily swayed by any intellectual argumet that is put forth. To some people this seems crazy because truth is truth, and that is just how things are. Someone is right and by necessity everyone else is wrong. Now that may be true but it simply doesn't connect with this generation. This generation sees truth as relative, what is true for one isn't by necessity true for all. (which completely destroys the definition of truth)
So where does this leave Christians and the Church. It leaves us in a place where we simply can't state our beliefs as truth but must live the truth we believe. Rob Bell compares Christianity to a trampoline instead of a wall. The springs are the doctrine of our faith, absoutley necessary to our faith, but they bend and stretch as we "jump." Too often Christianity seems to be a wall, and the doctrines are bricks, firm, solid, immovable, and if one is questioned or removed the the whole thing becomes unstable.
"one of the things that happens in a brick world is you spend a lot of time talking about how right you are. Which of course leads to how wrong everybody else is. Which then leads to defending the wall. It struck me reading the letter that you rarely defend a trampoline. You invite people to jump on it with you." -- Rob Bell
In our own day and Age there are plenty of people who are seeking answers to questions that demand very reasoned, sound, intellectual answers. However there is an increasingly large population of people, especially the group that is composed of teenagers up through early to mid-thirties, who are not easily swayed by any intellectual argumet that is put forth. To some people this seems crazy because truth is truth, and that is just how things are. Someone is right and by necessity everyone else is wrong. Now that may be true but it simply doesn't connect with this generation. This generation sees truth as relative, what is true for one isn't by necessity true for all. (which completely destroys the definition of truth)
So where does this leave Christians and the Church. It leaves us in a place where we simply can't state our beliefs as truth but must live the truth we believe. Rob Bell compares Christianity to a trampoline instead of a wall. The springs are the doctrine of our faith, absoutley necessary to our faith, but they bend and stretch as we "jump." Too often Christianity seems to be a wall, and the doctrines are bricks, firm, solid, immovable, and if one is questioned or removed the the whole thing becomes unstable.
"one of the things that happens in a brick world is you spend a lot of time talking about how right you are. Which of course leads to how wrong everybody else is. Which then leads to defending the wall. It struck me reading the letter that you rarely defend a trampoline. You invite people to jump on it with you." -- Rob Bell
posted by Hayne Begley at 4:00 PM
3 Comments:
I wish I had been spared of what Franz Wright calls "the fate of those who love words more than what they mean!" Far too often, I have fallen into complete infatuation with letters and syllables but have forgotten to just read them, but see them, feel them, live them, share them. I have forgotten how costly it is to actually do.
i think rob used this analogy in reference to the trinity, and i wonder if the movement from which his polemic proceeds is more attractive to him than the classical teachings of Christianity.
the early apologists fought for our faith by deconstructing heresy and replacing it with truth.
i think rob bell walks a fine line by using an illustration on the teachings against heresy (and defense of the faith) in a way that seems to promote (or at least not guard against) heresy.
the point is, we must be careful not to allow our attraction to being "cool" or "relevant" forfeit our spines.
leslie newbigin says it best in the gospel in a pluralist society. you have read this.
i think the church should never fall into a fortress mentality that suggests it needs not change anything about the form of its message because it is eternally right (for we know only One can make that claim). however, the Church should likewise never seek to be so accepted by its culture that it loses the content of Gospel truth in the process.
you know that, though. glad you are bloggin' now hane!
excuse me for my mistake, *hayne.
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