tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11393723.post7690838731813111735..comments2023-12-08T04:43:40.135-06:00Comments on The Fire and the Rose: The Comforter: Bulgakov on the Holy SpiritUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11393723.post-5427160428554901752008-10-11T14:47:00.000-05:002008-10-11T14:47:00.000-05:00Bob,I understand your concern. I didn't mean to s...Bob,<BR/><BR/>I understand your concern. I didn't mean to suggest that the Johannine witness leans in a panentheist direction. By no means! You'll notice that I made that statement in a very specific context, namely, soteriology. The Johannine material presents a distinctly different soteriology than Paul. While both emphasize the cross, the former places more emphasis on the incarnation, whereas Paul has almost nothing to say about the incarnation of Christ. He is entirely focused on the death. But where Paul sees this death as an event of humiliation and suffering, John sees it as an event of glorification. That's not to say these are absolutely incompatible. But it does mean that they present unique understandings of the salvific event of Jesus Christ -- understandings which are not immediately harmonizable.<BR/><BR/>What this means is that various theologians take their starting-points from different parts of the NT. Barth is thoroughly Pauline in his outlook. I would say Bultmann is more Johannine, but he's definitely a more even mix. Bulgakov, by contrast, is totally Johannine. And this contrast is seen in the difference between the East and the West. Western theology after Augustine took its bearings from Paul, and Romans in particular. Eastern theology, with Cyril of Alexandria at the center, took its bearings from John, hence the emphasis on the incarnation as the locus of salvation and a more participatory (and less apocalyptic) conception of the divine-human relationship.<BR/><BR/>I hope that makes sense. These are different traditions within the church. They aren't contradictory, but they do provide very different ways of understanding the gospel.David W. Congdonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03009330707703611224noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11393723.post-69177191612290646412008-10-11T13:28:00.000-05:002008-10-11T13:28:00.000-05:00From one in the stands: You write "One could say t...From one in the stands: You write "One could say that he is more Johannine, whereas I (following Barth and the Latin tradition) am more Pauline."<BR/><BR/>I hope one could not say that: the cross and the completion of the work of the 6th day are laid out in John and have significant impact on both Paul and the letter to the Hebrews - creating a unity of their plural witness that joins us to the chosen and incidentally prevents us from taking a panentheist stand on creation. It seems to me I read some of this 45 years ago in some book by Bertrand Russell. I prefer loose ends.<BR/><BR/>It is a privilege to drop in on your work - thanks.Bob MacDonaldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11335631079939764763noreply@blogger.com