Political Rhetoric

Here is a quick observation about campaign rhetoric: religious language has been key for both sides of the presidential campaign. The Obama campaign has been trying to purvey Barack as the last great hope for the nation. If I do remember correctly, I think Christian theology has something to say about hope for the world? On the other side of the aisle, McCain has spent time urging voters to commit themselves to a greater cause outside of themselves. He hops that voters will accept into their hearts the transcendent cause of creating a world marked by democracy and freedom. If my memory serves me correctly Christian theology is deeply concerned with the transcendent, eschatological, and commitment. The problem I see with both campaigns rhetoric is that they seem to be substituting the language of the Church and Christ with that of the Polis and and Candidate.

Politics!

I hope to start blogging about politics soon. I have been doing a lot of thinking about this issue recently, something that generally happens each time an election roles around. I have caught some of the DNC when I have had a spare minute over the past few days. So be on the lookout for this, and hopefully we can get some helpful conversation going on this issue. In the meantime, I highly recommend that you check out Halden's blog where he has had some stellar blogs about politics as of recent.

Wedding!

Here is an excerpt from the wedding homily I recently preached:

Second, marriage takes an exercise of the imagination. At this point you might be thinking to yourself: Ben when are you going to get to the practical advice. You know the stuff about the man’s innate right to the T.V. remote and the woman’s right to make the man watch chick flicks. I am sorry to disappoint you but no such cheesy and boring advice is coming from my lips today. But…while I shall avoid the trite and the trivial, I do not intend to leave the practical completely forgotten, like dust swept away under the rug. No, this second reflection is deeply and profoundly practical. It’s practicality being anchored in its necessity as a component to marriage if the goal of a life-long monogamous relationship marked by fidelity, trust, and submission is ever to be achieved. And that is what marriage is – a life-long monogamous relationship marked by fidelity, trust, and submission. American culture scoffs at this sort of language. Life-long and monogamous? … surely not. I am bound to get tired of the same thing. I need to have the latest toys. The old and the same simply will not suffice. Fidelity…a myth, come on our former president cannot even handle this responsibility. Trust…how can anybody be trusted when all we get is spin from the news and image from the cult of celebrity. Submission…submission is nothing more than invitation, an invitation to get walked on like a doormat. No relationships are about power, pleasure, and personal gain. That is just how the world works. It is in the face of this script – a script that we all consume everyday – that your marriage must raise its fist in defiance. The only way to resist is to imagine. Our imaginations are the mechanism by which we are able to transcend our mundane realty. Imagination has the power to take us places. Thus you must let your imagination take you, take you all the way to end, to the end of a beautiful marriage and life spent together. You must create a world with your imaginations, a world marked by fidelity, trust, and submission to one another. A world in which you live out your years whatever they may be in a life-long monogamous commitment to one another. While this is a world that is imagined, it is no fantasy world, but instead a vision. It is the vision of your life and future together by which you must walk each and everyday together. Your marriage must always be characterized by an exercise of your imagination.

Dumber!

I am pretty convinced that I am getting dumber. I have now been out of the academic world (aka college) for seven months. I feel that my brain has quickly been turning to mush without the rigors of an academic course load to keep my mind in shape. I can not wait till September arrives and I begin my course work at Fuller. I am pretty convinced I will be a little bit behind the curve at first, but hopefully I can get myself whipped into shape in time to do well in my first quarter. Hopefully, reading and blogging through Barth's Epistle to the Romans will help start getting my mind back in shape.

Blogs

Here is the link for Philip Baker's blog.

Here are some links to other theological blogs which I frequent:

Faith and Theology
Inhabitatio Dei
Tony Jones
Jesus Creed
Euangelion
The Fire and the Rose
Christians in Context

Let me know if what you think about these blogs if you check them out. Maybe hit me up with some blogs you like to frequent so I can check them out.

A New Venture!

Today begins my official foray into Karl Barth's Epistle to the Romans. This text is often referred to as a theological atom bomb dropped right into the midst of early 20th century protestant liberal theology. I have dabbled with this book before, but this will be a sustained effort to engage with this most significant theological work. Please be sure to check back regularly, because I plan to be blogging my way through the book. Also, be sure to check out my friend Philip Baker’s blog (link to follow soon), as he will be reading through Epistle to the Romans along with me this summer.

July 4th

Today, the United States will celebrate its declaration of independence from its mother country, England. This holiday always puts me in tension. (Well at least the last couple of years it has.) The question that comes to my mind (and this is one amongst many) is this: What independence did we really gain? The right to govern ourselves? Maybe. But how hollow a definition of independence this is from the standpoint of the Christian tradition. As Christians when we speak of independence or freedom we must necessarily speak of it in terms of relationship with God. In no way am I saying that we need to wed this holiday with Christian practice, but instead I think that Christian practice should stand as a constant critique to the utter emptiness of the power politics on which this nation was founded. This nation was built upon the imposition of our will over the other by means of violence. This is not the way of the cross. This is not freedom. The church must always say NO to this nation as its first word. Nonetheless, I will be out at a bbq tonight and enjoy the all the festivities and fireworks. So, in the tension between theology and praxis I will live. (Probably in sin.)