Before we discuss a new story about problems at President Obama’s faith-based office, a bit of context. While funding of religious non-profits did not begin with President Bush, he really took that ball and ran with it. he created the first White House office of Faith-based Initiatives.
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Obama’s faith-based office criticized
I’m not a sailor, but when I lived in Hong Kong some years ago, I did go sailing often enough with friends who had a boat to learn what tacking is. Tacking refers to a series of zig zag movements that allow forward progress of the boat along the water where one would not be able to sail directly into the wind
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“Tacking” Toward the Truth
Yesterday I scratched the surface of Relevance Theory in respect to preaching. Let’s look at it a bit more (accepting that there is so much that could be written if we were to really do justice to the theory, as well as to preaching). To reject the need for relevance is naïve. Actually, those who reject the need for relevance and simply preach the Word in a more scholarly and abstract way are still relevant to their listeners. The problem is that the relevance is much weaker. For example, people listen because they have a perceived need to hear a sermon in church, or a fleshly sense of the need to be pressured religiously (or even, that enduring under the sound of biblical teaching is somehow healthy in and of itself, like uncomfortable spiritual callisthenics). The solution to a self-centred pragmatic applicationalism is not to resist relevance and application. Rather it is to see two stages to the solution, rather than one. At one level listeners are distracted and discouraged and perhaps even self-concerned. Offering relevance in a message so that they listen and engage is simply wisdom in action. As I start a message I can assume that the listeners are distracted and not fully engaged. As I demonstrate the relevance of the speaker, the message and the text, early on in the message, I am motivating listening. As I surface a need from the text that stirs interest in the listener, I am motivating engagement. But my message won’t simply meet a felt need. Rather, that is the entrance, the first level of relevance.
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Revisiting Relevance
A massive global evangelical gathering known as the Lausanne Congress will begin Oct. 16 in Cape Town, South Africa. But it looks likely to take place without the participation of 230 Chinese delegates.
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Beijing Blocks Travelers To Christian Conference
The occult has always focused on gory images of violence, death and destruction. We see it in today’s media, music, and movies. As people become desensitized to occult violence and horror, the images in popular entertainment grow increasingly and indescribably evil.
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Death Makes a Holiday: Halloween
Paul Harvey I’m working up a more coherent response to the God in America series, and hope to have that up soon. Over at Killling the Buddha , Nathan Schneider is live-blogging the series (last part is tonight), with Stephen Prothero (a major commentator on the series) and others joining in the fun, so check that out if you want to chat about the show while watching it.
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God in America Alongside the Myth of American Religous Freedom
I’ve been watching GOD IN AMERICA these past two nights and I have mixed feelings about the way it tells the story. I thought it was particularly good on the various revival periods and on painting with a very broad brush. There were way too many talking heads and not enough visuals, visions and stills.
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God in America and the Story of The Episcopal Church
Initially, fire officials attributed the blaze to an electrical short circuit, but once the identity of the owners became clear, investigators began to suspect arson. Arab and Jewish residents of Jaffa have mounted protests in the hope of denying the Scientologists a foothold in the city and launched a petition on Facebook calling on the authorities to keep the organization away
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Future Scientology center in Jaffa burns, police suspect arson
Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan returned Tuesday to Fort Hood in a wheelchair and combat fatigues for a pretrial hearing 11 months after he opened fire in a base processing center, killing 13 people and wounding 32 more. At the end of the proceedings, which are expected to continue for weeks or even months, Colonel Pohl will decide whether Major Hasan will face a court-martial, and possibly the death penalty
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Muslims terrorism suspect Nidal Malik Hasan in Court for Hearing at Ft. Hood
The field of communications theory is vast and sometimes intriguing. Take, for instance, relevance theory. Relevance theory, in basic terms, argues that perceived relevance over effort required equals response of audience. To put it another way, listeners will respond more when they perceive the message to be more relevant to them, and less effort. So in non-preaching terms, if someone receives a good benefit (reduced risk of cancer), for less effort (just a low-cost drink once per day), they are more likely to respond positively (i.e. make a purchase). In contrast less benefit (marginal increase in strength), for more effort (two hours in a gym every day), they are less likely to respond positively (i.e.
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Theorising Relevance