John Suk as Astronaut
Someone today asked me if I knew John Suk before my habit of reading or commenting on his blog. I confessed that besides renting an apartment from him when I was in seminary I really didn’t.
I confessed in my blog post a while back “My John Suk Fantasy” that in some ways I am living vicariously through John. He’s an astronaut from the same community that I am from, heading outside the thick atmosphere of the CRC into the space and “freedom” of skepticism and doubt.
For those of you who don’t know the CRC you should know that it is a thick community and culture. There are family ties, relational ties, and deep emotional ties that bind this church together. I know a possibly apocryphal quote from Martin Marty that when asked about the CRC he said “it isn’t a denomination, it’s an extended family” and he had a point. The CRC is the kind of place where I can know John Suk not simply as a former editor of the Banner but also because I lived downstairs from him in Southeast Grand Rapids for a season.
John Suk as Traitor Continue reading
Does belief in the Trinity still matter?
John Suk had an interesting posting today on the Trinity and I offered some lengthy comments.
Just a brief comment on Constantine and the Trinity. According to Alister McGrath Constantine actually had Arian sympathies rather than Athanasius.
The evidence suggests that Constantine ultimately could have worked with either the position espoused by Athanasius or that espoused by Arius, yet he had a preference for the latter. Constantine was quite clear about his role; it was the church itself that had to decide which was right and bring the dispute to an end. His role was to bring about an unequivocal conclusion.
The fact that the emperor had summoned the council made it quite clear where ultimate authority lay within imperial Christianity. This was reinforced by Constantine’s decision to model the proceedings of the council on those of the Roman Senate. The structures of the church were subtly being aligned with those of the state.
McGrath, Alister (2009-10-14). Heresy (pp. 147-148). Harper Collins, Inc.. Kindle Edition.
Point taken. Clearly God has to tolerate fuzzy, foggy and even wrong headed ideas on the part of his creatures that he’s wooing with his love.
I do, however, disagree that this doesn’t or shouldn’t matter to God. Continue reading →