Compare and Contrast
I pulled this interview of Dallas Willard off titusonenine this morning. Then, the Advent (via webite superman Charles Gaston) sent me a quote from 19th century Anglican Bishop J.C. Ryle. See if you can reconcile the two. I cannot.
Enter Professor Dallas Willard, a kind and thoughtful Christian philosopher who has been teaching at the University of Southern California for the past forty years. Professor Willard is a breath of fresh air to students passing through USC as he encourages rigorous thinking, and honest reflection about the worldviews that color the bulk of what goes on in the classroom today. tothesource asked Julia Thompson, a student who has taken several of Professor Willard's courses, to interview him the day before this year's graduation on May 13.
tothesource: Tomorrow is graduation here at USC and I imagine you've been to your share of ceremonies and heard lots of commencement speakers! You've often said that character and morality are not considered to be valid parts of a university education so it seems curious that, upon graduation, we students hear a lot of speeches and comments urging us to go on to live "good lives" as "good people" and "good citizens" now that we are equipped with college degrees. What sense can we make of this?
Dallas Willard: Two things. Number one the issue of being good people leading good lives is so important that it cannot be ignored. When it comes time to address students at commencement even those who claim that they do not believe in moral instruction, or passing down values through education, cannot help but address the importance of being good people and leading good lives. Read the whole thing here.
Here is the quote from J.C. Ryle:
"Substitute anything for Christ and the gospel is totally spoiled. You have only to push something between Christ and the eye of the soul, to draw away the sinner’s attention from the Saviour, and the mischief is done."
- J.C. Ryle, Bp. of Liverpool, Knots Untied, p. 16
Enter Professor Dallas Willard, a kind and thoughtful Christian philosopher who has been teaching at the University of Southern California for the past forty years. Professor Willard is a breath of fresh air to students passing through USC as he encourages rigorous thinking, and honest reflection about the worldviews that color the bulk of what goes on in the classroom today. tothesource asked Julia Thompson, a student who has taken several of Professor Willard's courses, to interview him the day before this year's graduation on May 13.tothesource: Tomorrow is graduation here at USC and I imagine you've been to your share of ceremonies and heard lots of commencement speakers! You've often said that character and morality are not considered to be valid parts of a university education so it seems curious that, upon graduation, we students hear a lot of speeches and comments urging us to go on to live "good lives" as "good people" and "good citizens" now that we are equipped with college degrees. What sense can we make of this?
Dallas Willard: Two things. Number one the issue of being good people leading good lives is so important that it cannot be ignored. When it comes time to address students at commencement even those who claim that they do not believe in moral instruction, or passing down values through education, cannot help but address the importance of being good people and leading good lives. Read the whole thing here.
Here is the quote from J.C. Ryle:
"Substitute anything for Christ and the gospel is totally spoiled. You have only to push something between Christ and the eye of the soul, to draw away the sinner’s attention from the Saviour, and the mischief is done."
- J.C. Ryle, Bp. of Liverpool, Knots Untied, p. 16
posted by David Browder at 10/07/2006 10:12:00 AM
6 Comments:
Willard’s comments remind me of something I heard Allen Ross, who used to teach at Trinity and now teaches at Beeson Divinity, say last year. It was to the effect that Satan likes nothing more than a person who can live a moral life without Christ.
Comments like Willard's make you wonder why anyone can intellectually assent to Christianity. If Christianity is just mythical Stoicism, then why not chuck the superstition and just be a Stoic? I really see no difference. Maybe someone can help me out here.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
The word "good" here is used in different contexts. You are simply being unfair.
Many people lead good lives, but that does mean not a life is totally "good" or without fault in the holiest of senses. Just because a person checks all the blocks to be "good" in this society does not make him "good" or right in the eyes of God. But this does not mean our society should lack moral people. Most people in this life are going to be without Christ. In order for us to function with civility, we should hope and ask they do so morally.
I mean, David, you probably lead a pretty good life. A university speaker might be pleased with how you turn out, at least from what everyone sees on the outside. But does that mean you lack a need for Christ? I don't even need to see the inside of your heart to answer that question.
Not everyone always speaks or reads everything in the light of justification, Mr Browder.
Do you honestly think that Dallas Willard would advocate living without Christ, or is doing so here?
Mike, you can do everything Dallas Willard thinks you ought to do without Christ. There are good and moral Buddhists, Muslims, Hindus, atheists, agnostics, Eskimos, and animists. Dallas Willard's Christianity is just American civil religion.
I know we disagree on sanctification and I fully realize that most Christians would agree with you over me. I must say, however, that anything that is not viewed through the cross is not Christianity.
"I must say, however, that anything that is not viewed through the cross is not Christianity"
I'll drink to that. Right on brother.
Post a Comment
<< Home