February of Theology and Praxis

I want to take a moment to say that I haven’t been writing nearly as much as I’ve been thinking. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if I’m caught in the right mood), I’ve started my spring class at Carnegie Mellon. I’m not sad about the content of the course or anything, but it was a great break over Christmas to not have class. And by break I mean that I was still working a full-time job, as well as partaking in general day to day life. (Break! Ha!) I literally have about five extensive posts in various states of completeness, but for the time being you’re just going to have to listen to me talk off the top of my head.

So I’m excited for several reasons.

1. Next Thursday, February 9 Pittsburgh Theological Seminary is hosting a “Conversation about the Emerging Church”, which will be centered around a visit by Dr. John Franke of Biblical Seminary. He, along with Stanly Grenz, is the author of the book entitled Beyond Foundationalism. If you are interested in reading a theology which is so utterly freeing and wonderful that it nearly made me cry, you should read this book. The idea of the book, as the name implies, is to get beyond the Christian foundationalism that has been present for the last several hundred years. If you’d like a short definition of foundationalism, I would quickly define it as the belief that all beliefs are ultimately set upon an unalterable foundation, without which everything crumbles. In Christian terms I would phrase this concept as either “Esse” or “dogma”, but not exactly either.

I have been so utterly obsessed with “Esse” over the past several years that this book has been life changing. The authors have actually been willing to engage this issue! Who would have thought? While reading the book I had several illuminating moments realizing that I am not alone in my thinking. I promised a while back to go on a tirade about the concept of “Esse” on this website, but now that I realize that there are individuals out there who are not only yelling bloody murder, but who are attempting to construct a theology beyond the bounds of the last 500 years while still engaging it. I need to take a moment to listen before assuming a level of pride that I can’t really back up.

So I’m really looking forward to hanging out with Dr. Franke, and for sitting as the Three Nails representative on a panel with both Dr. Franke and other members of the Pittsburgh “emerging” church. That panel will be happening Thursday afternoon at 4:30pm. If you would like information regarding all the festivities that will be taking place during Dr. Franke’s visit, check out this website.

2. Later this month I’m speaking at a retreat for high school student leaders of the Metro Pittsburgh Campus Life chapter. Simultaneously I’m ecstatic and terrified. I haven’t spoken to this many folks in this way for a few years, and I must admit that sometimes I believe myself to be too much of a heretic to be a helpful guide to young people. But ultimately here’s what I have to say about that: We are all heretics. I’ll leave it at that for now. As long as I can present myself with honesty, and with an understanding that I do not know the answers (and very rarely know the right questions), this opportunity should be fruitful for all present.

If anyone is interested in this, I want to ask you a favor. If you have a minute, and can think of a piece of advice that you wish your current self could give to your high school self, write me a comment to this post about it. I don’t really care if you’re a Christian or not. I don’t care if you’re comment is even really spiritual or not. But if you have something to say, I’d like to hear it.

Take it easy friends. I would forward to throwing more material your way soon.