Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

After the First World War there was a reaction against Liberalism, in the direction of orthodoxy. This had much in common with Evangelicalism, but was a Neo-Orthodoxy, not a return to the old orthodoxy. Others have followed in that general approach.

This discussion starts the Neo-Orthodoxy discussions.

“When you tell them all this, they will not listen to you; when you call to them, they will not answer. Therefore say to them, ‘This is the nation that has not obeyed the Lord its God or responded to correction. Truth has perished; it has vanished from their lips.

• Jeremiah 7:27-28

Truth is nowhere to be found,
    and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey.
The Lord looked and was displeased
    that there was no justice.

• Isaiah 59:15

“ ‘If the contemporary generation had left nothing behind them but these words: ‘We have believed that in such and such a year the God appeared among us in the humble figure of a servant, that he lived and taught in our community and finally died.‘ it would be more than enough. The contemporary generation would have done all that was necessary. for this little advertisement, this nota bene on a page of universal history, would be sufficient to afford an occasion for a successor, and the most voluminous account can in all eternity do nothing more.’ (Philosophical Fragments, Chapter 5)”

• Tony Lane, A Concise History of Christian Thought

Søren Kierkegaard (1813-1855) was a Danish theologian, philosopher, religious author.  He is considered by many to be the first existentialist who studied the purpose, meaning, and value of human existence.  He never failed in believing in the existence and historicity of Jesus Christ, but the above statement was used by Bultmann and other liberals to paint Kierkegaard in their camp.  This could not be further from the truth.  I have mentioned Kierkegaard in positive, complimentary terms.  I may not agree with some of his writings, but overall, I recommend him.

Yet, in this instance, he tries to simplify the Christian existence a bit too far.  He was probably facing the same kind of backlash as we have today from people stating that God does not exist.  Radical forms of philosophy existed in his day and Kierkegaard struggled with some of his philosophy professors.

But his attempt is admirable even though the result falls short.  In times when people are shouting that God has nothing to do with humanity, humanity seems to be of the mindset to foolishly jump off a cliff into oblivion.

When the world has gone insane, trying to simplify a belief system might be someone’s idea of a compromise.  But Kierkegaard says nothing of the atonement of sin or the manner of the death of Christ or the resurrection.  He does not mention Jesus, as a name, which probably caused Bultmann to welcome Kierkegaard to the side of the doubters and non-believers.

It would be pretty hard to come up with a succinct statement of the foundational beliefs without making it sound like the Apostle’s Creed or the Nicene Creed.  Yet, those who are nitpickers, as I seem to be in this case, can see the errors and the dangers in simplifying a statement of belief too radically.

If only Kierkegaard had an editor that would ask, “But what about …”  The statement Kierkegaard makes might be much better.

But his premise is a good one.  Each generation, one after the next has the opportunity of choosing God or rejecting Him.  If too many reject God, as Jesus puts it, the very stones might cry out.  Or this rejection of God might spark the End Times.  Kierkegaard simplified his statement too much, but any generation, who can say that they believed in Jesus Christ and His atonement for our sins, would be a shining generation in which to be a part.  But I feel the present generations turning away.  May that not be so.

If you like these Tuesday morning essays about philosophy and other “heavy topics,” but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Tuesday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.