Finished the Paper
Mar. 30th, 2004 08:20 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
qosMy mid-term paper for Swedenborgian Exegesis is due by 11am March 31st. It's 8:20pm on March 30th, and I just emailed mine to the prof. This is a good feeling.
It was an easy paper to write. The question was "What are your reactions to the material thus far presented, and how does it relate to other modes of exegesis that have been presented to you?" It turned out to be one of those times that I found myself a little surprised by my own conclusions. I hadn't done any systematic reflections on the course content until today, and it was a valuable exercise.
"In the final analysis, the question which must be asked of any exegetical method is 'Where does this lead me?' Does a particular method of approaching the Bible lead to better intellectual understanding of how a text was shaped, or where it fits into the religious and literary tradition of a region or culture – or does it lead to deeper faith and a more intimate relationship with the Lord? I am reluctant to issue absolute judgments on any method. In my own case, it was a redactional and narrative study of Mark in a public university lecture hall which struck me to my soul and brought me back to Christianity after years of wandering the wilderness. However, when I set all the exegetical methods in my theological toolbox side by side, Swedenborg is the only one who clearly and consistently reinforces the authority of God, the utter centrality of God, and the absolute imperative of an ever-deepening relationship with God, as the foundation for his teaching and his instruction to others as they pursue their own spiritual inquiries. And he does this without asking me to glorify him as the messenger, or to surrender my own reason and will to anything or anyone but the Lord himself.
"And that is something worthy of long and careful consideration."
Those of you who have been following the continuing saga could rightly point out that I seem to still be "wandering in the wilderness." In fact, I spilled considerable pixels this week talking about that very topic. But whatever else may also be true, I can never roam too far from Christianity, which is my deepest spiritual identity. How far constitutes "far" is something that is elastic - but I always contract back to that fundamental alignment.
And while I'm on the subject of spiritual journeying, I should mention that I spoke to two different spiritual directors in the last few days, having introductory discussions prior to establishing an ongoing relationship with someone. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and it is, in fact, a requirement of my M.Div. program. My recent vocational struggles make it all the more urgent. I'm looking forward to meeting on a regular basis with someone who can help me connect more deeply to the Divine, deepen my personal spiritual practices, and help me sacralize my everyday, "mundane" life.
It was an easy paper to write. The question was "What are your reactions to the material thus far presented, and how does it relate to other modes of exegesis that have been presented to you?" It turned out to be one of those times that I found myself a little surprised by my own conclusions. I hadn't done any systematic reflections on the course content until today, and it was a valuable exercise.
"In the final analysis, the question which must be asked of any exegetical method is 'Where does this lead me?' Does a particular method of approaching the Bible lead to better intellectual understanding of how a text was shaped, or where it fits into the religious and literary tradition of a region or culture – or does it lead to deeper faith and a more intimate relationship with the Lord? I am reluctant to issue absolute judgments on any method. In my own case, it was a redactional and narrative study of Mark in a public university lecture hall which struck me to my soul and brought me back to Christianity after years of wandering the wilderness. However, when I set all the exegetical methods in my theological toolbox side by side, Swedenborg is the only one who clearly and consistently reinforces the authority of God, the utter centrality of God, and the absolute imperative of an ever-deepening relationship with God, as the foundation for his teaching and his instruction to others as they pursue their own spiritual inquiries. And he does this without asking me to glorify him as the messenger, or to surrender my own reason and will to anything or anyone but the Lord himself.
"And that is something worthy of long and careful consideration."
Those of you who have been following the continuing saga could rightly point out that I seem to still be "wandering in the wilderness." In fact, I spilled considerable pixels this week talking about that very topic. But whatever else may also be true, I can never roam too far from Christianity, which is my deepest spiritual identity. How far constitutes "far" is something that is elastic - but I always contract back to that fundamental alignment.
And while I'm on the subject of spiritual journeying, I should mention that I spoke to two different spiritual directors in the last few days, having introductory discussions prior to establishing an ongoing relationship with someone. This is something I've wanted to do for a long time, and it is, in fact, a requirement of my M.Div. program. My recent vocational struggles make it all the more urgent. I'm looking forward to meeting on a regular basis with someone who can help me connect more deeply to the Divine, deepen my personal spiritual practices, and help me sacralize my everyday, "mundane" life.
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(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-31 01:11 am (UTC)I want one of those too!
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-31 06:02 am (UTC)*As I understand it* they are a regular part of life for members of Catholic religious orders, and in at least some Buddhist ones as well.
I found mine because my seminary gave us a 12 page list of directors, their religious affilitions and brief self-descriptions, but there is an international society of spiritual directors, certification programs, and other societies who would be able to provide you a list of directors in your area. Pastors are often a good resource too - although your pastor should not be your spiritual director because you are already too close to each other.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-31 02:51 pm (UTC)yay on the spiritual directors.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-31 07:37 pm (UTC)I always find these "choose 1" questions hard to answer.
For a very accessible introduction to Swedenborg, I strongly recommend A Concise Overview of Swedenborg's Theology by Robert H. Kirven. He combines clear introductions with representative passages from The Writings to give a great introduction to the major themes and flavor of Swedenborg's theology.
If you want to dive right in to Swedenborg, I would choose Secrets of Heaven/Arcana Coelestia (the former is what appears on the more modern translations). In SH/AC he jumps right in with his unique exegesis of Genesis, which is not just the story of the creation of the world but an allegory of how the soul is regenerated - first as a spiritual creation (Genesis 1) then as the celestial man (Genesis 2).
You can read Swedenborg online here: http://www.heavenlydoctrines.org/
If you scroll down the home page, there are topic summaries, followed by links to all of his works. The formatting gives me a headache after a while, but it's a great resource.
If you do dip in, I'd be interested to hear your thoughts about it.
(no subject)
Date: 2004-03-31 08:59 pm (UTC)