I have always enjoyed reading Ray Anderson (Fuller). Recently I was rereading, The Shape of Practical Theology and his one of his phrases in chapter eight gripped me and I have been sitting with it ever since.
“Obedience by itself is the most insidious of all temptations. It is the ontological source and motive behind obedience that gives it its character. Thus obedience is not the central motive in the life of Jesus as sheer ethical demand. Rather, it is the inner life of sonship that comes to expression through his obedience that characterizes Jesus. And it is in this sonship that we find the motif of self-emptying carried out through his identity with both the sinner as the object of divine love as well as with the Father as the source of love. Indeed, it may be said that in this sonship there is displayed not only the love of the Father for the world but the love of the Son for the Father who loves the world”
Ray Anderson 2001, page 115
That is sooooo good. Thank you Ray.
Peace, dwight
dwight, wow…that is such good stuff. thanks for posting. in "jesus the savior", placher discusses obedience as being the unity within Christ in being completely human and completely divine [at least that’s what i’m gathering from it]…but what a cool thing to explore the motivation behind that obedience…a love that understands and responds to the heart of the object of love, while receiving it as well…and not in spite of!…what would our communities look like if we could engage in that kind of love with others around us?? is that maybe what bonhoeffer talks about as spiritual love rather than human love? thanks for distracting me from my hermeneutics articles…
jen
James Lipton and Ray Anderson are one and the same person. Chilling.
HI!
Ray was my favorite prof at Fuller…I love his writing, and he has influenced me more than anyone else in how I think theologically.
rhett
Hey Bobby, you are quite funny. Want to go out with me?
I think I would rather go out with Joyce. She a looker.
Some quotes from Brother David Steindl-Rast O.S.B.
"An ethics that is not rooted in the religion of the heart will not think of obedience as whole hearted, responsible listening. Obedience will simply be equated with conformity to external commands."
"Obedience as virtue in Jewish tradition, Christian tradition, in other great traditions in the world, means far more than doing what somebody else tells you to do. It means, ultimately, listening with the heart. It is an intensive form of listening, the most intensive form of listening."
Listen to your heart. Sounds like Mormon theology. I just want a date with Joyce. Come on, listen to your burning heart.