Joyful theological discussion

[Janet Keyes]

Friends-

Is it just me, or what?  As I read some recent posts I have a feeling of having fallen down a rabbit hole and landing in sixth grade!  Or in a sophomore college class....

In the approach to this joyful season, where is the joyful discussion?

 

Janet

[ericbr...@comcast.net]

Gaudete in deum semper!

[Willis E. Elliott]

Yes, Janet, it's puzzling.

Some of us are deeply concerned for conversation toward "making the faith our own" in a radically different world in which even Americans are (as Marty says) losing interest in church-going.

 

Perhaps we are SPLIT on the purpose of our UCC Confessing Christ OpenForum:

a.

I've understood it as for helping one another make the Faith our own in a changing world & changing church, by sharing our efforts to "do theology joyfully."  E.g., eight days ago, I shared my sense of double freedom & joy in the use of the hermeneutical principle of binocularity.  No response.  But I seldom get any response to matters of substance I propose for discussion.

b.

The bulk of OpenForum entries seems to consist of what you describe as "rabbit hole" chatter on the opinions & practices of long-dead theologians.  /    Disproprtionality, too, bothers me.  This year celebrates Calvin & Darwin; whether we re-appropriate Calvin seems to me rather peripheral in comparison with whether we can manage to appropriate Darwin (i.e., theologize evolution, to the defeat of scientism as well as "creationism").  (Again, my entries on the latter have drawn almost no response.)

 

I'm not discouraged, just puzzled.  The best I can make of the dilemma is that there's a category conflict between the blogger short-retort mentality (which loathes long posts) & the original declared intention of our OpenForum to be a sacred space for serious-joyful theological exploration (including biblical exegesis) & discussion in light of our responsibilities within & to the UCC & the wider Church.

 

In short, who are we as the OpenForum, & what are we trying to do?

 

Grace and peace--

Willis

----- Original Message -----

From: Janet Keyes

[Tom Kirkham]

Hi Willis,

I for one would be interested in explorations you proposed such as
creationism vs Darwinism vs scientism.
Tom in Maine

On Dec 16, 10:00 am, "Willis E. Elliott" <elliot...@charter.net>
wrote:

[Willis E. Elliott]

Thanks, Tom-in-Maine.  And Merry Christmas!

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