For an entire Christian community to neglect, generation after generation, serious attention to the mind, nature, society, the arts — all spheres created by God and sustained for his own glory — may be, in fact, sinful. – Mark Noll
Tag: theological integration
Transforming Culture: John Wilson on the Church and Cultural Ideas
I have been at the Transforming Culture conference all day, one of the best conferences Ive been to in a while. Interestingly, its a mix of creativity, academics, community, & campiness, yes it’s a bit campy in a wonderfully, playful way. Something really right about that campiness.
John Wilson (of Books & Culture fame) just finished his breakout session on “The Church and Cultural Ideas.” Stimulating. Here is the take-away quote:
If I had influence on seminary education, I would like to see a course where students read some first-rate theology of creation-along with Attenborough and Eisner and Nasrecki, and maybe E. O. Wilson on ants thrown in for good measure. Too much talk about Creation is divorced from the messy particulars. Too much talk about insects is divorced entirely form their Creator. It would be good to bring them together.
Solomon Among the Postmoderns
Okay. I was skeptical about reading another book about Postmodernism. After all, transmodernism is well underway. However, Caleb convinced me to read Solomon Among the Postmoderns. It has been an enjoyable read.
Those familiar with Leithart will immediately recognize that he is from the Reformed tradition. However, he does not allow that tradition to “take over” a reasoned, culturally savvy reading of Postmodernism. Of particular interest was his grasp of the Renaissance and its contribution to pomo thought. In a remarkable claim, he points out that Francis Bacon actually had theological roots for his science, roots that extended into Christian charity, not theology proper.
Liethart offers a cultural-historical reading of pomo that fits nicely along side Smith’s Who’s Afraid of Postmodernism?. I found his conclusion, the Solomonic alternative to Pomo, intriguing but disappointingly shallow in its development. Hopefully, he will take it further.