The Evangelical Universalist Forum

The Romantic Rationalist And Seeing Beauty

Studies Books
#1

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/419KLDE0LOL.SY344_BO1,204,203,200.jpg

C. S. Lewis stands as one of the most well-known and widely read Christians of the twentieth century. His many works, including Mere Christianity and the Chronicles of Narnia, have inspired generations of Christians and non-Christians alike. This new book, edited by best-selling author John Piper and David Mathis, explores the man, his work, and his legacy, with chapters from Randy Alcorn, Philip Ryken, Kevin Vanhoozer, and Douglas Wilson. Overflowing with lessons from Lewis on the nature of Scripture, the gift of salvation, and the final restoration of all things, this volume will deepen your appreciation for this incredibly influential Christian writer.

#2

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41wFofXUGgL.SY344_BO1,204,203,200.jpg

Best-selling author and renowned pastor John Piper speaks to the power of artistic expression in this book about three influential Christians whose work exhibited a commitment to truth and a love for beauty. In the sixth volume in the popular The Swans Are Not Silent series, Piper helps us appreciate the work of poets, artists, and writers by exploring how God has used them throughout history. Whether discussing George Herbert’s poetry, George Whitefield’s preaching, or C. S. Lewis’s writing, this book will lead Christians to rediscover the importance of vigorous creative effort for loving God and spreading the good news about Jesus.

#3

https://dwynrhh6bluza.cloudfront.net/website_uploads/images/book-images/alive-to-wonder/full_1388566974.jpg

Alive to Wonder: Celebrating the Influence of C. S. Lewis is a collection of extended excerpts from John Piper’s corpus where Lewis’s fingerprints are most vividly seen, including a significant introduction from Piper specially written for this project.

Piper calls it “the immeasurable moment” — that instance in reading when we come across a sentence or phrase that unleashes a new glimpse of truth. The lights go on. We read it and reread it. We’re gripped to see more. While it’s an experience that can happen when reading any good author, many would testify that it abounds when reading C.S. Lewis. Undoubtedly, this has been the case for Piper.

Even a cursory reading of Piper’s most foundational books shows Lewis’s influence. From the deep truths of Christian Hedonism to the good interpretive deed of valuing an author’s intention, Lewis-thought is there. And in this fiftieth year since Lewis’s death, Piper expresses his profound thankfulness in the form of this new ebook.

#4

Interesting, Cole! :smiley:

Not being especially interested in Piper (though I probably should be) it is indeed fascinating to see how highly he thinks of Lewis despite the major differences in theology.

#5

Hey Steve,

They do differ over the five points, hell, and atonement but Piper got a lot of his ideas on joy, beauty, love, and glory from Lewis.

#6

Interesting, Cole. :smiley:

I think it’s interesting that he apparently reviles George MacDonald while appreciating Lewis so much despite his differences with Lewis. :confused:

#7

It seems that Piper’s beef with Macdonald is over his views of hell and atonement. Piper still got his other views from C.S. Lewis about love, joy, and beauty though.

#8

John Piper:

#9

John Piper:

#10
#11

John Piper:

#12

John Piper:

#13

Hi Cole
Thanks for posting these -there are some lovely quotations from C.S. Lewis here.

I’m glad that John Piper is open to Lewis and his theology of imagination and enjoyment - and that he has been generous to George MacDonald. I know from you that he has compassionate views on the fate of those who die in infancy - even if they are not children of the elect, and from others that he has compassionate views about race and about prosperity gospel teachings. However , George MacDonald is dead and Pastor John was not nearly as generous about or own and dear Tom Talbott.

These ideas don’t originate with Lewis – they come from the ‘thought world’ in which he moved. Especially his idea of enjoying the world aright and in gratitude were inspired by the Cambridge Platonists and Anglican poet Priests in this tradition like Thomas Traherene

You never enjoy the world aright
til you see how sand
exhibiteth the wisdom and the power of God,
and prize in everything the service which they do you
by manifesting in glory and goodness to your soul.

Your enjoyment of the world is never right,
til every morning you awake in heaven:
see yourself in your father’s palace;
and look upon the skies and the earth and the air
as celestial joys
having such a reverned esteem of all,
as if you were among the angels.

You never enjoy the world aright,
til the sea itself floweth in your veins;
til you are clothed with the heavens
and crowned with the stars
and perceive yourself to be the sole heir
of the whole world

Til your spirit filleth the whole world
the stars are your jewels;
Til you are familiar with the ways of God
in all ages as with your walk and table;
Til you are intimately acquainted with that shady nothing
out of which the world was made;
Til you love men so as to desire their happiness,
with an equal thirst to the zeal of your own;
Til you delight in God for being good to all;

You never enjoy the world.
Yet further, you never enjoy the world aright,
til you so love the beauty of enjoying
that you are covetous and earnest
to persuade others to enjoy it.

Likewise Lewis ideas of Romantic theology were deeply inspired by the English Romantic poets with their views on imagination which George MacDonald also shared and, regarding his deep thoughts on love, these were inspired by Christian Platonism and the Romantic theology of Charles William via Dante’s figure of Beatrice. That Pastor John can be inspired by these things is good – they are accents that are largely absent from the American Calvinist Puritan tradition and they are good things that he has perceived as an absence and felt deeply attracted to. They are part of a tradition that is less distrustful of the body and of creation and has been nourished by liturgy and sacrament. The same tradition yielded a more poetic image based understanding of the Bible which is miles away from the inerrancy propositionalism of Reformed orthodoxy that Pastor John belongs to.

Again I am glad Pastor John feels nourished by George Herbert. The context of his poems – that he asked on his death bed to be published to comfort despairing souls– was an Anglican emphasis of encouraging people not to feel bereft of God and reprobate just because of melancholy and a lack of feeling of God’s assurance. It was a pastoral reaction against the Calvinism of his day that drove so many to despair. Here’s a lovely on by Herbert –

Come, my way, my truth, my life:
Such a way as gives us breath;
Such a truth as ends all strife,
Such a life as killeth death.

Come, my light, my feast, my strength:
Such a light as shows a feast,
Such a feast as mends in length,
Such a strength as makes his guest.

Come, my joy, my love, my heart:
Such a joy as none can move,
Such a love as none can part,
Such a heart as joys in love.

So I am grateful and in good hope that Pastor John is promoting writings that give Neo Calvinists access to a completely different Christian worldview of thought and feeling and imagination. It doesn’t change my mind about his teachings on double predestination, male authority over women, God having created most human beings for damnation etc - these are emotive things for a non TULIP Calvinist to take on board and he promotes the idea in ways that are very provocative to the thoughts, feelings and imagination of non Calvinists. But putting these issues aside he is in some ways a complex man.

Good courage to you friend -

Dick

#14

Dick,

I’m Catholic now and there is little difference between Catholic and John Piper on predestination:

#15

Bless you Cole I’m glad you’ve settled with your faith. :slight_smile: Catholicism allows for wide hope on the whole that hell may be empty, at least it does these days - and that’s the big difference, although in the past Catholicism has pronounced anathemas on Calvinist teaching -

I’ve looked at one of the sites you’ve referred to and it seems designed specifically to address questions asked by Calvinists who are converting to Catholicism. They are emphasising commonalties for this purpose, but there do seem to be big differences in the ways in which key terms are being used.

I’m an Anglican and a Brit dear Cole and a universalist to boot. I’ll stick with something I feel competent to talk about - I’m glad that John Piper has become attracted to Christian Platonist and Romantic Theology - The Cambridge Platonists and the Romantics tended to be universalists because of their views about feeling and imagination. And C.S. Lewis is very much part of the Anglican tradition.

#16

The Book Of Life by John Piper

Before the night he was betrayed,
The Lord of glory died;
Indeed before the world was made,
The Lamb was crucified.

Before the sin, the spear, the lash
(Eternal was the flood!)
God put his inkwell at the gash,
And filled it with his blood;

Then with his crimson ink and quill,
A holy world compiled,
And wrote his kind and costly will:
The name of ev’ry child.

Then, finally, with tears, he took
A blade to foreordain,
And graved the title of the book:
The Life, the Lamb, the Slain.

               * * *

And if your name is written there,
Though you may be the least,
You will not fall to any snare,
Nor bow before the Beast.

You will not marvel when it roars,
Nor any feat admire,
Nor drink the poison that it pours,
Nor taste the Lake of Fire.

But you will live forevermore,
Where dusk and dawn are done.
The Lamb will be the moon, and soar
Around an endless Sun.

And if, lamblike, you taste his shame
And finish life abased,
Remember, written one, your name
Will never be erased.

               * * *

And so you ask, “How may I know
My name is in the Book?
May I beseech my God to show
The page where I may look?”

No. None may peer within by prayer,
Nor if he wait, or strive.
You know your name is written there,
Because you are alive.

Rejoice, my child, all heaven sings
When you make demons fall.
And yet to be inscribed with kings
In heav’n surpasses all.

#17

To a Diamond on Our Engagement

Dim Shadows of a brighter heart:
These nervous specks of color,
This little world of light;
These minute brilliances.
Yet they can sing! So sing to her,
You little brilliances,
You timid colors,
You twinkling cosmos.
Sing to her! Of God and heaven,
Of life and hope.
To a Diamond on Our Engagement
Sing to her!
Of high thoughts,
Of heart’s capacities
Beyond your own crystal realities.
Sing to her!
Of love
Of being loved
With love more lucid than yourself.
And purely sing,
My little shadows,
And purely sing Of me.
Stunning sometimes to ponder
that all my future knowing and all my
future doing will be a knowing-with
and doing-for; that you love me enough,
and love me yet,
to whisper me a Yes with your life.

John Piper

#18