Back on Monday I posted that I was trying to decide which book to read for the summer. I was torn between The Consolation of Philosophy and The City of God. Per Zana's recommendation I went with the City of God.
I'm reading it slowly, so I'm only in Chapter 2 of Book 1. I can read about 300 pages a day, but in so doing I miss a fair amount. This is going to be more of a reading, meditating and pondering exercise than a race. City of God is a good choice for this because it not only has a compelling back story, but it also requires a fair amount of unpacking.
Also, as Augustine pretty much defines orthodoxy in the Christian context, I'm reading it less defensively and more openly.
On a related note, the autobiography of William Porcher Dubose is available online, for free! Is this a wonderful world or what?
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Showing posts with label spirituality. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Pot Pie
When I was a boy my mother would often make dinner by reheating frozen pot pies in the oven. That's not a criticism. To this day, I love chicken pot pies. The problem lay in that Mom buys things that are on sale or have the lowest price without regard to quality. I am prone to similar behaviour. This apple did not fall far from the tree.
As a child I noticed that the pot pies that were completely encased in crust were usually pretty good. The ones that were chicken cobblers, that is without a bottom crust were always awful.
We recently picked up a large box of pot pies at a discount warehouse. They are fully encrusted and are quite tasty. One of them is a satisfying meal. The other pot pies do not have a full crust and, as was true in childhood, are less desirable. They also do not fill me up. After consuming one, I'm always hungry. Which means that an hour or two after mealtime I find something to snack on. The snack is always something unhealthy and is usually something I do not really want.
I think that modern religion can be analogized to pot pies. Real religion, that is to say historical and orthodox Christianity is self contained and is spiritually satisfying. It provides a varied experience. Modern religion, that practised by many mainline churches, is religion without a complete crust. In an effort to make it available to more people, the ingredients have been reduced and cheapened. It provides less calories and nutrients, so that it can never fully satisfy. Its consumers either abandon it for fast food religion or supplement it with unhealthy spiritual snack food.
Like all analogies, this one breaks down if pushed too far. But it does explain why lowering the cost of faith does not actually result in more adherents.
As a child I noticed that the pot pies that were completely encased in crust were usually pretty good. The ones that were chicken cobblers, that is without a bottom crust were always awful.
We recently picked up a large box of pot pies at a discount warehouse. They are fully encrusted and are quite tasty. One of them is a satisfying meal. The other pot pies do not have a full crust and, as was true in childhood, are less desirable. They also do not fill me up. After consuming one, I'm always hungry. Which means that an hour or two after mealtime I find something to snack on. The snack is always something unhealthy and is usually something I do not really want.
I think that modern religion can be analogized to pot pies. Real religion, that is to say historical and orthodox Christianity is self contained and is spiritually satisfying. It provides a varied experience. Modern religion, that practised by many mainline churches, is religion without a complete crust. In an effort to make it available to more people, the ingredients have been reduced and cheapened. It provides less calories and nutrients, so that it can never fully satisfy. Its consumers either abandon it for fast food religion or supplement it with unhealthy spiritual snack food.
Like all analogies, this one breaks down if pushed too far. But it does explain why lowering the cost of faith does not actually result in more adherents.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Tuesday Clarifier
One of my favourite blogs on the Internet is Fr. Jeffrey Steele's blog: De Cure Animarum. His latest post links to a whole website devoted to Byzantine chant. Check it out! Truly wonderful, moving music.
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