An interesting thought

While out on my run this evening, I was listening to a "Speaking of Faith" podcast with Martin Marty. It was a pretty interesting discussion of religion in American life, and there are probably lots of things worth commenting on. But one interesting things stood out to me in particular: He referenced a (hitherto unknown to me) Dutch philosopher named Eugen Rosenstock-Heussy (which took some doing to find how his name was spelled).

He claimed (according to Marty) that the history of learning in the western world can be written in three Latin phrases:
1. credo ut intelligam (I believe in order to understand). This is what led to the birth of universities in the middle ages.
2. cogito ergo sum (I think therefore I am). Here is the skepticism that characterizes modern thought.
3. respondeo etsi mutabor (I respond although I will be changed). Truth has a social character and we learn by conversing with each other.

I like this kind of thing. I like it when historians can impose a structure on the past in such a way that it gives meaning (or brings out meaning?). I suppose I feel more comfortable when there is structure. Of course there is a lot more to be filled in, but these claims are the like the joists (or are they rafters?) upon which the rest of the planks can be laid to make the roof.

(sorry for all the parentheses)

Claiborne

I mentioned I was a little disappointed with the seminars at Cornerstone this year (here). The first three I tried to go see, the speakers hadn't shown up yet. That kind of jaded me towards those speakers, and I didn't go back to try to see them later. I see now that was a mistake.

I get a podcast from Krista Tippett's "Speaking of Faith" radio show which airs on NPR (though not on our local NPR station--which is why I get the podcast). The show is very worthwhile listening, especially while out on long runs (very user-friendly instructions about how to subscribe to the podcast here). One of her recent shows was a conversation with Shane Claiborne, who was one of the late-comers to the Cornerstone seminar tents I missed. It was a pretty fascinating 53 minute conversation. I have a bit of a negative association with some of the celebrities in the emergent/missional movement for attitudinal reasons, but this guy is about as humble as they come. Very refreshing.

His words and life just drip with the Kingdom of God--a subject of near-future posts.