Very thought provoking. Of course scholarly people can also be spiritual people. Excluding either element would seem like unnecessarily severing a limb.
Thanks for the thoughts on mental illness. I think our overall culture has moved significantly toward seeing it in the same light as physical illness, rather than as a moral defect. My understanding of mental illness has expanded greatly as I have worked to parent a child with mental health issues. Many people in our ward are wonderful at helping bear burdens in this respect, as it should be in a community in Christ.
LucindaMay 4, 2015
Good ideas. I like the hospital/museum explanation. It is interesting that if we focus too much on our sinner-ness, church can become a museum of sin. I recall my mom talking about women in a particular community who dressed well enough during the week, but who would dress-up on Sunday by wearing very humble clothes and not appearing too washed.
I think part of the problem generally is worrying too much about appearances, and I wonder sometimes how the transition away from worrying about appearances works out. And I think that's part of the complication of the relational basis of our eternal natures. I've experienced both other people as hell and other people as heaven, independent of my worrying about appearances.
MjdApril 30, 2015
This was outstanding. I'll be picking up your book. Thank you for much to think about!
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Scott HinrichsMay 4, 2015
Very thought provoking. Of course scholarly people can also be spiritual people. Excluding either element would seem like unnecessarily severing a limb. Thanks for the thoughts on mental illness. I think our overall culture has moved significantly toward seeing it in the same light as physical illness, rather than as a moral defect. My understanding of mental illness has expanded greatly as I have worked to parent a child with mental health issues. Many people in our ward are wonderful at helping bear burdens in this respect, as it should be in a community in Christ.
LucindaMay 4, 2015
Good ideas. I like the hospital/museum explanation. It is interesting that if we focus too much on our sinner-ness, church can become a museum of sin. I recall my mom talking about women in a particular community who dressed well enough during the week, but who would dress-up on Sunday by wearing very humble clothes and not appearing too washed. I think part of the problem generally is worrying too much about appearances, and I wonder sometimes how the transition away from worrying about appearances works out. And I think that's part of the complication of the relational basis of our eternal natures. I've experienced both other people as hell and other people as heaven, independent of my worrying about appearances.
MjdApril 30, 2015
This was outstanding. I'll be picking up your book. Thank you for much to think about!
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