Thinking Out Loud About Panentheism
Prompted by a suggestion from listener Joshua, Steve and Ray fire up a discussion about Panentheism and whether or not it could be a helpful idea in our journey with God. Panentheism is to not to be confused with Pantheism (the belief that creation itself is God), but rather is the idea that the entirety of the universe is a part of God. Rather than the classic view of God’s separateness from creation, Panentheism posits that the creation itself is infused by the Divine, and therefore cannot be separated from God. Join Steve and Ray as they explore this idea, and journey with them down the usual rabbit trails! Have an idea for the podcast that you would like to hear discussed? Let us hear it by submitting it here: http://www.beyondtheboxpodcast.com/idea-submission
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December 9th, 2013 at 6:20 pm
Guys,
“discovered” your podcast a few months ago and continue to enjoy, grow from and be challenged by it. perhaps others have already commented on this, so forgive another mention of the same.
first, i think you make a good point that traditional, modern western Christianity teaches the transcendence of God as if it precludes His immanence.
but a reading or closer re-reading of N. T. Wright’s book Simply Christian reveals that, in a section of the same chapter about God from which the listener quotes, and to which the quote parenthetically refers back (although that reference was left out of the quote) it is clear Wright is using a more limited definition of pantheism. your podcast did, in fact, discuss the classic meaning as God in man and man in God, but Wright is using pantheism in the more limited idea of a little bit of God in everything. my guess is that he does that because he is a traditional churchman who sees transcendence and immanence as mutually exclusive.
further, Wright unfolds a meaning behind the incarnation and the cross that you mention in the podcast. in his chapter on Jesus, and in the conclusion of the book, Wright explains a theology of God’s participation in redemption that has God as Christ joining with creation, both on the cross and at the renewal of creation, for redemption of man and creation.
would be interested in what you think after reading or re-reading these sections.
thanks again for thinking and helping us all think and grow.
kent
February 11th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
Wonderful! Thanks for your willingness to discuss your journey with such transparency.