So far in these meandering reflections on the nature of tradition, we’ve seen that tradition, while unavoidable and necessary for culture, is also always received through interpretation and a gleaning. Tradition is thus a changing artifact of an ever-changing people in ever-changing circumstances. We need humility about how we talk about even the most sacred … Continue reading Tradition(ed): ‘Holy’ Tradition
In its worst caricatures, tradition is presented as vain repetition, nothing more than doing and saying what people did and said in the past. But, as we’ve seen, this perspective doesn’t hit the mark on how tradition actually works. Tradition is an active process: we receive from the past but inevitably apply it to the … Continue reading Tradition(Ed): Creativity and Tradition
The other week, I wrote that if I could only have two pieces of Scripture to form my Bible, I’d choose Jesus’ appropriation of Isaiah 61 as his personal mission (Luke 4) and the first half of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5). As it happens, today’s Gospel reading is Luke’s parallel telling of … Continue reading Blessed Are You Poor (in Spirit?): A Reflection on Luke 6.17-26
The most recent post in this series on tradition talked about different conceptions of orthodoxy, and why I think orthodoxy (that is, correct belief and practice) is a helpful concept. But we cannot deny that a lot of evil has been done in the world in the name of ‘right belief’. Today, I’d like to … Continue reading Tradition(ed): Religious Violence and the Shadow Side of ‘Orthodoxy’
"Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!” “For I am the least of the apostles, unfit to be called an apostle” "Go away from me, Lord, for I … Continue reading On Wonder, Humility, and Vocation: A Reflection on Luke 5, Isaiah 6, and 1 Corinthians 15
Matthew Root 