Welcome to the Reality Bites Blog

Posted by Mark Roques in RealityBites blog on Saturday 2nd October 2010

I'd just like to welcome all our friends to the brand new Reality Bites blog. I'm chuffed that Swalesy has kicked this off very sweetly. I also found Al Wolters' book very helpful. Al was my tutor in my first year at the Institute for Christian Studies and he is not only a top scholar on Plotinus, Greek philosophy et al but a really lovely person. When I knew almost nobody in Toronto, he invited me to his house on Christmas day. I turned him down as it happens but he is a real gent.

What I found so liberating about Wolters' book is the permission to be truly human and to be fascinated by the world in which we live. His clear teaching about the kingdom of God and how it affirms the creation is brilliant. Thanks Swasey for your thoughts mate. I know you're a Geordie and struggle with our great language but your essay is first rate!

Tags: 
book reviews

Comments

David Hanson says:

Sunday 3rd October 2010 8:53pm

Nice piece, Jon, and good for the first blog on the website.

Singing "And can it be…" this morning with great gusto and at a decent pace, I noticed for the first time (!) how Wesley manages to rubbish the creation (nature) by coupling it with sin. "Fast bound in sin and nature's night…I woke, the dungeon flamed with light."

We don't ever need (the reassurance came from a lecture of Keith Sewell) to repent of being creatures.

David

Peter Smith says:

Sunday 7th November 2010 10:37pm

Hi David, Found the blog. Wondered about Wesley? Course you are perfectly right about never needing to repent about being creatures but I had read it in another way (even allowing for the romantic influences on the Wesley bros.) It could be that he is referring to 'nature's night' in the sense of or sin and fallen nature. We are dead until Christ gives us life.
On the other hand if there is nature's night there may also be nature's day – if he is referring to the creation. Certainly, in a fallen world, nature's night is our suffering, ailing bodies and all the loss and sadness and pain we are surrounded by and experience. Just wondered. Really – though – this is the first time I have responded to a blog and I fear it could become hopelessly addictive especially if you feel obliged to reply to my late night rambling. x PeterS

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