Christianity Today

[Jim1999]

Does anyone subscribe or read the magazine Christianity Today? Do you think of it as an existential magazine.

I have been reading a book by Philip Yancey, a former Editor of the magazine, and his writing reeks of existentialism.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[blackbird]

Does anyone subscribe or read the magazine Christianity Today? Do you think of it as an existential magazine.

I have been reading a book by Philip Yancey, a former Editor of the magazine, and his writing reeks of existentialism.

Cheers,

Jim

Ummmm----Ninety Nine--------can you define the word "existentialism"??? Not everybody in the state of Alabama has heard of that word!!!

:laugh: :laugh:

 

[Revmitchell]

I read it to see what error is being taught in churches. The articles there usually reflect that.

 

[Revmitchell]

existential

adjective
1. derived from experience or the experience of existence; "the rich experiential content of the teachings of the older philosophers"- Benjamin Farrington; "formal logicians are not concerned with existential matters"- John Dewey [syn: experiential]
2. of or as conceived by existentialism; "an existential moment of choice"
3. relating to or dealing with existence (especially with human existence)

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

 

[blackbird]

existential

adjective
1. derived from experience or the experience of existence; "the rich experiential content of the teachings of the older philosophers"- Benjamin Farrington; "formal logicians are not concerned with existential matters"- John Dewey [syn: experiential]
2. of or as conceived by existentialism; "an existential moment of choice"
3. relating to or dealing with existence (especially with human existence)

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.

Rev--------ummmmm----put that in "Alabama" English for me, dude!!!

:laugh:

 

[Jim1999]

Broadly defined, existentialism is a philosophical theory emphasizing the person as a free and responsible agent determining his own development.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[J.D.]

Let me take a crack at it but I might be showing just how ignorant I am. I read something about Sartre's version of existentialism a while back and it goes like this: Each individual person dwells on an island of existence. There is no real connection between our own existence and the existence of others. The only meaning our little island of existence has is the meaning we give it. Our existence has real meaning, but ONLY the meaning we give it.

This would be the atheistic, pessimistic, nihilist version of existentialism.

 

[Revmitchell]

Jim there is no doubt. CT has always been a liberal source which of course relies heavily on man and his abilities rather than God.

 

[Revmitchell]

Rev--------ummmmm----put that in "Alabama" English for me, dude!!!

:laugh:

Emerging Church

 

[J.D.]

Broadly defined, existentialism is a philosophical theory emphasizing the person as a free and responsible agent determining his own development.

Cheers,

Jim

Yeh, I remember now the thing I read said that freedom with responsibility is an important element of the philosophy. The "determining his own development" was termed "carving out a meaning".

 

[Jim1999]

I knew that Carl F.H. Henry was one of the first evangelicals to embrace Neoevangelicalism and even Barth, and this entailed microaspects of existentialism, and the reason evangelicals fell for it as the new intellectualism of evangelicalism.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[J.D.]

Let me take a crack at it but I might be showing just how ignorant I am. I read something about Sartre's version of existentialism a while back and it goes like this: Each individual person dwells on an island of existence. There is no real connection between our own existence and the existence of others. The only meaning our little island of existence has is the meaning we give it. Our existence has real meaning, but ONLY the meaning we give it.

This would be the atheistic, pessimistic, nihilist version of existentialism.

Jim1999, what about it? Am I even close?

 

[Jim1999]

JD,,that is acceptable.

Paul Tilloch, formerly the University of Chicago, is probably the American father of existentialism and liberal theology. He explained faith as a matter of ultimate concern with a reality transcending finite existence rather than a belief in a personal God.

Now if you found that hard to grasp, you should have sat under him in classes, or even read his 3 volume systematic theology.......

Cheers,

Jim

 

[Ed Franklin]

.... emphasizing the person as a free and responsible agent determining his own development.

So, that would make them Free Will Baptists? :laugh:

Tillich is a good example, with his conflation of existentialism and neo-orthodoxy.

Some of the cells from that cancer are found in emergent-think, all this "post-modern" stuff, and in the man-centered pseudo-evangelism of way too many Baptists.

 

[J.D.]

JD,,that is acceptable.

Paul Tilloch, formerly the University of Chicago, is probably the American father of existentialism and liberal theology. He explained faith as a matter of ultimate concern with a reality transcending finite existence rather than a belief in a personal God.

Now if you found that hard to grasp, you should have sat under him in classes, or even read his 3 volume systematic theology.......

Cheers,

Jim

So, in simple terms, man attempts to defeat his knowledge of his own finite existence by creating his own reality - a God, an eternity, etc.

I think I have trouble separating exisentialism from nihilism. But I've got a long way to go.

 

[Jim1999]

Nihilism rejects all religious principles...existentialism places it internally and personally... that's about as simple as I can define them.

Cheers,

Jim

 

[preachinjesus]

Does anyone subscribe or read the magazine Christianity Today? Do you think of it as an existential magazine.

Yes and no.

Yes I subscribe to it and several of its subsidiary magazines. I find them rather good and balanced. They do well to write impacting pieces that showcase evangelical concerns appropriately.

No, I don't believe it is existential...or that existentialism is inherently wrong. It's just another form of philosophical inquiry. Also, I don't believe that CT is existential. It is evangelical.

have been reading a book by Philip Yancey, a former Editor of the magazine, and his writing reeks of existentialism.

I'll repsectfully disagree. You probably are reading his position on the freedom of man's will too closely. Frankly I'm not a Yancey fan, too light for me, but I do recomend him to my parishioners who are going through particular issues.

I appreciate Yancey's contribution and know he has helped many.

 

[Revmitchell]

CT also pushes Utilitarian Religion

 

[Rippon]

Don't Paint With Broad Strokes

CT has always been a liberal source which of course relies heavily on man and his abilities rather than God.

"CT has always been a liberal source"?You are certainly wrong.What are you doing,going back just 20 years or so?From its inception until the 1970's it was rather solid biblically.The content of the magazine was much more sound than it is today.There were sermons,exegeses of Bible passages and other good attributes to the mag.

Articles by many reputable Christian scholars/preachers and others were in its pages.Packer,Barnhouse,Boice,Leon Morris and many,many more contributed to C.T.Do not write the whole history of the magazine off.A little historical perspective is needed.

 

[Gold Dragon]

Does anyone subscribe or read the magazine Christianity Today? Do you think of it as an existential magazine.

I have been reading a book by Philip Yancey, a former Editor of the magazine, and his writing reeks of existentialism.

Cheers,

Jim

My dad subscribes to Christianity Today but I have never really read it. I have always considered it an evangelical publication. I have enjoyed Yancey's "What's so amazing about grace" and "The Jesus I never knew". I don't know if I'd call him existential but he was the first to articulate clearly to me what was wrong with a lot of fundamentalist Christianity.