rapture theology

Joy to (the End of) the World

November 8, 2006

This article appears in the Eschatology issue of Trinity News , the magazine of Trinity Church-St. Paul's Chapel.

By Robert Owens Scott and W. Mark Richardson

the age of the spirit

“Does Biblical Worldview Emerge? A Look Ahead.” by Samir Selmanovic

Different authors have attempted to give different names to the interpretative shift we are presently experiencing. In her latest book The Case for God, Karen Armstrong frames the discussion as the “return of the mythos” to the center of religious experience, displacing the logos that usurped the place after the Enlightenment. In The Future of Faith, Harvey Cox dubs the coming era as “the age of the spirit” that follows “the age of belief.” Other authors talk about our spiritual journey to non-duality, a correction that current and healthy interest in the mystical aspects of religion can bring. In addition, one of the most important insights into our current context of faith comes from behavioral science. We are discovering that most people’s beliefs and practices do not neatly fit into conventional categories. A growing number of us hold hybrid worldviews made, at times, from seemingly incompatible or even contradictory beliefs or practices. We do what works, because life has the power to change the rules, break the hierarchy of authority, alter the meanings of our texts, and interrupt our theologies. We cannot but honor what life insists on.

I use google reader to explore and find inspiration for my spiritual journey. Samir Selmanovic's blog is one I have discovered. His mention of Karen Armstrong caught my attention. This paragraph provides a context and connections to her recent declaration.