Robert Farrar Capon has been quite an interesting character for me. He’s a fantastic & fun writer, Episcopalian Priest and chef. He just stretches me and I enjoy the intellectual nourishment he offers at the same time …
During my final year as a youth pastor before I started BLC I picked up a book entitled “The Romance of the Word: One man’s love affair with Theology” (what a title!). It’s kind of a three-in-one book. “Hunting the Divine Fox” is the third book and its loads of fun dealing with serious, in depth questions. In short, in Capon’s words Theology is fun!
I know GOD is serious subject matter. But when it’s “tied up” into heated discourse and multiple controversy – we easily lose track of the essentials and what we are really able to “talk” about. I find we’re can be too caught into a win/lose mode (competition), or explain/elaborate mode (precision), and lose out on the whole wonder of the Discovery mode (Exploration) While there’s a place for the other two modes … I think the primary one should be “Discovery” Channel … 🙂
I’m just re-reading this book (I seem to be in the habit of doing this lately). And unearthen some diamonds and precious stones! Here are some ..
Answering theological questions is like trying to straighten up an unmade bed: the only way to do the job properly is to strip the problem at hand all the way down to its basic elements and start again from the beginning ~ p.24
One of the benefits of theology is that if you ever get anything right on the subject of God, you immediately get a bonus and start getting things right about the world. ~ p.25
I think of the struggle one has as to where should we start when it comes to theology- from the world (our context)? or from God? Scripture or Nature? … well, the fact is we start from wherever we are but what matters most is the getting our “view” of God right .. and that would “righten” my view even of myself and the world I’m in …It’s about perspective … being willing to allow God’s truth to rebuke my ignorance and refine whatever intelligence I think I may have … knowing that my “point of view” is limited and yet open to God’s glorious revelation and gracious invitation to a journey of life-long discovery.
enough for now…