Memento

Boethius

            After a semester of reading texts and ideas from a variety of sources with different beliefs and backgrounds, it is hard to not see the similarities between them and it can be difficult to draw different things from new readings. The Consolation of Philosophy by Boethius is a break from the regular information and ideas presented by many of these sources. In many of the other texts that we have read, feelings and emotions are used as persuaders and to prove points, which is not a bad thing for the most part. However, Boethius utilizes logic and reasoning for much of his points, and I much prefer this method. This style can lead to people wondering why this text is widely considered a Christian piece, as it feels very different compared to other works.

            Boethius analyzes God and his place in the universe, forming many conclusions that are fundamental to the Christian faith. In the third book around page 53, Boethius discusses all of God’s role in relation to his people, identifying him as the creator, Father, leader, and the one, true God. The description that Boethius offers covers many of the different aspects and relationships of God, and I feel that these qualities are very important to Christians. God’s place as all of this different things is what defines his love for us and the ability that we all have to form a relationship with him, both of which are extremely important and unique to our faith. I can see how many would question the Christian aspect of this text as it does not discuss Jesus at all, but I do not believe that it negates all that it has to offer in regards to other aspects of Christianity. Just because one piece does not specifically involve Jesus does not mean that it is not important to other parts of the faith. Just as Basil believed, we need to be able to withdraw ideas from all kinds of sources, including this one.

            As humans, we are always searching for something to satisfy our desires, and will always be left unsatisfied as long as we seek gratification in worldly things. Boethius realizes this situation, and claims that God is the only ultimate source of true happiness, a belief that is also very fundamental to Christianity. This supported with logic and reasoning is very compelling to me, and I think that this aspect is another part of the text that is very helpful as a Christian work. Overall, I believe that the different approach used is very refreshing and brings up many foundational points to Christianity, and I can see why the work would continue to be regarded as a Christian piece.

St. Augustine

            Many of the things that we read in class do not always seem to apply to our current lives, and it can be very hard to pull things and relate to them well. Often, when we read something that was written strictly for people from such a different time, it is hard to overlook the cultural differences and we end up missing the important teachings that it might offer. When reading texts from writers like Aristotle, we often focus on the societal differences and do not pay attention to what is still able to apply to us. In St. Augustine’s confessions, I found his words to be very relatable. While you are able to tell that he is in a different setting, I had little trouble connecting with what he had to say.

            One thing that I found very to be very true was Augustine’s thoughts on the hunger that plagues all of humanity. On page 51 and 52 Augustine says that his “heart was sighing for you (God)” and “hungry for you (God)”. He continues to describe how “they” gave him their best illusions of satisfaction, but he was consistently left unsatisfied. Augustine does a very good job of describing the constant pursuit that we, as humans, are in for something to fill the void that only God can fill. We reach out to the world for the best that it has to offer, and while these things may seem filling, “it would have been better to love the sun, which is at least real to the eyes” (52). As St. Augustine describes it, these things are only pleasing to the eyes and are really only empty illusions. I found it applicable how he discussed this struggle and said that we should instead be pursuing a relationship with God.

            In contrast to some of the other readings such as that of St. Benedict, I found it interesting how Augustine compared good works to the offerings of the world, considering them insufficient in the end. In texts like St. Benedict’s rule, deeds were focused on and even described as enough to determine our faith. Overall, Augustine seemed to value a relationship with God much more than he did good works. He states that only having God in your life is enough to satisfy the hunger that we have, and good works will follow that relationship rather than determining it.

            I found it very refreshing that St. Augustine offered words that were very easy to apply to my own life, and I liked his view on the hunger that we all have. It was different from our other readings, and I could relate to his feelings on many subjects, and I found his Confessions very interesting.

Saint Benedict

            I have always wondered how monks’ lives fits along what most people would consider a “Christian” lifestyle. I don’t have very much experience with them either, and I do not know much about what they actually believe. All that I knew prior to this reading was that I thought of them as people that were very devoted to a belief and isolated themselves completely in order to fully pursue that belief. Following the reading, I found that this is somewhat true, but I gained a new understanding of to what extent they went to achieve this.

            It was easily seen that those following St. Benedict’s Rule thought extremely highly of total humility. They would completely separate themselves from the world, resist speaking when possible, and assumed other postures of submission, and this sounded very extreme to me. The Rule obviously highlighted rules and guidelines for them, but there also seemed to be an unnecessary focus on them. Laws are clearly important, but they cross into hurtful when they take away from some of our most important goals. For those that spent their entire life away from others unlike them and spoke only when spoken to, it doesn’t seem to me like they are doing much in the way of furthering the Kingdom of God. While humility does stand out to others and shows a certain devotion, I do not think that many people are reached without being spoken to. Spreading the Word of God is necessary as a follower of Him, and I do not see how this could really be accomplished in this manner.

            Another thing that I found conflicts with was the Rule’s constant emphasis placed on the works that people do. On page 2, Benedict states that “If we desire to dwell in the tabernacle of His kingdom, we cannot reach it in any way, unless we run thither by good works”. In this statement and throughout the piece, works are claimed to determine one’s holiness. However, in the Bible Jesus states that He is the only way to get into heaven. Our faith is not determined by our actions, but rather our relationship with God. While this relationship will inevitably result in good works, I think that St. Benedict took this connection too far and traced the faith back to the deeds.

            While the Rule outlined by St. Benedict does seem like it has righteous intentions, I think that it misses the mark in some ways. It limits people from building relationships with others which often lead to the sharing of faith. Also, works are focused on as proving our worthiness to God, but we are not, in any way, worthy of Him without his grace. 

The Quran

            In my life, I have had little experience with the Quran or Islam in general. Having grown up as a Christian, not much thought was really ever given to their beliefs. The only other time that I have learned about it was in a high school history class, and the teacher had us all read a passage and guess what it was from. It was some story that is also in the Bible, but I can’t remember which. Everyone in the class thought that it was from the Bible, but the teacher revealed to us that it was, in fact, from the Quran. Even as I read the passage, I thought that it was some strange translation of the Bible or something, as it sounded very much like it and contained a shared story. Until now, that was really one of my only experiences with the Quran, and all I remember is that it seemed very similar in at least the part that we read.

            In this reading, one thing that stuck out to me throughout was how God is referred to and described. In the fifty seventh Surah, it says that “He is the dominion over the heavens and the earth…has the power to will anything…and has full knowledge of everything”. This is very similar to the way that we view God as Christians: all-knowing and powerful. We believe that there is one God above all else, which is also how the Quran describes God. Also, as Christians, we believe and depend on God’s grace and compassion, which is also a trait given to God in the Quran. God is called “the dispenser of grace” and compassionate in the fifty seventh Surah. This quality is one that I would consider central to Christianity, and it is interesting to see that it is also a defining characteristic of God in Islam as well. It’s surprising how similar the core beliefs about God are between Christianity and Islam, and I think that most people would not expect how comparable these things are.

            Another similarity that I found was that of how the concepts of heaven and hell are described. In the Quran, the separation of grace and mercy from suffering defines eternity. Those who did not pursue God will spend eternity separated from his mercy. This is similar to the belief that we hold as Christians as well, as those that do not follow God will be eternally divided from him. I thought that this was very unanticipated as well, and that Islam and Christianity both define eternity in a very similar way. The separation from God is what lies before those do not follow him in both religions.

            While I do not have very much experience with the Quran in general, it is always astounding how similar it is to the Bible. The way that it defines God’s characteristics continues to remind me of it. Also, this time reading it I got to see how similarly it refers to eternity, and I found that equally surprising. While there are very clear differences, I am always intrigued by how similar some of the values are.

Basil

Growing up in a very Christian and religious environment, there were certainly a few secular influences that I avoided. While I was not over-protected or anything, I was able to live in a very positive environment. However, St. Basil questions the extent to which this has a positive influence on a person’s spiritual condition. As Christians, we need to understand how much of the world that we are to be a part of, and we need to know when to reject what the world is giving us.
Often, as Christians, we feel that we need to completely isolate ourselves from the rest of the world, keeping to ourselves. While forming a community of Christ-followers is a very important thing, it is also necessary that we take some role in the world for many different reasons. One important one is that we need to share our faith with the rest of the world, as they, too, need to know about God. On page 1, Basil states that “profane learning should ornament the mind, as foliage graces the fruit-bearing tree”. He is stating that it is important that we don’t completely isolate ourselves from the secular world, and by learning about it we can further elevate our own knowledge. In contrast to the teachings of the world, the truth found in God is visibly on a higher level. Basil sees the importance of finding examples of living virtuously in all contexts. Even though other people may have different beliefs, St. Basil believes that we can still look to them for their examples of moral actions. However, when it comes to these people’s gods or religions, Basil believes that we are to completely ignore what they have to say. On the other hand, I would say that we should use these opportunities to lead them to God. While we need to know what is the truth and to what extent we should listen to others, but we still need to use opportunities to spread God’s word. 
St. Basil’s ideas closely relate to some of the other readings so far, and even ones that do not believe in our God. Basil’s thought that we need to gain knowledge by the process of learning in order to ascend relates to Plato’s cave allegory. In order to gain understanding, we need to go through the process of learning and gaining a deeper comprehension. This goes along with Basil’s belief that we need to learn what we can from secular influences such as Plato. Basil’s concept of learning is similar to that of other, non-religious sources, and forms similar conclusions to that of others. His ideas that we need to not completely separate ourselves from the world are helpful for the case of spreading God’s word, and I agree that it is important that we are able to form relationships with those that aren’t Christians.

Romans

            Once again, many similar topics span the various readings that we have done, and Romans is full of them. The philosophy contained in Plato’s work is one that I was reminded of often in Romans. While Plato was not referring to God for the most part, he did include some general morals and ideas that are also addressed in Romans. The idea of an overarching “ideal” is not exclusive to Plato. To Plato, there exists an unchanging, perfect state that everyone should strive for, and this is a basis for many morals included in his works. As Christians, this ideal is becoming as Christ-like as possible, striving to be righteous and serve God with our entire lives. In Romans 8, it says that sin was condemned so that “the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us”. While this is not exactly the same as the point that Plato was making, it describes a righteous lifestyle that everyone should seek to fulfill. Much like Plato’s ideal, we are always to be looking up to Christ as an example for a life full of love and void of sin. Although Plato may not have been talking about God or trying to describe a righteous life, there is an ideal that we are held to as Christians, and it is explained in Romans.

            Unsurprisingly, similarities are easily drawn between Romans and Exodus as well. One thing that I was quickly reminded of is the question of free will. This was something that stuck out to me a lot in Exodus, and the topic returned in Romans as well. In Exodus, this was easily seen through Pharoah’s seemingly forced refusal of the truth by God. In Romans, there was a portion in chapter 9 that I was caught up on. It brings up that God chooses how he treats each person, regardless of human actions. In my mind, this sounds like all effort on our side to become more righteous is futile, and this sounds very wrong immediately. However, after some thought, this actually makes sense. As humans, we have no power over God’s actions and, without his help, we are not able to reach anything near Christ-likeness. Even this sounds bad, but the flipside is that we know that God is loving, just, and merciful. This section of Romans built on the questions that Exodus posed to me in regards to the choices that we have, and it further expands upon the topic of free will.

            In contrast to some of our previous readings, Romans sheds some light on how God views each of us. In some of the other works, such as Plato’s or Aristotle’s, a goal to become a superior human was often brought up. This idea, however, is in direct contrast with what Romans says. It repeatedly states that we are all equal in God’s eyes, and that none of us is able to live a perfect life. We are all loved by God and, unlike according to some of the other philosophies that we have read, there is no perfect human. 

The Unwobbling Pivot

Throughout many of our readings this year, I have been amazed at how many similar points come up across different authors, religions, and beliefs. The Confucian work The Unwobbling Pivot is no exception to this and is very relatable to many things. As a Christian, it is hard to not see some similarities to some of Jesus’ teachings, and I find it very interesting how these ideas were being discussed before Jesus was here. In fact, I found that many of Confucius’ ideals did not contradict with those outlined in the Bible.
One point that I found extremely familiar was that of a balanced life and belief system. Immediately, Aristotle’s works come to mind, bringing with them the idea that we are to strive to find the mean of any personal traits or beliefs. On page 103, Confucius describes a similar value, explaining that a superior person “finds the center and does not waver”. Not only does he bring up a point similar to that of Aristotle, but he expands on it, introducing the idea of a steady, unchanging effort to achieve this. I think that this also coincides with where we, as Christians, are meant to find our morals. While we have God and the Bible to base our values and knowledge on, I think that this middle ground is often where these lie. Confucius also mentions faith in a similar way later on, and this is even more similar to the Bible’s teachings, as we are supposed to be built up on an unfaltering foundation in our faith.
Another moral valid point that Confucius makes is that we need to push beyond our comfort zone to achieve what we are capable of. He states that getting caught up in daily life, going through the motions, is not how to become a better person. We are supposed to strive to accomplish more than just the bare minimum. This is also a very Biblical idea, and God also wants us to carry out our full potential in His name. Getting out of our comfort zones is discussed throughout the Bible in many different contexts, and it certainly applies here. Confucius shares the belief in the importance of one’s propensity to push themselves to their capabilities.
One thing that I realized about Confucius’ teachings, at least contained in this text, is that he tends to provide moral guidance, but does not delve into spiritual teachings to a large extent. This does make me feel that his ideology lacks in some ways as there is no real foundation to the ideals. While he does bring up faith occasionally, I would say that the majority of what Confucius brings up is more of a moral issue.

Happiness

            When reading Aristotle’s work, I could not help but compare his ideas to our beliefs as Christians and also apply it to my own life. Right now, my life is filled with questions about why I am doing certain things, such as choosing my specific major or classes. The ultimate goal of all of these things is something I don’t often think about, but is definitely important. Aristotle would claim that he knows why I, and everyone else, do what I am doing.

            Aristotle says that happiness is the best thing in the world, and “in every action and purpose it is the end, and it is for the sake of the end, that people do everything else” (p. 13). Happiness, according to Aristotle, is the end goal for everything that we do, and everything else is done in a means to achieve happiness. While not every action, such as taking a certain class, will make a person happy, the end result will. In that case, the resulting degree will get them a job which will hopefully make the person happy. Further, this achievement of happiness is also considered the ultimate good for which we constantly strive. This is easily contrasted (and related) with our constant strive as Christians. Our ultimate goal is to serve the Lord, in a way trying to reach an ultimate “good” set by God. This is somewhat similar to Aristotle’s views, although his are based on happiness rather than righteousness.

            While pursuing a life full of “good” in itself is not a bad thing, Aristotle’s definition of happiness is not one that is shared by God. On page 27, Aristotle claims that material possessions are a good way to judge happiness. The Word of God, on the other hand, says strictly the opposite. As Christians, we know that while possessions might provide temporary happiness, they are by no means a source of joy. In this sense, Aristotle seems to use the word “happiness” as the temporary emotion, unlike lasting joy. However, some of his other claims make me think that he was using it in a longer lasting context. When Aristotle talks about someone having a happy life, he claims that this could only be judged across an entire lifetime. He believes that short-term delight does not make a happy life. This claim reminds me more of what God says about joy, and how it cannot be reached without Him. Anyone can be temporarily happy, and even material goods can make us very happy for a little while, but only a life centered in Christ can really be filled with joy for an entire lifetime (and beyond).

            Thus, I can relate to some of Aristotle’s beliefs, such as that only true happiness spans a lifetime and we are constantly pursuing a higher good. However, many of his views are world-centered, and materialism and Christ-likeness cannot be valued in unison.  

Plato

            The ideas of ignorance, intelligence, and truth are values that span nearly every culture, religion, and philosophy. The struggle to obtain absolute truth and to eradicate blindness is one that many would view as very important, but they would also disagree on how to go about this. In The Republic and Timaeus, Plato’s thoughts on these subjects were discussed, and there were some very obvious similarities to both the Christian faith and previous readings that we have done.

            Starting with the metaphor of the cave in book 7 of The Republic, Socrates shows how education and thinking bring about the rise in understanding. The ascension of the people in the cave into the outside world was characterized by the acquisition of a deeper comprehension of the world, and the steps to reaching this involve changing one’s entire way of life. Both pieces essentially compare ignorance to living in darkness, and it is alike to not even being able to think for ourselves. Stepping out of the cave is gaining knowledge and reasoning for yourself, allowing one to have their own beliefs and ideas. This relates, in a way, to Christianity as well. The world is constantly searching for a source of truth to cling to, and they never find it in worldly things. As Christians, we find our truth and beliefs based in the Lord, and we are able to be absolutely certain about what to believe. In a way, this allows us to “step out of the cave” and to have a greater understanding that we know is grounded in truth.

            The texts also talked about the importance of education in the world. As the people left the cave, their increase in knowledge symbolized the effects of education. Learning led the people to higher philosophical position which is similar to how Holmes discussed education in The Liberal Arts. In this, Holmes explained how education not only is important in our lives but can actually teach us more about God. This is very similar to how the people that leave the cave and gain knowledge reach a higher state, almost as if they are getting closer to God.

            Another thing that I found interesting is how Socrates believed that only certain people should be involved in higher thinking and bringing other people out of the cave. I definitely agree that we need to bring people “out of the cave” and show them the truth, but I don’t really think that it should be exclusive. This is just like how, as Christians, we need to bring others to know God.  It is our job, as anyone that has “stepped out of the cave” and knows God, to reach others to be saved also.

The Iliad

            I have always thought that mythology is very interesting whenever I have had the chance to look into it. I know very little background, characters, or stories, but I am always intrigued by them. The opportunity to get a look into a different culture and belief system with knowing relatively nothing about it is very eye-opening for me. I think that it gives a perspective that is very hard to normally achieve, and it allows us to draw comparisons to our own thought process and beliefs. Through this, I always notice the extreme portrayal of emotions among characters. Whether it is inseparable love, unrestricted rage, or incapacitating grief, every relationship and event holds a strong emotional importance.

            Characters are brought together and humanity is shown through common emotions that they experience. Grief and sorrow are very present in the Iliad due to the despair and cruelty of war, and it is something that many of the characters experience, often bringing them to a place of humility. This is especially true of Priam and even Achilles, seen in Book 24. Priam comes to Achilles, who had killed his son, and begs him to at least give up his body for a proper burial and respect. This plea from Priam “stirred within Achilles a deep desire to grieve for his own father” (592). Priam’s mourning and begging instilled a shared emotion in Achilles, and brought him to be much humbler and even more human. Despite being enemies on the battlefield and having a very bad relationship in the past, Priam and Achilles are both able to ignore that for a short time and share in their grief and emotions. Even more remarkable than this is the fact that Achilles takes a temporary step down from his pedestal, showing a more human side of him that he does not normally act on.

            The people in the Iliad also collectively depend on and value family, and many events are based around this. Much of the conflict between the two sides is driven by what happens to different characters family members, and family ties fuel much of the plot. Despite the Iliad being mainly centered around a war, the idea of peace and the simple things of life are clearly valued. By contrasting the harshness of the war and how many of the people are treated with the values of the time, we are able to see what these people were willing to give up in order to fight. Along with the other emotions and relationships shown, I think that this is a very strong and important point that the Iliad makes. It shows that, although we have disagreements and wars, but beneath it all we still feel the same things. We are all humans, and the same heartbreak, loss, or pain affects us all. We need to understand that not only are we connected, but we need to recognize these emotions that we all experience.

Exodus

            When I was reading through Exodus, it quickly became apparent that it was very much a time of development in the relationship between God and his people. Having read this story many times through the course of my life, I was surprised at how much the Israelites and Egyptians experienced. We are first introduced to the enslavement of the Israelites and the hatred of the Egyptians, and the weight of the situation fell upon Moses.

            Throughout the text, I was repeatedly faced with challenges to the way that I thought about God. First of all, the thought that God would allow his people to be enslaved and to have to go through such trials. The Israelites had been through an incredible amount, and it is no wonder that they were a bitter people. Also, the fact that it says that God hardened Pharaoh’s heart that he would not believe Moses was hard for me to accept. Further, it all of the plagues that were sent upon Egypt, and the deaths of many Egyptians seemed over the top to me. The extent of many of Moses’ and God’s actions were questionable to me.

            When I reached the end of Israel’s exodus, however, I was more clearly able to see the point of all that had happened. In the end, Exodus is a story of redemption: the deliverance of God’s people from slavery, and the creation of a new relationship. Through repeated miraculous acts, God was able to demonstrate to the world, without a doubt, that he is the only God. We often need to realize the true power of God and, in this case, God showed this power through drastic and influential acts. When it comes to how God hardened Pharaoh’s heart, he knew how Pharaoh would act on his own, and he just utilized this to further his own objective. He shows us that when we commit to follow God through everything we do, he will always be there to protect us and love us.

            Other things that stood out to me as I read include that God does not only call the best or most qualified people to serve. Moses insisted that he was not prepared to speak for God, but God persisted and helped Moses to achieve everything that he had planned. Also, the Israelites were not always happy about what God was doing in their lives, and they often were angry. While it may not always seem like God’s plan is right, or that specific incidents in our lives are good, we need to be able to trust that God does have a plan and that it includes our best interest.

            When it comes to education, especially with students going to college, it is very common to wonder how what is being learned applies to our actual lives. As we go to a university such as Olivet, and have to take courses that cover more topics than those only involved in our major, it is easy to think that it is pointless to learn things that aren’t “essential” for our future careers. This is exactly what Holmes addresses, challenging our natural reaction to this education style. Holmes claims that a liberal education allows us to learn “what it is to see and think and act like the human person God made (us) to be” on page 45. I tend to agree with this point, especially after reading Holmes’ other claims. I like his educational goals in particular, and I agree that an appreciation of the past and creative participation in the future are crucial to improvement to society. There is more to a well-rounded education than simply learning career-specific traits, and it is skills like these that hold great value when it comes to thinking and growing in humanity.

            In Dewey’s passage, I really appreciate the beliefs about the nature of thought that are expressed. I especially like the definition that is presented on page 1: “acceptance or rejection of something as reasonably probable or improbable.” To think includes the ability to form judgements based on observations that are made, often based on a “ground of proof” (3). This goes hand-in-hand with Holmes’ assertions regarding thinking related to liberal arts education. Dewey claims that a certain ability to make judgments is deeply involved in thought, and Holmes explains that a liberal education has the potential to expand these skills. Both writers look into the effects of one’s ability to learn from the past in order to impact the future positively. By learning reflective thinking and being capable of making changes in the future, thinking gives us possibilities to further ourselves both as individuals and as a whole. Utilizing a liberal education that expands critical thinking and reasoning, we are able to develop our abilities to make rational judgements, taking part in the process that defines thought in its entirety.

            In conclusion, Dewey looks into what defines thinking in general, and makes some very good points regarding how this plays into judgments and assumptions. Holmes, on the other hand, relates this to verifying the validity of a liberal arts education, and in many ways the two pieces work together.