QuakerQuaker

Primitive Christianity Revived, Again

Beyond Beliefs

ESR Director of Recruitment and Admissions Matt Hisrich reflects on John David Geib's recent book Beyond Beliefs:

“This book of words is for all of us who are seeking for more than just words.” With this invitation, retired Malone University theology professor and founding dean of the Logos Institute John David Geib begins his exploration of a Christian faith that is not hostile to postmodern culture. “Post-modernity opened the door to personal experiences,” says Geib, and “[f]or me, this means Our Present Time is a time to return to the experiences, beyond words,pointed to in the original writings of the first followers of Jesus” (emphasis original).

Geib’s association with Malone, which was founded by Friends, and his listing of Robert Barclay’s Apology as one of several “Specific Christian creedal beliefs that I agree with,” on his Logos Institute bio page, indicates a potential point of contact with current Quakers, postmodern or otherwise. Much of what Geib says about direct experience with the divine should actually resonate strongly with Quaker theology. The whole effort to get “beyond beliefs” and move toward personal narrative and an inward experience of Christ rather than the mere repetition of scripture is one that the Religious Society of Friends has been working on for centuries.

It was Margaret Fell, after all, who in the 1600s became a convinced Friend after hearing George Fox raise the challenge, “You will say, Christ saith this, and the apostles say this; but what canst thou say?” While there are points of connection with Quaker ideas, though, many Friends – again, postmodern or otherwise – might bristle at some the creedal language informing the bulk of his theological statements. This, of course, gets us back to the heart of the general tension at work in the book.

You can read more from Matt here: http://esrquaker.blogspot.com/2013/12/beyond-beliefs.html

0 members like this

Comment by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 19, 2013 at 11:26am: "The whole effort to get “beyond beliefs” and move toward personal narrative and an inward experience of Christ rather than the repetition of scripture is one that the Religious Society of Friends has been working on for centuries."

Actually7, "repetition of scripture" has been a basic element of Quaker faith and preaching for most of the history of the Society of Friends! The idea that we can and should "overcome" a bad Bible habit is an innovation in Quaker history (and I think not a good one).

See Michael Graves, Preaching the Inward Light http://www.amazon.com/Preaching-Inward-Light-Rhetoric-Religion/dp/1... and Timothy Larsen, People of One Book http://www.amazon.com/People-One-Book-Bible-Victorians/dp/019966781...?

Graves explores early Quaker preaching in great detail, and Larsen has an exceptional essay on Elizabeth Fry of the 19th Century.

Comment by Earlham School of Religion on 12th mo. 19, 2013 at 11:32am: That's a fair observation, William. Would changing the sentence to read the "mere repetition of scripture" help address your concern?

Comment by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 19, 2013 at 11:36am: I think that it would certainly help!

Actually, the early Friends were not inclined to offer much in the way of personal narrative in their preaching. They tended to see themselves in the context of Biblical narrative. I haven't expressed this as eloquently as Michael Graves did, but I hope I got the point across.

Comment by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 19, 2013 at 11:39am: Larsen points out that nascent Quaker ministers often got their start by quoting one or more verses of the Bible as their sermon. As they became more proficient, they quoted even more Bible. And, then, when they really "took off", they added interpretation to what they had quoted, and went on from there.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 19, 2013 at 11:49pm: When the Spirit is come in daily activities, the living Word is "context" to and for scriptural narrative should reference to outward scripture be needful. The personal narrative is sustained experience of the living Word in all things and is the context for the early Quakers and is context today for many. This personal narrative is vital, it is the space between the words spoken; even the words quoted from outward scripture. The anchor of early Quaker conscious and conscience is in the living Word; as it is for some today. Conscious and conscience anchored in the Presence is breaking the habit of outward scripture for contextual/conceptual framework (beyond belief) even when outward scripture is referenced. This is the power of the living Word within.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 20, 2013 at 7:57am: The inner Spirit, manifested in early Quakers experience of the conscious and conscience anchored in Presence, is the context through which outward scripture is approached and spoken. Scripture was and is not the context in the direct, personal, experience of conscious and conscience filled with, ruled and transformed by the Presence (the living Word) in an individual's life.

Comment by William F Rushby on 12th mo. 20, 2013 at 8:04am: A partial defense of Matt Hisrich's thesis: There is a tradition of personal narrative that goes all of the way back to George Fox. I am referring to the preparation and publication of "ministers'" journals, although they were not all the work of ministers (Dr. John Rutty and H.J. Bailey are two elders who also produced journals). However, I don't think that this tradition of personal narrative set itself in opposition to use of the Bible by Friends.

Comment by Keith Saylor on 12th mo. 20, 2013 at 8:38am: It is not in opposite to, it is the personal experience of that through which the words of the Bible manifested.

I observed a Northern Saw-whet Owl pair nesting in a tree cavity excavated by a Pileated Woodpecker pair the previous year in an ancient Beech tree. I then wrote about it. Now, some people went and experienced my observations for themselves; they no longer needed my words about the nest sight; they no longer needed my words as context ... their context was now through personal experience. This does not mean that they set themselves up in opposition to my words. It means their context was now personal and unmediated by my words.

In the living Word is scripture in fruition.

Comment

You need to be a member of QuakerQuaker to add comments!

Join QuakerQuaker

RSS

Welcome to
QuakerQuaker

Sign Up
or Sign In

Or sign in with:

Support Us

Did you know that QuakerQuaker is 100% reader supported? Our costs run to about $50/month. If you think this kind of outreach and conversation is important, please support it with a monthly subscription or one-time gift.