Comments on: Truth Matters over Emotion http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2010/03/truth-matters-over-emotion/ A First Things Blog Tue, 06 Nov 2012 13:35:02 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.2 By: Francis Beckwith http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2010/03/truth-matters-over-emotion/#comment-8557 Francis Beckwith Wed, 24 Mar 2010 03:32:20 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=5669#comment-8557 Gene, I share your concern about the "Jesus is my boyfriend" lyrics that are routinely sung by "worship teams," when including a piano should include a tip jar. In any event, there is a sense in which true beauty may elicit emotions in an appropriate way. This is why in the Early Church (including in Augustine's work), the true, the good, and the beautiful (as Plato had put it) were thought to have their perfection in God's simple being. Hence, the ancient cathedrals contained artistry (including icons and statues) that were intended to provide a means by which the senses may lead the soul to transcendence. Christian theology is incarnational theology, which means that as we participate in the divine nature all that is in us that is human, including our emotions, may be perfected over time by our willing submission to God's grace. As Peter writes: (I Peter 1:4-8) ////4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.//// Gene, I share your concern about the “Jesus is my boyfriend” lyrics that are routinely sung by “worship teams,” when including a piano should include a tip jar.

In any event, there is a sense in which true beauty may elicit emotions in an appropriate way. This is why in the Early Church (including in Augustine’s work), the true, the good, and the beautiful (as Plato had put it) were thought to have their perfection in God’s simple being. Hence, the ancient cathedrals contained artistry (including icons and statues) that were intended to provide a means by which the senses may lead the soul to transcendence.

Christian theology is incarnational theology, which means that as we participate in the divine nature all that is in us that is human, including our emotions, may be perfected over time by our willing submission to God’s grace. As Peter writes:

(I Peter 1:4-8)
////4 Thus he has given us, through these things, his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of lust, and may become participants of the divine nature. 5 For this very reason, you must make every effort to support your faith with goodness, and goodness with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with endurance, and endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love. 8 For if these things are yours and are increasing among you, they keep you from being ineffective and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.////

]]> By: Jeff Doles http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/2010/03/truth-matters-over-emotion/#comment-8550 Jeff Doles Wed, 24 Mar 2010 01:49:24 +0000 http://firstthings.com/blogs/evangel/?p=5669#comment-8550 Did Jesus, in His humanity, understand the full depth of what that experience on the Cross would be? If so, did He always understand it in its fullness? When He was an infant? At age twelve when He conversed with the rabbis? Before He public ministry? At His baptism? When He was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness at afterwards? When He was tested by the devil in the wilderness? How about at Gethsemane, when He prayed, "Father, let this cup pass from Me?" Was He still learning the depth of what was about to happen to Him? He was willing all the way, but does that mean that, in His humanity, He understood fully and completely what that suffering would be like? Did Jesus, in His humanity, understand the full depth of what that experience on the Cross would be? If so, did He always understand it in its fullness? When He was an infant? At age twelve when He conversed with the rabbis? Before He public ministry? At His baptism? When He was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness at afterwards? When He was tested by the devil in the wilderness? How about at Gethsemane, when He prayed, “Father, let this cup pass from Me?” Was He still learning the depth of what was about to happen to Him? He was willing all the way, but does that mean that, in His humanity, He understood fully and completely what that suffering would be like?

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