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Science and scientism

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A scientific outlook becomes ‘scientism’ when it adopts the view that the scientific method is the only reliable way of knowing.  ‘Scientism’ leaves no room for other ways of knowing, including theological approaches.

There are, however, several limitations to scientism:-

1.  It is self-defeating.  The assumption that the scientific method is the only way of knowing cannot itself be derived scientifically.  It is internally inconsistent and must itself start with an act of faith.

2. …

To atheism – and back again

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The writer A.N. Wilson has recently been writing about his return to faith.  Associated in his earlier life in turns with the Church of England and with Roman Catholicism, he describes his ‘Damascus Road conversion’ to atheism, which took place in the 1980s.

I’m not sure what flavour of Christian faith Wilson has returned to, but I was struck with one statement in particular in his piece in New Statesman:-

When I think about atheist friends, including my father, they seem to me like people who have no ear for music, or who have never been in love.

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A Unitarian ‘miracle’?

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Unitarians, as far as I can tell, don’t believe in miracles.  At least, they don’t believe in the kinds of miracles recorded in the Bible, including Christ’s Virgin Birth and resurrection.

However, while spending a bit of time exploring the beliefs and practices of Unitarians, I came across a rather extraordinary statement which, if true, would certainly have to be regarded as evidence for the miraculous.

I was reading the transcript of a sermon recently preached by Unitarian minister Rev Sarah Tinker. …

Debating inerrancy

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I’ve been listening to one of Premier Radio’s Unbelievable podcasts.

This one was held on 14th June 2008 between Dr Alex McFarland, President of  Southern Evangelical Seminary in the US, and agnostic Stephen Pilcher.

The topic of discussion was ‘biblical inerrancy’.  I found it one of the less satisfying episodes of this normally excellent show.

Stephen came up with a typical selection of supposed ‘contradictions’ – was there one pair, or seven pairs, of animals in Noah’s ark? …

Dietrich Bonhoeffer and John Shelby Spong

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Dietrich Bonhoeffer, it will be recalled, was the German Lutheran pastor who stood up to the Nazis and was hanged for his trouble.  During his short life – he died in 1945, at the age of 39 – he wrote a number of works of considerable insight and influence.  Among these are Discipleship and Letters and Papers from Prison.

John Shelby Spong (born 1931) is the retired bishop of the Diocese of Newark, New Jersey. …

Ryle, father and son

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Many of my readers will have heard of ‘Bishop Ryle’.  They will know something of the English clergyman who served churches in East Anglia for many years, before being appointed the first Bishop of Liverpool.  J.C. Ryle was considered something of a ‘conservative’ even in his own day (he lived from 1816-1900).  He defended expounded and defended evangelical churchmanship – the vigorous Protestantism of the Reformers and the Puritans – in the face of Anglo-catholicism and ‘modernism’.…

Jesus and the Eyewitnesses

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New Testament scholar Richard Bauckham appeared recently on Premier Radio’s ‘Unbelievable’ show.  He discussed his book Jesus and the Eyewitnesses with fellow New Testament scholar James Crossley.

Here are a few notes on some of the arguments presented by Bauckham:-

His book sets out new arguments in favour of the ‘traditional’ view of the authorship and historicity of the four Gospels, and, in particular, that they present reliable eyewitness testimony of the life and ministry of Jesus.…

The ‘Evangelical Universalist’

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I’ve been listening to some episodes of the Unbelievable podcast from Premier Christian Radio.

I really like the show.  It’s all about getting a discussion going – often between a Christian and a non-Christian – on a particular aspect of belief.  The host, Justin Brierley, is a calm and even-handed moderator, and the guests usually behave themselves with courtesy and thoughtfulness.

I appreciated the discussion of ‘The Evangelical Universalist’ between Robin Parry and Laurence M. Blanchard. …

Meditation

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In a number of religious traditions, both Christian and non-Christian, the practice of ‘meditation’ is understood to be a non-verbal way of praying.  This can often reflect a certain suspicion of propositional truth and verbal expression.

The relevant article in the International Standard Bible Encyclopedia provides helpful clarification:-

‘In the biblical world meditation was not a silent practice. [The underpinning Hebrew word] means “growl,” “utter” or “moan” as well as “meditate” or “muse.” No doubt meditation involved a muttering sound from reading half aloud or conversing with oneself.

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The Gospel according to Tom Wright

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One of the more controversial aspects of the teaching of Bishop Tom Wright is his understanding of the Christian gospel, and of the task of proclaiming that gospel.

He notes that much ‘evangelism’ has consisted of

‘taking the traditional framework of heaven-and-hell expectation and persuading people that it’s time they considered the ‘heaven’ option and grabbed it which they had the chance.  What’s stopping them getting there is sin; the solution is provided in Jesus Christ; all they have to do is to accept it!’

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