Scan barcode
raoul_g's review against another edition
5.0
G O D I S N O W H E R E
Now, just how did you read those letters there above? Did you read them as affirming that God is now here? Or did you see them as a claim that God is nowhere? Most people would contend that it has to be one or the other. But, there is a rising number of people, scholars and laypeople alike, with the desire to get beyond this theism/atheism divide. Instead of seeing the above letters as a Rorschach test showing you what you subconsciously believe about God, whether he is present or not, Rollins would affirm that both are equally true. Much of his work (which he calls Pyrotheology) is based on this idea of Christianity as a religion without religion, an a/theistic religion.
Sounds paradoxical? Well, look at the title of this book: The Fidelity of Betrayal. As many philosophers and theologians have found out, paradoxes can be very fruitful, and sometimes, as when talking about God, they might be the only appropriate language.
There are many beautiful points Rollins makes in this book while engaging with some biblical texts. His different readings of Judas's betrayal of Jesus are very interesting. Jacob's wrestling with God is also interpreted in such a way as to reveal a powerful notion of what it means to believe:
"It is here, in this encounter between Jacob and God, that we discover why the Jewish community is marked out by the name 'Israel.' This title represents the spirit of a people who have 'wrestled with God and with men and have overcome.' This name illuminates the living dynamic of Hebraic faith. It magnifies a radical idea that marks out the Jewish people, describing something almost paradoxical about this faith: that absolute commitment to God involves a deep and sustained wrestling with God. In this story we discover that the Israelites are to be marked out, not as a people who live out their faith through unquestioning submission but as a people who demonstrate their love and commitment to the source of their faith in a radical commitment to fighting with that source. This is a people to be marked out by struggling, by passion, by critical engagement."
And this is the kind of faith Rollins presents to us and invites us into in this book.
The faith he describes is a faith that calls us: "the call of faith is one that is heard only in its transformative effect. It is a still, small voice that is heard only in being heeded."
What is very important in all of this, is the contrast to the intellectual, affirmation based kind of faith of the Christian Apologists:
"If the truth affirmed by Christianity lay in something that people could intellectually grasp, then the truth of faith would be something that one could hold without ever hearing or following its demand. But Christianity, as a religion without religion, is too elusive to be held in this way. It does not allow for such a divorce between the hearing and the happening, for its saying does not occur in that which is said, but rather in the undergoing of an event. The divine Word, like that spoken of in Genesis, results in life being birthed in the depths of our being."
There are many other beautiful things going on in this book, but you better read it yourself if you want to find out about them.
One last story, written Philip Harrison, I wanna share with you. It grasps much of the content of the book in the form of a parable:
Now, just how did you read those letters there above? Did you read them as affirming that God is now here? Or did you see them as a claim that God is nowhere? Most people would contend that it has to be one or the other. But, there is a rising number of people, scholars and laypeople alike, with the desire to get beyond this theism/atheism divide. Instead of seeing the above letters as a Rorschach test showing you what you subconsciously believe about God, whether he is present or not, Rollins would affirm that both are equally true. Much of his work (which he calls Pyrotheology) is based on this idea of Christianity as a religion without religion, an a/theistic religion.
Sounds paradoxical? Well, look at the title of this book: The Fidelity of Betrayal. As many philosophers and theologians have found out, paradoxes can be very fruitful, and sometimes, as when talking about God, they might be the only appropriate language.
There are many beautiful points Rollins makes in this book while engaging with some biblical texts. His different readings of Judas's betrayal of Jesus are very interesting. Jacob's wrestling with God is also interpreted in such a way as to reveal a powerful notion of what it means to believe:
"It is here, in this encounter between Jacob and God, that we discover why the Jewish community is marked out by the name 'Israel.' This title represents the spirit of a people who have 'wrestled with God and with men and have overcome.' This name illuminates the living dynamic of Hebraic faith. It magnifies a radical idea that marks out the Jewish people, describing something almost paradoxical about this faith: that absolute commitment to God involves a deep and sustained wrestling with God. In this story we discover that the Israelites are to be marked out, not as a people who live out their faith through unquestioning submission but as a people who demonstrate their love and commitment to the source of their faith in a radical commitment to fighting with that source. This is a people to be marked out by struggling, by passion, by critical engagement."
And this is the kind of faith Rollins presents to us and invites us into in this book.
The faith he describes is a faith that calls us: "the call of faith is one that is heard only in its transformative effect. It is a still, small voice that is heard only in being heeded."
What is very important in all of this, is the contrast to the intellectual, affirmation based kind of faith of the Christian Apologists:
"If the truth affirmed by Christianity lay in something that people could intellectually grasp, then the truth of faith would be something that one could hold without ever hearing or following its demand. But Christianity, as a religion without religion, is too elusive to be held in this way. It does not allow for such a divorce between the hearing and the happening, for its saying does not occur in that which is said, but rather in the undergoing of an event. The divine Word, like that spoken of in Genesis, results in life being birthed in the depths of our being."
There are many other beautiful things going on in this book, but you better read it yourself if you want to find out about them.
One last story, written Philip Harrison, I wanna share with you. It grasps much of the content of the book in the form of a parable:
"The other day I had a dream. I dreamed I arrived at the gates of heaven, heavy-shut, pure oak, beveled and crafted, glinting sharp in the sunlight. St. Peter stood to greet me; the big man wore brown, smile set deep against his ruddy cheeks.
'You're here,' he said.
'I am,' I said.
'Great to see you - been expecting you,' he smiled. 'Come on in.'
He pushed gently against the huge door; it swung silently, creakless. I took a couple of steps forward until, at the threshold, one more step up and in, I realized I wasn't alone. My friends had joined me, but they hovered behind, silently, looking on. None spoke. I realized only I could speak. I looked at them; some were Christians, some Hindus, some Buddhists, some Muslims, some Jews, some atheists. Some God knows what. I stopped, paused. A hesitant St. Peter looked at me, patiently, expectantly.
'What about these guys?' I asked him. 'My friends. Can they come?'
'Well, Phil,' he replied, soft still in the air, 'you know the rules. I'm sorry, but that's the way things are. Only the right ones.'
I looked at him. He seemed genuinely pained by his answer. I stood, considering. What should I do? I thought about my reference points, and thought about Jesus, the bastard, the outsider, the unacceptable the drunkard, the fool, the heretic, the criminal, and I knew exactly where I belonged.
'I'll just stay here then too,' I said, taking my one foot out of heaven. And I'll tell you, I'd swear I saw something like a grin break across St. Peter's face, and a voice from inside whispered, 'At last.'"
caseykc's review against another edition
5.0
The best gift I could give myself during Lent this year was reading this book. I can think of a good handful of people who would find this read very liberating.
bakkabennu's review against another edition
4.0
I think people that like philosophy or kierkegaard should just read this. There are some really interesting things going on in "postmodern" theology right now and you don't necessarily have to be very interested in religion to appreciate them. My only complaint is this is really hand-holding if you have a philosophy background. But the good news is it is easily understandable if you don't! Some great parables and thought experiments in here. Peter Rollins is so cool and entertaining, the end.
retrograde42's review against another edition
5.0
Powerful, thought provoking, and subversive. 5 stars!
piccoline's review
5.0
What a joy to read this book. Carefully written, and filled with challenging thoughts. It helped me feel less alone, though this has much to do with my background. (Results may vary.)
I've already purchased another book by Rollins.
I've already purchased another book by Rollins.
More...