Re: Reduction (fwd)

Jan de Koning (dekoning@idirect.com)
Tue, 06 Jan 1998 12:23:12 -0500

>Date: Tue, 06 Jan 1998 12:20:53 -0500
>To: <asa@alvin.edu>
>From: Jan de Koning <dekoning@idirect.com>
>Subject: Re: Reduction (fwd)
>In-Reply-To: <9801051953.AA19066@alpha.centenary.edu>
>
> If I could, I would want to repeat the philosphy lectures I had 55 years
ago. I believe, that they would give a proper answer to Joel's question.
However, I can't, it would take too much time and place. Still, I'll try
to give a little bit of it. A kind of outline. It would be easy if I
could refer you to a Dutch book, but I assume most do not read Dutch. So
here goes.
>
> My teacher was Prof.Vollenhoven. He tried to give an outline of how
Christians live in general, and in particular how scholarship (Wissenschaft
in German, wetenschap in Dutch) evolved from pagan Greek philosophy via the
medieval Sciences and Arts to modern scholarship. After that he gave his
own philosophy. It should be noted that he was in close contact with his
brother-in-law Dooyeweerd, and that many parts are similar to Dooyeweerd's
philosophy, whose work is published in English in a four volume work: A New
Critique of Theoretical Thought. That book is difficult to read. The
differences between Vollenhoven and Dooyeweerd are explained in the
published doctoral thesis of Peter Steen, written in English, and lent out
to my doctor (physician,) when I get it back I can give publisher and title.
>
> Vollenhoven was originally a theologian, and based his work on the Bible.
From it he took the idea, that from the heart are the issues of life,
Prov.4:23. So at the centre of our existence is our heart, which directs
everything we do. It gives direction to our spirit (wind, breath are the
same word in the bible.) If left to itself it will direct our life away
from God, but in and because of Jesus' death, the Holy Spirit bends the
direction of our life toward God. Our life is lived in about 14 "spheres
of law," as V. called them; Dooyeweerd calls them modalities. These are,
from the top down, pistical (worshipping), ethical, juridical, aesthetical,
economical, social, linguistic, historical, analytical, psychical,
organical, physical, spatial, and arithmetical. Each higher sphere needs
all the spheres below it, and each sphere is directed from out of our
centre of life. Since it is directed from out of this centre, it should be
directed to operate in God's service for us as Christians. It does not
mean that I learn my mathematics, biology, physics etc. from the Bible. It
does mean that all we study is part of God's creation, a creation in which
He is stiil always at work. Sometimes for good, sending His Son to redeem
us personally, but as well as the new ruler of the earth, which finds its
fullfillment at the end of this world, when the new heaven will come down
to the new earth, and we will live with God.
>
> For me as a mathematician the above has consequences for the way I see
time, and its relation with eternity. For a historian it means, that God
may send punishing armies to conquer and kill, and after that punish the
ones who did the punishing. The Old Testament and the prophets are full of
these stories. These are two "minor" conclusions, everyone can probably
find some examples in his own field. So that I am not misunderstood: we
are fully reponsible for our deeds (free will,) but God is fully in charge
(predestination.) We do not and can never know how that fits.)
>
> The above short explanation has consequences for the way we relate our
sciences (in N.American as well as in European sense) to our Bible reading.
A physicist may need a linguist to read the BIble properly. Both will
need a historian in philosphy to evaluate the ruling philosophies of the
times in which translators were working, etc. We all need each other, and
all of us must be careful not to accuse brothers and sisters in Christ,
when they think differently than we do. But under no circunstances becomes
the Bible just a physics (or other science) textbook. Not even a history
textbook, except for the history of salvation.
>
> In all this we all have to watch that we do not confuse those who read
the bible differently than we do. Though many talk about "evolution,"
very few are qualified to talk about it. And then many are confused by
those who want to read the bible literally (they say,) but have not studied
the bible thorougly, thus confusing themselves and others. Personally, I
often keep quiet (even here on these postings) because, (a) explaining
thoroughly takes too much place and time, and (b) we should not confuse
those who trust in their Lord, even when they read the bible differently,
than I do. In any case we should be very careful with our condemnations.
None of us should read the bible superficially though. All of us should
listen to each other.
>
> Just a few final remarks: God rules in everything. Thus evolution (which
exists) is never contrary to creation, but it is always part of creation.
Talking about creation or evolution is just nonsense. Life is not death,
so there is always development. Standing still is going back. God lives.
All of life, all of creation is God's, even if we do not always see the
connection. Much more need to be said about this, but for now I stop.
>
>Jan de Koning
>Willowdale, Ont.
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