Like what you've read?

On Line Opinion is the only Australian site where you get all sides of the story. We don't
charge, but we need your support. Here�s how you can help.

  • Advertise

    We have a monthly audience of 70,000 and advertising packages from $200 a month.

  • Volunteer

    We always need commissioning editors and sub-editors.

  • Contribute

    Got something to say? Submit an essay.


 The National Forum   Donate   Your Account   On Line Opinion   Forum   Blogs   Polling   About   
On Line Opinion logo ON LINE OPINION - Australia's e-journal of social and political debate

Subscribe!
Subscribe





On Line Opinion is a not-for-profit publication and relies on the generosity of its sponsors, editors and contributors. If you would like to help, contact us.
___________

Syndicate
RSS/XML


RSS 2.0

The nonexistence of the spirit world

By Peter Sellick - posted Monday, 12 February 2007


It may seem absurd to the modern mind to indulge in the metaphysics of the godhead. What sort of rationality could we use for such a discussion? As we have noted, such a concept cannot simply be plucked out of the Bible. And how do we discuss something that by definition is beyond us?

Perhaps Athanasius, for all his thuggery, saw how things would go if Arius had had his day, a deficient theology that could not be at the centre of the flowering of the culture of the West. So perhaps the logic was more about the outcome than of seeing the invisible things of God!

One of the difficulties of the doctrine of the Trinity is that it is not a natural idea. To explain, language is natural, we already know how to speak before we go to school, while reading and writing is unnatural and we have to be intensively taught. The human mind contains structures that deal with language but must develop specific structures to deal with literacy.

Advertisement

In the same way we relate to persons in a natural way and it is also natural to imagine a personal God. But it is not natural to conceive of a person who is described as three persons in one, this has to be taught.

This is why, in the absence of church teaching, ideas about God will always revert to simple monotheism. That is why Arianism is the Archetypal Heresy because our minds are naturally attuned to single persons. If Christianity is not to revert to folk theology the church must grasp the nettle and actively teach Trinitarian theology and its history. We already have the example of 19th century liberalism in which Jesus was just a nice bloke and that after Arianism had declined to extinction, in the clergy at least.

The liberalism of Protestant Churches, so like the Latitude men of the 18th century, who thought that such theological niceties were not important, is not an option. They may feel that they can more easily communicate to the man in the street, but who would be excited about that communication?

Dumbed down theology is boring and ineffective and should be avoided. It is right that the liturgy should begin with the words “In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” but how much of our preaching actually reflects this?

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. Page 3
  5. All


Discuss in our Forums

See what other readers are saying about this article!

Click here to read & post comments.

347 posts so far.

Share this:
reddit this reddit thisbookmark with del.icio.us Del.icio.usdigg thisseed newsvineSeed NewsvineStumbleUpon StumbleUponsubmit to propellerkwoff it

About the Author

Peter Sellick an Anglican deacon working in Perth with a background in the biological sciences.

Other articles by this Author

All articles by Peter Sellick

Creative Commons LicenseThis work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

Photo of Peter Sellick
Article Tools
Comment 347 comments
Print Printable version
Subscribe Subscribe
Email Email a friend
Advertisement

About Us Search Discuss Feedback Legals Privacy