On Mon, 2 Apr 2001, Jonathan Clarke wrote:
>
>
> I think the role of SS material, together with Bible story books, etc., in
> formulating attitudes of Christians to a number of issues is under estimated.
> This is especially the case that such material is often visual. How many
> pictures of the garden of Eden for example, have lions lying with the lamb, or
> even dinosaurs in the background with a pale skinned blond or brown haired Adam
> and Eve (Adam clean shaven of course) with strageically placed greenery in the
> foreground? Or with the flood account, how many have animals from the Americas
> east Asia, or Australia boarding the ark? the power of such images in colouring
> the perceptions of people, especailly those who might think no further about
> them, may be very great.
>
> Jon
>
>
I had an illustrated children's Bible when I was young. I haven't looked
at it since I became a Christian (well, it has been stashed away in a box
in my parents' garage- so I don't think I picked up any theology from its
pictures). I wonder whether this is part of the reason for the second
commandment- that we could learn our theology from pictures.
There has been much in the British media about a new BBC series "Son of
God" and its reconstruction of what Jesus could have looked like (not a
white man with long flowing blond hair).
It is so easy to pick up one's theology from other sources. How many times
have you heard someone refer to a hymn/praise song to back up a piece of
doctrine? I try not to just have a good sing-song but think about what I'm
singing- there will be times when I will just stand there, silent, with
arms folded during a hymn or song. I refuse to sing the second verse of
"Jesus, we celebrate Your victory". And when newer songs talk about God
healing us, I have to ask what exactly they mean- there is new theology
which sees all illness as coming from simply a lack of faith.
Graham
--------------------------------------------------------
Graham Richard Pointer
Dept of Physics and Astronomy
North Haugh
St Andrews
Fife
KY16 9SS
Scotland
http://star-www.st-and.ac.uk/~grp1
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