Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Losing My Religion for Equality
Here's a wonderful little piece by Jimmy Carter ("Losing My Religion for Equality") on his recent decision to leave the Southern Baptist Convention after 60 years because of his disagreement with their theology on the place and role of women in the community of faith.
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5 comments:
Very good article.
I wonder where he is attaching himself that does not (or he feels does not) carefully pick and choose scripture to support a particular view.
Rubel's book I am reading makes some excellent points about the whole of scripture narrative as a progressive revealing of who God is vs. building a position or stance of a few selected scriptures.
Thanks for sharing the article.
I'm not sure where he will land. That will be interesting to see, especially since he is moving from a very conservative tradition. The ones that offer full inclusion and integration of women into public roles tend to be far more progressive and will be an interesting change for him.
Which book are you reading by Rubel right now?
The point on viewing Scripture as a holisic narrative that continues to be moving is very important, especially if we want to take the Bible seriously. To simply concretize our beliefs based on a particular reading of Scripture from a particular time is too easy and doesn't do justice to the ongoing struggle to determine what surprising things God might be doing in the world. That is what we see God's people doing throughout the narrative of Scripture. Recovering that spirit seems to me a better type of "restoration." (I've actually been slowly writing something along these very lines.)
Thanks for the comments!
It's Rubel's book on Marriage and Divorce. Very insightful not only on that issue but the use and purpose of scripture.
Very interested in seeing what you are putting together on those thoughts.
Haven't read it yet. It's in a "to read sometime" pile on my bookshelf.
Have you read "Seeking a Lasting City"? It describes the same thing, but likely in much greater depth. There is a brilliant volume by Samuel Wells called "Improvisation: The Drama of Christian Ethics" that is fabulous on this. It builds on NT Wright's and Hans Urs von Balthasar's idea of Christian life and faith being a living Shakespearean play or "Theo-drama" respectively. Very good stuff.
I've been reading Shelley's book on Marriage and Divorce too, off and on. It is a great read, thought-provoking and insightful. (But apparently not as compelling as a few other books I've been reading this summer.)
Hope your week goes well.
Hello to you Mr. Magnusson from us Bakers! We miss y'all and hope to see you some time. (It is your dad who is Norsemanrm, right Eric?!)
Jenn
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