[Bananafish] Scratching an itch on phantom limbs

[Yocum, Daniel R Civ 21 CES/CEOE]

"(In contrast to Paul, who just repeated the 
phrase "don't do it" and too often gave Hell as the reason.)"

Kenny, there seems to be a modern blind spot (Mac truck size) concerning
Paul.  Christianity as a whole has been radically Hellenized, Augustine
being a chief example.  Most readers of Paul today read him in a vacuum,
or rather through Greek eyes.  Paul wrote from a different tradition (or
school of thought if 'tradition' does not sit well with you) altogether.
Paul was highly educated in the Hebrew thought of his day which included
the TaNaKh and Oral Law (later recorded as the mishnah) as well as the
aggadatic d'rash (Midrash)or metaphorical arguments extent then.  Most
(including the church) who read Paul, anachronistically read back all
kinds of ideas and concepts in-to his epistles.  Paul's audience shared
this cultural background and/or had access to it.  What is perceived as
Paul's ignorance may actually be a reflection upon the poor state of
today's education concerning first century Hebrew thought.

Daniel


I believe it's in the second book. I remembered writing something about
it 
for a class I took on Systematic Theology (way back when) and retrieved
the 
quotes from there. There's something about Augustine that I always
liked. He 
presented the logic behind his faith, making him something of a
Christian 
heir to the ancient Greeks. (In contrast to Paul, who just repeated the 
phrase "don't do it" and too often gave Hell as the reason.) I
understand 
that faith should be the foundation of religious belief, but having it 
grounded in logic is very reassurring to mortal minds. There's also 
something very human about Augustine, something unusually understanding
of 
common frailties that makes his experiences real. Look at his most
famous 
quote, "Lord, give me chastity and continency, but not yet." Does it get
any 
more human than that? 
Kenny