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My friend Solly has posted a summary of John Yoder’s theological politics. 

The church tells the world what is the world’s own calling and destiny

Read more

I saw X men 3 this morning.  I had treated myself to Xmen 1 and 2 the past two nights and so I was all prepped on the story line.  X men 3 picks up a little later than when X men 2 leaves off.  It does help to be fresh with the earlier films to appreciate X men 3, but X men 3 outdoes both of them.  It shows incredible daring and pathos. 

Speaking of which, I just read a Russian political commentator’s review of the Da Vinci Code.  When I saw the title, “The Da Vinci Code: Democracy Zealots versus Religious Fundamentalists”, I thought it was going to be a polemic against Christianity.  I found it a very even handed analysis of the film and how it was seen in Russia that made it clear the author’s view that this was a film/book that manipulated history and religious sentiments to make a lot of money.  The movie did not move many regular viewers in Moscow, unlike with the Passion of Christ which left many people leaving the cinema with red swollen eyes.  Read more

My friend Matt shares some anecdotes about how most congresspersons in WashDC are so quickly forgotten. 

[This] proves once again the utter vanity of human endeavour. Whatever thoughts of making an impact upon his nation, even a Congressman ultimately comes to the same end as the rest of us, neither memorialized nor much remembered.

I wrote in a comment for him, “This is why I deal with political deliberation and action as part of missiology. If the point is not to save the world or become famous or bring about the millenium but rather to make it easier for more people to be open to hearing about and embracing Jesus then I can know that the effects will be ultimately lasting…”

I agree that the inevitably fleeting and compromised nature of political influence or power does make it so that only a collective belief in the final judgment and resurrection of the dead can sustain changes, I just hope we get more of those changes soon…. 

dlw 

I found about a quiz that tells you what sort of Apologeticist you tend to be.  I took it twice and put the 2nd scores on the right.  Here are my results.  Read more

I just found out via Jesus Politics about how TPMCafe has author Michelle Goldberg talking about tidbits of her book that’s coming out on Christian Nationalism as proto-fascism. 

I don’t know yet what to think of it, but I do think I may tend to under-estimate the changes in ideology going on in Red America. 

 I can see this sort of thing as part of what will make the coming year become even more divisive politically.  We will hear the word proto-fascist with a clever comeback enter the public sphere more often, I’m sure.

dlw

is going to be based on Maryellen Ashcroft’s The Magdalene Gospels.  It’s a historical fictional account of how ten females who accompanied Jesus during his ministry get together and tell stories about how he impacted their lives. 

You heard it hear first.  Here is a quote from her in reaction to the purported feminism of DVC…

“When I hear people excited about the ‘radical’ feminist message in The Da Vinci Code, I want to say, ‘Have I got news for you!’” says Ashcroft. “Christ called women into full discipleship as no one rabbi or religious teacher had done before.

Read more

In continuing my practice of paying attention to how non-Christians react to DVC, I thought it was worth passing on the reaction of a British Scientist Atheist poster at TWeb, EvoUK. 

I’ve heard his books may have encouraged some to question their religion, but IMO that’s just substituting opium with heroin. If anyone begins to question his religion only because of a fictious piece of writing, s/he probably lacks the critical thinking skills in the first place.

But then right after when one of my fellow Xtn theists wrote that he agreed with me that DVC was doing more good than harm, “In the sense that it is waking Christians up and rattling complacency.” EvoUK wrote that he liked what he wrote,

I’ve lost count of the amount of christians (and no, I’m not exaggerating for effect, I do have quite a few self-proclaimed christian family and friends), who know little to nothing about the bible, let alone it’s history.

I think the anti-intellectualism of so many Xtns is part of what has turned people like EvoUK away. Read more

Someone in Vatican City is kicking or maybe whipping themselves right now for abetting the great economic performance of a so-so movie, the Da Vinci Code.  According to the WaPo, it just fell short of the Passion of Christ in first weekend sales of an adult-oriented movie and it just fell short of how Star Wars:Episode III did last year internationally.  If you search Google News, you can find 15600 entries on it.  If you search Google, you can find 142 million entries.  By contrast, a google search of Mission Impossible gives only 62 million entries and 8810 news entries. 

I’m sure they’ll never make films that include controversial heresy in them ever again, now…

I wd have to be God to know whether this ultimately a good or bad development, but I think it will mean a bull market for Church History scholars….

dlw Read more

Frequent commenter, Steve Andresen, shares with us his thoughts after seeing DVC.

I saw this movie last night.

Read more

Much thanks to Alan Avans of the emerging Christian Democratic Union for responding thoroughly to my ideal-type party platform.  I wrote back a reply. 

It’s not a perfect marriage, but pretty impressive.  I think the politics of abortion may be a bit difficult and I have to admit, despite all the other great stuff, I cannot endorse their current amendment.  And, as I see this as a key issue that has been long poisoning the US’s democracy, I’m not sure whether I could join over it. 

I just don’t see serious progress on this critically divisive issue and the political renewal needed for third parties to become effective becoming possible until we reframe this issue and I strongly believe with all my heart that no better way in the US currently exists than the idea that I developed.

dlw

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