Friday, July 22, 2005
Church Fathers - 2005 & Beyond
I post alot on a post modern message board. There I am challenged occasionally to show how my personal dogma/doctrine is supported by the 'church fathers'.
This always bothers me. It's like folk think that the church was 'perfect' during the first 7 ecumenical councils, and anything someone said back then is Ex Catedra... It's not like Jesus hermetically sealed those churches or fathers and said:
"This is the model for the remainder of Christiandom"
I happen to think that the church fathers mostly are alright, but feel strongly that we shouldn't be confining them to 'back then'.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. We are the Body. The same Holy Ghost that indwelt Athanathius indwells you and me. But if we are not looking for anything to happen 'today' then we shouldn't be surprized when nothing does.
I believe that we have quite a few Church Father's in the past 100 years to present. Look at Fr. Han's Ur Von Balthasar, C.S. Lewis, Chesterton, MacDonald, Fr. Jean Danielou, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Timothy Ware (Kalistos) etc.
I would also offer up minds like Leonard Sweet, Stanley Hauerwas, & Fr. Robert Capon. And I came up with these without even trying to hard.
Apostle means those who are Sent out. It's shouldn't only mean those who Had Been Sent.
I'shalom
This always bothers me. It's like folk think that the church was 'perfect' during the first 7 ecumenical councils, and anything someone said back then is Ex Catedra... It's not like Jesus hermetically sealed those churches or fathers and said:
"This is the model for the remainder of Christiandom"
I happen to think that the church fathers mostly are alright, but feel strongly that we shouldn't be confining them to 'back then'.
Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church. We are the Body. The same Holy Ghost that indwelt Athanathius indwells you and me. But if we are not looking for anything to happen 'today' then we shouldn't be surprized when nothing does.
I believe that we have quite a few Church Father's in the past 100 years to present. Look at Fr. Han's Ur Von Balthasar, C.S. Lewis, Chesterton, MacDonald, Fr. Jean Danielou, Fr. Alexander Schmemann, Timothy Ware (Kalistos) etc.
I would also offer up minds like Leonard Sweet, Stanley Hauerwas, & Fr. Robert Capon. And I came up with these without even trying to hard.
Apostle means those who are Sent out. It's shouldn't only mean those who Had Been Sent.
I'shalom
