I've been rereading the book by Tony Campolo called Speaking My Mind - I read it a year or two ago or so, and I remembered that I thought that some of his views on theology and the church were pretty out there. But then I remembered that I have changed a lot of my thinking during that time, so I started reading it again and found out that a lot of what I've been thinking about is talked about in his book (at least so far) - namely women leadership in the church, racism, and more.
I labeled Campolo as Detective Tony, because although the subtitle of his book calls him a prophet, he resists that name and calls himself more of a detective - someone who "works hard trying to ferret out the truth about what God is doing in the church and in the world, and the part we are to have in that work." Hence the name.
Anyway, I thought this was an interesting quote as I'm always struggling with the idea of marketing within the church. Here it is:
"It has been said that Christianity started in Israel; was exported to Greece, where it was made into a philosophy; taken to Rome, where it was made into an organization; sent to Europe, where it was made into a culture; and sent finally to America, where it was made into a business enterprise."
I am just now getting into Campolo's chapter on Evangelicalism and Science - should be interesting, especially considering that he brings up a book that Roger, the senior minister of the church I am worship minister at, has talked about in a message. The book is called "Flatland" and it's written by a mathematician who talks about the dimensions of the universe. In the book (according to Roger and Campolo), he brings up an illustration of what it would be like if a three-dimensional person arrived on a two-dimensional planet. He could do "miracles", at least in the eyes of the two-dimensional people, because he could "disappear", i.e. because he's three dimensional, by jumping up, he would be on a different dimension than the two-dimensional people see. I will probably post again on this illustration and apply it to our increasing understanding of the universe, and how the Bible was written in a time when people thought the earth was flat, and how slowly Christianity accepts new ideas that come out in the science realm - but that's way too much thinking for this early in the morning!
6 comments:
Yeah I thought I was the only one who got up that early :) I need a visual to picture ..it's too hard to imagine in my own brain
hmmm...go read Brian Greene's books as he describes that there might be as many as 10 or 11 dimensions -- that will bend your noodle a bit
yeah, the multidimensional thing is really hitting home for me, including the whole time factor when it comes to salvation (to me it solves the predestination/free will argument) and what happens when we die. I think I'm going to pick up a couple of books that Campolo recommends on this whole issue.
I believe in the whole 10-11 dimensions and have seen The Elegant Universe as hosted by Brian Green. I've come to believe that the current Heaven/Hell and angelic world of demons and angels probably exists in alternate dimensions in which they can interact with us but we can't interact with them (3D vs. 2D)
What was the psalm you used today during worship?
It was 2 Samuel 22:21-25, The Message Version.
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