How Many ELCA Leaders View Scripture

4/29/2015

The Rev. Dr. Kristin Johnston Largen, Interim Dean and Associate Professor of Systematic Theology at the ELCA's Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, (see here)
titles one of her blogs, “The Power of 'Story-truth' for Understanding the Bible.”

The ELCA seminary dean/professor writes, “Read this little piece, from a great website you should be reading regularly.” She then provides a link to the article “Fiction Is Best Way to Tell God’s Story.” Here we go again with ELCA leadership teaching and believing the Bible is composed of a bunch of made up stories.

The author of the article which Rev. Dr. Largen tells us to read “suspects” the Biblical writers are “adding and subtracting, making up a few things to get at the real truth.”

“By telling stories, you objectify your own experience. You separate it from yourself. You pin down certain truths. You make up others. You start sometimes with an incident that truly happened . . . and you carry it forward by inventing incidents that did not in fact occur but that nonetheless help to clarify and explain.” (see here)

After encouraging readers to read this article ELCA Dean/Professor Largen writes “. . . think more deeply and creatively about what it means when we say something is 'true' in the context of our faith! [More Christians should think about this when reading Scripture!!]” (read here)

Don't we call people “liars” who make up stories while trying to pass them off as actual events?

4 Comments

Didaskalos link

5/1/2015 10:49:59 pm

A latest development in the ever-evolving art of ELCAspeak: pretending there's a difference between "fact" and "truth."

According to the ELCA, Bible miracles or events may not be actual facts, you understand, but they're nonetheless somehow "true." George Orwell, call your office.

The question is, how does one decide which Bible happenings are fact and which are ELCA-pooh-poohed non-facts?

The answer: the same way in which the ELCA -- the Church of the Exalted Me -- decides anything and everything about the Bible. "If (a) I personally happen to like the story/teaching and (b) it doesn't reproach me for one of my favorite sins and (c) I won't get ridiculed by the Christ-rejecting world if I accept it, I'll condescend to acknowledge it as fact."

Case in point: the St. Olaf religion-major alumnus's essay posted proudly on the St. Olaf religion department's web page:

". . .Theology is a serious and creative imagining—stories that get loose and build and unbuild worlds as another theologian, Laurel Schneider, says.[i] I’ve come to believe that religious truth is more likely to be found in fiction than anywhere else, and that’s especially true for me when it comes to encountering the Bible. (A quick example: Moses’ encounter with the burning bush is the best metaphor I have for how I understand my own sense of wonder in the universe. Do I believe it historically happened? No. In my own passion for that text, do I believe it says something real of how I experience and creatively engage truth? Absolutely.)
-- http://wp.stolaf.edu/religion/about-the-study-of-religion-at-st-olaf/are-we-trying-to-destroy-your-faith/ — "Are we trying to destroy your faith?"

The answer is, yes, the "bound conscience"-spouting, solipsistic ELCA is trying to undermine and destroy your faith. Why would you stay in such a denomination?

Al Mohler writes: ". . .The idea of a bound conscience is deadly dangerous unless the conscience is bound by the Word of God. Those who would claim a bound conscience but pervert, deny, subvert, or relativize the Word may indeed be bound by conscience. But a conscience bound by anything other than the Word of God is a conscience given over to idolatry.

"This is a Lutheran lesson we all desperately need to learn. And Martin Luther himself deserves the last word:

“It is the nature of all hypocrites and false prophets to create a conscience where there is none, and to cause conscience to disappear where it does exist.”

Sean

5/2/2015 09:43:14 am

Interestingly enough I followed the link and her blog post is already taken down.

Erik link

5/2/2015 11:43:17 pm

Christ is truth, and the truth sets us free. But this is not freedom to create truth. Such attempts are better called lies, and lies enslave us.

Conrad Derrick

5/13/2015 07:37:56 am

If you think that Dr. Largen's above blog post is alarming, see the one below from her blog just recently posted:

"Queer" Jesus--a Sermon

So, I don't usually post my sermons on my blog--mostly because I don't really think they are "post-worthy" and because I think it is always a little strange to read a sermon: they are meant to be preached & heard, after all.

But, I'm making an exception this week & posting the sermon I just preached today in chapel--not because I think it's so good [it isn't], but because I am passionate about the subject matter and I want to share it.

The seminary just received our certification as a "Reconciling in Christ" seminary, which means that we are explicitly and publicly welcoming to all people, especially those in the LGBTQ community. It's an exciting decision for us, and it makes clear and visible commitments we have had for some time now, reflecting what we consider to be an essential aspect of the proclamation of Christ's love and welcome to all people, especially the vulnerable and the marginalized. That's not why I preached this sermon, but it comes from the same Christian conviction.

For me, part of being a Reconciling in Christ seminary means talking theologically in a variety of contexts about love, sexuality, gender, imago Dei, otherness, uniqueness, diversity, and the gospel message--and one of those contexts certainly is preaching. So, in that spirit then, this sermon is about being "queer"--what "queerness" means, and how it reflects both Jesus' own ministry and his embodiment of God's love. There are a dozen ways it could be better, I'm sure--but at least it is saying something; and if there's one thing I know, it's that the church cannot continue to just be silent about the LGBTQ community. We have to say something about how God loves that community, dwells with that community, and speaks a word of grace to the world through that community. This is my attempt--I hope you make one of your own.

John 15:9-17

The Genesis of this sermon came in a conversation I had with a friend of mine a few weeks ago. An application came across her desk in which the applicant self-identified as a “queer woman.” “Queer;” my friend said. “What does that mean? Does it mean she’s gay? How is ‘queer’ different from being a lesbian?” Did I welcome that question? Oh, yes I did! She had barely finished speaking before I launched in!

So, I talked about the word “queer,” and how while certainly it often refers to sexual identity, it is so much more than that, too. As many of you know, first and foremost being “queer” is about actively challenging the binary gender stereotypes that continue to pervade our society, demanding gender conformity, and refusing to allow for fluidity and flexibility in self-expression and self-understanding. And, when you think about it this way, I said to my friend, I would venture to say that many of us—if not most of us—in this room are “queer”—even those of us who are heterosexual. I know I am. Let me explain.

I believe both boys and girls should be given dolls and trucks to play with; and I don’t believe that “big boys don’t cry,” or that the dress code for girls is “pretty in pink.”

I believe men should not get brownie points for “babysitting” their own children; and should be celebrated, rather than challenged, when they want to be stay-at-home dads. I don’t believe women are defined either by the functionality of their wombs or the bling—or lack of it—on their left ring fingers. I believe people should be able to name for themselves what they want to be called; and wear what they want—pants and skirts alike. And, of course, I believe love crosses all gender boundaries. In a society where men and women still labor under traditional gender stereotypes, these are “queer” thoughts. But even that’s not all.

The concept of “queering” societal norms goes beyond gender roles, challenging other stereotypes equally detrimental. For example, considering the relentless, pervasive nature of capitalism in our society, it can be “queer” to challenge the idea that wealth is directly proportional to aptitude and skill, and that poverty is directly proportional to laziness. Or, that everyone is born equal, with an equal opportunity to succeed; or that society is colorblind, and that your prospects for education, jobs, housing are just as good if your name is Jamal or Jesus as if it’s Jim or Jack. You get the idea.

And, when you think about “queer” this way, you know who else was pretty queer? Jesus! Now, don’t get hung up on the word—I know for many people the word itself is intimidating and off-putting, but whether you choose to use the wor

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How Many ELCA Leaders View Scripture

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Dan Skogen

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