The Received Faith (Composing rough draft notes for blog or video series)

[Pavel Mosko]

I got a lot of project ideas on stuff I that I think is important, than many people don't either know about, appreciate etc.

I really want to do a series on the history of the Creeds, and why the stuff in them matters.
Was looking at that last night.

I got some inspiration of an old article explaining how each item in the Apostles Creed is a refutation of the basic tenets of the various Gnostic heretical schools. Would sort of like to to do that with Arianism etc. Not to mention, the background development of the creeds is really important as far as how and why they came into being. So last night, I was up and reading up on "The Old Roman Creed", and Tertullian's "Rule of Faith" that preceded it.
But I think this is going to take some time if I really want to do it right as far as thorough job goes. (I do sometimes see where audience interest is not that great where such ambitions get scaled back).



But Right now I have been thinking about a project that had an initial title like, "Why being Scriptural" is not enough. The topic came from watching a nondenominational Charismatic lady plug basing your teaching/beliefs "on scripture". This is good, it will keep you from at least the really major heresy problems like being a full blown Gnostic, or New Ager, of doing the Deeds of the Nicolaitans etc. but it is not enough, it is not the same thing as following the Received Faith / Rule of Faith, tradition of the Apostles (Paradosis) etc. It is not a synonym for orthodox in the small or big o sense of the word.


Right now thinking of some separate video or blog themes / keynotes

(under construction)

1) Theology of the Sound Bite

I have met and watched many many people base their theology on what I have named "The Theology of the Sound bite". Their entire teaching approach is based on what is snappy, dramatic, pithy and quotable, especially "What preaches well".

A) There are lots of problems with this = This approach often does not mesh well with what the early Christians actually taught and believed. e.g. - Snake handling Pentecostals in certain regions of the south.

B) Heresies related to Christ and the Trinity often "preach well", I'm talking about Arianism, Modalism etc.


C) Lots of people do not appreciate the supernatural aspects of having Faith in God (I'm talking about things like realizing that young children have a spiritual life etc. and can believers in spite of not having the intellect of an adult or adolescent. This is important when it comes to issues like baptism, and some people being against babies and young children being baptized, which if you look in both the Bible and in Christian history seems like it happened, e.g. the testimony of people like Polycarp telling how long "they served the Lord".

 

[Brother-Mike]

I'd certainly welcome a "why scripture isn't enough" essay, given the current debates in the Reformed world regarding Christian "Traditionalism" and Aquinas/Plato, etc, as all (suddenly) being necessary.

To your points it also seems valuable to have an analysis of the creeds. I forget where I ran across this recently but one scholar was discussing how, especially for the early creeds, almost every line was there for the purpose of refuting the heresies of the day.

 

[Brother-Mike]

Oh, and on the topic of supernatural/transcendent aspects of Faith, my journey into Christianity led me through some terrain (Jung, Francis of Assisi, Rohr, Brother Lawrence, etc) that here in Reformed/Calvin-land seems undervalued. For example:

1. Creation-care.
2. Meditation.
3. Dialogue with God vs. specific prayer times.

Now, I'm sure most Reformed Christians would be on some kind of spectrum for each of the above, but still it seems to me that the emphasis is on deliberate, perhaps-sometimes-overly verbal/cognitive approach to God.

I'd imagine that during his day, even in the bustle of 16th century Geneva, Calvin still didn't have an iPhone, YouTube, blogs, honking cars and Zoom to contend with, and may well have had an implicitly more distraction-free, meditative base-level spiritual life. Who knows, maybe if he got a glimpse of what it means to be a modern Christian he'd tell us all to get some silent mindfulness into our regimen

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Oh, and on the topic of supernatural/transcendent aspects of Faith, my journey into Christianity led me through some terrain (Jung, Francis of Assisi, Rohr, Brother Lawrence, etc) that here in Reformed/Calvin-land seems undervalued. For example:

1. Creation-care.
2. Meditation.
3. Dialogue with God vs. specific prayer times.

Now, I'm sure most Reformed Christians would be on some kind of spectrum for each of the above, but still it seems to me that the emphasis is on deliberate, perhaps-sometimes-overly verbal/cognitive approach to God.

I'd imagine that during his day, even in the bustle of 16th century Geneva, Calvin still didn't have an iPhone, YouTube, blogs, honking cars and Zoom to contend with, and may well have had an implicitly more distraction-free, meditative base-level spiritual life. Who knows, maybe if he got a glimpse of what it means to be a modern Christian he'd tell us all to get some silent mindfulness into our regimen

Thanks!

Yes I'm very interested in all that stuff.

The Jung aspects are very good too, not really in terms of formal archetypes, as much as some of the Joseph Campbell, "Hero's Journey" stuff. One of the under rated Biblical themes of Faith is how our life is a journey. A Journey where we slowly walk with God and learn his ways. Outside of a few works like John Bunyan's, Pilgrim's Progress, the Everyman plays of Medieval times that work was based on, The Eastern Orthodox book, "The way of the Pilgrim", and some monastic writings kind of neglected theme for the most part. If ever preached upon is mentioned only momentarily, where the person moves on...... But that was the first name of the Faith aka "the Way", before "Christian" was coined. And is an important Biblical theme in both the Old and New Testaments, in the Coptic Church and other Orthodox Churches, "The Road to Emmaus" is used as an Explanation for why the Liturgy exists in its state of "The Liturgy of the Word" to "Liturgy of Eucharist" You basically learn of Christ and the various background gospel teaching before you take the eucharist.



Recently, I have been interested in some paradigm related ways things are important. For instance, I recently joined Apologist David Woods new online community, and he has a great video series on the book, "Faith of the Fatherless" where the nature of a father in our psychology is important to our theology in terms of paradigms, constructs, archetypes etc.

 

[Brother-Mike]

Agreed Pavel on all points and thanks for pointing me to David Woods' new community. I've seen a couple of videos by him and he seems to be a straight-shooter, pound for pound.

Funny you mention too "The Way", which certainly perked up my ears as a Taoist pre-Christian when I stumbled across that fact

 

[The Liturgist]

Agreed Pavel on all points and thanks for pointing me to David Woods' new community. I've seen a couple of videos by him and he seems to be a straight-shooter, pound for pound.

Funny you mention too "The Way", which certainly perked up my ears as a Taoist pre-Christian when I stumbled across that fact

So you were a Taoist before converting to Christianity? I find that very interesting. Were you born into it?

While I obviously am a devoted Christian, there are some religions which interest me, in part because some of them are distant relatives of Christianity, for example, Zoroastrianism, and in other cases because the religions have beautiful worship reminiscent of Christianity that could be a clue to converting members of those faiths. Taoism is interesting because it is not particularly well understood outside of China and Korea, unlike Buddhism it never spread to Japan, but there is a tendency I have read for Taoist priests to take charge of and organize festivals of the traditional Chinese religion, which Taoism is not. But its interesting how one could theoretically be a Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist at the same time.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Agreed Pavel on all points and thanks for pointing me to David Woods' new community. I've seen a couple of videos by him and he seems to be a straight-shooter, pound for pound.

Funny you mention too "The Way", which certainly perked up my ears as a Taoist pre-Christian when I stumbled across that fact

You Too! I sort of left the Faith in college because I was unhappy with my life and my Lutheran Faith I was raised in and did dabble in Taoism and other eastern thought, considered myself a Taoist around 1987-1990. Went back Christ in grad school following my best friend back home in the nondemoninational end of the Charismatic movement.


I trust you know about The Tao of Christ, put out by a former Buddhist who became an Eastern Orthodox priest. I nearly, posted a direct Amazon link, but I had one of my threads deleted for such things, which the mods frown on because they consider it an advertisement.


I also got lots to say about the martial arts and Christianity and why you should study them for many reasons, but learning aspects of what it is to be a disciple one of the big ones. Not to mention all the good life lessons you get on being patient and slowly working to solve problems etc.


I am actually hoping to go back to that when I get to California, study some Wing Chun which is the main ingredient on the 1st style I learned. Need to drop some weight however before I can really do that well.

 

[Brother-Mike]

So you were a Taoist before converting to Christianity? I find that very interesting. Were you born into it?

While I obviously am a devoted Christian, there are some religions which interest me, in part because some of them are distant relatives of Christianity, for example, Zoroastrianism, and in other cases because the religions have beautiful worship reminiscent of Christianity that could be a clue to converting members of those faiths. Taoism is interesting because it is not particularly well understood outside of China and Korea, unlike Buddhism it never spread to Japan, but there is a tendency I have read for Taoist priests to take charge of and organize festivals of the traditional Chinese religion, which Taoism is not. But its interesting how one could theoretically be a Taoist, Confucian and Buddhist at the same time.

I wasn't born into Taoism, but growing up in a secular family and with essentially zero religious acquaintances the Tao Te Ching peaked my interest at around 14 as an approachable belief system. But ultimately, despite the best intentions of most Western interpreters and translators (who in my opinion can't help but only see the Tao through Christian eyes), the Tao was mostly a pragmatic "survival guide" for surviving the Warring States period - be small and humble, keep your head down, flow with the Way and try not to get killed.

And you're right about the "three pillars", either simultaneously (since each of the belief systems orients primarily towards one aspect of the psyche) or at least as adoptive beliefs that one might gravitate towards as life unfolds (e.g. you're a Confucian when you're younger and a Taoist when you're old).

My two cents at least

 

[The Liturgist]

I wasn't born into Taoism, but growing up in a secular family and with essentially zero religious acquaintances the Tao Te Ching peaked my interest at around 14 as an approachable belief system. But ultimately, despite the best intentions of most Western interpreters and translators (who in my opinion can't help but only see the Tao through Christian eyes), the Tao was mostly a pragmatic "survival guide" for surviving the Warring States period - be small and humble, keep your head down, flow with the Way and try not to get killed.

And you're right about the "three pillars", either simultaneously (since each of the belief systems orients primarily towards one aspect of the psyche) or at least as adoptive beliefs that one might gravitate towards as life unfolds (e.g. you're a Confucian when you're younger and a Taoist when you're old).

My two cents at least

Really interesting post. And I am very happy you found Christianity and found it to be a more fulfilling religion.

 

[Brother-Mike]

You Too! I sort of left the Faith in college because I was unhappy with my life and my Lutheran Faith I was raised in and did dabble in Taoism and other eastern thought, considered myself a Taoist around 1987-1990. Went back Christ in grad school following my best friend back home in the nondemoninational end of the Charismatic movement.


I trust you know about The Tao of Christ, put out by a former Buddhist who became an Eastern Orthodox priest. I nearly, posted a direct Amazon link, but I had one of my threads deleted for such things, which the mods frown on because they consider it an advertisement.


I also got lots to say about the martial arts and Christianity and why you should study them for many reasons, but learning aspects of what it is to be a disciple one of the big ones. Not to mention all the good life lessons you get on being patient and slowly working to solve problems etc.


I am actually hoping to go back to that when I get to California, study some Wing Chun which is the main ingredient on the 1st style I learned. Need to drop some weight however before I can really do that well.

Ah - I take it you're talking about Marshall Davis? I've got a few of his books and was a fan of his channel, at least moreso until he seemed to wander off into TDS-land politically. Still, yep, he was part of my journey...

I'm envious of your martial arts skills - and now that I ponder it seems like a fantastic fit with spirituality from a discipline/holistic perspective, something the East has embraced forever but certainly under-valued by Christianity. It would be awesome to see an attempted church-violence scenario being met with twenty or thirty Bo sticks coming out from under the pews to provide firm-yet-loving rapprochement

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Ah - I take it you're talking about Marshall Davis?

I don't think so, I'm talking about this.

 

[Brother-Mike]

I don't think so, I'm talking about this.

Ah... not familiar with him so much thanks for the link!

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Ah... not familiar with him so much thanks for the link!

I had an internet friend who did his theology dissertation on it. He was a Buffalo NY, policeman sergeant who converted to EO in his mid to late 30s, became an Antiochian Deacon, and eventually went to saint Vladimir's seminary to be a priest and he did his graduate dissertation to finish on it.

I was fascinating because early on as a Protestant realized the similarities to the Tao and Logos, and if you do other kinds of theology and Church history stuff you see that too with Memra in Second Temple Judaism and Syriac Christianity.

Logos and Memra

 

[Brother-Mike]

I had an internet friend who did his theology dissertation on it. He was a Buffalo NY, policeman sergeant who converted to EO in his mid to late 30s, became an Antiochian Deacon, and eventually went to saint Vladimir's seminary to be a priest and he did his graduate dissertation to finish on it.

I was fascinating because early on as a Protestant realized the similarities to the Tao and Logos, and if you do other kinds of theology and Church history stuff you see that too with Memra in Second Temple Judaism and Syriac Christianity.

Logos and Memra

Thanks! And indeed I have been known to whip out TTC Chapter 42* as a Trinitarian parlour trick:

The Tao gives birth to one
one gives birth to two
two gives birth to three
three gives birth to ten thousand things
ten thousand things with yin at their backs
yang in their embrace
and breath between for harmony...

It's even got "breath" (רוּחַ) between them "for harmony" Of course Christian AND Taoist scholarship aren't too convinced, but I'd at least chalk it up to Lao Tzu aligning with Natural Revelation.

* 42: the Douglas Adams Constant

 

[Pavel Mosko]

It's even got "breath" (רוּחַ) between them "for harmony" Of course Christian AND Taoist scholarship aren't too convinced, but I'd at least chalk it up to Lao Tzu aligning with Natural Revelation.

Yes that was something I focused on too in my younger days, especially from the Charismatic movement etc. Kinda forgot in the years that followed, but when you cram your head with new stuff all the time, a few good nuggets are bound to occasionally fall out.

 

[Pavel Mosko]

Well I guess I will get backed to this thread somewhat. I got to many projects


I have in mind a video on "Binding and Loosening" mentioned in the Great Commission and how that plays into Christian theology and Church History. That term comes from Judaism.

BINDING AND LOOSING - JewishEncyclopedia.com


Anyway I made this joke thumb nail in Canva for it.

 

[The Liturgist]

Well I guess I will get backed to this thread somewhat. I got to many projects


I have in mind a video on "Binding and Loosening" mentioned in the Great Commission and how that plays into Christian theology and Church History. That term comes from Judaism.

BINDING AND LOOSING - JewishEncyclopedia.com


Anyway I made this joke thumb nail in Canva for it.

View attachment 321287

I love your sense of humor. You’ve got to do more memes for the community!