Definition: Casuistry.

Yesterday, I spoke about casuistry in relation to Mark 7:10-13. The word, casuistry, is derived from the Latin word casus, which means “event” or “case.”  The benign definition of casuistry is that it is a discipline within ethics which deals with ambiguous issues of right and wrong.  The most common use of the word today is more sinister: it is described as sophistical reasoning used in matters of ethics.

Sophism (from the Greek word Σοφία = “wisdom”) comes from the ancient Greek Sophists who developed elaborate philosophical and rhetorical arguments to teach excellence and virtue to young men.  The catch was that they charged for their teachings.

Socrates refused to take any money for teaching and considered the practice by the Sophists to be deceptive and specious.  From this developed the modern English use of the word: a specious argument used to deceive and to obscure one’s true intent.  There are many modern examples of this practice.

Film Comment: The Art of Getting By

I first saw Freddie Highmore in Five Children and It, a children’s fantasy film.  Basically he portrayed a cute little boy.  Probably, Highmore’s most well-known role is that of Charlie Bucket in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005).

As a twenty year old, Highmore still has the cute innocent look but the character he portrays in the comedy, The Art of Getting By (2011), is a decidedly different person.

George Zinavoy (Highmore) is a sweet natured, gentle, and very talented artist.  He is an obviously intellectual and capable high school senior.  He has decided to do nothing, not even in art class.  When he meets a girl (Emma Roberts) who likes him, he cannot bring himself to admit that he also likes her.

George’s problem is his philosophy, which is one version of the worldview known as Postmodernism.  We are born alone.  We die alone.  Everything else is basically nothing.  Life has no meaning because, in the end, we will all die, alone.

A great many people today, possibly nearing a majority, have a postmodern view of reality.  This is why you hear so many people saying that “you have your truth, I have my truth.”  How they choose to respond to the philosophy can lead to apathy, rage, cynicism, hedonism, manipulativeness, withdrawal, and any number of other pathological lifestyles.

The challenge for Christians is to show these people that life does have meaning and to help them see what that meaning is.  We cannot “save” them but we can present the Gospel and let the Holy Spirit do His work.

Biblical Sources of Phrases in Common Use: A House Divided

In Alabama, we take our football very seriously.  An Auburn fan who marries an Alabama fan usually will remain an Auburn fan, and vice versa.  Most people make the most of the situation and express their school loyalties with good humor toward one another .  Of course, there are always a few who do not.

Other similar university rivalries include: Ohio State and Ohio, Louisville and Kentucky,  Michigan and Michigan State,  Purdue and Indiana, Idaho and Boise State, and many others.

“A house divided” is sometimes also used for familial differences in political philosophy or religion.  A  famous use of the phrase was during the American Civil War in United States President Abraham Lincoln’s House Divided Speech.

The origin of the phrase is in Matthew 12:25, where Jesus says, “... Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:”

  

Book Comment: Think

Think.  The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (2010), by John Piper, is a book which challenges Christians to use their minds.  "My goal is to encourage you to make serious thinking an important part of the way you pursue the knowledge of God." In the book Piper opposes prideful intellectualism, Christian anti-intellectualism, and the poison that is relativism.

Relativism, the philosophy that there is no universal external standard for judging the truth or falsehood of any statement, is seen by many Christians as a cancer on the world.  Piper goes further, he declares relativism to be evil (2 Timothy 4:3-4) and a treason against God.  Piper attacks the relativist philosophy, showing its gaping logical inconsistencies and exposes it for what it really is, a glorification of the self in opposition to God, which is what all sin ultimately reduces to.

Pastor Piper is no kinder to Christian anti-intellectualism.  One subchapter heading is Not Thinking Is No Solution for Thinking Arrogantly. "I we abandon thinking, we abandon the Bible, and if we abandon the Bible we abandon God."  Rather than being suspicious of deep thinking, we need to learn a humble way of thinking deeply.

"... the main reason God has given us minds is that we might seek out and find all the reasons that exist for treasuring him in all things and above all things.  He created the world so that through it and above it we might treasure him."

Book Comment: Fifty Key Christian Thinkers

Fifty Key Christian Thinkers, by Peter McEnhill and George Newlands, is an anthology of biographies and discussions about what its title says; "fifty key christian thinkers." It really adds nothing special to the discussion but is a useful introduction to the highly interesting field of Christian biography. Some of the persons mentioned are Justin Martyr, Jurgen Moltmann, Peter Abelard, Basil of Caesarea, Karl Barth, and Friedrich Schleiermacher.

Stasis

      Everyone, especially Christians, needs to learn something new each day. If you're not learning and growing, you become static and eventually dormant.  Stasis implies not moving, not changing, just like a stone or a weight.  Christians should be learning daily about living the Christ-filled life through prayer, meditation, and Bible study.  They also need to work to increase their knowledge of current events, science, the arts, grammar, philosophy, history, politics, and other subjects. Christians should take a back seat to no one intellectually.  Three verses of scripture are especially relevant here:

     A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain to wise counsels.  Proverbs 1:5 (KJV)

     But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and ... be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you of a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear.  1 Peter 3:15

     For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.  But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.  Hebrews 5:13-14

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     Something to learn today: why did I use "needs" instead of "need" in the first paragraph?