Tuesday, March 28, 2006

Interesting Lecture Next Week

Stanley Cavell is a pretty big name with an interesting oeuvre but a very interesting topic for a lecture next week, especially to those of us who don't eat things with faces:

"Thinking About and Eating Animals." 5:00 pm at the Nasher Museum of Art auditorium.

Thursday, March 16, 2006

The Right Reverend Lord Bishop of Durham on the OT

NT Wright gave an interview in Australia recently where he was asked about the importance of the Old Testament and gave a delightful answer.

"Trying to get the message of the New Testament without the Old Testament is trying to make a tree stand up without a root system. Many Christians ignore the Old Testament and profit still from the fact that this tree is still flowering and bearing fruit. But in fact if you try cutting off that root system, you’ll find the tree falls down dead pretty soon."


Now can't you see Steinmetz going off for 20 minutes on an analogy like that. "There was this spruce tree in Germany when I was studying there with my wife and newborn daughter and I said, 'Der ist ein sehr großer Baum...'"

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

...and the wind cries Mary

I don't really know the mariological significance of Jimi Hendrix, but Papists, they're all about the Mary. Craig's Ratzinger document on Mary was interesting though devoid of the two issues I am most troubled by in mariology, not coincidently the two issues that have necessitated a pronouncement ex cathedra: Immaculate Conception and Assumption.

If these are doctrines inherited through Sacred Tradition, they are from a tradition of which I have been severed for 500 years and so for me they are difficult to see. Marian piety and veneration I find as the coherent outgrowth of any biblical ecclesiology and being non-Catholic, I do not see the difficulties that have arisen around Marian piety post-VaticanII.

On a side note, I find Marian piety much more [reasonable] sans Immaculate Conception, taking a small line from Milbank, because IC is so predeterministic and confuses the humanity of Mary partially.

Let us see if this takes us any where or if it is merely my personal pissings in the wind.

Saturday, March 11, 2006

Excellent articles on Eucharist discussion posted on new Download site....

I found several journal articles pertaining to the issue of the visibility of the church vis a vis the Eucharist. All of the them are from Liturgy Journal. One is from our own Professor of Worship, Dr. Phillips (his article is the one that begins with "Open Table"). You can download the files (PDF) from a new download site I created. Look on the left side of the home page for the title, "Our Pages" and beneath that you will see a page listed as "Downloads." Click there to access the downloads page. To access the site an email registration is required in order to maintain access control. I'd love to hear opinions of each of the articles on this blog.
Blog Master,
Please add www.larknews.com to the links section. Thus says the king.
Tom

A Liturgical Resource from the Anglican...

I thought we could open up our next meeting with one of these songs. Sarah tells me that King Arthur is a heck of a song leader.

http://www.sermonspice.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=592

Friday, March 10, 2006

...more like guidelines

As the newly decreed Blogmaster, I would like to declare (this is not a democracy) a few guidelines for discussion, poorly enumerated, and in no particular order.

Concerning semantics, I will be using a distinction between post and comment that should be intuitive, but it is intential.

1) Post new topics of discussion. If you are commenting, make a judgement call about whether to post anew, but lean on the side of posting: it is a lot easier to move around posts than extended comments.
2) Remember Christian courtesy. It is a lot easier to drift into inflammatory language when you can't see someones face.
3) I cannot delete you or your comment at any time, I am the Blogmaster, so especially be nice to me.
4) Keep comments succint. Pick a point and address it. If you have a lot of issue, make multiple comments. This doesn't need to devolve into thousand word responses. If you have a lot to say, just make a new post.
5) Post announcements that you think will be of interest to people in Fight Club
6) Texas is a sign that part of creation has already been redeemed.
7) Try and link sources into your responses. Let's use the internet to its fullest.
8) No ad hominem. Don't even think it.
9) I can delete you. I just wanted to throw that in in conclusion because I've never had this kind of power before so I might be a little unstable.
Watch out.

Sunday, March 05, 2006

Concerning Daniel Dennett

The New York Times Book Review published this article on responses to their review of Dennett's recent book Breaking the Spell. Since he is coming soon, I feel like this of note for the group.

Also, here is his website which has his CV and more information for those preparing for the small group setting with him.

Blog Master

I hereby deem Wilson our official Blog master. I have already deemed Steve the offical keeper of the questions (Steve, maybe this would be a good place to keep the questions). Does anyone else want a title? I'm feeling generous today.
Let the online debating begin.
King Tom

Friday, March 03, 2006

Why this is here

Craigery just sent me a two-paged single-spaced e-mail concerning the discussion today which I responded with two single-spaced pages. I felt like the discussion should not be limited to us so without the consent of Craig, King Tom, or anyone I else, I made a blog of the Duke Socratic Club. I hope I am not summarily executed.