Mary Daly

Here is Mary Daly. I wish I knew the story behind this picture! It cracks me up.

Today in class, we are going to talk briefly about Mary Daly. She was always a controversial character, as she challenged the misogyny of the Catholic Church from the halls of a Catholic institution, Boston College.

As I was researching today, I found out that she had died earlier this year. Regardless of your thoughts about her as a feminist, or her claim that she was 'post-Christian', she remains an important voice to read and consider. She came to speak at my college when I was taking feminist theology. I disagreed with so much of what she said, but she motivated me to think and study.

Professor Daly, great spinster of theology and philosophy. Thank you for stirring us up and inspiring us to re-imagine a non-misogynistic world.

The Filioque

Toby Guise Protesting in London

So, what is the big deal about the filioque? What is the filioque? Well, it is the phrase that was added to the Nicene/Constantinople Creed at the third Council of Toledo (589). Originally it was stated that the Spirit proceeded from the Father. At Toledo the phrase "and the son" was added to this. In this way, the doctrine of the Spirit was changed. The Spirit proceeds from the Father and the Son.

Why is this important? Well, it split the church from East and West in the 11th century. The Eastern Orthodox Church only says "from the Father" while the Roman (Western) Church says "from the Father and the Son".

The Pope was recently in Britain. The picture above is of one lone protester. (Here is a link to the story.) His hope was not for controversy but instead for conversation and unity. We should be talking about these doctrinal differences instead of always being divided over them. Let's have another ecumenical council. It has been over a 1,000 years!

I don't know, somehow this make me smile!

What We Listened to in Class: Thomas Tallis

A few of you have asked about the choral piece that I played at the end of class on Wednesday. It is "Spem in Alium" by Thomas Tallis (c. 1570). Here is what Jeremy Begbie has to say about this piece: "Here forty different voices weave their way in and through each other…. Despite the sonic profusion, it never sounds ‘jammed’ or crowed. There is multiplicity without dissipation, togetherness without mutual overwhelming, each voice being enabled to become more fully itself: ‘As though being ourselves we’re more capacious.’" (Jeremy Begbie, "Through Music: Sound Mix," in Beholding the Glory, InterVarsity Press, 2000, 152.) Thanks, Jeremy. Great description!

Here is what they are singing:
I have never put my hope in another
except in you, God of Israel,
who will be angry yet become gracious.
And all the sins of man
in suffering you forgive.
Lord God, creator of heaven and earth:
look on our humility.

Here is a link to the King Singers singing Tallis's Spem in Alium. It is fun because you can see the vocalists in the eight different choirs, singing all 40 parts. Well, you'll see...

For All Those Football Fans

Here's a little shout out to all those football fans at the beginning of the season. Who says theology doesn't apply to just about any area of life!?! How would you articulate your theology of football?

Enjoy!

Early Trinitarian Sources

Here are some of the earliest references to the Trinity:

Theophilus of Antioch (180 AD), in his To Autolycus, discusses the shape of God's creative activity as Father, Logos and Sophia. Here is a quote:

• "He is God, who heals and gives life through Logos and Sophia. God made everything through Logos and Sophia, but by his Logos the heavens were made firm and by his Spirit all their power [Ps 32:6]." Theolophilus of Antioch, Ad Autolycum, tr. by Robert M. Grant, Oxford: Claredon Press, 1970, I.7.
  

In another place, he says:

• "the three days prior to the luminaries are types of the triad of God and his Logos and his Sophia. In the forth place is man, who is in need of light--so that there might be God, Logos, Sophia, Man." (the footnote to this: "This 'triad' is not precisely the Trinity, since in Theolophilus' mind man can be added to it.") Theolophilus of Antioch, Ad Autolycum, tr. by Robert M. Grant, Oxford: Claredon Press, 1970, II.15.
  

Though this is not a perfect articulation of trinitarian theology, you can see how Theolophilus is attempting to put words and concepts to something that was already believed in early Christendom.

Another source of early trinitarian thought is Irenaeus of Lyon (125-203). He also talks about God creating through the Logos and Wisdom (Sophia), but more specifically talks about the Son and the Holy Spirit as the two hands of the Father:

• "It was not angels...who made us, nor who formed us, neither had angels power to make an image of God, nor any one else, except the Word of the Lord, nor any Power remotely distant from the Father of all things. For God did not stand in need of these [beings], in order to the accomplishing of what He had Himself determined with Himself beforehand should be done, as if He did not possess His own hands. For with Him were always present the Word and Wisdom, the Son and the Spirit, by whom and in whom, freely and spontaneously, He made all things..." Ireneaus, "Against Heresies," in Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. 1, Edinburgh: T&T Clark; Eerdmans, 1996, Book IV: chapter XX.1.

I hope this helps. If anyone wants to pursue other sources, let me know.

Peace,
Chelle

How Do We Listen?

Many of you have expressed an interest to learn more about contextual theology. My interest in this kind of contextual or critical theology stems from a desire to learn to listen. Often this means that I have to set aside my preconceived ideas (as much as I can at any given moment) and learn to hear what others have to say or to offer. Sometimes I feel threatened, sometimes I simply disagree. The challenge is to hear what others are actually saying, not to project onto others what I think they are saying from my preconceived ways of knowing.

This is a dangerous proposition. Who knows what will happen? How will we change? Perhaps we will learn to hear differently? We might even be significantly transformed in the process?

All of this sounds very mysterious or even frightening, but I would like to offer a bit of inspiration to you for this pursuit of listening well--not only to "the other" but also to ourselves. (Aren't we all in this together?) To help us understand this from a different perspective I will turn to music, my old friend. The following video is a TED talk by Evelyn Glennie, one of the world's foremost percussionists. She is an amazing performer, as you will hear. She is also profoundly deaf. Every time I hear her talk about music, performance and the art of hearing/listening I am deeply moved. She teaches me about myself as she tells me about her own experience in the world. If you want to hear more from Glennie, check out the documentary, "Touch the Sound." (There is a copy in the library.)

So, how do you hear/listen?

Enjoy!
Chelle

Author of *The Shack* in Town Friday

I just wanted to let you know that Paul Young, the author of The Shack (which we are reading for class) will be in town Friday (tomorrow) September 10th. Here are the details:

Paul Young will be at First United Methodist Church near downtown Seattle at 1PM on Friday September 10th. This is a free event. Here is the link for more info.

If you go, let me know what you think.

-Chelle