Comments on: Tragedy in Three Acts: A Revolution, a Theory, and a Theology That Devastated Western Christianity, Part 1

By: Dan Edelen

Dan Edelen — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 02:51:04 +0000

No doubt, Jeff. In many ways, Darwin lost control of his creation, and many others ran further with it. Spencer is most notable.

By: Jeff

Jeff — Mon, 23 Feb 2009 19:43:06 +0000

The name Naomi was looking for is Herbert Spencer, and so-called social Darwinism is really “social Spencerism,” and i’d argue in the interest of historical fact that there was much interest in the era of the Corn Laws and the Irish Question (think Swift and Eliot, and Disraeli v. Gladstone) over wanting to justify why some prosper, usually by inheritance or marriage (think Austen), while others are stuck in squalor.

Darwin was not interested in many of things that were later claimed on his behalf, most emphatically the idea of applying “the survival of the fittest” to society. See Darwin’s work with the “Down Friendly Society” and the appalling Rev. Ffoulkes (and his very different response to evangelist Fegan, let alone the original Lady Hope story), and Ffoulkes i suspect anticipates where this series is going with regard to Churchianity and class justification as it plays out in faith communities. But i think it helps to clarify what’s to be laid at Darwin’s doorstep and what has no reasonable connection – as with Karl Barth, who later in his life liked to remind people that he was “not a Barthian.”

By: Great post by Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum « Damascus Road

Great post by Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum « Damascus Road — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 19:59:59 +0000

[...] post by Dan Edelen at Cerulean Sanctum Tragedy in Three Acts: A Revolution, a Theory, and a Theology That Devastated Western Christianity, … February 17, [...]

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 18:50:02 +0000

Naomi,

Excellent question! And how much can a nation or state really engage with these issues, especially in the times we find ourselves in where the affairs of nations seem dominated by politics, economics, and geo-political strife–with God seemingly far from the collective consciousness of the major players on these stages? I guess that this has always been the case.

I suppose one the the Christian hopes is for an awakening similar to the 1st and 2nd great Awakenings in American history, which had an influence on culture and society (but of course one which inevitably wanes with the progress of time).

Another thought I had is of a grass roots kind of awakening that has been taking place in many non-western countries over the past 10-20 years. Its individual units are small and de-centralized in nature, fast growing and centered around house churches and other simple expressions of church life. Perhaps this could be a vehichle of the kind of systemic transformation that all of us feel in our hearts the true gospel of the kingdom contains?

Any other good thoughts out there about how we as the church can alter our lifestyles or even our expression of faith, both individually and as a community of faith?