Story as Explanation

November 9, 2011 in Musings with 0 Comments

We have been discussing the role of narrative in how we interpret Scripture and in what sense we view it as authoritative. N.T. Wright, in the opening book of his Christian Origins and the Question of God series proposes one way that stories become authoritative explanations for the way things are:

 One asks questions because one’s present story is in some way either puzzling or incomplete. I am driving along the road, thinking about all sorts of things, but taking for granted an underlying story about cars, driving and roads. The car then begins to shudder. At once I begin to tell myself a variety of stories which might explain this phenomenon. Perhaps the council has been digging up this bit of road, and has not yet smoothed it out again. Perhaps I have a flat tyre. Perhaps there is something wrong with the suspension. These hypotheses offer themselves to me as potential missing links within the stories; when inserted appropriately, they turn my habitual stories into would-be explanatory stories. Where they themselves come from is difficult to describe, though it is not unimportant: they appear to arrive by a process of intuition. Then (resuming the illustration) the car behind me flashes its lights, and the driver points at one of my wheels. At once the second story looms larger. I pull over and examine the tyre, which, sure enough, is looking decidedly sorry for itself. Two further bits of data, namely, the action of the other driver and the sight of the tyre, convince me that the second story meshes with reality. One of the stories I have been telling has emerged as a successful explanatory story. Of course, there may also be something less than perfect with the road, and the suspension; but the simplest explanation is that the shuddering was caused by the flat tyre. At each stage of the process what matters can best be expressed in terms of story: the story which prompts the question, the new stories which offer themselves in explanation, and the success of one of these stories in including all the relevant data, doing so within a clear and simple framework, and contributing to a better understanding of other stories (I always was just a bit suspicious of the garage where I had bought those tyres).

Ancient Sunday Worship

October 21, 2011 in Musings with 0 Comments

Ancient perspective on Sunday worship from Justin’s Apology, c. AD150:

And on the day which is called the day of the sun there is an assembly of all who live in the towns or in the country; and the memoirs of the Apostles or the writings of the prophets are read, as long as time permits. Then the reader ceases, and the president speaks, admonishing us and exhorting us to imitate these excellent examples. Then we arise all together and offer prayers; and, as we said before, when we have concluded our prayer, bread is brought, and wine and water, and the president in like manner offers up prayers and thanksgivings with all his might; and the people assent with Amen; and there is the distribution and partaking by all of the Eucharistic elements; and to them that are not present they are sent by the hand of the deacons. And they that are prosperous and wish to do so give what they will, each after his choice. What is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows and such as are in want by reason of sickness or other cause; and to those also that are in prison, and to strangers from abroad, in fact to all that are in need he is a protector.

We hold our common assembly on the day of the sun, because it is the first day, on which God put to flight darkness and chaos [lit. matter] and made the world, and on the same day Jesus Christ our saviour rose from the dead; for on the day before that of Saturn they crucified him; and on the day after Saturn’s day, the day of the sun, he appeared to his Apostles and disciples and taught them these things, which we have also handed on to you for your consideration.

Civility and the Academy

October 21, 2011 in Musings with 0 Comments

Wayne Firestone shares his ideas for new approaches to increased civility in discourse:

First, U.S. News & World Report should create a “civil discourse” metric to rate colleges and universities on the maturity of their controversial conversations

Second, there should be a movement to transform the perception of “student life” from a collection of clubs and activities to the primary component of an institution that teaches and fosters civil engagement.

Finally, lest we waste precious time waiting for today’s students to gain “experience,” employers in the private, public, and social sectors should aggressively try to hire and engage young people, especially on governing boards.

Be sure to read the full article, linked above.

How to Fix Elections

September 23, 2011 in Teach with 0 Comments

In a recent NPR segment on possible Pennsylvanian electoral college changes, a state senator said something that caught my ear:

This is the sort of thing that, you know, someone like Robert Mugabe does in Zimbabwe – they fix elections. In America, we don’t fix elections, okay?

He is right. We don’t fix elections in America. But that does not mean that they are not broken.*

If we were to fix elections, where would we start? Consider the following a history teacher’s modest attempt at what-if-ing.

1. Require Coursework in Rhetoric and Logic for all Candidates

The pickings are quite slim. I don’t know if they just don’t know any better, or if they are intentionally lying to win over a dumbed-down audience, but seriously? There are currently no actual consequences for absolutely making things up.

2. Eliminate the Electoral College

Usually, the electoral college accurately represents the popular opinion of the voting population. But is usually really the best we can do? Want to see voter turnout increase? Count each vote.

3. De-demonize the Flip-Flop

So a candidate changed their position on a given issue? Good. I wouldn’t want it any other way. Why is it such a bad thing for a thoughtful human being to learn, grow and change when running for or taking office?

4. Blur the Party Lines

The chances that one particular party has the best policies on every single issue: 0%

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*No, this is not what he meant when he said “fix elections.” Yes, this is how I plan to use the phrase “fix elections.”

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