blogging

Hello,

I've decided to pick up blogging mainly because I want to test my ability to communicate through writing.  I also want to put my thoughts somewhere, and have those thoughts scrutinized.  I'm interested in theology and apologetics so that's probably what I'll be writing about the most.  I have more important things in life, like getting married to the woman of my dreams in two months (I love you Leigh Ann!), but I'm really bad at putting emotional sentiments in writing so I'll stick with theology.

Broadly defined, theology is the study of God.

Also broadly defined, apologetics is the defense of the faith.

Here's some food for thought.  I used to think that being a Christian implied a disregard for philosophy.  That somehow there's a disconnect between the world of theology and the philosophers.  Fundamentalism often has this sort of overtone.  Interestingly, theology is full of philosophical terms.  Try defining the trinity - God is one essence in three persons.  Essence? Persons? Aristotle understood what essence means, but do you?   I've heard someone once say that theology is just applying philosophy to exegesis.  That might be too much of a simplification but I think it makes the point.  Philosophy is not bad, unless of course it is used badly.

Here's another knickknack, I used to think that in a sense apologetics is unbiblical.  In conservative/fundamentalist-like circles there's this unspoken rule that the more spiritual you are the less you'll need apologetics.  Somehow piety equals blind faith, and the more obscure your faith is the more pious you are for believing it.  Well, the Bible definitely says that our wisdom cannot save us (I Cor 1:21), and that we cannot "argue" someone into saving faith, but that doesn't stop the Bible from commending apologetics.  Here's a few examples: I Peter 3:15, Jude 3, 2 Cor 10:5, Titus 1:9, Act 17:3, 18:28

Hopefully this isn't just interesting to me.  The Bible is a treasure house of truth and in it are the words of salvation - John 20:31, not to mention the Bible makes pretty high claims as a source of wisdom - Psalm 119:99.  It excites me to see how theology fits together, and how Christianity provides a rational worldview in which to see everything.  That's why I'll prob talk about theology and apologetics more than anything in this blog.



Thoughts? Let me know!

After work...

"Christianity asserts that every individual human being is going to live for ever, and this must be either true or false. Now there are a good many things which would not be worth bothering about if I were going to live only seventy years, but which I had better bother about very seriously if I am going to live for ever."

- C. S. Lewis, (Mere Christianity)

during break...

"Apologetics may bolster faith and dispel doubt, but it cannot bend the will."

- Brian Auten