I did a post on the Introduction of James K. A. Smith's new book, Desiring the Kingdom: Worship, Worldview, and Cultural Formation over at my seminary blog. But here let me add this oh-so-true quote:
"Our imaginations get stuck in a rut, and it becomes difficult to get out of them to imagine things differently. When that happens, theoretical dissertations aren't effective in destabilizing these habits of imagination... To jolt the imagination, we need more affective pictures..." (28-29)
Now on p. 30 quoting a book of George Orwell's about an illustrative topic of social class:
"The real secret of class distinctions in the West" can be "summed up in four frightful words" that are often left unuttered: The lower classes smell... "no feeling of like or dislike is quite so fundamental as a physical feeling." Almost every other kind of discrimination could be countered theoretically, with the weapons of facts, ideas, and information, "but physical repulsion cannot."
Smith's books is one of those books that expresses so well the conclusions you have already reached that you read the pages with delight.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
1 comment:
Is the issue of poverty (material need) such a unifying problem for the Christian community that other problems are pale in significance? Is this what is identified as "The Kingdom"?
Is it the "global move" to equalize or re-distribute resources so that Africa can play on the field with other 'world powers"? In attempting to level the playing field, is America selling themselves over to multiculturalism and Marxist ideology without realizing it? Or do those in places of power know that this is happening, as they are seeing to the undermining of our nation. But, they do not seem to "care about charity" themselves.
The Catholic Church has been known for eons to "care for the poor", but making a mandate for Global compliance, is similar to trying to unify everyone over any other social issue. Where does Sovereignty lie?
I believe in individual conscience. And I think it is immoral for one person to determine for another what their lives must be given to....there are many visions for an individual's life.
Post a Comment