Searching

[Joker]

Just found this site for Progressive Christianity: been searching for informed and outward looking exhange. Perhaps I should sign in as "humble" rather than "joker", for I approach this subject cautiously, hoping to offend no one.

 

Whether I am committed to panentheism or not is irrelevant at this point. My concern is the nature of the dialogue. I am well aware that posting sites and continuing threads create a certain commadarie. (Of course, I am not part of the exchange and perhaps my input weighs nothing.)

 

Having come here, anticipating some input to my searching, I find this thread somewhat difficult to follow. I have a good liberal education and even a degree in theology. I have no answers - just searching! Perhaps I speak for others in saying that there is a lot of jargon that could be somewhat defined. The entries seem to relect a philisohical one-up-manship, perhaps even an exclusiveness. I have run across no terms which I do not recognize, but some concepts in context are difficult to follow.

 

Make it more leading and informing for the uninitiated.

 

My apologies if I have intruded. However, my offering is not a joke.

[AletheiaRivers]

Hi Joker, welcome to the board.

 

I get the impression that the other two panentheism threads have died, which is perhaps for the best at this point.

 

I do not have any formal education past the high school level. I've never taken classes in theology or philosophy. Everything I know (or think I know) I've learned through reading. Anything I don't understand, I "google and google and google."

 

Anyway, is there something particular regarding panentheism you like to talk about?

[des]

> Just found this site for Progressive Christianity: been searching for informed and outward looking exhange. Perhaps I should sign in as "humble" rather than "joker", for I approach this subject cautiously, hoping to offend no one.

 

Hey welcome!! I don't think most of us would be offended by "joker". I am definitely not.

 

>nature of the dialogue. I am well aware that posting sites and continuing threads create a certain commadarie. (Of course, I am not part of the exchange and perhaps my input weighs nothing.)

 

Well it can. But sometimes it doesn't. Just depends.

 

>Having come here, anticipating some input to my searching, I find this thread somewhat difficult to follow. I have a good liberal education and even a degree in theology. I have no answers - just searching! Perhaps I speak for others in saying that there is a lot of jargon that could be somewhat defined. The entries seem to relect a philisohical one-up-manship, perhaps even an exclusiveness. I have run across no terms which I do not recognize, but some concepts in context are difficult to follow.

 

 

Hah! Well I don't have a degree in theology. I tried to introduce a 101 discussion, but that kind of jumped into 607 or 666 perhaps :-) I'm not sure there is philophical one-up-manship. I just think there are some really really smart people here, at least this is how I think of it. I wish to think the best, if possible. I was, however, frustrated by the lack of definitions, etc. But I also recognize that where else would you have such a discussion. There are lots of threads and many active ones that do not require advanced degrees in theology. :-) Some newer members will pull out older threads and reintroduce them (in fact I think this can be interesting). Right now there are current threads on the pope; ethics; worship/praxis; contemporary progressive churches; etc. Take a look in the archive for possible interesting discussions.

 

>Make it more leading and informing for the uninitiated.

 

To be honest, I think some threads go bad. Sometimes they get overintellectualized, some get too polarized. And some just never get off the ground. However, I do think this is a pretty nice group. People get their feelings stepped on sometimes, but it is a pretty polite and caring group. Give us a shot, and try some other threads. People tend to moderate themselves (though we have a capable moderator).

 

>My apologies if I have intruded. However, my offering is not a joke.

 

You have definitely NOT intruded!!

 

 

--des

[cunninglily]

Just found this site for Progressive Christianity: been searching for informed and outward looking exhange.  Perhaps I should sign in as "humble" rather than "joker", for I approach this subject cautiously, hoping to offend no one. 

 

Whether I am committed to panentheism or not is irrelevant at this point.  My concern is the nature of the dialogue.  I am well aware that posting sites and continuing threads create a certain commadarie.  (Of course, I am not part of the exchange and perhaps my input weighs nothing.) 

 

Having come here, anticipating some input to my searching, I find this thread somewhat difficult to follow.  I have a good liberal education and even a degree in theology.  I have no answers - just searching!  Perhaps I speak for others in saying that there is a lot of jargon that could be somewhat defined.  The entries seem to relect a philisohical one-up-manship, perhaps even an exclusiveness.  I have run across no terms which I do not recognize, but some concepts in context are difficult to follow. 

 

Make it more leading and informing for the uninitiated. 

 

My apologies if I have intruded.    However, my offering is not a joke.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Welcome Joker.

 

I think we need to be careful that we don't fall into a reverse elitism that charges the more learned among us with one-up-manship and exclusivity. Keep in mind that the only way to make theology accessible to non-theologians, is to first become masterful with the language of theology, and THEN to translate that into a more common language for the rest of us. Those who are skilled in theological language and ideas should be allowed a space for exercising and sharpening this skill through dialog and discussion, and should not be silenced because the rest of us feel intimidated or left out.

 

These are complex matters that should not be simplified until they CAN be simplified. Panta mentioned a desire to translate the dense theological language of Panentheism and etc. into more accessible and simpler fare, but at this time can't see how to do so. In time, I believe that Panta will find a way. In the meantime, I think it is in our best interest to allow Panta and Fred and others a place for working this out without trying to make them feel that they are alienating the rest of us by going over our heads.

 

I, like Aletheia, have only a high school education (actually I dropped out of high school...and hey kids, DON'T try this at home) so I am not speaking as one of the *learned*, but as someone who must work very hard just to keep up. People such as Fred and Panta and others on this and other lists serve as my teachers and I am grateful for them.

 

John Bunyan, the author of "A Pilgrims Progress" had no schooling at all, and when asked how he managed to write a book, answered that, "Christianity itself is an education". I say Amen to that.

 

 

lily