Enhancing humans or a new creation?

In my review of T4 I expressed my disappointment that although the the film was well poised to explore the philosophical and moral implications of human enhancement it failed to do so.

I am now pleased to announce that the Cambridge Papers group have published a paper titled ‘Enhancing humans or a new creation?’ In it Denis Alexander summarises transhumanism, describes the scope of current enhancing technologies, and provides a Christian critique, presenting the biblical strategy for human transformation as a compelling alternative to the transhumanist project.

You can find it here.

The Hole in Our Gospel

I am reading Richard Stearns’ ‘The Hole in Our Gospel’ at the moment.

Stearns is the president of Worldvision, a Christian humanitarian organisation dedicated to working with children, families, and their communities worldwide to reach their full potential by tackling the causes of poverty and injustice.

In the book he sets about answering the question: ‘What does God expect of us?’ As part of the answer he urges followers of Jesus to look beyond the walls of their churches, to partner together actually demonstrating God’s love for the world instead of talking about it.

Responses to the book seem favourable, with Eugene Peterson saying of the book: "Read this compelling story and urgent call for change-Richard Stearns is a contemporary Amos crying 'let justice roll down like waters x2026;.' Justice is a serious gospel-prophetic mandate. Far too many American Christians for too long a time have left the cause to 'others.' Read it as an altar call."

Gary Haugen, President & CEO, International Justice Mission echoes this praise: "Rich Stearns calls us to exhilarating obedience to God's life-altering, world-changing command to reflect his love to our neighbours at home and globally. The Hole in Our Gospel is imbued with the hope of what is possible when God's people are transformed to live radically in light of his great love."

I continue to have high expectations of the book and as I read am compelled to think about and act on my own involvement in missio dei.

An early thought sparked by the book is illustrated by the Eugene Ionesco quote: “Ideologies separate us, dreams and anguish bring us together.” Or for the Christians “Our doctrines, traditions, pet theologies or pet moralities separate us, God’s dreams and human suffering bring us together”

I wonder if herein lies one of the answers to Jesus’ only unanswered prayer?

'12 Steps' as a model for Christian formation

My thinking about Christian formation has been profoundly influenced by Dallas Willard. His ‘The Divine Conspiracy’ and Renovation of the Heart’ remain among some of my favourite reads.

In the latter book Willard draws from the 12 step model employed by Alcoholics Anonymous stating that:

“Any successful plan for spiritual formation, whether for the individual or group, will in fact be significantly similar to the Alcoholics Anonymous program.”
– p.85, Renovation of the Heart

Willard offers the following adaption of the 12 steps in the Renovation of the Heart Leaders’ Guide, page 5A:

1. I admit that I am powerless over sin and that my life has become unmanageable.
2. I believe that God—through His action and those of His Son Jesus and the Holy Spirit—can restore me to sanity.
3. I will turn my will and my entire life over to the care of God.
4. I will make a searching and fearless inventory of my life to discover all the ways I have engaged in self-worship (by being in control instead of living surrendered to the will of God).
5. I admit to God, to myself, and to another human being the exact nature of my wrongs.
6. I am entirely ready to have God remove all the defects in my character and replace them—through His presence—with the thoughts, emotions, will, behaviour and relationship patterns of Christ.
7. I humbly ask God to help me become willing to deny myself—and the desire to live life on my terms—and to remove my shortcomings.
8. I will make a list of all the people I have harmed and become willing to make amends.
9. I will make direct amends to all I have injured.
10. I will continue to take personal inventory, and when I wrong someone, I will promptly admit it.
11. I will, through prayer, meditation, and the practice of other Christian disciplines, attempt to improve my conscious contact with God.
12. Having experienced some measure of authentic transformation as a result of surrendering all aspects of myself to the power and presence of Christ, I will carry this message to others and continue to practice these principles in all my affairs.

What I like about Willard’s 12 steps is that they are theologically well informed, missional and most importantly ‘doable’. However, at first glance it seems as though they lack the communal dimension of formation. Perhaps herein lies the their strength. While not appearing as overtly communal they are undergirded by a recovery model that functions within the context of a healing community.

I’m thinking to rework them to more overtly reflect the role of community in our formation any thoughts?

Pope: St Paul’s bones found

I stumbled on an interesting article in the New York Times. The piece titled  ‘Pope Says Tests ‘Seem to Conclude’ Bones Are the Apostle Paul’s’  suggests that the apostle Paul’s bone have been finally unearthed, from the article:

“Vatican archaeologists in 2002 began excavating the eight-foot coffin, which dates from at least 390 and was buried under the basilica’s main altar. The decision to unearth it was made after pilgrims who came to Rome during the Roman Catholic Church’s 2000 Jubilee year expressed disappointment at finding that Paul’s tomb — buried under layers of plaster and further hidden by an iron grate — could not be visited or touched.”

Call me a sceptic if you must, but that these are Paul’s bones are unlikely in my view.

Sinaticus Online

Today marks the end and beginning of a four year project that has launched Codex Sinaticus into the digital age.

The Sinaticus website reports that “Codex Sinaiticus is one of the most important books in the world. Handwritten well over 1600 years ago, the manuscript contains the Christian Bible in Greek, including the oldest complete copy of the New Testament. Its heavily corrected text is of outstanding importance for the history of the Bible and the manuscript – the oldest substantial book to survive Antiquity – is of supreme importance for the history of the book.”

As  on who has a particular interest in the New Testament this is as exciting as the original discovery of Sinaticus. Bruce Metzger in his Text of the New Testament, recounts the story of how Dr Constatin von Tischendorf  found and rescued the codex from a monk who was using the it to stoke the monastery fires.

“The Codex Sinaiticus Project is an international collaboration to reunite the entire manuscript in digital form and make it accessible to a global audience for the first time. Drawing on the expertise of leading scholars, conservators and curators, the Project gives everyone the opportunity to connect directly with this famous manuscript.”

My thanks go to Donna Radley for drawing my attention to today’s launch.