Refuting the March of Monotheism
EADERS ARE, Certainly, aware of the two competing theories of the Grand March of Monotheism: in the one (a literalist fundamentalism) Man knew only the One God, his creator. After the Fall, man either invented deities on his own or else was led astray by demons. Now, in Jesus, we can all come home to monotheism again.
The second theory (a very Modern one) offers Judaism and Christianity (and some say Islam as well) as “Ethical Monotheisms” that are out to set the world aright trapped as she is in her pagan darkness.
The first one takes as literal history the Jewish Scriptures. The second takes a very ethnocentric and modernistic assumption that we’re right and everyone else is deluded. Some of these folks go so far as to deny the doctrine of the Trinity in favour of a Unitarianism, simply to maintain a Rational, Ethical Monotheism.
And profoundly boring religion rites like 2 hymns, a Bible reading, an hour sermon and a hymn: Bye!
Word that the Eastern Orthodox were adopting Pagan Festivals just like the Westerners did brings me a total suprise and joy. As does reading Arturo’s post pointing us in an entirely different direction (as the Fathers do): that God was working in all those religions to bring us to himself in Jesus.
I would argue, to the contrary, that the real Gnosticism lies in denying the idea that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not just the completion of the Jewish Old Testament, but of classical paganism as well. This is not merely to speak of “philosohical forms” such as the dialectical method of Socrates, but also of the astrological aspirations, the ritualistic gestures, and the divine symbols that had been passed down since time immemorial. To deny this would be to deny the very divinity and splendor of the Logos Incarnate, Jesus Christ, true God and true Man, who fills all things with His beauty and light.
This is the sense that I draw from one of my favourite books, Christ the Eternal Tao, as well: that Jesus is the fulfilment of all primal religion, no less true than Judaism and no less fulfilled in the Fullness of the Logos.
Tags: folk religion, jesus, Tao | Category: other paths
Discussion: You came too late to this party
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Although, I will say that a couple of decades ago, there were already Christian philosophers arguing in favor of the “Paul at Athens” point. I would direct you to Alvin Plantinga, professor of philosophy at the University of Notre Dame. He wrote a book called “All Truth is God’s Truth.” (Ahhh, he has written many books and articles.) He is a major voice in philosophy of religion, in apologetics, in epistemology today. Philosophers who argue religion, naturalism, etc., all have to deal with him.
Unfortunately, most clergy in the USA do not know him. And that is because most clergy, be they liberal or conservative, are not taught to think in seminary, they are fed a line along with counter-arguments against opponents. Thus, most clergy, of whatever stripe, are genuinely incapable of following a logical argument through to conclusion. [Yes, this is a rant against modern seminary training.]
That is a man worth your looking up and reading his books and the counters tried against him.
“All Truth…etc” that’s a line from Justin Martyr, I believe. (In the same passage where he announces that Socrates and Plato are Christians.)
I don’t think this is an issue with Modern Seminaries, per se, although I see the logical fallacy.
My Freshman year of College I was (mistakenly) at an Evangelical Christian School. Dr Doug Carlsen, (Carlson? Arg, I always forget) offered us that very premise. Immediately the seminar on Western Civ filled up raised hands, students denying the possibility that Hindus, Buddhists, Muslims, etc, could speak the truth at all.
So I asked “If a Hindu says it’s raining are you not going to take an umbrella?”
Paul says the Truth of God is written in their hearts: I am forced to assume that means that some of it might leak out into their words, deeds, religions, philosophies, etc.
But a number of those students (and here’s the Fallacy) couldn’t make the leap from “it’s raining” to allowing the possibility for religious truth. Truth came in different categories for them.
Later, when I became Orthodox I learned that Jesus is The Truth and all Truth is Jesus.
It all made better sense then!