greek soup secular-sacred divide
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GREEK SOUP Secular-Sacred Divide. Dr. Gwen Dewey. Early Church Christians (33AD-325AD). They were Jews from Judea, who had retained their Hebrew worldview They were called Christians (Christ followers) and “The People of the Way” (who lived like Jesus taught and lived) - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
DR. GWEN DEWEYDR. GWEN DEWEY
GREEK SOUPSecular-Sacred Divide
Early Church Christians (33AD-325AD)
They were Jews from Judea, who had retained their Hebrew worldview
They were called Christians (Christ followers) and “The People of the Way” (who lived like Jesus taught and lived)
Their lives were highly integrated Work, community, worship all flowed together Church leaders had businesses (fishermen, farmers, carpenters, masons, ten makers, government workers, etc)
Early Church Christians (cont’d)
A minority group of Christian Jews were Greek-educated who had returned from Diaspora
Often there were violent confrontations between Judean Jews (retained their Hebrew worldview) and Diaspora Jews (adapted to the Greek worldview)
Stephan was a Diaspora Jew who was martyred by the Judean Jews
Differences Between Eastern and Western Worldviews
Eastern (Hebrew) Western (Greek)
Reality Metaphysical wholeness (one essence)
Metaphysical dualism (two essences)
Beauty Function & purpose primary
Physical & form primary
Acquired wisdom -knowledge
Enlightenment, revelation Pure logic – reason
God Totally spirit and truth - can not be physically described or represented
Can be described in human terms
Religion A way of life Gods honored in rituals
Gentiles in early church increased in number
and Judean Jews decreased
Judea defeated by Rome in 70AD temple destroyed Many lives lost
By 130AD, all Jews had been violently eliminated from Judea Unimaginable slaughter Remaining Jews escaped to Egypt, Spain, other
Gentile portion of Church faired a little better, escaping the Judean slaughter
But, all Christians (Jew and Gentiles) suffered until Constantine in 325AD
Major Worldview Difference Within Christianity
Eastern, where most people hold primarily to a metaphysical wholeness(Old Testament and most of the New Testament)
Western, where most people hold primarily to a metaphysical dualism(Can be seen In a few parts of the New Testament)
This worldview difference has caused us to be confused theologically
Why did Christianity change in the 3rd Century?
Church became the official religion of Roman Empire (3rd Century) Constantine became Emperor of Rome from 306-337; first Christian Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
Creeds developed; emphasis on “life style” became secondary
Early Church Fathers were trained in Platonism prior to becoming Christians, and carried Greek philosophy over into Christian thought. To make Christianity a respected & logical religion
To counter “learned” scholars attacks on Christianity
Why did Christianity change in the 3rd Century? (cont’d)
Through Platonism, work was compartmentalized into two parts “Sacred” (the work of Church leaders and especially the monks)
“Secular” (mundane work of laity and peasants)To be “spiritual” one needed to separate oneself from the material world as much as possible.
Metaphysical Dualism
The perfect, eternal, unchanging non-physical realm of ideas
Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111
Form
Matter The imperfect, temporal, changing
physical realm
Metaphysical dualism applied to religion
SacredThings pertaining to the spiritual, eternal, and unchanging upper realm of God in heaven
Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111
SecularThings pertaining to the physical, temporal, and changing lower realm of humans on earth
Adverse Impact of Platonism on Christianity
SpiritualDirect church-related work by
missionaries, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc.
SecularHome, school, health services,
business, marketplace, the trades, the arts, sports, government, labor, sex,
money, etc. Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111
Mundane, temporal & unworthy work
Worthy, everlasting work
This Gap Creates
Idea in the West that only the work of cardinals, bishops, priests, pastors, missionaries, etc. is “God’s work”
(Christianity in the east did not did not fully move into the Platonic thought)
Did Christianity ever correct this worldview?
YES! Priesthood of the laity a major issue during the Reformation (1517-1540)
The Reformation affirmed the concept of work as worship and ordained by God
Martin Luther and the rest of the champions of the reformation believed that the laity were on a par with liturgists and preachers
People groups such as the Puritans were responsible for bringing on the Industrial Revolution
(Max Weber: Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism-1905)
Greek thought came roaring back in the 18th & 19th Centuries
The Western “Enlightenment” movement (18th C) equated enlightenment to pure logic and reason (Greek thought) Eastern enlightenment remained equated to revelation
Western educational systems completely embraced Greek thought
The Industrial Revolution (19th C) split the activities of family, work, church, government apart Fathers left families to work Churches were no longer integrated into work activities
Greek thought came roaring back in the 18th & 19th Centuries (Continued)
Heavy emphasis on mission work by the Church
Materialism: Wide spread financial success led to loss of interest in the things of God.
Reduced role of the Church (education, health care, etc.)
Eugene Peterson on Sacred-Secular Divide
Eugene Peterson on Sacred-Secular Divide
Biblical Worldview of Human Activity
BusinessSchoolArt
Home
MusicSports Churchlaw order
Human sexualityMedicineBanking
In conflict with God’s design (“evil”)
In harmony with God’s design (“good”)
Assumptions that affect our Lives, pg 112
Where is the Secular World?
NASH & McLENNAN STUDYCHURCH ON SUNDAY, WORK ON MONDAY (2001)
Institutional church ineffectively bridges between Sunday and Monday
Christians in business report less-than-satisfactory connections between their faith and work
NASH & McLENNAN STUDYCHURCH ON SUNDAY, WORK ON MONDAY (2001) cont’d
Problem appears at both ends: Christians in business comments:
“The clergy are the last people to go to for guidance on business”
“We don’t speak the same language” “They can’t manage themselves, how can they advise others”
Most clergy “felt” they had made no impact and had no mandate to do so
Biblical Alternative to Dualism by John Beckett
Adverse Impact of Platonism on Christianity
SpiritualDirect church-related work by
missionaries, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc.
SecularHome, school, health services,
business, marketplace, the trades, the arts, sports, government, labor, sex,
money, etc. Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111
Mundane, temporal & unworthy work
Worthy, everlasting work
Metaphysical dualism applied to religion
SacredThings pertaining to the spiritual, eternal, and unchanging upper realm of God in heaven
Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111
SecularThings pertaining to the physical, temporal, and changing lower realm of humans on earth
This Gap Creates
Idea in the West that only the work of pastors or missionaries is “God’s work”
Christians have been sprinkled like salt in the workplace but are often ineffective
(Eastern Christianity did not fully move into the Platonic thought)
What Went Wrong?
Priesthood of the laity a major issue during the Reformation (1517-1540)
Reformation affirmed the concept of work as worship and ordained by God
Luther and the rest of the champions of the reformation believed that the laity were on a par with liturgists and preachers
People groups such as the Puritans were responsible for bringing on the Industrial Revolution
(Max Weber: Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism-1905)
What Went Wrong? (Continued)
Work as mission was lost in West, because: Heavy emphasis on mission work - redemption Government took over the role of social support – no need for church
Educational systems based on Platonic thought Wide-spread financial success has led to loss of interest in the things of God
Faith in the Workplace by John Beckett’s Company
For John Beckett there is No Divide
End