The Bishop of Pennsylvania on Discussion with those of other Faiths

Posted by Kendall Harmon

...for the Apostle Paul, diversity, not uniformity, in every aspect of human life and language and culture, characterizes the unity and catholicity of the church (1 Corinthians 12:12-31). His own speech, he admits, is “not with plausible words of wisdom, but with a demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Corinthians 2:4).

“Interestingly,” Tim [Griffin] writes, "for purposes of both ecumenical and interfaith discussions, this approach of humble shared ignorance provides a basis of shared experience. We can begin to see that the categories from which we, as Christians and as Episcopalians, have expressed our understanding of the Holy are limited and provisional. When we acknowledge that, we may be more willing to “listen and listen” and hear, to paraphrase Isaiah. And we will no doubt be more willing to show radical hospitality when we acknowledge that our practices are simply ways of clothing the mystery."

Read it all.

Filed under: * Anglican - Episcopal • Episcopal Church (TEC) • TEC Bishops • * Religion News & Commentary • Inter-Faith Relations • Other Churches • Orthodox Church • * Theology

7 Comments
Posted March 5, 2012 at 5:44 am [Printer Friendly] [Print w/ comments]



1. David Keller wrote:

Episcospeak on horse steroids.

March 5, 8:23 am | [comment link]
2. MP2009 wrote:

heh heh, read the article and it’s hard not to wish that Bennison were totally apophatic! smile

More seriously, while the discipline of silence is important, and God knows we should listen more, listen better, and think more carefully before speaking, Christianity is about the priority of the Word over silence (even Thomas Merton admitted this) and about God’s communicative presence.  God’s expressiveness should be our confidence, and we shouldn’t put God back in the box.

‘No one has ever seen God’ is just the beginning of the sentence . . .‘the only Son has made him known.’

And where have all (even one) the scholar bishop’s gone?

March 5, 10:28 am | [comment link]
3. A Senior Priest wrote:

Actually, the person who is called the Bishop of Pennsylvania (since we all know that according to the Councils when a “Bishop” falls into serious heresy he merely holds the office, without the grace) was mildly interesting this time.

March 5, 1:37 pm | [comment link]
4. Father Jonathan wrote:

“We can begin to see that the categories from which we, as Christians and as Episcopalians, have expressed our understanding of the Holy are limited and provisional.”

This is partially true. Our understanding is certainly limited. We will never be able to fully comprehend the mysteries of God, nor to exhaustively define the reality of God in our own language. But “provisional” is another matter. That which we understand about God is that which God has revealed to us, and apophaticism does not deny God’s own self-revelation. What is true about God is more than what is said in Scripture and the Creeds, but it certainly is not less. That there is more than I can wrap my head around in the mystery of God as Trinity is undeniable. Nevertheless, God is Trinity, not because I say so, but because He does.

March 5, 3:51 pm | [comment link]
5. MichaelA wrote:

Amen #4!

March 5, 6:05 pm | [comment link]
6. Ad Orientem wrote:

Re #3
A Senior Priest
You make an excellent (parenthetical) point, one that is all the more remarkable for the fact that it has largely been forgotten in the Christian West.  And of course the implications reach far beyond Mr. Bennison’s pointy hat.

March 5, 7:44 pm | [comment link]
7. MichaelA wrote:

Ad Orientem, I think its a point that we evil calvinists have never forgotten, although we arrive at our conclusion by a somewhat different route than our EO brethren. But I agree that many in the west seem to have trouble with it, whereas the EO have been impressive in their refusal to be beguiled by particular teaching solely because of the position held by the person teaching it.

March 6, 4:45 am | [comment link]
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