Addenda

A monthly e-mail newsletter from MARS HILL AUDIO

February 15, 2006 v Number 24

 

"Since the message we have for the world contradicts everything the world could possibly suppose, argument is guaranteed whenever we show up--unless we have forgotten ourselves."
 

-- Robert Jenson, "On the Renewing of the Mind:

Reflections on the Calling of Christian Intellectuals"

 
 

 

New on our desks

An Ancient Modern Confusion

The Church has been fighting the influence of religious movements that deny the goodness of creation (especially of the human body) since before John wrote his Gospel. Gnosticism in one form or another is the perennial heresy, and modernity has been identified by many observers to have a deeply gnostic flavor.

…The gnostic alternative to Christian orthodoxy, an alternative which despises bodily existence, seems to be the perennial theological error, perpetually attractive even to devout Christian believers. It is, after all, comforting to believe that an innocent, endlessly interesting, and powerful self is buried within us, awaiting liberation when we abandon our space-time 'containers.' It is appealing to believe that our perfection requires no repentance, merely some act of detaching. The dream of pure consciousness, life as bug-free software without dust-collecting hardware. No age, no genders, only minds. [Read more on An Ancient Modern Confusion]

 

First Things Collection

The journal First Things is in the process of arranging its past articles according to topic and offering access to them online. In addition to the articles, it is also providing links to other web pages relevant to the topics. To explore the collection completed so far, and to have a hint of what is yet to come, see www.firstthings.com/menus/collections.html.

 

The Market-Driven Marriage?

The May 2005 issue of Harper's featured a very disturbing feature about the Rev. Ted Haggard, or "Pastor Ted" as he is affectionately and informally named by his congregation. Haggard is the pastor of the 12,000-member New Life Church in Colorado Springs, and the current president of the National Association of Evangelicals. Among the disturbing features in the article was this observation by the author, Jeff Sharlet:

"One of Pastor Ted's favorite books is Thomas Friedman's The Lexus and the Olive Tree, which is now required reading for the hundreds of pastors under Ted's spiritual authority across the country. From Friedman, Pastor Ted says he learned that everything, including spirituality, can be understood as a commodity." [Read more about The Market-Driven Marriage]

 

 

Every Cassette a Wanted Cassette

Now and then a subscriber will ask us what he should do with his collection of back issues. "Keep them and listen to them!" is the kneejerk response, sometimes spoken, sometimes not. Why would you want to get rid of them? But we acknowledge the reality of clutter and the need to clean house now and then, and will usually recommend donating them to a church, school, or local library, or sending them to a missionary overseas. Some people sell their back issues at garage sales or on eBay, and in fact we have netted some new subscribers via such unintentional marketing channels.

Another possibility came to our attention the other day. One of our long-term subscribers had his entire library (including a collection of MARS HILL AUDIO Journal back issues that went back to Volume 21) washed away by hurricane Katrina. This got us to thinking that perhaps he could be the recipient of the generosity of someone who would like to part with some or all of his back issues. If you are that person please reply to this e-mail and we'll arrange an exchange.

 

 

Journal Online Index

If you do decide to hang on to your old cassettes and CDs you should know that the Journal has been indexed and is searchable by guest, topic, and volume number. From our homepage (www.marshillaudio.org) click on "Browse the Journal" on the left-side menu bar. Or go directly to www.marshillaudio.org/resources/Topic_Index.asp for the topical search page. Admittedly, some of the entries are more extensive than others (and some are incomplete), but it is a work in progress and we enhance and update it frequently.

 

 

Ken Myers in Georgia, Florida, and New Hampshire

Ken Myers will be speaking at a conference at Christ Presbyterian Church in Marietta, Georgia, on Christian discipleship, the Church, creation, and culture. "After Evangelism: The Cultural Life of Christians and Their Neighbors" is scheduled for February 24 and 25, 2006. Ken will give four lectures during the course of the conference, the titles of which are: "Christ and Creation: Two Adams and a Fall"; "Creation and Redemption: Salvation and the Fulfillment of Humanity"; "Creation and Culture: Real Reality and Cultural Order"; and "Church and Culture: Discipleship and All of Life." Registration is open to the public on a first come, first serve basis. To register, or for more information about the conference, call (770) 956-7572 or see www.afterevangelism.org.

Ken will be presenting a public lecture at the Christian Study Center of Gainesville, Florida, on Friday night, March 3rd. The title of his lecture is "The Church and Cultural Discernment: Distinguishing Engagement from Captivity." The lecture is free and will begin at 8:00pm. For more information about the Center, which is adjacent to the University of Florida campus at 112 NW 16th St., see www.christianstudycenter.org or call 352-379-7375.

On March 17 & 18, Ken will be giving three lectures at a conference on bioethics sponsored by the Amoskeag Presbyterian Church in Manchester, New Hampshire. Under the general conference title of "The New Creation and a Brave New World: Asking the Right Questions about Biotechnology," the titles of the individual lectures are: "The Incarnation, the Resurrection, and the Meaning of Embodiment," "The Triumph of the Will and the Meaning of the Modern," and "The Meaning of the Human and the Challenge of Everyday Faithfulness." For more information, check the church's webpages (www.amoskeagchurch.org).

 

 

Upcoming Conferences in Maryland, Indiana, and New York

The Trinity Forum Academy will host two events in 2006 as part of its "A Week Away" series. These programs are designed to foster serious worldview thinking in an environment conducive to physical recreation and spiritual reflection.  It so happens that two of the sessions being offered this spring feature men who have been guests on the MARS HILL AUDIO JournalDr. Miroslav Volf on "Preaching and Practicing Trinitarian Faith," and Dr. Os Guinness, "Serving God's Purposes in Our Generation: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Christians in America." For more information, including a roster of all speakers, see www.trinityforumacademy.org, call 410-745-4418, or send e-mail to Academy@ttf.org.

The Institute for Christian Thought in Zionsville, Indiana will hold its spring conference on Saturday, March 11, 2006. The featured speaker is Dr. Richard Winter, author of Perfecting Ourselves To Death: The Pursuit Of Excellence And The Perils Of Perfectionism. From the conference brochure: "Dr. Winter will explore the positive and negative effects of perfectionism on our lives and the pervasive effects of this powerful current in contemporary American culture." For more information see the ICT website.

"Artists as Reconcilers" is the name of the 15 year anniversary conference of the International Arts Movement, to be held February 23-25, 2006 in New York City. Featured speakers will include Dana Gioia, poet and Chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts, Miraslov Volf of Yale University, and science journalist Nancy Pearcey. For more information see the IAM website (www.iamny.org).

 

 

Various Details, Disclaimers, Etc.

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Copyright 2006 MARS HILL AUDIO, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Published by

 

MARS HILL AUDIO

P.O. Box 7826

Charlottesville, Virginia 22906

 

Call 1.800.331.6407 

Fax 1.434.990.9090

 

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www.marshillaudio.org