I'm a big fan of the work of Alister McGrath. He's an author, speaker, debater, former-atheist-turned-Christian-theologian and now serves as the Chair of Theology, Ministry and Education in the Department of Education and Professional Studies at Kings College, London. He's one of those prolific writers whom I have no idea how they manage write so much. I'm happy he does because I've come to learn quite a bit from him. My most recent interest is a book he wrote, released in 2009 called "Heresy: A History of Defending the Faith." Unfortunately I haven't been able to read yet but I have come across a quote that echoes my own feelings in a way far better than I could possibly articulate myself, and I would very much like to share it...
Yet perhaps the ultimate appeal of heresy in our times lies in its challenge to authority. Religious orthodoxy is equated with claims to absolute authority, which are to be resisted and subverted in the name of freedom. Heresy is thus to be seen as the subversion of authoritarianism, offering liberation to its followers. It is virtually impossible to take this account seriously from a historical perspective, especially as some heresies were at least as authoritarian as their orthodox rivals. The belief that heresy is intellectually and morally liberating tells us far more about today's cultural climate in the West than about the realities of the first centuries of Christian existence. Yet, as any account of the cultural reception of ideas concedes, the present-day relevance of any ancient idea has at least as much to do with what contemporary human beings are looking for as with what ancient ideas have to offer. The significance of heresy is thus not inherent within the heresy itself, but is rather constructed within the relationship between the original heresy and its contemporary interpreter. Alister McGrath, "Heresy: A History of Defending the Faith"
I'll be posting on the same topic soon...
No comments:
Post a Comment