Moving...

While I'll leave this blog up for a bit, this group has wrapped up its 10-week course. Starting in January, we will no longer be simply the "Schaeffer" group but will begin wrestling with the works of all dead theologians. Starting Thursday (note the day change), January 18th at 7pm, we will be begin meeting as the Dead Theologians Society (Lakeview Edition). Though the blog for that group has not yet begun, you can keep an eye out here to see it develop.

I pray that you have a blessed Christmas and find yourself with unexpected opportunities to bless others. See you next year! (Don't you just roll your eyes every time you hear that each year?)

Week Ten: Final Choices

This was the final week of this ten-week focus group. It's really been a pleasure working through this series with this neat group of people, so much so that this group is going to continue as an ongoing cyclical focus group. I'll get back to that in a moment.

Schaeffer addressed the future (our present, in many ways) in this installment. He looked at the inevitable product of humanistic thinking--authoritarianism. Insightfully, he steered us away from viewing authoritarianism strictly in terms of dictatorships and suggested that authoritarianism is getting a foothold incrementally in the Western world. People continue to want personal peace and affluence and are often willing to give up freedoms to assure that they have them. While some people suggest that the Patriot Act is such a compromise (and it is in many ways), I suggested that this creeping incrementalism can be seen more subtly in the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act and similar legislation. These appear on the surface to "get the money out of politics" but in reality are efforts designed to keep incumbents in office and restrict the 1st Amendment rights of dissenters.

The solution to this problem? People turning and returning to Christ and biblical teachings. Christians do not have to be in the majority to have an impact on the consensus. Particularly in an age when apathy seems to rule, those willing to speak and act out of a vibrant Christian faith will have a disproportionate impact on society, not only because of their contrast to the status quo but because God is working in them and through them.

May we have the courage to be such people.

Though this group was only a ten-week commitment, I believe we've discovered a unique niche. I've enjoyed the discussions as much as the book and video, and think that something very good and edifying has been born here. As a result, what was started as a short-term group is going long-term. In January, those who wish to continue, and those who wish to join us, will be kicking off the Dead Theologians Society, Lakeview Edition. This group will be working through the works of dead theologians (truth in advertising!). We will read a book, a chapter or selection at a time, and come together to discuss it. This blog will be exchanged for a new one: dtslakeview.blogspot.com It is bare at the moment but details will be posted in the coming weeks, both on the blog and in the bulletin (possibly) and small group catalog.

Week Nine: The Age of Personal Peace & Affluence

"If there is no absolute by which to judge society, then society is absolute."

One of things that stuck out to me this past week was Schaeffer's description of a move towards sociological law in this country. This is law that is based on nothing concrete but rather the will of the people or the elite and their perception of what's best for the people. It is relativistic; what's good law one year may not be the next. An excellent case in point is the evolution of the so-called right to abortion in the U.S. which Schaeffer discusses at some length. [For a good overview of the history of abortion law in the U.S., look here (the author used to change my diapers, incidentally).]

Now, we have been taught that democracy is the noblest form of government, and it is a far cry better than most other forms (a monarchy with a perfect monarch would be best), but it must be based on something other than public opinion. It must be rooted in absolutes. Our legislative and executive branches currently have some accountability as to whether or not they're serving under absolutes, if voters are willing to exercise their responsibilities, but the judicial branch has no real checks and balances and has gone from interpreting the law to creating it. So, with a populace that has largely abandoned Christian principles and a Supreme Court which may or may not act in ways consistent with our faith, it would seem that the future of our country is unpredictable, to say the least.

And yet, in spite of dire predictions and a general distaste for politics that we may have, we have a quarter we can call on (as Schaeffer puts it) that the world does not understand. We have a high calling to be salt and light in our world, but it is not without the help of the King of Kings.

This week, the final installment of the DVD series, will be about the future--how we avoid the shift towards authoritarianism and chaos. It should be a very good discussion. A follow-up to our discussion on Catholicism is likely, too.

Next week, those who've attended the group are invited to my place for dinner. It will be a time of fellowship and, hopefully, a chance to talk about those wonderful tangential things that we don't always have time to pursue fully.

Starting in January, this group will morph into a cyclical focus group called the Dead Theologians Society which will look at the works of--you guessed it--dead theologians. Stay tuned!

Week Eight: The Age of Fragmentation

The Age of Fragmentation (pardon the punny graphic) was and is characterized by a lack of unity. That is, there is no overriding purpose for life or meaning for the elements of our world and existence. So, reality is purely subjective, the transcendent is denied and the mundane is elevated. Though in many ways this carries on elements from the previous Age of Non-Reason, Schaeffer looks specifically at music, art, movies and general culture.

The movies Schaeffer looks at are primarily older movies (though less so at the time the video was done) by Fellini, Bergman, etc. Though they may be largely unfamiliar to many now, they demonstrated the notion of "cruelty equals non-cruelty" and, Fellini in particular, demonstrated the madness of cultures simply pursuing pleasure with no higher calling. Though Fellini's Satyricon was made about ancient Rome, the modern parallels are strong and serve as a warning.

Artists such as VanGogh, Monet and Picasso are also addressed, and though they did beautiful art, as acknowledged by Schaeffer, the impressionist and abstract styles were a move away from dealing with individuals as meaningful entities and a move towards individuals being just another element in nature. Interestingly, Schaeffer points out that though they often reduced their models to mere cubes, they all violated their own personal styles when painting loved ones. For lovers and children, they preferred a realistic portrayal that captured who they really were and not as symbols.

Perhaps the most interesting character discussed was the "musician" John Cage and his "works." I use quotations here, because it is debatable whether Cage's creations are truly art or simply a philosophical statement or "anti-art" as Schaeffer puts it. Though we heard both Cage's noisy, chaotic works and his ambient noise pieces like "4'33"" (or Four minutes and thirty three seconds), none of us considered his efforts worthy of anything more than a laugh or a cringe.

Next week, on the 29th, we'll be looking at the Age of Personal Peace & Affluence. We will not meet this week, the day before Thanksgiving.

Cross-Pollination

Nothing like having multiple blogs and linking to yourself. Apologies for the lack of fresh content on all my sites, but there are a couple of posts that may be of interest on my Another Inkling blog. One's just funny. The other's about homosexuality, a topic that came up briefly last week. Please take a moment to read the latter when you have the time.

While you wait for a recap of this week's group, take a moment to enjoy this work by John Cage. Are you ready? Find a clock. In 4 minutes and 33 seconds, come back here...

...wasn't that great?! John Cage, what a guy.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about, you'll just have to wait till this weekend to find out when we recap the Age of Fragmentation (and Noise).

Week Seven: The Age of Non-Reason

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Huxley, Gauguin and Rousseau all got coverage this past week as we looked at existentialism and the move away from reason in both philosophy and theology. Individual, subjective experience took precedence over reason in the search for meaning and purpose to life. I won't re-cap completely here but do have some thoughts and randoms.

As we discussed the "hippie movement" of the 1960s, I mentioned that the Jesus People movement was a lesser-known counterculture of young people coming to Christ in the late '60s. Though this movement did not have the same impact on Western culture as the drugs and Eastern religion of the hippies, it did impact the church.

Jesus People USA, right here in Chicago, has its roots in that movement and is still around and doing God's work. See their website here. If you're not aware, they're the folks who put on Cornerstone Festival every summer. If you've never been, go. I've been twice and loved it. You may even borrow my camping gear! Though JPUSA's excellent Cornerstone Magazine is no longer in print, you can find links to several of their writers here. Jon Trott is particularly interesting. His Blue Christian on a Red Background blog is good food for thought. He's one of those people who I disagree with on many things, but he's a real Believer with a great mind, one that often makes me think twice about my own presuppositions.

This is week seven of this ten-week series, and I'm curious to hear what you think about Schaeffer's teaching. I feel like I've learned a lot. Having a historical perspective on the flow of Western thought has been eye-opening for me and helps me understand the roots of some trends in our present society. I will say, though, that I wish he'd incorporate more Scripture. I suspect he's assuming an audience of "churched" folks who know the Bible but have done little about it. Any thoughts?

As we go into the final weeks of this series, I've been mulling over and discussing some possibilities for further study. The attendance has varied quite a bit over the course, but there seems to be a steady core that's hungry for some meat. Please be in prayer for me and the group as we consider where God would have us journey next.

In the meantime, we will be looking at the Age of Fragmentation this week. We will not be meeting the day before Thanksgiving, the 22nd. We will, however, meet on the 29th and December 6th. On December 13th, you are invited to dinner at my place.

Week Six: The Scientific Age

Big thanks to Michael and Roger for pinch-hitting for me this past week as I was out sick. Thanks to science and modern medicine, I'm coursing with antibiotics at the moment and feeling improved. Speaking of science...well, since I wasn't there, I'll let Michael sum up from his email dated November 2nd:

I was not aware (as I'm sure the rest of America too) that many of the scientists and teachers of the 17th century were Christians or acknowledged Biblical principles in their respective fields. Here's a golden nugget that I constantly remind people about regarding evolution: The earth is not old enough for evolution to have reached its course in its present state. Another excellent point is the lack of integrity in Western science and experiments today. If science in America and Europe is not corrupt it is certainly subjective and manipulative. Last but not least are the ethical issues in science today that have not been fully addressed and resolved: Artifical insemination, cloning, population control. Yet science continues to move forward in these areas rather unwisely, all in the name of progress. (Funny, science has yet to treat the common cold and other viruses yet they are moving forward in other areas where "angels may fear to tread".) How our society must be informed!

Thanks, Michael!

Science vs. theology, medical ethics, evolution vs. creation...these topics could each take up a course all their own. Ultimately, though, they involve the conflict between those who use science as a way to study God's creation and those who would elevate science to a religion all its own, consciously or not. Coincidentally, this week's cover story in Time magazine is "God vs. science: Can religion pass the test?" (sorry, the link's only a brief summary for non-subscribers).

You know what the great thing is about looking at this conflict? True science supports Biblical truth. We may hear some very convincing arguments that run counter to God's Word, but in the end God created all that is and allows us to study and enjoy it. We'll never understand it all completely but no alternate explanation will ever be without holes large enough to float an Ark through. Incidentally, if you're interested in some scholarly but "faithful" analysis of space, evolution, creation...even UFOs...check out some of Hugh Ross' works.

As we apply the findings of science, we must be careful to make science subject to our faith. Without it, we have no moral basis, as Dr. Schaeffer describes. The expedient, utilitarian route becomes the "moral" choice. One tragic example of this is the dramatic reduction in cases of Down syndrome around the world. No, that's not quite correct--it's the dramatic reduction in babies born with Down syndrome. In the U.S., more than 80% of babies prenatally testing positive for Down syndrome are aborted. Even more tragic is the fact that the tests used have a 3-8% false positive rate. Not only are people aborting unborn children who have Down syndrome but they're taking out so-called "normal" children, too, just to be safe.

For the sake of discussion, what are your thoughts on artificial insemination, donating eggs and sperms, etc.? This fast-growing (and lucrative) area of medicine seems to have gotten little critical thought in the public sphere. We debate stem cell research, but the practice of getting pregnant through extraordinary means, the practice that gives us all those confounding embryos, has largely gotten a pass. Thoughts?

Tune in next week for The Age of Non-Reason. In the meantime, don't forget to vote on Tuesday!