Pre-Post PLUS: George Bush's Theology
So many good but diverging comments!
Tomorrow I'm taking the easy way out. Whatever I post will be off-topic.
I'll pick back up on "What Really Matters?" next week...
And just now, July 31, I'm adding some more "off-topic," as long as this pre post has been getting comments:
George Bush's Theology
"This month, Professor Bruce Lincoln of the University of Chicago Divinity School examines the theology discernable in the statements and policies of President George W. Bush.
[T]hese texts convey a sophisticated theology of history that rests on five propositions: 1) God desires freedom for all humanity; 2) This desire manifests itself in history; 3) America is called by history (and thus, implicitly by God) to take action on behalf of this cause; 4) Insofar as America responds with courage and determination, God’s purpose is served and freedom’s advance is inevitable; 5) With the triumph of freedom, God’s will is accomplished and history comes to an end.
This is the fullest and most sophisticated theological position Mr. Bush has articulated in the course of his presidency. It follows several earlier systems, each of which had its own force, rationale, and moment. These include an Evangelical theology of “born again” conversion; a theology of American exceptionalism as grounded in the virtue of compassion; a Calvinist theology of vocation; and a Manichaean dualism of good and evil in conflict."
Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago - from the Martin Marty Center Web site
A good dispassionate summary. I do wonder whether the professor isn't involuntarily giving GB some extra credit here - I mean, the idea that GB thought it all out so systematically, personally strikes me as questionable.
By way of an analogy which I hope is not too unflattering to our closest genetic cousins, Jane Goodall wrote sophisticated descriptions of chimpanzee behavior that went far beyond any work product the chimpanzees could have created themselves.
But yes, it does seem to me that this theology, which I'm not personally prepared to call "sophisticated," can be inferred from GW's assorted remarks.
Tomorrow I'm taking the easy way out. Whatever I post will be off-topic.
I'll pick back up on "What Really Matters?" next week...
And just now, July 31, I'm adding some more "off-topic," as long as this pre post has been getting comments:
George Bush's Theology
"This month, Professor Bruce Lincoln of the University of Chicago Divinity School examines the theology discernable in the statements and policies of President George W. Bush.
[T]hese texts convey a sophisticated theology of history that rests on five propositions: 1) God desires freedom for all humanity; 2) This desire manifests itself in history; 3) America is called by history (and thus, implicitly by God) to take action on behalf of this cause; 4) Insofar as America responds with courage and determination, God’s purpose is served and freedom’s advance is inevitable; 5) With the triumph of freedom, God’s will is accomplished and history comes to an end.
This is the fullest and most sophisticated theological position Mr. Bush has articulated in the course of his presidency. It follows several earlier systems, each of which had its own force, rationale, and moment. These include an Evangelical theology of “born again” conversion; a theology of American exceptionalism as grounded in the virtue of compassion; a Calvinist theology of vocation; and a Manichaean dualism of good and evil in conflict."
Bruce Lincoln, University of Chicago - from the Martin Marty Center Web site
A good dispassionate summary. I do wonder whether the professor isn't involuntarily giving GB some extra credit here - I mean, the idea that GB thought it all out so systematically, personally strikes me as questionable.
By way of an analogy which I hope is not too unflattering to our closest genetic cousins, Jane Goodall wrote sophisticated descriptions of chimpanzee behavior that went far beyond any work product the chimpanzees could have created themselves.
But yes, it does seem to me that this theology, which I'm not personally prepared to call "sophisticated," can be inferred from GW's assorted remarks.
posted by Paul @ 9:34 PM
20 Comments:
Just came here to see what's going on Paul's blog!!Yeah..we'll wait..
mornin´Paul, was waiting for you to wake up... I hope you have a biiig smile on your face!
Irina, I hate to break it to you, but that remark is a lot like the lime thing, but WAY funnier to anyone reading it who's from America.
Uh... so as a gentleman, please allow me to remind the blogosphere that you are in Romania, while I am in the United States. Entirely my loss, your gain.
lol, oh I get it... No need to delete it pal, it is funny! Nice to be the cause of a good laugh right.
OMG, what was I thinking! Instead of writing this to your email I posted it here so everybody will know!
hola paul.
espero para pronto ese próximo post sobre "¿Qué es lo que realmente importa?".
que tengas un buen fin de semana.
amor y paz!
Okay Mau, you have a good weekend too. The online language translator really worked on that one...
Irina - there must be many idioms, if that's the word - or
"expressions," that are like that in different languages. I know even when I look at Benjamin's blog, who of course speaks English because he's in England, sometimes I'm not sure what he's saying. Especially when he uses slang.
Paul,
I am here and like the rest I will wait. You seem like a good man, a honest one. Rest up, we are all like children waiting for our teacher to return ::smiles::
soft love,
T
Thanks, T.
Maybe we bloggers should do more Pre-Posts. I didn't know a prepost could even get any comments. And they're so easy to do!
While professor Lincoln's theory seems plausible to me, I agree with you that that does not necessarily constitute a sophisticated position.
I know several people (and know of the existence of lots more, including presidents Lincoln and Reagan at least) that share this theological position, and so while the excerpt from the study makes it sound like Bush is a theologian in his own right, there's really nothing so uncommon about that position to suggest that GWB came up with it himself (not that Lincoln suggests that). I do believe that GWB believes that though, I just think as far as his speeches are concerned, he (like every politician) has some skilled people who decided to make that message predominate and keep him on-message with it. What's surprising to me are 2 things:
-That in a world of fast shrinking borders, people can still believe the old, old saw that one state can have God on its side. Theologically, it just gets too complicated to think about when you get to the details.
-The "history comes to an end" part. What's that about? Are we saying the "war on terror" is the last battle in Revelation and winning it brings the return of the messiah? Cause that's quite a claim if Lincoln can prove it. I'd like to see Bush get asked that question art a press conference. Touchy...
Matthew, right - the idea, by now, that one state, or for that matter one religion, has God in its hip pocket - I don't know how such thinking can have survived to such a late date.
I'm no theologian, but "freedom" strikes me as more of a political concept than something I recall as central to the thinking of those theologians that I've read. So that way it might be a little unusual. Certainly confounding religion and politics is a hallmark of this administration and some conservative Christians.
I don't think professor Lincoln is claiming anything about the world coming to an end. But that sort of focus on the Apocalypse is pretty typical of a lot of conservative Christians in the US, so it wouldn't surprise me if GB had that in mind.
As to people's minds and motives, I don't generally think I can read them much, or know the motives. But even a casual observer, which I am when it comes to politics, can see that this administration deceives and lies on a scale, and with an unapologetic effrontery, that I've never seen in any other administration in my lifetime.
In a word, I don't trust him.
http://tequilaexpress.blogspot.com/
Anonymous, thanks, and I have J's Voice in the Wilderness blogrolled.
It's one of my favorites. From his most recent post, he seems to be as much of a GW fan as me...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
I am very mad with George W. Bush's actions.
Mau: To me, his actions have made us look bad in the eyes of the whole world. I hope people from other countries realize that half of Americans disapprove of him and his administration - hopefully by now even more... And when I say "disapprove," I mean strongly disapprove...
When leaders use religion to defend their actions they are manipulating society. Religion does not exist and if we as society make religion real we are not growing or evolving. People should leave their religious ideas behind and pursuit truth, because only truth will set us free.
Richard: "When leaders use religion to defend their actions they are manipulating society."
Absolutely. And I think historically it's been a rare day when they aren't consciously and intentionally doing that. That is, it's not that they're overflowing with religious conviction and it just comes out; it's that they are very deliberately using religious symbols, or nowadays words with religious denotations or connotations, to get in good with people of actual religious belief.
Not sure what you mean by, "religion does not exist..."
Richard:
could you tells us which religion does George W. Busgh follows?
Richard:
What about if God wants us to follow a religion? is it possible?
(I am not talking about leaders)
Mau
I know you are convinced that God wants people to follow the Roman Catholic Church. Every religion promotes intolerance in a certain way towards other ways of thinking. The question is, shall we silence other people who think diferent from us, or perhaps ignore them?
History has proven that the pursuit of knowledge will make people more capable of making better decisions that will contribute to make a better society.
It does not matter what religion George W. Bush follows. What matters is his desire to trascend beyond his personal goals and the limited vision he has of God.
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