11 24 1045 https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/67450db648a60e2c64f7cdb5a81fa11e.pdf 6134a1e45b48a65c513371461ff0c784 PDF Text Text A Theological Conception of Reality as History Some Aspects of the Thinking of Wolfhart Pannenberg Article by Richard A. Rhem Minister of Preaching and Theological Inquiry Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Published in Reformed Review A Theological Journal of Western Theological Seminary 101 East 13th Street, Holland, Michigan Autumn, 1972 I. Pannenberg in the Context of Modern Theology In his essay entitled “Evangelical Theology in the Nineteenth Century” Karl Barth speaks with great respect of the daring with which the leading theologians of that period, which was so replete with magnificent achievements in the arts and sciences, wrestled with the challenges of the modern world. They displayed an openness to the world which ought always to characterize theology and they accounted themselves well, both as Christian men and as scholars. However, Barth points out, their strength was also their weakness in that they allowed this confrontation with contemporary culture to become their decisive and primary concern. This, he maintains, was the key problem of nineteenth-century Protestant theology. This general assumption of openness to the world led necessarily to the specific assumption that theology could defend its own cause only within the framework of a total view of man, the universe, and God; which would command universal recognition.1 One of the leading exponents of this point of view criticized by Barth was Ernst Troeltsch, although his work extended well into the first quarter of the twentieth century. Troeltsch was critical of the leading representatives of the liberal tradition also, but for precisely the opposite reason. Though he, himself, had much in common with the dominant Ritschlian school, he was nevertheless critical of the Schleiermacher-Ritschl-Herrmann line of development because, although they accepted fully the application and the results of the historicalcritical method in the investigation of Christian origins, they still maintained the © Grand Valley State University   �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 2   uniqueness of Jesus, rooting the redemption wrought by God through him in his person. For all their openness to the modern world and their conviction that theology must be restructured in the light of the modern world-view of the natural sciences, the epistemology of Kant, and the newly prestigious science of history, they nevertheless stubbornly maintained the necessity of the present experience of redemption being indissolvably related to Jesus of Nazareth. To Troeltsch this appeared to be a futile grasping after the last remains of dogmatic thinking which located absolute and definitive revelation in a particular historical phenomenon. He acknowledged that these theologians had broken with the old dogmatics of Protestant orthodoxy, but in the light of the development of historical thinking and the application of the historical method, he was convinced that they were holding an impossible position. They were resisting the pressure of consistent thinking by stopping short of admitting the relativity of each and every historical appearance. For Troeltsch the decisive fact was not the historical person of Jesus, but rather the idea which was concretized in him and from him has issued forth into history. Once launched, the idea or principle is independent of its initiator, its essence to be sought not in its initial embodiment but rather in the pluriformity of its historical configurations at any given stage in its development. In the Schleiermacher-Ritschl-Herrmann line of thought Troeltsch saw a mixing of types of theological method and consequently a failure to distinguish the person of Jesus from the principle he incarnated. He criticized the failure sharply to distinguish person and principle, personality and idea, and likewise the contention that the historical person and a personal relationship to him were essential to saving faith in God. He saw this position rooted in the later churchly Schleiermacher and being strongly advocated in his day by Ritschl and Herrmann.2 In Troeltsch’s view the very historical-critical approach to Christian origins, especially to Jesus himself, undercut any attempt to salvage from the uniformity of history a final and absolute revelation of God. This was clearly demonstrated, Troeltsch maintained, by the fact that the History of Religions school, of which he claimed to be the dogmatician, had itself sprung from the Ritschlian school, differing only in the greater consistency with which it pursued the consequences of the very methods accepted by Ritschl, himself. Thus Troeltsch was convinced that the theology of the future would have to purge away these last vestiges of the old dogmatic approach and carry through more rigorously the requirements of the historical-critical method which draws all historical phenomena, Jesus of Nazareth not excepted, into the movement of historical process, allowing for no absolute uniqueness in the midst of the relative. Paradoxical as it may appear, Karl Barth quite agreed with Troeltsch—agreed, that is, that to subject Jesus to historical-critical research behind the witness of the New Testament is to bring him down to where he is one historical person among others, one in whom there cannot possibly be found the final and definitive revelation of God. Of course, agreement with Troeltsch, that having followed the path they did, the great nineteenth-century theologians could not © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 3   consistently stop halfway, does not imply that Barth advocates with Troeltsch that their successors should draw the logical conclusion, as Troeltsch counseled. On the contrary, Barth examines the Schleiermacher-Ritschl-Herrmann Theology and discovers their fatal error, not in their failure to follow consistently the course on which they embarked, but rather in the course they chose to follow in the first place. It was not their decision to grant recognition to the use of the historical-critical method and then failure to draw the conclusions to which it led. Rather it was their understanding of religion as an innate potential of the human spirit and their failure to see that, defined in such terms, the Christian faith was not being spoken of at all. If Christianity was a phenomenon of the religious capacity of man, then it was one religion among others and could be understood only as Troeltsch maintained, by a comparative historical study. In such an instance there could be no talk of an absolute and definitive revelatory significance or meaning in history. If one started where Troeltsch started, Barth maintained, one would end where Troeltsch ended. But then, according to Barth, we have to do not with the religion of revelation, but with the revelation of religion3 and the application of the historical-critical method will discover in Jesus no more than a man among other men and in Christianity no more than a religion among other religions. The History of Religions school is only the logical outcome of a theology that speaks of the believing man rather than of the revealing God. Theology which takes itself seriously can speak only from the revelation of God who has grasped it, paying homage to no world-view, be it ancient or modern, no philosophical system or no anthropological analysis of the religious capacity of man. Theology must speak from out of the revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Thus Barth completely repudiated the counsel of Troeltsch and pursued the dogmatic method, reducing historical-critical research to a secondary, helpingrole in the explication of the biblical witness to Jesus Christ. One of the young theologians in the 1920’s who joined with Barth in his revolt from the theology of the nineteenth century was Rudolf Bultmann. He too recognized the poverty of Liberalism and its failure to give centrality to the decisive redemptive act of God in Jesus Christ. He criticized Liberalism for reducing Christianity to a system of timeless and eternal truths and the History of Religions school for reducing Christ to a cultic symbol.4 However, what for Barth was a secondary matter became for him the central concern, namely the hermeneutical problem. Granting that Christian theology must start from the Word of God, Bultmann could never emphasize too strongly that revelation must be understandable to man. This man he found most adequately defined by the analysis of existentialist philosophy as set forth by the early Heidegger. While he, himself, was unexcelled in the application of the historical-critical method, Bultmann denied that the results of such research were of any consequence for faith, faith which was not belief in factual information about Jesus, his life, death, and resurrection but rather obedience to the kerygmatic Word in the present moment calling men to a new self-understanding. Bultmann the historian and © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Bultman the theologian never met; for apart from the fact that Jesus appeared faith has no relation to history. Great differences separate Troeltsch, Barth, and Bultman from one another. Troeltsch sees no alternative to pursuing the historical method in the analysis of the phenomenon of religion. Barth rejects the idea that the Christian faith is first of all a religion and he pursues the dogmatic method, judging all religion by the norm and criterion of Jesus Christ. Bultmann interprets the Christian faith within the possibilities afforded by an Existentialist analysis of man. Interestingly enough, however, there is one point on which they all seem in agreement; that is the understanding of the nature of history and the principles of historiography. For Troeltsch, history and the methods by which it is investigated rule out in advance any final and definitive revelation of God in history. The early Barth agreed and moved revelation to the frontier of time and eternity. Later he brought revelation back into history, defining history from the perspective of Jesus Christ but at the same time he continued to recognize the validity of historical science as defined by Troeltsch maintaining that it had no competency to deal with God’s revelatory action in history. Bultmann as a practicing historian followed the historical-critical method as defined by Troeltsch and, because he saw history as the realm of the relative and transient, he removed revelation from the sphere of history to the realm of human existence. All three agreed that history and historical science are what the great historians of the nineteenth century said they are and all three agreed that, that being the case, there was no trace of God’s revelatory action discoverable in history by the historian. In the last decade this whole conception of history and accompanying historiography has been called into question by the German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg. German theology has often been characterized by drastic swings of the pendulum and, as Pannenberg’s early writings appeared, it seemed that once again the pendulum was swinging from the theology of the word which has dominated the twentieth century in its various forms to a theology of history. As Pannenberg has continued to address himself to the problems of revelation, history, and theological method, however, it is evident that we have to do here with more than simply a reaction to the one-sided emphasis of dialectical theology, a reaction in its turn as one-sided on the other side of the issue. Much rather, Pannenberg has sought to do justice to the valid insights of those who have preceded him. Specifically, he acknowledges the valid insight of Troeltsch that Christianity cannot be arbitrarily isolated from the rest of man’s religious experience, but much rather can be understood only in relationship to the whole of the history of religions. However, with Barth and Bultmann, over against Troeltsch, he speaks of the priority of revelation in terms of which the respective religious experience of man is to be judged, rather than seeing religious experience as the expression of an innate potentiality within man. With Troeltsch, over against Barth and Bultmann, Pannenberg sees the necessity of relating the Christian faith to the whole of reality. But over against Troeltsch, © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 5   he does not interpret Christianity in subjection to the prevailing worldview of modern man, but rather interprets the whole of reality theologically, submitting his argumentation before the bar of human judgement, being convinced that a Christian interpretation of the whole of reality is more rational than any other. With Troeltsch and against Barth and Bultman, Pannenberg insists that the claim of a revelation in history must be historically perceptible by means of historicalcritical research. The central revelatory event, the resurrection, serves as the model for his understanding of the relation of historical reason and revelation. But against Troeltsch, he affirms the historical verifiability of such revelatory action. In short, Pannenberg pursues the historical method as advocated by Troeltsch but, rather than ending with the loss of a final and definite revelation of God in history, he proclaims with Barth and Bultmann the finality of Jesus Christ in the definitive self-revelation of God. How is this possible? The answer lies in the fact that precisely where Troeltsch, Barth, and Bultmann were one, Pannenberg parts from all three; that is at the point of the understanding of the nature of history and the principles by which the past is known. Troeltsch gave definitive statement to the understanding of nineteenth century historiography. Barth and Bultmann recognized that in those terms the final revelation of God could not be posited within history and, rather than subjecting the understanding of history to a thorough critique, they removed revelation from the competency of the historical-critical method (Barth) and from the arena of history itself (Bultmann). By a critique of Troeltsch’s understanding of history and the principles of historiography Pannenberg attempts to do justice to Troeltsch’s demand to pursue the historical method while leaving room for a definitive revelation of God in history which Barth and Bultmann in their respective manners recognized as essential to the Christian tradition. Thus, in a sense, by tracing the understanding of revelation, history, and theological method in these four thinkers, we come full circle but, through Pannenberg’s critique of Troeltsch, the whole perspective is turned around and, rather than understanding Jesus in terms of the modern worldview of reality, reality is understood from the perspective of Jesus, the end of history, who has appeared proleptically in the midst of history. II. The Universality of Systemic Theology The theology of Wolfhart Pannenberg is characterized by a tension which, in his view, is given with the task of systematic theology itself.5 Systematic theology always resides in a tension between the two poles of the subject matter with which it has to do. On the one hand, there is the Christian tradition itself for which it is responsible, specifically, the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as witnessed to in the Scriptures. On the other hand, Systematic theology must be concerned with all truth in general as represented in its various facets by all nontheological disciplines. Systematic theology cannot, as is the case in other © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 6   disciplines, devote itself exclusively to the investigation of its special subject matter, for inherent in its task is a universality which impels it to take up the question of truth per se. This universality follows inevitably from the fact that theology purports to speak of God. “One uses the word God meaningfully only when one intends thereby the Power determining everything that is.”6 To speak thus of God as the author of all reality brings with it the intellectual obligation to relate all truth to the God of the Bible and then to understand it anew from him. Pannenberg acknowledges that the theological task thus conceived may appear presumptuous. Yet, to the extent that the theologian is conscious of what he is doing when he speaks of God, he has no alternative. Pannenberg acknowledges further that the task can never be consummated once for all. But if this responsibility appears as an almost unbearable burden, it likewise constitutes the peculiar dignity of theology, especially in an intellectual situation which is characterized by fragmentation as a result of the present high degree of specialization, for it falls to theology to seek truth in its unity. Such a conception of the task of systematic theology is by no means generally accepted. Particularly in the last hundred years theology has been conceived rather as an independent science alongside of the other sciences with its own special subject matter, the revelation of God in Jesus Christ witnessed to in the Scriptures. Pannenberg counters, however, that the revelation of God is only really conceived of as the revelation of God when it is understood in relation to all truth and knowledge and when all truth is integrated into it. Only thus is it possible to speak of the biblical revelation as the revelation of the God who is the creator and perfecter of all things. Since Harnack’s famous characterization of the apologist’s assimilation of the Greek philosophical quest for the true structure of the divine into the Christian tradition as the “hellenization” of the gospel, that endeavor has been generally judged in a negative light. Pannenberg, however, rejects that negative judgement. While he grants that the apologists were not, in fact, successful in carrying through the assimilation in all respects, he disputes the idea that their efforts resulted in a complete capitulation to the philosophical quest. But apart from the degree to which the early church fathers were successful or unsuccessful in what they undertook to do, the real issue, as far as Pannenberg is concerned, is the fact that they undertook the task of offering the Christian gospel as the answer to the Greek philosophical quest. This undertaking is generally recognized as having been inevitable in that the Hellenistic world into which the gospel came was dominated by the Greek philosophical conception of God. Thus, in spite of the disastrous mingling of the Christian message with Greek metaphysics, there was no alternative. But such a view, Pannenberg insists, misses the primary point, which is that the Christian message itself necessitated the encounter with the Greek philosophical quest. He contends: © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 7   The discussion with the philosophical question of the true form of the Divine was, indeed, occasioned by the encounter with the Hellenistic Thought-world, but it was also inwardly rooted in the biblical witness of God as the universal God, responsible not only for Israel, but for all people. In the claim of the God of Israel to be the God, alone having jurisdiction over all men, it was, therefore, theologically rooted that the Christian faith had to enter into the philosophical question of the true nature of God and until today must give an answer to it.7 The ancient church fathers as well as the authors of the great scholastic summas understood the universality of theology, the responsibility that rests upon him who would speak of God. That modern theology has not so conceived of its task can be traced to Albrecht Ritschl’s attempt to carve out for theology its own sphere, the sphere of religious experience, rejecting all metaphysical elements of the Christian tradition in the face of the critique rendered by Positivism. Liberal Protestantism passed this heritage along to Dialectical Theology which had reacted so strongly against it. Pannenberg observes that Barth’s struggle against every vestige of natural theology is really in many respects an extension and radicalization of Ritschl’s idea of an independent theology with its own special theme.8 If we would discover where theology lost its universality, however, we must go back much further. Evangelical theology has never had a universal character since it inherited the Scripture-positivism which has been its hallmark from the doctrine of Scripture formulated in the late Middle Ages in, for example, the School of Occam. It has been axiomatic in the Protestant tradition that the theological task consists in the exegesis of Scripture. Thus to find the root of the loss of universality we must go back into Scholasticism, specifically to the thirteenth century and Thomas’ careful demarcation of two spheres of knowledge, natural and supernatural. Pannenberg recognizes the exigencies under which this bifurcation took place. Aristotelian philosophy prevailed, being generally acknowledged as the embodiment of all “natural” thought. If one would hold to the truth of the Christian tradition, one could do so only by setting it alongside the summation of “natural” truth as unfolded in Aristotelianism. Aristotelian philosophy represented that truth which could be discovered by man’s natural faculties; the Christian faith represented that truth which could only be bestowed by revelation. Neither Aristotelian philosophy nor the Christian tradition was intended for this kind of reciprocal supplementation, according to Pannenberg, but he asserts: It would seem much rather to have been the expression of a compromise of theology with the intellectual power of Aristotelianism. In this compromise lie the historical roots of the last of the universality of theology.9 © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 8   For Thomas, who was responsible for the consummate expression of the naturalsupernatural division of the spheres of knowledge, the two spheres were carefully coordinated into a systematic whole. In the course of time, however, the structure fell apart rendering the sphere of natural knowledge independent of any reference to the truth of revelation, the consequence of which was increasingly to render “supernatural” knowledge superfluous for a knowledge of the world and to make of theology a positivistic science of Scripture. Such a state of affairs hardly accords with Paul’s struggle to “take every thought captive to obey Christ” (II Cor. 10:5) and, with the unparalleled explosion of knowledge in the modern period in the wake of the development of the scientific method, the division of spheres of knowledge formulated by Thomas has resulted in an almost unbridgeable gulf. The task of understanding the whole of reality in its unity from the perspective of its author, the God of creation, is formidable indeed, and yet unless it is undertaken, the universality of theology will never be realized and theology, as an independent science with its own special theme, the exegesis of Scripture, will fade increasingly into the background of man’s pursuit of truth. Concentration of its own special theme has about it a pious sound and it makes for a comfortable co-existence of theology with the other sciences. It can only signify, however, the utter failure of theology to carry out its peculiar intellectual responsibility which is to take in claim all truth as witness to the one true God as the author of reality and, in turn, to understand all truth anew from him. Where does one begin? How can such an overwhelming task be undertaken? It is Pannenberg’s conviction that the conception of theology as an independent science alongside others with its own special subject matter must be rejected and that its universal character must be recognized by its addressing itself to the second pole of its dual concern, namely, to the questions which concern man in his experience of reality in the present cultural situation. Only by seeking the truth per se can theology do justice to its special subject matter, the revelation of God in Jesus Christ as witnessed to in the Scriptures; for in that it purports to speak of God, it purports to speak of the Power determining all reality. Implicit in the responsibility of speaking of the Power determining all reality is the necessity of thoroughly grasping how modern man experiences reality, for only by speaking of the Power determining reality as it is presently experienced can theology speak convincingly. It is, therefore, incumbent upon theology to speak of God in terms of the present experience of reality. Thus the most general question which theology must answer is how one can speak of God in the present cultural situation. Only by determining this can theology once again undertake to exercise its universal function. III. Revelation As History Pannenberg’s unique contribution to contemporary theological discussion has had to do primarily not with the content of revelation so much as the mode of its occurrence. Stated theologically the question has been, How does God manifest himself to man? Stated anthropologically it is the question of how man perceives © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page 9   that self-revelation. The theological question has issued in the debate as to whether God reveals himself directly or immediately through his word, that is, through an act of speaking the content of which is God himself, whether he himself speaks, or another speaks in his name; or whether God reveals himself indirectly or mediately through his activity, his activity being conceived not in terms of a series of special acts next to other events explainable as “natural” as opposed to “supernatural” but rather his continuous dynamic relationship to the whole of reality as its Creator, transcendent Ground, and Destiny. In oversimplified terms, it is a question of whether God “speaks” to man directly, thus making known his essence to man, or whether God’s essence can be known only indirectly from what he does. Obviously, when stated thus “word” and “act” are placed in a falsely antithetical relationship and a biblical theology will rather understand them in a positive relationship with the priority given to word or act depending on the point of view of the biblical writer. Nonetheless, setting the question up in terms of the two poles, word and act, is helpful in identifying the problem. If we approach the problem from the anthropological side, that is, if we ask how the revelation of God is perceived by man, then we are asking whether God in his self-manifestation can be known by man through the exercise of his rational faculties or whether God can be known only through the means of some suprarational faculty however that may be understood. Essentially this is a question of whether God in his self-manifestation can be perceived by reason or whether he can only be perceived by faith. It should be underlined here that this is not a question of whether man by his own rational faculties can discover God or whether God must make himself known to man. If the question we are asking is misunderstood in this way—a not uncommon misunderstanding—the real issue will be missed. The point rather is: Granted that God can be known by man only through his self-disclosure, is that self-disclosure rationally perceptible or only supra-rationally perceptible. Again, it is not a question of whether the content of God's revelation is rational or supra-rational. It is possible to hold, as does Karl Barth, that the self-revelation of God is highly rational and yet deny that man through the exercise of his rational faculties can discover that revelation apart from an illuminating act of the Holy Spirit which can be described only as a miracle. For Barth, to be more accurate, revelation is never “there” to be perceived, but rather it “occurs” in the illuminating act of the Holy Spirit, although once it is given it is rationally comprehensible. From this it should be evident that of the two questions, or rather the two aspects of the one question concerning the revelation of God, the most basic question is not whether God reveals himself through word or event but whether man as a rational creature is able through the exercise of his rational faculties to comprehend the revelation of God. Whether that revelation takes the form of spoken word or historical event is to be determined subsequently. The primary © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page10   division of opinion will occur on the anthropological or epistemological question as to whether man as man can perceive the revelation of God. This point is illustrated by the fact that, for example, Bultmann and Cullmann represent two radically different positions in regard to the question of where God reveals himself, in word or event. However, in spite of their differences on the mode of revelation, they both agree in their own way that man comes into the possession of knowledge of God through an illuminating act of the Holy Spirit and not through the exercise of his reason over against the “proclaimed word” (Bultmann) or the “acts of God” (Cullmann). On this question Kerygmatic Theology and Heilsgeschichtliche Theology are in agreement. With regard to the first question as to how God reveals himself, whether through word or event or in combination of the two, we have an inter-theological debate. With regard to the second question, as to how man perceives the revelation of God, we are dealing with a matter that has wide-ranging implications for the whole sphere of human knowledge, depending on how we answer the question. If we answer it as do Barth, Bultmann, or Cullmann, to name only three representative figures, holding that man as man, by the exercise of his rational faculties can never achieve a knowledge of God apart from a supplementary illuminating act of the Holy Spirit, then, to employ Kantian terms, we remove theology as an independent science, into the realm of practical reason; or, in Ritschl's terms, we make theological statements as value-judgments; or, in Existentialist terms, we make theological truth equivalent to the truth of expression of the existing individual. If, on the contrary, we hold that although man by his own creative reason could never discover the knowledge of God, yet, given the fact that God has revealed himself and that man as man can achieve the knowledge of God so revealed, then we place theology squarely in the center of human knowledge wherein it will be obliged to demonstrate the revelation of God before the court of human judgment in terms of the generally accepted canons of rationality. For if the theologian is convinced that God is and that he has disclosed himself, and, further, that that revelation is available to rational reflection, he will not be content simply to affirm his conviction, nor will he be able to appeal to some sort of esoteric experience wherein his knowledge was ascertained, but he will find it incumbent upon himself to support the truth of his knowledge of God through rational argumentation. The case as stated here is intentionally stated in the sharpest possible contrasts in order most clearly to isolate the central problem we wish to discuss in our critique. It is our conviction that only in such a posing of the problem does the real significance and urgent importance of Pannenberg’s theology become evident. We have sketched in brief outline the crisis which developed in evangelical theology with the loss of the authority of Scripture. We have seen that that authority was undermined through the rise of historical thinking although, paradoxically, historical thinking itself and consequent secularism are in part fruits of the Christian tradition. Protestant theology over the last century and a half can best be understood as an attempt to come to terms with historical © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page11   thinking, but to the present no satisfactory solution has been found. We concentrated particularly on the attempt of Dialectical Theology as formulated respectively by Barth and Bultmann to disengage the revelation of God from the sphere of history thus removing theology from the lordship of historical thinking. More and more, however, it has become clear that the creation of a special sphere of theological truth inaccessible to the judgment of reason is selfdefeating, leaving theology in the position of affirming an existential truth (Bultmann) or a revelational truth (Barth) neither of which can claim generally binding power. Theological truth is reduced to private truth. We have attempted in our exposition of Barth and Bultmann not only to understand what they were saying, but why they were saying it. If we come to conclusions differing from theirs this is not because we have seen the problem more clearly than they saw it, but rather because we view it in a changed climate of opinion, changed at least in part through the genius of their labors. We are convinced that it is possible today in a climate of opinion radically different than that which prevailed in the opening decades of our century, to affirm the universality of theology. We are further convinced that in the systematic theology of Pannenberg we have the most adequate and most comprehensive attempt yet made to integrate the true insights of post-Enlightenment or modern thought into a theological understanding of reality. In the theology of Pannenberg we have the revolutionary truth of historical thinking, which is the hallmark of modern thought, incorporated into a conception of the Christian tradition which at the same time maintains the essence of the latter. We have seen both in our introductory discussion of the rise of historical thinking and in our exposition of Pannenberg’s theology that western thought shows widespread agreement on the fact that the whole of reality must be conceived as history, as dynamic process in contrast to the cosmological thinking of Greek philosophy which conceived Being as static. It was the greatness of Ernst Troeltsch that he recognized the fundamental revolution in human thinking which historical thinking occasioned. He was convinced that historical thinking was incommensurable with the Christian theological tradition because that tradition was formulated in terms of Greek metaphysical conceptually which had been undercut by post-Enlightenment thought. He was so certain that historical thinking was irreversible that he felt compelled to re-formulate the Christian faith in accommodation to it. In so doing he gave up the idea of a final, definitive revelation of God in the course of history, specifically in the history of Jesus. Troeltsch’s conception of the nature of history and his formulation of historiographical principles was so much the consummate expression of the prevaling intellectual climate that for a considerable period they were viewed as axiomatic. This was the climate of opinion when the young theologians who were to be grouped together as constituting the dialectical movement came on the scene. They were not prepared to challenge Troeltsch’s conception of the nature of history nor his formulation of the principle of the historical-critical method. Of one thing, however, they were certain: in such a view of history and © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page12   historiography there was no room for the definitive revelation of God in Jesus Christ. Therefore, being convinced that they must speak of God in his deity, his sovereignty, and his freedom in his revelation, they removed that revelation from the history whose nature Troeltsch described and from the access of the historical-critical method whose principles Troeltsch formulated. We noted above the self-defeating consequence of the removal of revelation from history. Theology pursued as an independent science becomes a matter of private truth. The widespread questioning, particularly of the position of Bultmann by his own eminent students, is an indication of the dissatisfaction felt with his handling of the problem of revelation and history, and, while Barth has indeed moved the occurrence of revelation back into the sphere of history, his existence, the subjectivity of truth, the openness and contingency of the historical process, reality itself as historical process—into a theological conception of history which finds in Jesus the definitive revelation of God, that we have contended that Pannenberg’s theology is the most adequate formulation of the truth of historical thinking and the Christian tradition yet attempted. His theological conception of history is not simply a rejection of and reaction against the prevailing dialectical theology as that theology had been over against the nineteenth century Protestant Liberalism and the historicism of Troeltsch. While Pannenberg rejects the authoritarianism and revelational positivism of dialectical theology, he nevertheless is concerned to preserve the essence of what that theology was saying, namely, that God in his sovereign freedom has disclosed himself in Jesus Christ. He recognizes the justification of dialectical theology’s reaction against Troeltsch’s historicism and he too is critical of Troeltsch. However he is equally aware that Troeltsch had a grasp of something which theology simply cannot bypass, the recognition of the revolutionary nature of historical thinking whose truth must be incorporated into the Christian tradition. In Pannenberg’s theological conception of history there is a meeting of the best insights of Troeltsch with the best insights of the theology of the Word, and the result is a significant advance, a breakthrough in theological understanding. IV. Dogmatic Theses Drawn From Pannenberg’s Thinking Thesis I: Utilizing the best insights of twentieth century historical science, Pannenberg has presented a valid critique of both Troeltsch’s understanding of the nature of history and his formulation of the principles of historiography thus creating the possibility of a theological conception of history and asserting once again theology’s universal function. It is characteristic of Pannenberg’s theology that he speaks of God in relation to the whole of reality. In so doing he seeks to integrate the best insights of the respective disciplines into a theonomous conception of reality. It is equally characteristic of his procedure, however, that he claims no privileged perspective as a Christian theologian when discussing, for instance, the anthropological structure of human existence or the nature of history. When discussing historical- © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page13   critical thinking he does not begin with some theological requirement to be forced on the historian, but rather listens to how the historians themselves understand their subject. How do they understand the nature of history? How do they conceive of the task of the historian? How do they justify the historiographical principles with which they carry out their investigation? His own critique of the science of history is then an immanent critique. Given an understanding of history as advocated by Collingwood, for example, principles of historiography as formulated under the impact of positivism must be modified. This is but one illustration of his method throughout. Only after he has determined what the leading thinkers in the various disciplines themselves have to say about the nature of their subject and their methodological principles does Pannenberg begin his theological reflection on that subject matter. He claims that if he is seriously to speak of God, which as a theologian he must do, then he cannot allow the historian’s truth to stand in isolation as simply the truth about history. Rather, if God is God then the historian’s truth which he has discovered by means of investigation and reflection must be relatable to the one unifying ground of truth, namely, God. What he does argue in this dialogue with the various disciplines of science is that, given their own self-understanding, the reality with which they have to do is more adequately explained on the presupposition of God than without him. To use history again as an example, Pannenberg cites several leading historians of the past and present to the effect that concrete historical research of a limited historical period always presupposes a wider context which ultimately presupposes some sort of universal-historical conception. But, he argues, such a conception of the total course of events is unavailable, as the historians too are vividly aware. Any universal-historical scheme which denies the contingency of events and the openness of the future contradicts our understanding of history. This was the fatal weakness of Hegel’s scheme, and since Hegel historians have eschewed every all-encompassing system. However, Pannnberg points out, the contemporary historian is in a dilemma: on the basis of his understanding of his work, universal history must be thought, but on the basis of his understanding of the nature of history such a conception cannot be thought. In other words, by means of this immanent critique of historical science Pannenberg points to an inner contradiction. Then, taking a cue from Collingwood, he asks what are the prerequisites for a model of history if its unity as well as its contingency must both find place? He concludes that such a conception is possible only if we conceive of a ground of history which is both the source of the contingency of its events as well the basis of its unity. Can such a ground be found within history itself? Pannenberg attempts to discover such, but concludes that there is no possible ground within history which can meet the requirements of the model. Therefore, he concludes, on the basis of the requirements of historical research and the nature of history, both as understood by the historian, a transcendent ground which bears the whole of reality as history must be presupposed. But, the objection may be raised, did not Hegel presuppose just such a ground, the Absolute, and did not his system fall in ruins before the recognition of the © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page14   openness of the future? Quite true, Pannenberg responds, and the objection to Hegel was completely justified. However, in rejecting Hegel’s grounding of the historical process on a transcendent Power, subsequent philosophy of history lost the only possibility of establishing the unity of history required for historical science. Hegel was not wrong in establishing history on a transcendent ground, but only in his conception of that Absolute coming to self-realization in his own philosophy. What is required is a transcendent ground, which not only establishes the unity of history but also is its future, its End. But how can such a Power be conceived, for the End has not yet arrived? We are back at the same point apparently. Now, however, Pannenberg offers a model which meets the requirements: the proleptic appearance of the End of history in the midst of history. If the End has already appeared, albeit provisionally, then the whole of history can be anticipated. Yet if the End has appeared proleptically, then obviously the process of history is still under way and the future is still open. Where did Pannenberg come up with such a model? Not out of the blue, of course. It is a model suggested by the eschatological character of the Christ-event. The model itself proves nothing. It can only be verified by determining if it explains the facts and, indeed, it must be subjected to a double test: is it an adequate explanation of the Christ-event and is it an adequate explanation of reality as history. In the case of the first test we are in the area of biblical theology; in the case of the second we are still dealing with history as the historian understands it. We limit ourselves here only to the latter case. The question is: does the model of history as process moving toward a still outstanding End within which, however, the End has already provisionally occurred meet the requirements of the historian’s conception both of his work and his subject matter? It would seem to meet these requirements. The next step would be to pursue concrete historical investigation in the framework of this model. Only then can it be determined if the model is, in fact, a true conception of reality as history. Here there are two criteria: positively, the model will be verified if it is able to effect the most adequate explanation of the data encountered in historical research; negatively, the model will be confirmed if known data remains unexplainable without the model. This verification process will be carried out by the historian using the best scientific techniques at his disposal. The phenomena presented to him are not perceived with any sort of “eye of faith,” nor must he operate with some sort of supernatural conception of God. In short, no special pleading is involved in his phenomenological research. Is this model the only possible model? Not necessarily. At least that cannot be presupposed. Anyone is free to propose a model as long as it fits the requirements of historical science’s own self-understanding. Should such a “competitive” model be presupposed, then it in turn must be judged on the basis of the criteria cited above. The conception of models can be various but they must all be subjected to the criterion of truth, that is, they must be tested as to their adequacy in © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page15   explaining available data and the impossibility of explaining data without them. In such a process of testing the model which corresponds to reality as presently comprehended will emerge. Only through such a procedure is it still possible to speak of truth. Further, should the model constructed in the light of the eschatological understanding of the Christ-event prove true, it would, at the same time, be a verification of the Christian conception of reality. The point we must make here is that Pannenberg has proposed a theological conception of reality not because, being a theologian, he automatically begins at this point. Whether he does or not is not the point. We may even grant that the model he constructs is suggested by his own orientation in the Christian tradition. This still does not detract from the general validity of his procedure. His theological perspective imposed on the historian neither his historiographical principles nor his conception of the nature of history. He allowed the historian himself to dictate the terms. Given those terms, he argued that those terms require some such model as he proposed. Still he makes no extrinsic demand on the historian. He simply asks him to test the model, working as a historian. Whether this model meets the criteria of truth or not is not in any sense dependent on a position of faith or theological position. The results are submitted to the bar of generally valid canons of rationality. But, someone objects, does this not subject the truth of the Christian faith to the judgment of human rationality? The answer is yes. There can be no sidestepping that test. There is no sheltered cove within which the Christian tradition can practice its faith. Either it is true and commends itself as such to human rationality or it must give up its claim to truth and be content to exercise itself as a private affair. This is not to say that man comprehends the depths of the mystery of the Deity or the secrets of the whole of reality. It does mean to affirm, however, that if God has revealed himself to man in the midst of history, then that revelation must be comprehensible to man. If God only makes himself known “vertically from above,” by miracle, through some supernatural illumination of the Holy Spirit, by means of some esoteric gnosis, why bother about a revelation in history. If revelation is punctilear, why the horizontal line or point on the plane of history? If revelation occurs only here and now, then why does it need a “dass” in history? As an anchor to guard it from myth? But why not myth? Because the Christian faith claims to be historical, not mythical? But why be concerned about the Christian faith unless it is true? And if it is true then revelation has occurred in history, so why all the strenuous efforts to deny that it is “there?” Bultmann admitted that he must come to terms with modern thought and so when he operates with a conception of history as defined by the positivist and then goes on to carve out a place for the Christian faith in the realm of existence we must admit that he is at least consistent. But what shall we say of Barth? He faults Bultmann for allowing modern thought to dominate. Barth rejects the idea. But what has he done? The very same thing! Barth’s whole amazing theological © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page16   endeavor can well be understood as an affirmation of the truth of the Christian faith in the face of positivistic thinking in which there was no room for it. But the paradox of the matter is that the very Achilles’ heel of his whole position is his contradictory statements about the historicity of revelation and the inaccessibility of that revelation to historical-critical research. The charge of revelational positivism is not unjustified. Is it not that he who denied the sovereignty of modern thought constructed his own theology as if positivistic historiography were indeed sovereign? Not exactly. Barth’s theology shatters all positivistic historiography as far as the whole of reality is concerned. But he left it intact as far as the historical process is concerned. He allowed Troeltsch the final word as far as historical science was concerned, thus conceiving the historical process as a self-contained entity set over against God. Historical science is competent to deal with the one-dimensional reality of history but theology speaks of the One who encounters the man who lives in that one-dimensional reality, and consequently historical science is not competent to deal with the intercourse of man and God. Pannenberg’s superiority must be recognized in two directions. Over against Troeltsch he says that the historical-critical method, to be sure, has an anthropocentric element inherent within it, but to that anthropocentric methodological element you have wedded an anthropocentric worldview, which not only is not intrinsic to the method but even hinders its effectiveness. Your anthropocentric worldview precludes any consideration of a transcendent reality and consequently contradicts the very requirements of historical research itself. Furthermore your conception of the principle of analogy which is a valuable tool for gaining knowledge is posited on the postulate of the universal similarity of all historical phenomena, thus again denying the insight of history itself that events are contingent and that history is the place of the arrival of the new, the unique, the unforeseen. The principle of analogy is not wrong but the application is. Rather than using it to determine the similarities of the respective phenomena, use it to delineate their differences, their uniqueness. Furthermore your principle of development denies the contingency of events and the genuine openness of the future. Your model of history as a self-contained, unfolding entity beyond which hovers the absolute, known only relatively within the course of development is an inadequate model in the light of historical science itself. At this point Pannenberg addresses Barth and argues that it is not Barth’s conception of history as encounter that is wrong but only his submission to positivistic historiography as being the legitimate conception of historical science. By his divorce of historical science from revelational history, Barth has introduced an unendurable contradiction into his theological enterprise. Such a contradiction has been responsible for the feeling as expressed by James Barr: “Though I still feel that it is Barth’s God whom I seek to worship, the intellectual framework of Barth’s theology has in my consciousness to a very great extent © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page17   collapsed in ruins.”10 Barth, Pannenberg would affirm, has begun to speak as a Christian before he has justified his speaking as a theologian, in fact, without recognizing the legitimacy of such a procedure, or even denying its possibility. Barth, in one sense, can be recognized as nothing if not bold. It is a question however if he was bold enough. In a world, a cultural situation, that is largely determined in its intellectual milieu by atheistic thinking, can the theologian speak seriously of God unless he has at least created the “room” for such talk by an immanent critique of atheistic thought itself? If the existence of God cannot be demonstrated, at least the acids of atheistic thought can be neutralized and a theological conception of reality can be demonstrated to be rationally as justifiable as an atheistic conception. Indeed, in Pannenberg’s thought we would even claim that the theological conception is shown to be more rational. However that may be, to think the matter through to its limits so that one is placed before the alternatives is no little gain. Human rationality reaches its limits but that is true not only for theological thought, but for atheistic as well. A rational choice is not necessarily a choice in which every piece of data is explained, every mystery disclosed. It is rather a choice in the face of all possible evidence. It is a choice made in the light of the widest possible understanding of reality. In this respect it can be maintained that the commitment of oneself to the God revealed in Jesus Christ is grounded upon a rational decision—a decision made in the light of all possible evidence. In this way theology stands in the middle of the sciences seeking to unify all truth through its relation to the God who is source, ground, and goal of truth. The universal function of theology is once again asserted and the world of fragmentary experience, specialized knowledge unrelated to the whole of reality, is brought into relation to him who is the Truth. The theologian claims no quarter. He demands no “eye of faith,” no special inspiration. He proposes his model, a model constructed out of the requirements of the respective sciences themselves. He then submits his model to impartial testing by the phenomena dealt with in the individual sciences. He brings the results before the bar of rational judgment. Should a competing and contradictory model prove more adequate, he has no recourse. But should his model pass the test, then he has demonstrated that a theological conception of reality is in fact rationally defensible. Is the risk too great? No, not if, when he speaks of God, he is speaking of the Creator of the whole of reality who will bring all things to consummation. Then the model will be verified. And if it is not? Then he must cease to be a theologian, for then there will be no theology. Is not the task too arduous? Certainly it is arduous, but have not the most profound thought and the most profound thinkers arisen out of the Christian tradition over the course of the centuries? The magnitude of the challenge is no deterrent. Much rather, if in the modern period the church has alienated the best minds, it is not because she demanded too much but too little. A call to serious © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page18   intellectual pursuit of truth will not offend but the lack of it certainly will— and has. Thesis II. Dogmatic theology must rethink the entire theological spectrum of truth from the perspective of historical thinking. Harnack’s criticism of the Hellenization of the gospel has a validity which can hardly be denied. Rather than judging this “translation” negatively as he did, we can understand today that the Greek metaphysical conceptuality was the most effective means at hand for expressing the central truth of the Christ-event, “God with us.” In the history of the transmission of traditions this was a necessary and effective new stage. It entailed nonetheless grave difficulties because an event actualized in a tradition that for centuries had been nurtured on the idea of the dynamic relationship of God and man in the historical process which was moving toward consummation had to be translated into meaningful terms for a culture that had been fully indoctrinated with the metaphysical categories of Plato and Aristotle and their successors. In such a setting, that which formed the culminating point of God’s self-disclosure in Jesus—his resurrection from the dead— there was formed an untranslatable conception which could only be announced, proclaimed, but scarcely comprehended. In such an environment the emphasis soon shifted to the coming of the Son of God, the idea of Incarnation. Such a conception did allow the message of God’s presence with man in Jesus to be expressed, but as the Christological controversy vividly demonstrates, it brought in its wake insoluble problems which plague us to the present.11 The church lived for centuries undisturbed by the irreconcilable contradictions of Chalcedon because Christian theology has been conceptualized by means of Greek metaphysical categories and thus the central idea of Incarnation communicated the Christian message. The crisis of theology today is not in the first instance a crisis of Christian belief but a crisis of Christian theological formulation which could not help but collapse when the Greek metaphysics in terms of which it was framed was undermined. This occurred through the rise of modern thought becoming particularly damaging to traditional theology through the rise of historical thinking which undercut the unquestioned authority of Scripture. The reaction of Christian theology to the crisis created by modern thought has often been defensive, evidencing an underlying insecurity. At other times it has sought so desperately to accommodate itself to modern thinking that it has given up its own central affirmation of God’s presence in Jesus, thus robbing the world of its one source of hope in the God of the future. These two extreme reactions can be found again and again over the past two centuries. On the one hand there has been a jealous guarding of traditional conceptuality: incarnation—true God—true man; three in one—coequal and co-eternal; inspired, infallible Scripture, etc., under the mistaken notion that God and his truth were cradled in the respective stammering human attempts to express it. On the other hand, there was an uncritical acceptance of modern thought, positivistically orientated, which from © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page19   the beginning practically shut out the possibility of a transcendent reality, let alone a God present in the causal nexus that defined reality. Where lies a solution? Is it not significant that western thinking, believing itself now to be free from the archaic metaphysical bondage of theology, has discovered reality as history? And furthermore it has been shown, for example, by Lowith that the conception of reality as history moving toward an End “is rooted in the Judaeo-Christian tradition. Is it not possible that we are in a position today to rethink such basic conceptions as the Trinity, the natures of Christ, and the Consummation and come to more fruitful results than has perhaps been the case in the long tradition of Christian thinking ? Thesis III. All Christological statements must be made from the perspective of the resurrection. Barth begins with the given of the Incarnation, Jesus, truly God and truly man. The question, how do you know this?, is simply out of place. If we know it we need not ask, and if we do not know it, it is futile to ask. The life of Jesus plays itself out between the twin miracles of the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection, both wholly the work of God, neither accessible to human judgment, examination or confirmation. From this everything follows. Prior to this there can be no discussion. Bultmann starts with the kerygma. In response to the proclamation you either say “yes” or “no” but you may not ask “Why should I?” or “Is it true?” Either question is already proof that revelation has not occurred. Even the Post-Bultmannians who feel uneasy with this approach are looking everywhere for a basis for the kerygma except in the one place that Bultmann and almost all New Testament scholars agree it is located, namely, in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Ebeling and Fuchs are retreading the paths of Herrmann, Bornkamm speaks of Jesus’ authority, Kasemann of his message, but none of them seriously considers the one place in which every kerygmatic utterance is rooted. It is here that Pannenberg makes a most significant contribution. He has dared to assert once again that you cannot ground New Testament Christology anywhere but where the New Testament itself grounds it. In so doing he has made progress possible in several areas where thought had reached an impasse. Perhaps the most crucial area is that of the natures of Christ. The long and bitter Christological struggles need not be recounted here. It is sufficient to say that Chalcedonian Christology is not a solution but represents an impasse, a compromise between conceptions which are logically irreconciliable. We understand the problem and we comprehend the intention, but what person would ever suggest that Chalcedon represents an intelligible and satisfying conclusion? © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page20   We would suggest that perhaps the problem lies in the inability of Greek conceptuality to express a phenomenon which was essentially historical. In the intellectual milieu of the Greek world the appearance of the Servant of God, the Messiah, was proclaimed in conceptuality which culminated in incarnational Christology and with incarnational Christology the whole problem of the divine and human presented itself but with no possibility of solution. We would ask, in terms of the Old Testament, in terms of the Messianic expectation, why must Jesus be God? In fact, is the Messiah as God really true to the Old Testament tradition? Chalcedonian Christology has such a long and impressive tradition that we often never question what biblical imperative there is for the divinity of the Messiah. The answer, of course, is not to reject Chalcedon, as does Bultmann because he is so determined by positivistic thinking that he cannot conceive of Jesus as anything more than a man, let alone his resurrection. If we must choose between Barth or Bultmann, we must choose Barth, for between the signs of the Virgin Birth and Resurrection God is present in history, but Barth can assert this only as an assertion and is utterly unable to say more about how we can understand incarnation. It is the incarnation as a starting point that is wrong. To start there is to be cut off immediately from all rational reflection. Revelational positivism is inevitable. Incarnation is a valid idea if it is recognized to be a step in the interpretive tradition leading from Jesus, an interpretation of an historical phenomenon that occurred in a Jewish apocalyptic setting rooted in the Old Testament tradition. Pannenberg has argued powerfully that Jesus must be understood in his own context and that in that context the resurrection “spoke.” One of his great contributions is his calling in question of the fact, meaning bifurcation. The fact in its historical context bears its own meaning. In the tradition expecting the final intervention of God at the End raising the dead, the resurrection of one who had been dead and buried meant the End had arrived. He has also quite rightly seen that resurrection did not carry that meaning in another context. Consequently translation was necessary. This brings us to the one point where we feel Pannenberg has not completely followed through on his own insights. He has recognized that an End-expectation and coming judgment are necessary presuppositions for a meaningful belief in resurrection and that consequently Paul stressed these matters to the Gentiles. He has further discussed how in our day resurrection can be meaningful as a more adequate conception of the immortality of the soul. The one thing he has been unable to do is to show how resurrection was translated meaningfully in the first century. The fact is that it was not. Is not Paul’s Athenian experience evidence of an indissolvable offense that adhered to the Christian message as heard by the Greek? Resurrection was the key and resurrection was untranslatable into the conceptuality of Greek metaphysics. © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page21   Is not this the reason that the focus shifted from resurrection to incarnation in terms of which God’s intervention into human history was powerfully expressed? God’s intervention, yes, but then the Messiah must have been God. Is not this why Jesus must be God? Thinking which utilizes Greek metaphysical conceptuality can only conceive of God’s presence in history in terms of incarnation. However, such was not the case with Hebrew thought. God would bring future deliverance through his Servant—David’s Son! God did not have to “enter” history for the Israelites. History was his domain—no self-contained, independent entity set over against him. In his holiness he ever dwelt in the midst of his people. Why the modern crisis of theology? Is it not rather the crisis of metaphysics? And why the crisis of metaphysics? Is it not occasioned by the rise of historical thinking? What is the answer then? It must be obvious. We ought to recognize incarnational Christology as no longer a meaningful interpretation of the historical self-disclosure of God in his servant Jesus, the Messiah. Paradoxically Greek metaphysical thinking in terms of which the Christian tradition has formulated its faith has fallen into disrepute making it possible once again to understand Jesus and his resurrection historically, as was the case for Peter and Paul. But this raises another question regarding Pannenberg. He has thought through the matter of natural law and has sought to show that the resurrection is not really a “break” in nature. Here we are uneasy. That in its context it had meaning we grant. But was it not also a “break” in historical continuity even for a Paul? To be sure, all historical phenomena are unique and history is the place of the new, it is irruptive. But still the resurrection cannot be leveled down to being an event next to others. Now if, as the apocalyptic tradition expected, with the resurrection of Jesus the End of history was in fact arrived at, then the historical process would have unfolded with no “break” in its continuity. Or if, as Bultmann holds, there was no resurrection, then the historical process still continues with no “break.” But if it happened, as Pannenberg claims it happened—and we think he is right—namely, that what Paul thought was the beginning of a fast-approaching End, was really—as we know 2000 years later— an isolated, proleptic occurrence of a still future End, then there has occurred in the midst of the historical continuum a radical, indissolvable “break,” an act of God which is unique, in a sense “more unique” than the uniqueness of historical phenomena in general. Pannenberg has acknowledged the problem of identifying the resurrection of one man with the expectation of the resurrection of all men. That is just the point. The expectation of the resurrection of all men was indeed the presupposition for finding meaning in Jesus’ resurrection. But, the resurrection of Jesus nevertheless shattered apocalyptic preconceptions also. It was to Jew and Greek alike an unforeseen, unforseeable self-disclosure of the God who remains free and sovereign even in his historical self-revelation. © Grand Valley State University �Theological Conception of Reality as History Richard A. Rhem Page22   Why has Barth been able to speak so powerfully the truth of the Christian faith to his generation? Because he said what the gospel wants to say: “God with us.” Why does such a powerful witness engender such sharp reaction? Is it not because while saying what the gospel wants to say, he has utilized a metaphysical conceptuality which no longer commands respect? We come back to our question why Jesus must be God. If God anointed his Servant, the Messiah, to proclaim his Kingdom and announce the new age and then raised him from the dead as a confirmation of that message and of his Servant, what does it add to the matter if Jesus were divine? If Jesus were God then resurrection is not quite so amazing. But if Jesus is my brother because a man like me and if God raised him from the dead, then something truly amazing has occurred. The New Age has dawned in the midst of the Old. Then while still struggling in the old aeon, I have a real basis for Hope. Then I live in anticipation. That is, I live by faith. If this is the case then I can understand the Apostle who wrote: On the human level he was born of David’s stock, but on the level of the Spirit—The Holy Spirit—he was declared Son of God by a mighty act in that he rose from the dead. . . Jesus Christ our Lord. (Rom. l: 3b-4, NEB). 1Karl Barth, The Humanity of God, Richmond, 1960, p. 19. 2Ernst Troeltsch, Die Bedeutung der Gescbichtlichkeit fesu fur dem Glauben, Tubingen,1911, p. 11. 3Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, I.2 Edinburgh, 1960, p. 284. 4Rudolph Bultmann, Kerygma and Myth, London, 1953, pp. 13ff. 5“Die Krise des Schriftprinzips,” Grundfragen Systematischer Theologie, Gottingen, 1967, p. 11. 6Ibid. 7“Die Aufnahme des philosophisches Gottesbegriffs,” Grundfragen .... pp. 308f. 8Ibid., 9”Die p. 297. Krise des Schriftprinzips,” Grundfragen …, p. 20. 10James Baar, Old and New in Interpretation, SCM, 1966, p. 12. 11Cf. H. Berkhof, The Doctrine of the Holy Spirit, Richmond, 1964, for his daring challenge to traditional Trinitarian conceptuality. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-4-19721001 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1972-10-01 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource A Theological Conception of Reality as History - Some Aspects of the Thinking of Wolfhart Pannenberg Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Reformed Review; a journal of the seminaries of the Reformed Church in America Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Article created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 1, 1972 entitled "A Theological Conception of Reality as History - Some Aspects of the Thinking of Wolfhart Pannenberg", it appeared in Reformed Review, pp. 178-188. Tags: History of Theology, Historical Thinking, Truth, Eschatology, Revelation. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Eschatology Historical Thinking History of Theology Revelation Truth https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/05e22bae18c1fb794aa9b4aca8aa08b8.pdf 3cc1344c12f6fe1e124a84ee3cac4066 PDF Text Text Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles A Dissertation on the Nature of a Mathematical System Article by Richard A. Rhem Student Western Theological Seminary Holland, Michigan The Ventilator (Published fortnightly for the Students of Western Theological Seminary) March 27, 1958 There are questions which loom large in one’s mind as he stops to contemplate the nature of truth and the question of epistemology. Much has been written in this area and there has been considerable interest from the standpoint of theology. For example, questions involving proofs for the existence of God, the noetic effects of sin, antithesis theology and indeed constructing a Christian Philosophy of Education all concern themselves with the nature of truth and the capacity of man to attain it. There has appeared much bombast and blunder from both the Christian point of view and the non-Christian perspective. We claim no authority in the field, nor originality; however, interest has caused us to investigate a very small area of human knowledge and seek to discern its nature. Let us consider the nature of mathematical truth. Is this “purest of the sciences” based upon self-evident truth, eternal principles with creation, or empirical data? Down through the history of thought all of these answers have been given. Probably the earliest answer to this question was that the truth of mathematics rests upon self-evident truth in contrast to the hypothesis of empirical science. Truths of mathematics demand no empirical verification because they are in another realm - everyone accepts their truth because any questioning of simple mathematical facts would be absurd. 2 + 2 = 4. What foolhardy person could deny it? As this science came into the modern critical era, however, such a vague foundational basis was hardly satisfactory. There was a sense of restlessness and a cloud hung low over the science. As dissatisfaction grew, a retreat was made from this once dogmatically asserted position to a more defensible ground holding that mathematics is the most general science. John Stuart Mill held that mathematics is an empirical science which differs from the other branches of empirical endeavor in two ways: its subject matter is more general and its testability and confirmation are higher. Because the experience of every succeeding generation adds overwhelming © Grand Valley State University   �Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles Richard A. Rhem Page 2   confirmation to the truth of mathematics, we have come to consider its theorems as qualitatively different from those for example of biology, but they are not. At this point let me add that those who hold that 2 + 2 = 4 is true because the creator has so endowed the creation with a system and an order and this statement of mathematics conforms to that order, must be grouped with the above who hold to an empirical basis for mathematical truth. It can be stated differently as follows: God created the universe in an orderly fashion and as we reverently contemplate his revelation in nature we are able to discern these eternal principles or order of which mathematical principles are an important group. VanTil would therefore say that there is a Christian mathematics. The regenerate will look differently at mathematics than the unregenerate who looks through colored glasses cemented to his face and therefore cannot see that these principles are innate in the created order finding their source in the Creator. With all due respect to the reality of the antithesis as an ultimate principle, we would like to examine this view of the source or foundation of mathematical truth. Does it rest upon an empirical base or not? In pursuit of our answer we will follow Carl Hempel in his essay “On the Nature of Mathematical Truth” which appears in Readings in the Philosophy of Science, Feigl & Brodbeck. Take a typical example of an empirical hypothesis such as Newton’s law of gravitation. From this hypothesis we make predictions – under conditions “a” result “b” will follow. When in actual fact we experience the fulfillment of this hypothesis, i.e., when we see conditions “a” followed by results “b”, we say the hypothesis is confirmed. Continual confirmation causes the hypothesis to take on the status of law. However, suppose we find conditions “a” followed not by the results “b” but results “c”, we say, the hypothesis is disconfirmed. If repeatedly conditions “a” are not followed by results “b” as was originally hypothesized, we throw out the hypothesis and set out to discover the results of conditions “a” anew. This is the hypothetical deductive method of modern science. Now let us move into the realm of mathematics. We hypothesize that 3+2 = 5. “If this is actually an empirical generalization of past experiences, then it must be possible to state what kind of evidence would oblige us to concede the hypothesis was not generally true after all.” (p. 149) But this we never find in the area of mathematics. Take the following example which Hempel gives: “We place some microbes on a slide, putting down first three of them and then another two. Afterwards we count all the microbes to test whether in this instance 3 and 2 actually added up to 5. Suppose now that we counted 6 microbes altogether. Would we consider this as an empirical disconfirmation of the given proposition, or at least as a proof that it does not apply to microbes? Clearly not; rather we would assume we had made a mistake in counting or that one of the microbes had split in two between the first and second count. But under no circumstances could the © Grand Valley State University �Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles Richard A. Rhem Page 3   phenomenon just described invalidate the arithmetical proposition in question, for the latter asserts nothing whatever about the behavior of microbes; it merely states that any set consisting of 3 + 2 objects may also be said to consist of 5 objects. And this is so because the symbols “3 + 2” and “5” denote the same number. They are synonymous by virtue of the fact that the symbols “2”, “3”, “5” and “+” are defined (or tacitly understood) in such a way that the above identity holds as a consequence of the meaning attached to the concepts involved in it. The statement that 3 + 2 = 5, then, is true for similar reasons as, say, the assertion that no sexagenarian is 45 years of age. Both are true simply by virtue of definitions or of similar stipulations which determine the meaning of the key terms involved.” (p. 150) Thus we see that there need be no empirical validation for this statement for the fact that the symbols “3” and “2” added together equal the symbol “5” is true whether or not there are any objects such as apples or buttons or microbes to which to attach the symbols. Indeed we see the mathematical statement 3 + 2 = 5 to be devoid of all empirical content as it stands in itself. Such a statement is called a true a priori or an analytic statement, thus indicating “that their truth is logically independent of or logically prior to any experiential evidence.” (p. 150) The above assertions may fall upon deaf ears because one might object that the very method of teaching arithmetic is through empirical objects. The child is not taught 3 + 2 = 5, but rather 3 apples plus 2 apples equals 5 apples. Therefore one might conclude that the empirical data used in teaching is an integral part of the system. However, we would counter that this is to confuse the logical and the psychological basis. Psychologically speaking there may be an empirical basis for arithmetic but as the mind matures the apples are dropped and one thinks abstractly, 3+2 = 5. The fact that 3 + 2 = 5 does not stand in need of empirical validation is because it is a logical statement concerned with manipulating symbols. The analytic statement does not convey factual information. The example used above that no sexagenarian is 45 years of age is an example of this. This statement cannot in any way conflict with any factual data – it conveys no information. It is true simply because its key terms are defined in a certain way. We might further buttress our position by referring to geometry. That a straight line is the shortest distance between two points was always thought to be selfevident and also it could be demonstrated. Again, however, scholars were not satisfied and finally had to realize that Euclidian Geometry which had always been considered to be a picture of reality as it is, was seen to be but one of many possible pictures of space. Riemann constructed other systems logically consistent and capable of explanation. Here again a discipline had to be purged of empirical content and realize it was dealing with pure relations. Coming back to mathematics: is there Christian mathematics? We hardly think so. Mathematics is a logical system, a purely relational discipline, a manipulation © Grand Valley State University �Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles Richard A. Rhem Page 4   of symbols which are given definitions and which function as a tool which is applied to empirical content but which itself is devoid of content. How to pour Christian content into second grade arithmetic? Substitute Bibles for apples. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-4-19580327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1958-03-27 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles, A Dissertation on the Nature of a Mathematical System Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available The Ventilator, Western theological Seminary Student Paper Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Article created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 27, 1958 entitled "Microbes, Apples, Buttons and Bibles, A Dissertation on the Nature of a Mathematical System", it appeared in The Ventilator, Western Theological Seminary student paper. Tags: Logical Thinking, Nature of Truth. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Logical Thinking Nature of Truth https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/be020c7fcf8cb03bfa426a4356089e08.pdf 895857fe09ab396a36d661fd1400712d PDF Text Text The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Richard A. Rhem The Community Artist and Speaker Series First Presbyterian Church Grand Haven, Michigan April 19, 2015 You might wonder why one would reach back to an obscure phrase taken from a rather heavy theological writing nearly one hundred years old to entitle a lecture today. I must admit I’ve shaken my head at myself many times in these past weeks of preparation for this lecture – shaken my head for agreeing to speak in the first place and, beyond that, for choosing this subject. A couple of years ago I gave what I declared to be my last lecture. The idea of a “Last Lecture” comes from a “Last Lecture” delivered at Carnegie Mellon University by Dr. Randy Pausch on September 19, 2007. He had terminal pancreatic cancer – a fact known at the time that he spoke. His lecture was entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” He died on July 25, 2008. I really did think this kind of engagement was probably behind me. But with the invitation to give this lecture I couldn’t refuse, in spite of the wise counsel of Nancy, my wife. She probably didn’t want me to embarrass her in this fine congregation where she was baptized, confirmed and where she faithfully worshiped. When word got out that we were to be married, the pastor at the time said to me, “You will do anything to get my members, won’t you!” But, back to the question – why would I choose such an obscure subject? The answer I know stems from my obsession with the question of God – the question not whether God exists, but how to image God, how to speak of divine action, how to experience God. You might wonder how one could spend his whole life as a pastor/preacher/teacher and not have that figured out at age 80. I might respond that the problem of some pastors is that they figure it out too soon and avoid the anguish of the wrestle for the truth of God. For me God is and has been a moving target. From a wonderful home and family steeped in Reformed Christian faith blanketed with deep Dutch pietism, I have been on a journey trying to understand intellectually what I have always known experientially and that is the clue to my title selection – The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails. The title comes from a book, written by a German scholar, Rudolf Otto, a university professor of theology. He was born in 1869 and died in 1937. The book, Das Heilige, published in 1917, was translated into English by John W. Harvey in © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 2 1923 as The Idea of the Holy. A second edition was published in 1949 in which was included a Foreword to the first English edition by Rudolf Otto. In that Foreword Otto wrote: This book, recognizing the profound import of the non-rational for metaphysic, makes a serious attempt to analyze all the more exactly the feeling which remains where the concept fails….” Otto defined the Holy as that which is numinous – in Otto’s definition, a “nonrational, non-sensory experience of feeling whose primary and immediate object is outside the self.” Numinous derives from the Latin numin (divine power). The numinous is a mystery marked by fascination and terror at the same time. It must be noted that the terror and fascination is not simply an experience within the being or mind of the human, but that which exists outside the one experiencing the numinous as mystery. In his Preface to the second edition of his translation of Otto’s work, Harvey writes: The word ‘numinous’ has been widely received as a happy contribution to the theological vocabulary, as standing for that aspect of deity which transcends or eludes comprehension in rational or ethical terms. But it is Otto’s purpose to emphasize that this is an objective reality, not merely a subjective feeling in the mind; and he uses the word feeling in this connexion not as equivalent to emotion but as a form of awareness that is neither that of ordinary perceiving nor of ordinary conceiving. Certainly he is very much concerned to describe as precisely and identify as unmistakably as possible, by hint, illustration, and analogy, the nature of the subjective feelings which characterize this awareness; but that is because it is only through them that we can come to an apprehension of their object. The ambiguity attaching both to the English feeling and the German Gefühl should not therefore mislead us. We do after all speak of feeling the beauty of a landscape or feeling the presence of a friend, and our ‘feeling’ in these cases is not merely an emotion engendered or stimulated in the mind but also recognition of something in the objective situation awaiting discovery and acknowledgement. It is analogously to such uses that Otto speaks of the ‘feeling of the numinous’ or (less aptly) the ‘numinous feeling’. As one of his compatriots, the philosopher Rickert, put it: ‘by the “numinous” is indicated not the psychological process but its object, the Holy’. So far then, from stressing the place of the subjective state of mind in the religious experience, Otto’s emphasis is always upon the objective reference, and upon subjective feelings only as the indispensable clues to this. (p. xvi F) © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 3 Thus the Holy Mystery is not something simply in our mind but it is the experience in mind and heart that points beyond itself to the Mystery – to God. I use heart and mind – perhaps better to speak of our being. Otto was saying clearly the experience of God transcends the mind – reason cannot discover the Holy Mystery – the concept fails! But reason hitting the ceiling, as it were, feeling remains – we “know” what cannot be known but only experienced. In answer to my opening question, why one would reach back to theological writing nearly one hundred years old for a title to a lecture today – it identifies my spiritual journey – an ongoing journey stimulated anew by this occasion – the heart/mind wrestle for understanding the deep mystery of our human being before the face of Mystery. As I said above, God has been for me a moving target. I am probably only 180 degrees from the God of my childhood which I carried into my early ministry. God was in heaven, having created the universe and the human being along with all life on earth. In the fullness of time that same God visited the planet Earth in the Word made flesh, Jesus: life, death, resurrection, ascension and we await the grand finale – the great judgment morning, the issue of which will be salvation or damnation – Heaven or Hell. As I relate that vision of God and creation and its issue, it seems so far away and long ago. I was a theist. The term derives from the Greek theos, meaning “god.” I suspect most of us at least began there and perhaps many of you are still there, you not having wrestled with the God question. My early preaching and teaching were from that perspective. But eventually that conventional conception of God was called in question as I engaged in pastoral ministry. Questions arose. I won’t bother you with the stories, the issues, the questions, but eventually I needed to go back to school to get the education I never had, largely because I was not open to learn. I was most fortunate to be able to return to study, to engage in graduate work in The Netherlands, the University of Leiden, with Professor Hendrikus Berkhof. My choice of him was sealed when I first met him in his study in his home. A widely recognized scholar, he was as well gracious and cordial. As I arose to leave I noticed a mimeographed paper pinned to the drape that separated his study from the rest of his house. I went to read what was written; what was written changed my life. The lines were those of Alfred Lord Tennyson: Our little systems have their day; They have their day and cease to be; They are but broken lights of Thee, And Thou, O Lord, art more than they. I remember the moment vividly. I had found my professor! © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 4 For those who have been with me for some time, this is a familiar account but I must, in this retrospection, underline it here because I was at a critical point in my life and ministry. My “little system” had hit a wall. My whole ‘system’ was based on the absolute authority of the Bible as the God-breathed, inerrant, infallible truth. I was devoid of any sense of how the critical studies of Scripture had revealed it as a very human product that was a witness to revelation – that is, the report of an experience of unveiling, not the unveiling itself. I came to view Scripture as a human, fallible witness whose purpose was not to teach history or provide a scientific account of creation but in stories, myths and parables to witness to the Creator, Redeemer God. I really had to start over, to begin again to find a understanding of God, of Jesus’ life, death and resurrection – in a word, a fresh understanding of Christian faith. My mind had been challenged to think critically even though I never lost the sense of the grace of God that embraced me. Mind inquiring; Heart resting. That was my situation as I returned from four years of serious study and began again to lead a congregation. The wrestle for the truth of God engaged my mind as I experienced very great grace indeed from the people who invited me to continue my quest as their pastor. Along the way on one’s journey there are landmarks that one recognizes as turning points in one’s journey. One such critical moment for me was reading a book on Christology by the British New Testament scholar John Knox. In his discussion of the pre-existence of Jesus, which he took as symbolic story, not literal fact, he related how such a symbolic story functions for those who have moved beyond a literal view of Scripture. For a story like this can speak to us of matters beyond our understanding only if it has also spoken to our understanding – and, within the limits of our powers, been understood. There are two conditions under which a significant symbol loses (or, perhaps better, is shown to have lost) its vitality and power. One of these is when our hearts no longer need it, when all we want to say or need to say (or to have said to us) can be said without it. The other is when our minds, failing to discern in it the coherency of truth, are forced to reject it. For our hearts cannot finally find true what our minds find false. If they could, we should be hopelessly divided and any firm grasp of reality would be impossible. What we mean by ‘the heart’ in this connection is not something alien or counter to the mind, but is the mind itself quickened and extended. The wisdom the heart has found, if it be wisdom and not fantasy, is the same wisdom the mind all the while has been feeling after, if haply it might find it. It is a wisdom which, far from by-passing the understanding, enters through the doors of it, fills and stretches the space of it, and only then breaks through and soars above it. © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 5 (The Humanity and Divinity of Christ, p. 106f) For our hearts cannot finally find true what our minds find false. I wrote it this way: The heart cannot rest where the mind cannot follow. If I were to have one statement to summarize my spiritual journey, that would be it. That journey from far right orthodox conservative to the liberal left end I can explain simply due to the fact that my mind, exercising critical rationality, creates the only possibility for my heart to be at rest. I suspect someone might ask then why I so value the claim of Rudolf Otto that the experience of God lies not within reason’s grasp but only in the feeling that remains when the concept fails. To the extent I understand myself, I desire to be fully aware of the amazing world of exploding knowledge of which we are a part. An honest spiritual quest for the experience of God must be open to the whole spectrum of human knowledge. Otto’s claim is not that “the concept” not be preserved to the end but rather when reason’s quest is exhausted, one will not have experienced God because, as he insisted, God is not apprehended at the end of the human exercise of our critical faculties but only in the feeling that remains when reason’s probe has come up empty. Yet, if faithfully persevered to its end, failing to come to the experience of God, there is a feeling that remains. As we have noted earlier, Otto was saying the experience of God transcends the mind – the concept fails, but beyond the mind there is a feeling – not a subjective feeling, but a sense of the “numinous” – that aspect of deity which transcends or eludes comprehension in rational terms. Otto uses feeling not as an equivalent to emotion but as a form of awareness that is neither that of ordinary perceiving or of ordinary conceiving. As noted above, one of his contemporaries, the philosopher Rickert, explained “by the ‘numinous’ is indicated not the psychological process but its object, The Holy. Otto’s emphasis is always upon the objective reference, and upon subjective feelings only as the indispensable clues to this.” (p. xvi f). In her monumental study The Case for God, Karen Armstrong confirms Otto’s thesis. She puts the God question, the whole human spiritual endeavor, in the context of the whole human story. The persons, schools, movements to which she points and which she discusses have long been familiar to me through long years of theological work. But the picture she paints, the story she tells casts a fresh light on the whole human effort of “groping after God.” The book is divided into two parts. Part I deals with “The Unknown God,” covering the centuries from 30,000 B.C.E. to 1500 C. E. Part II explains “The Modern God” (1500 C.E. to the present). There is a richness and fullness in the story she tells and I will in no way give a full analysis of the work. What I do hope to do is lift up what is so striking in her work as it relates to our present theme _ © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 6 the relation of the heart to the mind, faith to reason, religion as a way of life and practice and religion as a rational dogmatic system to be assented to by our reason. With voluminous documentation, Armstrong established her major thesis that historically, from the earliest evidence of religious activity until the advent of the modern period, religious practice as ritual found transcendence in myth. She notes that many date the beginning of the modern period with Columbus’ voyage in 1492. While still a solidly Christian nation with Catholic monarchs, Spain was in an age of transition. Armstrong writes, The people of Europe had started their journey to modernity, but the traditional myths of religion still gave meaning to their rational and scientific explorations. (p. 162) But that would change in the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, the Catholic Counter-Reformation and the early breakthroughs in the investigations of the natural sciences, for example the work of Copernicus, Kepler and Galileo. Armstrong gives a rich picture of the interplay of reforming religion – Catholic and Protestant and the unlocking of the secrets of the universe. With the advent of the modern period, religious practice changed and, Armstrong claims, has brought us to the present unhappy place of aggressive, dogmatic fundamentalism and equally aggressive, militant atheism. In the pre-modern period religion was not primarily something people believed but something they did – its truth acquired by practical action. For example, she explains it is no use imagining you will be able to drive a car if you only read the manual or study the rules of the road. It is this perspective Karen Armstrong brings to the whole purview of religious history. The insight, wisdom and comfort of good religion are not the result of believing certain “truths” or creedal propositions but disciplined practice. She points to the musician lost in her music or the dancer inseparable from the dance – a satisfaction, she contends, that goes deeper than merely “feeling good.” It can lead to “ekstasis” – a “stepping outside” the norm. Religion is a practical discipline that teaches us to discover new capacities of mind and heart. This will be one of the major themes of this book. It is no use magisterially weighing up the teachings of religion to judge their truth or falsehood before embarking on a religious way of life. You will discover their truth – or lack of it – only if you translate these doctrines into ritual or ethical action. Like any skill, religion requires perseverance, hard work, and discipline. Some people will be better at it than others, some appallingly inept, and some will miss the point entirely. But those who do not apply themselves will get nowhere at all. Religious people find it hard to explain how their rituals and practices work, just as a skater may not be fully conscious of the physical laws that enable her to glide over the ice on a thin blade. (p. xiii) © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 7 For those who engage in religious practice – meditating, participation in liturgy and ritual – witness to the discovery of a transcendent dimension of life. That has been a fact of human life, but it was impossible to explain what that transcendent dimension was in terms of reason. Armstrong writes, During the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, a time that historians call the early modern period, Western people began to develop an entirely new kind of civilization, governed by scientific rationality and based economically on technology and capital investment. Logos achieved such spectacular results that myth was discredited and the scientific method was thought to be the only reliable means of attaining truth. This would make religion difficult, if not impossible. As theologians began to adopt the criteria of science, the mythoi of Christianity were interpreted as empirically, rationally, and historically verifiable and forced into a style of thinking that was alien to them. Philosophers and scientists could no longer see the point of ritual, and religious knowledge became theoretical rather than practical. We lost the art of interpreting the old tales of gods walking the earth, dead men striding out of tombs, or seas parting miraculously. We began to understand concepts such as faith, revelation, myth, mystery, and dogma in a way that would have been very surprising to our ancestors. In particular, the meaning of the word “belief” changed, so that a credulous acceptance of creedal doctrines became the prerequisite of faith, so much so that today we often speak of religious people as “believers,” as though accepting orthodox dogma “on faith” were their most important activity. (p. xv) That paragraph really expresses the heart of Armstrong’s contention as she addresses our contemporary situation with The Case for God. She does a marvelous job of describing the rise of modernity as it emerged from the late medieval period – the early development of the scientific method, the inductive method of empirical research and experimentation. She chronicles with clarity the triumph of logos in the mastering of the natural world, the growing consensus that logos was the sole means of acquiring true knowledge and how, in turn, the theologians sought by means of rational thought to express religious truth. Such a move by the religious scholars to abandon mythical thinking and seek to establish God-talk and spiritual reality by means of the canons of human reason – while understandable given the climate of opinion of modernity, especially the Enlightenment – was a disaster for it is an impossibility. And, further, it has led to the rejection of the spiritual dimension of our human experience and the abandonment of religious practice wherein the human family had found hope, comfort and healing. She describes the consequences of the move in the modern age of religious discourse from myth to reason. © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 8 This rationalized interpretation of religion has resulted in two distinctively modern phenomena: fundamentalism and atheism. The two are related. The defensive piety popularly known as fundamentalism erupted in almost every major faith during the twentieth century. In their desire to produce a wholly rational, scientific faith that abolished mythos in favor of logos, Christian fundamentalists have interpreted scripture with a literalism that is unparalleled in the history of religion. In the United States, protestant fundamentalists have evolved an ideology known as “creation science” that regards the mythoi of the Bible as scientifically accurate. They have, therefore, campaigned against the teaching of evolution in the public schools, because it contradicts the creation story in the first chapter of Genesis. (p. xv) Armstrong points out that atheism is rarely “a blanket denial of the sacred per se” but most often a rejection of some particular conception of the Divine. This can be demonstrated in the rise of classical Western atheism of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries as well as its present expression. Atheism is therefore parasitically dependent on the form of theism it seeks to eliminate and becomes its reverse mirror image. Classical Western atheism was developed during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by Feuerbach, Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud, whose ideology was essentially a response to and dictated by the theological perception of God that had developed in Europe and the United States during the modern period. The more recent atheism of Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris is rather different, because it has focused exclusively on the God developed by the fundamentalisms, and all three insist that fundamentalism constitutes the essence and core of all religion. This has weakened their critique, because fundamentalism is in fact a defiantly unorthodox form of faith that frequently misrepresents the tradition it is trying to defend. But the “new atheists” command a wide readership, not only in secular Europe but even in the more conventionally religious United States. The popularity of their books suggests that many people are bewildered and even angered by the God concept they have inherited. (p. xvi) But the whole broad picture of human knowing has undergone and is undergoing a major shift in understanding. Our era has no name except “post-modernity.” Obviously the label points to the contention that we as a human family in the pursuit of truth, knowledge of our world, have moved beyond the assumptions of the modern age with its certainty of logos as the only and final arbiter of truth. Postmodernity, the American philosopher John D. Caputo contends, should be “a more enlightened Enlightenment, that is no longer taken in by the dream of pure objectivity.” © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 9 Armstrong concludes her chapter on “Death of God?” quoting Caputo: If modern atheism is the rejection of a modern God, then the delimitation of modernity opens up another possibility, less the resuscitation of premodern theism than the chance of something beyond both the theism and the atheism of modernity. (p. 317) Armstrong concludes the section, “…how best can we move beyond premodern theism into a perception of ‘God’ that truly speaks to all the complex realities and needs of our time?” That is really the question in my mind which called out these deliberations – the need to move beyond the traditional theism which still prevails in much of the Church and Christian practice and yet be alive to an experience of the Mystery beneath, above and beyond our cosmic journey. Armstrong summed up our contemporary human religious situation as “the present unhappy place of aggressive dogmatic fundamentalism and equally aggressive, militant atheism.” That being the case, how can we move beyond such an impasse in which situation recent religious surveys indicate a growing percentage of people registering as “nones” – simply dropping out of religious engagement. Armstrong suggests “the only viable ‘natural theology’ lies in religious experience” and she counsels rather than looking for God “outside ourselves”…in the cosmos, we should, like St. Augustine, turn within and become aware of the way quite ordinary responses segue into “otherness.” Otherness – experience that creates the feeling that remains beyond all intellectual pursuit, the sense of something that can only be trusted, never proved, yet because of the experience no proof is required. In the New Testament the Johannine writings have been most helpful to me in wrestling with the God quest. John’s Gospel begins, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. Someone has translated that – In the beginning was the Intention. I find that helpful because it removes the term with so much baggage; everyone “knows” what God means. And then in verse 14, the Intention became flesh or human, and in verse 18 we read, “No one has ever seen God but the Intention that became human made God known.” That Intention in flesh, of course, is Jesus. To be fair to the text, the writer intends Jesus in flesh to reveal the God of Creation. Nonetheless imagine with me. Could it be that the Intention behind creation is revealed in the Way of Jesus? © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 10 Cosmologists tell us that our cosmos reaches back 13.7 billion years and who knows the future eons of time. And they speak of multiverses. Further, the more they know, the greater the mysteries of the unknown grow. But that is not our quest nor our problem. Here we are, the human race on planet Earth in all its richness of plant and animal life. What if the Intention for planet Earth, for humankind, was the Way of Jesus as reflected in the Sermon on the Mount? For example, Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. And again, You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous…Be perfect (mature), therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect (mature). In Luke’s account of the Sermon on the Mount, we read, Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. In the First Letter of John we read, Beloved, let us love one another, because love is from God…. Whoever does not love does not know God, for God is love. The writer repeats the statement of the Gospel, No one has ever seen God. But then he greatly expands where God may be found – not just in Jesus but, If we love one another, God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us. He writes further, God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God and God abides in them. Am I arranging John’s writings to say what I sense is a possible description of the Creative Source of reality? Is reality the fruit of Love? Of course I am. But, what if the biblical writer was trying to say more than he knew? What if the Intention of the whole creative process is Love? We are not doing very well, one might respond, and that is sadly true unless one takes the really long-range view from human origins, the rise from savagery, to the present, once again beset by © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 11 religious violence, yet with hope for a more humane world if only love’s way, the Way of Jesus, were enfleshed. Let me review: we are seeking beyond traditional theism and atheism some ultimate that creates a feeling beyond reason, a feeling that remains and assures us there is ultimate meaning to our human existence. I turned to the Johannine writings suggesting the Divine Intention is Love embodied in the human. Let me set before you a current situation facing our nation – the negotiation with Iran and give some background on the whole nuclear threat. The big issue today is trust. The President and Secretary of State insist it is not just trust but trust and verify. Nonetheless trust is key. In his book House of War, James Carroll gives the history of an early nuclear critical decision. I addressed this history a few years ago, from which I quote. Let me refer to just two critical moments in the history through which we have lived. The first moment was what to do with the newly discovered nuclear power. Secretary of War Henry Stimson wrote a memorandum to President Truman. Carroll writes: It was another of those events dated September 11, each one the center of a world in collision with other worlds. The impact of such collisions is our subject. On September 11, 1945, four years to the day after the groundbreaking of the Pentagon, fifty-six years to the day before the Al Qaeda attack on the Pentagon, less than a month after Japan’s surrender, and just over a month after the detonation of the Nagasaki bomb, Stimson composed an urgent “Memorandum for the President,” which began, “Subject: Proposed Action for Control of Atomic Bombs.” First Stimson told the President what the dawning of the nuclear age meant: If the atomic bomb were merely another though more devastating military weapon to be assimilated into our pattern of international relations, it would be one thing. We could then follow the old custom of secrecy and nationalistic military superiority relying on international caution to prescribe [sic] future use of the weapon as we did with gas. But I think the bomb instead constitutes merely a first step in a new control by man over the forces of nature too revolutionary and dangerous to fit into the old concepts. I think it really caps the climax of the race between man’s growing technical power for destructiveness and his psychological power of self-control and group-control – his moral power. If so, our method of approach to the Russians © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 12 is a question of the most vital importance in the evolution of human progress… The crux of the problem is Russia. Carroll comments further: “To put the matter concisely,” Stimson wrote, he proposed that the United States take immediate steps to “enter into an arrangement with the Russians, the general purpose of which would be to control and limit the use of the atomic bomb.” He suggested that by bringing the Soviets into our confidence, they would have reason to believe it when Americans said that “we would stop work on any further improvement in, or manufacture of, the bomb as a military weapon, provided the Russians and the British would do likewise.” This meant, and Stimson proposed it, that Washington would “impound what bombs we now have in the United States provided the Russians and the British would agree with us that in no event will they or we use a bomb as an instrument of war unless all three governments agree to that use.” Give up the secret. Give up the monopoly. Give up sovereignty over use. Give up control of existing bombs. Stimson, in the cover letter that accompanied this memo, summed up his proposal by using the word “share” twice. (p. 113f) Carroll relates how Stimson’s grasp of the situation with Russia in light of the atomic bomb was countered by Secretary of State James Byrnes. Carroll’s account is so fascinating because he gives us a glimpse behind the scenes from the perspective of history as to the tensions and arguments that raged at the time. Writing of Stimson, Carroll relates, So now he warned that relations with Moscow “May be perhaps irretrievably embittered by the way in which we approach the solution of the bomb with Russia. For if we fail to approach them now and merely continue to negotiate with them, having this weapon rather ostentatiously on our hip, their suspicion and their distrust of our purposes and motives will increase.” This reference to the atomic bomb “ostentatiously on our hip” is a tip off that this memo was essentially an argument against fiercely anti-Soviet positions then being taken by Secretary of State Byrnes, who had already proven to be something of a nemesis. Stimson had, the week before, criticized the way Byrnes was preparing for an upcoming meeting of the Council of Foreign Ministers in London: “Brynes [is] very much against any attempt to © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 13 cooperate with Stalin. His mind is full of the problems with the coming meeting of the foreign ministers and he looks to having the presence of the bomb in his pocket, so to speak, as a great weapon to get through the thing he has.” Very much against Byrnes, in one of the most remarkable statements ever made by an American statesman, Stimson presumed to assert in his September 11 letter to Truman, “The chief lesson I have learned in a long life is that the only way you can make a man trustworthy is to trust him; and the surest way to make him untrustworthy is to distrust him and show him your distrust.” I conclude the first critical moment by underscoring these last lines – the matter of trust. Trust or fear leading to mistrust; fear that often blooms into paranoia and a world community marked by paranoia is a dangerous place. Do you sense that the whole disastrous tragedy of the Cold War could have been avoided? Do you sense that at that critical moment in the history of the twentieth century trust could have changed the impasse of terror through which we lived on the brink of disaster? One more critical moment – the breaking down of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. We remember it well – the euphoria, the relief, the high hopes for a world at peace. From James Carroll filling in the background of the Reagan/Gorbachev encounters, I was struck by the stature of the Russian leader. It was he, not Mr. Reagan that created the possibility and effected the reality of the end of the Cold War. But this I point to because for the United States it was another missed opportunity – a missed opportunity to disarm the nuclear weapons that both sides stockpiled because of that earlier missed opportunity when we could have averted that arms race before it began. Russia wanted to disarm; we did not. I find it fascinating – even amazing that we repeat the score over and over. I am quite aware that much is at stake and I am far removed from centers of power and the inner workings of international affairs. Nonetheless, I will live and die in the Way of Jesus, the way of love, of grace calling for trust. Speaking thus, please understand I claim no divine insight or infallible truth. This role for me is one of bearing witness to my best wisdom and understanding. I am well aware the Way of Jesus is a costly way that goes against all worldly wisdom. Jesus was crucified. © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 14 Following in his steps, Gandhi was assassinated. Following in his steps, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Love as embodied in Jesus calls for loving the enemy, for trusting, for risking all for peace. Costly to be sure, but it must be abundantly clear Violence begets violence; Hate begets hate; Distrust begets distrust. What if the Eternal Intention was really enfleshed in Jesus? Then living in radical love is the only way to realize peace on Earth, in the cosmos. God is not to be found in our rational inquiry. The quest hits a wall. If God is Love, then to love is to come to an awareness of God in the feeling that remains where our rational search has failed. Sometimes our human experience itself would give us a clue to Love at the core. Let me close with two illustrations – one from history, one from the arts. Here is a report from Flanders, Belgium, December 24, 1914, as related by Jeremy Rifkin in his book The Empathic Civilization. The evening of December 24, 1914, Flanders. The first world war in history was entering into its fifth month. Millions of soldiers were bedded down in makeshift trenches latticed across the European countryside. In many places the opposing armies were dug in within thirty to fifty yards of each other and within shouting distance. The conditions were hellish. The bitter cold winter air chilled to the bone. The trenches were waterlogged. Soldiers shared their quarters with rats and vermin. Lacking adequate latrines, the stench of human excrement was everywhere. The men slept upright to avoid the mud and sludge of their makeshift arrangements. Dead soldiers littered the no-man’s-land between opposing forces, the bodies left to rot and decompose within yards of their still-living comrades who were unable to collect them for burial. As dusk fell over the battlefields, something extraordinary happened. The Germans began lighting candles on the thousands of small Christmas trees that had been sent to the front to lend some comfort to the men. The German soldiers then began to sing Christmas carols – first “Silent Night,” then a stream of other songs followed. The English soldiers were stunned. One soldier, gazing in disbelief at the enemy lines, said the blazed trenches looked “like the footlights of a theater.” The English soldiers responded with applause, at first tentatively, then with exuberance. They began to sing Christmas carols back to their German foes to equally robust applause. © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 15 A few men from both sides crawled out of their trenches and began to walk across the no-man’s-land toward each other. Soon hundreds followed. As word spread across the front, thousands of men poured out of their trenches. They shook hands, exchanged cigarettes and cakes and showed photos of their families. They talked about where they hailed from, reminisced about Christmases past, and joked about the absurdity of war. The next morning, as the Christmas sun rose over the battlefield of Europe, tens of thousands of men – some estimates put the number as high as 100,000 soldiers – talked quietly with one another. Enemies just twenty-four hours earlier, they found themselves helping each other bury their dead comrades. More than a few pickup soccer matches were reported. Even officers at the front participated, although when the news filtered back to the high command in the rear, the generals took a less enthusiastic view of the affair. Worried that the truce might undermine military morale, the generals quickly took measures to rein in their troops. The surreal “Christmas truce” ended as abruptly as it began – all in all, a small blip in a war that would end in November 1918 with 8.5 million military deaths in the greatest episode of human carnage in the annals of history until that time. For a few short hours, no more than a day, tens of thousands of human beings broke ranks, not only from their commands but from their allegiances to country, to show their common humanity. Thrown together to maim and kill, they courageously stepped outside of their institutional duties to commiserate with one another and to celebrate one another’s lives. An accident or reflective of the deepest core of our human nature – the enfleshment of the Eternal Intention? One more story from the drama Les Miserables. Jean Valjean finally free from twenty years’ imprisonment for stealing bread to feed his sister’s family. He finds hospitality at the house of the Bishop but in the night he steals the Bishop’s silver. The police approach him, bring him to the Bishop, as he had claimed the Bishop gave him the silver. The Bishop confirms his story claiming he did give the silver to Jean Valjean. And then after this act of pure grace, the Bishop tells Jean Valjean he has claimed his soul for God. By grace transformed, Valjean goes on to live an extraordinary life marked by grace upon grace. The drama ends with Valjean, an old man, sung to by the young woman he rescued as a child. She sings, To love another person is to see the face of God. In the film version Valjean is greeted at the Gates of Paradise by the Bishop whose act of grace transformed his life. Angels and those whose lives he touched © Grand Valley State University �Richard A. Rhem The Feeling Which Remains Where the Concept Fails Page 16 guide him into Eternal Light – one of the most powerful dramatic moments one can imagine. Indeed, to love is to experience beyond reason’s deepest probe, a feeling beyond reason’s search or word to convey. Two stories of love in human experience, one historical, one a drama. Do they not move us at the core of our being? And might that feeling stem from an awareness of something ultimate, of the Love that is at the core of Being? Of course, there is no proof for that because reasoned proof has no place in the quest for the Ultimate Reality, call it God or call it Love. But I have a Feeling…! © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Grand Haven First Presbyterian Church, The Community Artist and Speaker Series Location The location of the interview Grand Haven, Michigan References Rudolf Otto, Das Heilige, 1917, John Knox, The Humanity and Divinity of Christ, Karen Armstrong, The Case for God, James Carroll, House of War, Jeremy Rifkin, The Empathic Civilization Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-20150419 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-19 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Feeling Which Remains Where The Concept Fails Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 19, 2015 entitled "The Feeling Which Remains Where The Concept Fails", on the occasion of Grand Haven First Presbyterian Church, The Community Artist and Speaker Series, at Grand Haven, Michigan. Tags: Search for God; Mystery of God; Love at the Core of the Universe; Religious Practice. Scripture references: Rudolf Otto, Das Heilige, 1917, John Knox, The Humanity and Divinity of Christ, Karen Armstrong, The Case for God, James Carroll, House of War, Jeremy Rifkin, The Empathic Civilization. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c98ddff5e0281a6ac7b2dd3aa05db2b1.pdf 432379cb00559019784c1cb69552a8c6 PDF Text Text On March 27, 2014 At the Kaufman Interfaith Institute’s First Annual Interfaith Leadership Dinner at Grand Valley State University Sylvia Kaufman presented Richard A. Rhem with The First Sylvia Kaufman Interfaith Leadership Award Citation for Richard Allen Rhem You were raised in a Michigan Dutch community surrounded by the love of family which included not only your mother and father but also three older sisters. You described it as “like having four mothers”. It was a deeply spiritual environment that called forth your serious and authentic engagement which led you to your study at Hope College and then to preparation for ministry at Western Theological Seminary. You were ordained and called to the First Reformed Church in Spring Lake, Michigan. Following post-graduate study at the University of Leiden, in the Netherlands, you returned to the church in Spring Lake which later voted to change its name to Christ Community Church. Your commitment to inclusion and to an understanding of the expansive grace of God led you into controversy but did not thwart your journey of where God was leading you and the congregation. You spoke of a God of love, without presuming to know of limits of that love. You were called to serve, but not to judge. You were on a quest, without assuming certainty or superiority over those whose journey had a different language and practice. As one who early on embraced interfaith understanding and acceptance you are hereby acknowledged as the first recipient of the Sylvia Kaufman Interfaith Leadership Award. © Grand Valley State University   �Response to Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem Page 2   A Response Upon Receiving the Sylvia Kaufman First Annual Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem First Annual Interfaith Leadership Award Dinner Grand Valley State University March 27, 2014 Transcription of the handwritten document When I received the call from Dr. Kindschi that I was being awarded the First Annual Interfaith Leadership Award, I was quite overwhelmed and my wife, Nancy, says it was the first time she ever saw me speechless. I had to have a few moments to take it in. I was so honored, so humbled, so grateful. I had no knowledge that such an award was being contemplated. Thus I was taken completely by surprise. As the fact of the award began to sink in, I realized that if my ministry was to be noted and honored for any aspect of it, I would value most the dimension of interfaith engagement. And thus let me express my heartfelt gratitude for this honor. The one whose name names the award, Sylvia Kaufman, is one of the very significant persons in my life. My years with her on the West Shore Jewish/Christian Dialogue Committee were rich and, for me, life changing. I have valued the friendship and hospitality of Sylvia and Dick Kaufman – so much rich experience we have shared. It goes back to 1991, the first Interfaith Dialogue in Muskegon. Dr. Frank and Sue Pettinga provided for our Christ Community Pastoral Team registrations for the all-day dialogue between Rabbi David Hartman and Bishop Krister Stendahl. It turned out to be for me one of the peak religious-intellectual-spiritual experiences of my life. The theme was “Faithful Interpretation: A Jew and a Christian Reflect on Continuity and Change”. I still remember it with goose bumps! I remember Rabbi Hartman asking, “To experience your joy do you need to deny my joy? To hold your truth, must you deny my truth?” And deep inside me I knew the answer was No. © Grand Valley State University �Response to Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem Page 3   In the wrap-up evening session – I can visualize it still – Rabbi Hartman, who loved Bishop Stendahl deeply, asked, “Krister, must I become more than the Jew I am to be a child of God?” That was the question, of course, and Krister, who loved David, put his head in his hands and said, “David, I’m so tired!” And David said, “No, Krister, you are not too tired.” And of course, everything in me said, “No, David, you need be nothing more than you are.” It was a transforming day for me and the timing was right. I had written an article for a theological journal, Perspectives, published by the Reformed Church in America, of which I and my congregation were a part. The article entitled, “The Habit of God’s Heart,” probed the question of the extent of God’s Grace. I wrote cautiously but indicated my hope that God’s Grace was of wide extent – perhaps even universal. And so the day with Rabbi Hartman and Bishop Stendahl was a catalyst for moving me from religious exclusivism to pluralism. It wasn’t long before Sylvia had me on the West Shore Jewish/Christian Dialogue Committee, a committee I thoroughly enjoyed, with wonderful people from the Muskegon Jewish community as well as Catholic and Protestant communities. And every three years, another stimulating all-day Dialogue. In the mid-90’s some in the Reformed Church challenged our ministry at Christ Community. The catalyst was our hospitality to the gay community, but it soon moved to a challenge to my understanding of the universal extent of God’s Grace – a recognition of the wide embrace of God of all, no matter their creed or observance. I mention this because during those difficult times when we at Christ Community felt alienated from our own religious family, we were embraced by the Muskegon Jewish community. I felt the love and care of Rabbi Alpert, Sylvia and the West Shore Committee and the Temple family. To this day I feel the warmth and care they extended. Eventually the conflict with the Reformed Church was resolved and we gained our independence and we flourished as a place of Grace, open, accepting, celebrating the Grace of God that embraces the whole human family. I close with two stories. Before the local RCA moved against us, I was asked by our General Secretary in New York to be the RCA Representative to a “Think Tank on Congregational Affiliation.” Christian congregations and Jewish congregations were involved, seeking to determine why congregational participation was falling off. The workshop was held at the Center for Modern Jewish Studies at Brandeis University. I was invited to lead a Vesper Worship to begin the workshop. Preaching at Christ Community that morning (October 25, © Grand Valley State University �Response to Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem Page 4   1992), I shared with my people what I would bring to the Vesper Worship at Brandeis. I concluded by suggesting we Reformation Christians stemming from Geneva should go to Rome and heal the Reformation wounds. Then together Protestants and Catholics should go to Constantinople to heal the East/West split. Then, together we should go to Mecca to express our unity with Islam and, bringing them along, all go to Jerusalem to reunite with Israel – all of us embraced by the Grace of our Covenant God. You know what happened! The whole congregation rose to their feet and applauded – my first ever standing ovation! My people felt it in their hearts – the people know! One more story of an experience that confirms the intuitive sense of the people that we are all God’s children. I recounted this true experience in a sermon I preached at Christ Community on August 31, 2003, which was printed in a book of my sermons entitled Re-Imagining the Faith. This story happened to me last weekend. About a year ago a member of the church called and wanted to come in with his daughter, who wanted to be married. There was a problem. She fell in love with a young Jewish man. I said it was no problem for me; I’d be glad to do a joint service with the rabbi. A little while later the problem occurred on the eastern side of the state in one of the large Jewish congregations. The groom’s rabbi didn’t feel he could do a service with a Christian minister. I said to the couple, “Well, my friend Alan Alpert in Muskegon – Rabbi Alpert – I think he would do it.” They talked to him; they loved him. To make a long story short, we worked out a service which happened last week in the Amway Grand, and it is always great to work with Rabbi Alpert, such a dear man. We spent a couple of hours putting the service all together, all the pieces – who would do this and who would do that. (He did the Hebrew parts.) In my little meditation, I said, “One of my favorite musicals is Fiddler on the Roof, and when I first experienced it as a musical, I loved it. Someone asked about the significance of the fiddler, and I was embarrassed to say I didn’t have the slightest idea. So when it came out in the film, I was watching for a clue. The opening scene shows the fiddler on this steep roof, fiddling, and to be fiddling on a steep roof is precarious. But life is precarious, and how do you keep your balance? Tradition.” So I said to these two, “You both have wonderful traditions that have shaped and formed you. Now, don’t do as so many have done who come © Grand Valley State University �Response to Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem Page 5   from different traditions – just let them both go – because they are so important. They give you a life map, tell you who you are and guide you.” I told them sharing traditions is nothing new. In the Hebrew Scriptures in the Book of Ruth there is such a story, the story of Naomi and Elimelech. There was famine in Israel, they went to Moab with their two sons to get food, and the two sons fell in love with Moabite young women and got married. What were the boys going to do? They stretched tradition a little bit. Then Elimelech died and the two sons died. Naomi was left with two Moabite daughters-in-law. She wanted to go back to Israel. She started back and the daughters-in-law followed. Naomi says, “Look, I don’t have any more sons in my womb. Please, just go back. Why should you come and share my bitterness? Go to your people.” Orpah kisses her and leaves, but Ruth says, “Implore me not to depart from you for where you go, I will go. Where you dwell, I will dwell. Your people will be my people and your God will be my God, and where you are buried, I will be buried, and even in death we will not be parted.” Well, in this beautiful expression of a Moabite young woman to a Jewish motherin-law, traditions were transcended in love. So I said to these young people, “What a fortunate time for you to have fallen in love, because your parents flank you here and neither one of them are embarrassed about this or wish it wasn’t so.” There were 350 people at the wedding and white yarmulkes all over the place, for there were about 200 Jewish people from the other side of the state. I said that this was a beautiful celebration because we know today that religious traditions are to shape us and form us and help us find meaning, but not to isolate us and divide us, for they can be transcended in love and therefore be mutually enriching. The wedding concluded, they broke the glass, and away they went. Rabbi Alpert and I remained under the chuppa together and I looked at him and said, “Alan, when we step from under the chuppa, I’m going to give you a hug.” He smiled and said, “Okay.” So we did. You know what happened? The place erupted. It erupted in applause, and the applause didn’t quit until we got way down at the end of that long aisle. The wedding party had already exited the hall. They didn’t know what happened, and the applause didn’t quit because the people had seen a symbol, they had experienced a symbol of what in their hearts was a deep truth. © Grand Valley State University �Response to Interfaith Leadership Award Richard A. Rhem Page 6   Then there was the grand reception. Jewish people know how to have a party, how to do a wedding. There was wonderful music and a great band and vocalists. It was just marvelous. All of a sudden it was quiet and one of the uncles of the groom, a Jewish man, took the loaf of bread and said the blessing in Hebrew. I said to Nancy, “Oh, they asked me to say grace! I put the prayer in my portfolio which is in my room.” She said, “Go get it.” I said, “There’s no time. Maybe they’ll forget about it.” Just then the soloist said, “And now, Reverend Rhem.” I walked up there and of course, in the joy and celebration of this moment, I just gave a little prayer. You know what happened? The place erupted in applause again! It did! As I went to my seat, they said, “Bravo! Bravo!” People were experiencing a moment of truth. They were experiencing concretely what they know down in their souls: that good religion does not divide, but unites; that good religion does not denigrate, but affirms; that good religion enables us to transform all that would divide us. With the awarding of this Interfaith Leadership Award you honor me, and I accept it with gratitude and with deep humility. And I accept it also including my dear wife Nancy. When I asked her to marry me she said, “Yes, if I don’t have to be president of the Ladies’ Aid and you never ask me to pray out loud.” I agreed. But she has been at my side, my unfailing support. There have been many wonderful times but standing in our truth as we have, there have been some dark valleys as well. And, through it all, Nancy has been there, a source of strength, always believing in me when the way was hard. Together we thank you for this very great honor. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event First Annual Interfaith Leadership Dinner Location The location of the interview Grand Valley State University Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-20140327 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-03-27 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Citation & Response On Receiving the First Sylvia Kaufman Interfaith Leadership Award Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 27, 2014 entitled "Citation & Response On Receiving the First Sylvia Kaufman Interfaith Leadership Award", on the occasion of First Annual Interfaith Leadership Dinner, at Grand Valley State University. Tags: Interfaith. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Interfaith https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cbc0e12d266a22e60485ff407f172b1a.pdf 70c191248b665197dabd857234bf6747 PDF Text Text The End of the Human Story Humanity and Technology 2005 Muskegon Arts and Humanities Festival Lecture Richard A. Rhem Torrent House, Muskegon, Michigan October 17, 2005 The title of this lecture is “The End of the Human Story” – a title of intentional ambiguity. My Webster’s New Universal Unabridged Dictionary (second edition, 1983) lists ten meanings for the word “End.” Two of the ten meanings afford me the opportunity to reflect on the Human Story with all of the ambiguity to which my reflection has driven me. The theme “Humanity and Technology” has forced me to think in concentrated fashion on our present human experience about a broad range of issues of which we are all aware but whose implications we seldom take into consideration. The result of my reflection on the theme has left me with the ambiguity reflected in the title. One could take the title to suggest that I am using “End” defined as “the last part of anything; final point; finish; completion; conclusion,” meaning that I will be claiming that the human story is approaching its last days. On the other hand, “End” in the title might point to “the object intended to be reached or accomplished by any action or scheme; purpose; scope; aim;” or, “consequence; issue; result; outcome.” Therein lies the ambiguity of my title: will the explosive expansion of technology lead to humanity’s demise – the end of the story? Or, might technology be the means whereby humanity realizes its Divine intention, its purpose in process? Put another way: will technology lead us to the gates of Hell, the final conflagration, or usher us into Edenic bliss, the Garden of Paradise, the City of God? Lest I build too great expectations with such cosmic queries, let me say at the outset that both consequences are possible – Coming to our end, or Realizing our End. Which possibility will prevail I do not know. No one knows. But the value of reflection on the theme “Humanity and Technology” is bringing to awareness what must be the critical issue confronting the human family - not simply what as yet undreamed of possibilities there are for technological development but, © Grand Valley State University   �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 2   rather, given whatever technological advances that emerge, how will humanity respond in terms of control, utilization and application? Technology is not a neutral instrument; it has and it will radically transform a cultural paradigm. Yet, at this moment in our cosmic journey, human decisionmaking can still determine whether technological development will spell our end or be a means of realizing the full blossoming of the human spirit – which would be simply Divine. It is in coming to a sharpened awareness of the critical nature of the choices that even now confront the human family that the value of our theme lies. As one whose whole life has been given over to contemplating the human before the Face of God, I must admit that I have been shocked into a new awareness of the real situation of our present existence, literally teetering between the end and the End –between extinction and the next stage of human development. I suspect I have hid my head in the sand regarding the present crisis of the human project because I am a Humanist; I am a member of “the lead pencil club.” Indeed, though I read this lecture from a typed copy which I first received on my computer, it first found the light of day one word at a time, written in my barely legible hand-scrawl, as did all of the hundreds and hundreds of sermons, articles and letters I have written over my lifetime. Never having learned to type, the actual writing out of every form of communication I have produced has become part of the creative process for me. Further, I should alert you; I often refer to myself as a Dinosaur, indicating my total lack of technological savvy and my belligerent pride in being “out of it.” And thus you should hear me with deep skepticism – I am not a well-balanced commentator on things technological; I have been dragged kicking and screaming into century twenty-one. Yet, I have found, in the intensive concentration on our theme, that even a Dinosaur can be born again. I will always remain technologically challenged, but I know now that I cannot hide from the wrestle of the Human with human potential for good or ill that technology holds forth. Let me begin to address the subject by putting the issue of humanity and technology in an historical context. The tension between human values and technological development has a long history. Without attempting a full account of that history, let me simply point to what for me was new insight and understanding –the beloved Robin Hood of English legendary saga was not simply one who with his band of merry men took from the rich to aid the poor. In his Rebel Against the Future, Kirkpatrick Sale points out that the Robin Hood legends recount the struggle against the early English wool industry. It is probable that one of the real figures at the center of the legend was the victim of an early industrial policy of the rising English monarchy to encourage a native wool industry by transforming some of the commonly © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 3   held central forests into private grazing lands for sheep, and his troubles with the Sheriff of Nottingham no doubt stemmed from a clash between his desire to keep on using the woods for food and fuel, as his father and forefathers had before him, and the royal policy (proclaimed in 1217•18) of cutting them down for pasturage. This conflict between old and new, custom and commerce, was dramatic enough to fix itself in the stories of the locals, take life in several early narrative poems (most effectively in the Lytell Geste of Robyn Hode of 1495), and eventually be resurrected by several early 19th-century Romantic novelists (notably Scott, in Ivanhoe), from where it passes into modern films and fables … But for all the enduring resonance of this tale, in historical fact it was the royal policy of clear-cutting and wool manufacturing over the forest commons that prevailed. The heartland forests were enclosed and harvested, laid bare for grazing, and within a few centuries nothing much was left of either the great Barnsdale or Sherwood forests but a few scattered clusters of conifers and a few stately oaks in tracts deemed unsuitable for development; wool weaving became the key industry of England and woolen cloth for centuries its most important export, an enterprise nurtured and protected by a succession of kings and parliaments down to the 19th century. Robin Hood’s name may have lasted, and a legend about heroic commoners resisting the noble and the powerful may have become burnished by time, but in truth it was not the practice of robbing from the rich, nor the benefaction of the poor, that became the principle means of enterprise in middle England. (p. 2F) Sale recounts the Robin Hood legend of the 13th and 14th century to introduce his history of the Luddites who are his “Rebels” whom he uses to address our contemporary crisis created by the present explosive technological advances. It is fitting, and perhaps not accidental, that this triangle of central Britain, seven centuries after it immortalized Robin Hood, was precisely the site of the risings of the Luddites. The Luddites – many of them weavers and combers and dressers of wool, but many of them artisans in the cotton trades that became increasingly important at the end of the 18th century – were, like Robin’s Merry Men, victims of progress, or what was held to be progress. Having for centuries worked out of their cottages and small village shops on machines that, though far from simple, could be managed by a single person, assisted perhaps by children, they suddenly saw new, complex, large-scale machines coming into their settled trades, or threatening to, usually housed in the huge multistory buildings rising in their ancient valleys. Worse still, they saw their ordered society of craft and custom and community begin to give way to an intruding industrial society and its new technologies and systems, new principles of merchandise and markets, new configurations of countryside and city, beyond their ken or control. And when they rose up against this, for fifteen tempestuous months at the start of the © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 4   second decade of the 19th century, they did so with more ferocity and intensity than anything Robin Hood ever mustered, and were put down with far more force than anything King John ever commanded. The Luddites took their name from a mythical Ned Ludd – whose origins are still obscure … – but they were conscious throughout that they were traveling on ground trod by an earlier set of courageous troublemakers; one of the earliest Luddite letters was posted from “Robin Hood’s Cave,” another was said to have come from “Ned Ludd’s office, Sherwood Forest,” … (p. 3) Sale writes of the critical nature of the Luddite rebellion as the Industrial Revolution was transforming English life. The response of the English establishment threatened to betray the very character of the nation, sensing as they did that the whole future of industrialization was at stake. Sale writes, … the various Luddite armies that operated in 1811 and1812 were so carefully organized and disciplined and so effective in their attacks, causing damage to machines and property … that they seemed a strong and highly threatening movement of a kind Britain had not known before – of “a character of daring and ferocity,” the Annual Register for 1812 said, “unprecedented among the lower classes in this country.” Then, too, they had enough popular support in the manufacturing districts to be able to carry on their secret, illegal activities for months on end without being betrayed, despite official bribes and threats, nighttime arrests, and interrogations, suggesting to certain minds at least that they were only the most visible part of a very widespread insurrectionary – possibly revolutionary – tendency in the land. Moreover, their threat to the established order, both real and exaggerated, called forth the greatest spasm of repression Britain ever in its history used against domestic dissent, including batteries of spies and special constables, volunteer militias and posses, midnight raids, handing judges, harsh punishments, and a force of soldiers stationed in the troubled regions greater even than that which had sailed to Portugal with Wellington to fight Napoleon’s armies four years before. Last, and perhaps most important, the Luddites were understood to represent not merely a threat to order, as riotous mobs or revolutionary plotters of the past, but, in some way not always articulated, to industrial progress itself. They were rebels of a unique kind, rebels against the future that was being assigned to them by the new political economy then taking hold in Britain, in which it was argued that those who controlled capital were able to do almost anything they wished, encouraged and protected by government and king, without much in the way of laws or ethics or customs to restrain them. The real challenge of the Luddites was not so much the physical one, against the machines and manufacturers, but a moral one, calling into question on grounds of justice and fairness the underlying assumptions of this political economy and the legitimacy of the principles of © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 5   unrestrained profit and competition and innovation at its heart. Which is why the architects and beneficiaries of the new industrialism knew that it was imperative to subdue that challenge, to try to deny and expunge its premises of ancient rights and traditional mores, if the labor force were to be made sufficiently malleable, and the new terms of employment sufficiently fixed, to allow what we now call the Industrial Revolution to triumph unimpeded. The impact and implications of the Industrial Revolution were creating serious questions and deep foreboding in the minds and hearts of many of the thoughtful and reflective English folk of that time. Mary Wollstonecraft Godwin (living with but as yet not married to the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley), Shelley, his friend Lord Byron and Byron’s physician, Dr. John Polidori, spent the summer of 1816 in Switzerland, a summer of perpetual rain. Creating their own entertainment, they decided to see who could write the most frightening ghost story. Mary Shelley was 18 when she began to write her story and 21 when the book was published under the title Frankenstein, or the Modern Prometheus (1818). The numerous film versions of the story are in the horror film genre and mask Shelley’s real intention in the novel. The name Frankenstein has been switched to the Monster in the dramatic versions of stage and film; whereas, in the novel, Victor Frankenstein is the student experimenter fascinated with the power of electricity in lightning. He determines to pursue the secret of life. The reference in the title to Prometheus reveals what was on Shelley’s mind as she wrote – a modern Prometheus, not thief of fire, but attempting to become the Creator. Patricia A. Neil, in an essay entitled “Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein: Myth for Modern Man,” stresses the serious intention of the author about concerns which continue very much with us as we wrestle with the tension between human values and the explosive technological advances we are witnessing. Neal writes, The power of the myth of an unattended scientific creation, left to destroy innocent lives, assumes importance in the final decade of the twentieth century. The book questions the morality of Frankenstein’s actions. Did he have a right to create and abandon the creature? In her novel, Mary Shelley anticipated the problem of a destructive force created by man, a force with no genuine means of control. Kirkpatrick Sale likewise recognizes Shelley’s serious purpose in writing of her myth – … Mary Shelley’s prescient tale of techno-madness, Frankenstein, published in 1818, was so vivid a message of the dangers of mechanization and the problems of scientific invention – “You are my creator,” the monster tells the scientist at the end, “but I am your master” – that it has survived to today, unforgettable. Basically the same message, more philosophically put, would continue to be expressed as the century went on © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 6   by men like Thomas Carlyle, William Morris, John Ruskin, G. K. Chesterton, and Hilaire Belloc, and from time to time, in more literary form, by Charles Dickens. Thus, the recognition of the potential and peril of scientific knowledge and technological development has a long history, but the pace and peril of that development is increasing in our day, not gradually, but exponentially, creating, according to Kirkpatrick Sale, more passion and urgency than at any time in the past two centuries. He claims, … it stems from the now incontestable understanding that, as Business Week put it not long ago, “the United States is in the midst of an economic transformation on the order of the Industrial Revolution” – a transformation, like the first one, driven by swift technological and economic change and, like the first one, accompanied by vast social dislocations and environmental destruction. Call it “third-wave” or “postmodern” or “multinational” capitalism, this new order is something paradigmatically different, a high-tech industrialism of ever more complex technologies – computerization, robotics, biotechnology, artificial intelligence, and the like – and served by ever more remote institutions, notably the multinational corporation. And this new industrialism is sped along by the ministrations of the developed nation-states, especially the American one that generated the second Industrial Revolution, nurtured it with Cold War weaponry and space adventurism, and is now, with the Clinton Administration, prepared to launch it onto an “information superhighway” and an “automated battlefield” with unprecedented technological consequences. (p. 20) And what Sale saw emerging a decade past has arrived with a vengeance such that one of the key players on the technology stage is worried. In the journal, Wired, April 2000, Bill Joy, co-founder and chief scientist at Sun Microsystems, a large and leading computer company, wrote a powerful essay in which he expressed his shock at the rapid advance of the technology in which he himself was engaged and the potential for bringing the human story to its end. The essay is entitled “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us,” and a bold print subtitle gives the essence of the piece – Our most powerful 21st-century technologies – robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotech – are threatening to make humans an endangered species. Bill Joy relates the moment that his unease with the whole current direction in which new technologies are being created arose. At a telecom conference, he listened to a Berkeley philosopher, John Searle, discuss with the famous inventor and futurist, Ray Kurzweil, the acceleration toward the time we were going to become robots or fuse with robots or something like that. John Searle said it couldn’t happen because the robots couldn’t be conscious, but Kurzweil said such a phenomenon was a near-term possibility. Joy writes, © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 7   I was taken aback, especially given Ray’s proven ability to imagine and create the future. I already knew that new technologies like genetic engineering and nanotechnology were giving us the power to remake the world, but a realistic and imminent scenario for intelligent robots surprised me. Kurzweil gave Joy a preprint of his then forthcoming book, The Age of Spiritual Machines in which he described the utopia he foresaw – one in which humans gained near immortality by becoming one with robotic technology. Joy was sobered and his unease intensified; he felt certain the dangers were being underestimated, failing to understand the potential of a tragic outcome. He found himself most troubled by a passage detailing a dystopian scenario – that is a scenario of a state or situation in which conditions and the quality of life are terrible. This is the disturbing passage which Joy introduces with the subheading “The New Luddite Challenge.” First let us postulate that the computer scientists succeed in developing intelligent machines that can do all things better than human beings can do them. In that case, presumably all work will be done by vast, highly organized systems of machines and no human effort will be necessary. Either of two cases might occur. The machines might be permitted to make all of their own decisions without human oversight, or else human control over the machines might be retained. If the machines are permitted to make all their own decisions, we can’t make any conjectures as to the results, because it is impossible to guess how such machines might behave. We only point out that the fate of the human race would be at the mercy of the machines. It might be argued that the human race would never be foolish enough to hand over all the power to the machines. But, we are suggesting neither that the human race would voluntarily turn power over to the machines nor that the machines would willfully seize power. What we do suggest is that the human race might easily permit itself to drift into a position of such dependence on the machines that it would have no practical choice but to accept all of the machines’ decisions. As society and the problems that face it become more and more complex and machines become more and more intelligent, people will let machines make more of their decisions for them, simply because machine-made decisions will bring better results than man-made ones. Eventually a stage may be reached at which the decisions necessary to keep the system running will be so complex that human beings will be incapable to making them intelligently. At that stage the machines will be in effective control. People won’t be able to just turn the machines off, because they will be so dependent on them that turning them off would amount to suicide. © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 8   On the other hand, it is possible that human control over the machines may be retained. In that case, the average man may have control over certain private machines of his own, such as his car or his personal computer, but control over large systems of machines will be in the hands of a tiny elite – just as it is today, but with two differences. Due to improved techniques, the elite will have greater control over the masses; and because human work will no longer be necessary, the masses will be superfluous, a useless burden on the system. If the elite are ruthless, they may simply decide to exterminate the mass of humanity. If they are humane, they may use propaganda or other psychological or biological techniques to reduce the birth rate until the mass of humanity becomes extinct, leaving the world to the elite. Or, if the elite consist of soft-hearted liberals, they may decide to play the role of good shepherds to the rest of the human race. They will see to it that everyone’s physical needs are satisfied, that all children are raised under psychologically hygienic conditions, that everyone has a wholesome hobby to keep him busy, and that anyone who may become dissatisfied undergoes “treatment” to cure his “problem.” Of course, life will be so purposeless that people will have to be biologically or psychologically engineered either to remove their need for the power process or make them “sublimate” their drive for power into some harmless hobby. These engineered human beings may be happy in such a society, but they will most certainly not be free. They will have been reduced to the status of domestic animals. And, now here is the shocker, in Joy’s words: In the book, you don’t discover until you turn the page that the author of this passage is Theodore Kaczynski – the Unabomber. … Kaczynski’s actions were murderous and, in my view, criminally insane. He is clearly a Luddite, but simply saying this does not dismiss his argument; as difficult as it is for me to acknowledge, I saw some merit in the reasoning in this single passage. I felt compelled to confront it. Kaczynski’s dystopian vision describes unintended consequences, a well-known problem with the design and use of technology, and one that is clearly related to Murphy’s Law –“Anything that can go wrong, will.” … The cause of many such surprises seems clear: The systems involved are complex, involving interaction among and feedback between many parts. Any changes to such a system will cascade in ways that are difficult to predict; this is especially true when human actions are involved. I started showing friends the Kaczynski quote from The Age of Spiritual Machines; I would hand them Kurzweil’s book, let them read the quote, and then watch their reaction as they discovered who had written it. At around the same time, I found Hans Moravec’s book, Robot: Mere Machine to Transcendent Mind. Moravec is one of the leaders in robotics research, and was a founder of the world’s largest robotics research program at Carnegie Mellon University. Robot © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page 9   gave me more material to try out on my friends – material surprisingly supportive of Kaczynski’s argument. According to Moravec, … our main job in the 21st century will be “ensuring continued cooperation from the robot industries” by passing laws decreeing that they be “nice,” and to describe how seriously dangerous a human can be “once transformed into an unbounded superintelligent robot.” Moravec’s view is that the robots will eventually succeed us – that humans clearly face extinction. Joy wonders why more people do not share his concern and unease and suggests an answer: … Accustomed to living with almost routine scientific breakthroughs, we have yet to come to terms with the fact that the most compelling 21stcentury technologies – robotics, genetic engineering, and nanotechnology – pose a different threat than the technologies that have come before. Specifically, robots, engineered organisms, and nanobots share a dangerous amplifying factor: they can self-replicate. A bomb is blown up only once – but one bot can become many, and quickly get out of control. Much of my work over the past 25 years has been on computer networking, where the sending and receiving of messages creates the opportunity for out-of-control replication. But while replication in a computer or a computer network can be a nuisance, at worst it disables a machine or takes down a network or network service. Uncontrolled selfreplication in these newer technologies runs a much greater risk: a risk of substantial damage in the physical world. Each of these technologies also offers untold promise: the vision of near immortality that Kurzweil sees in his robot dreams drives us forward; genetic engineering may soon provide treatments, if not outright cures, for most diseases; and nanotechnology and nanomedicine can address yet more ills. Together they could significantly extend our average life span and improve the quality of our lives. Yet, with each of these technologies, a sequence of small, individually sensible advances leads to an accumulation of great power and, concomitantly, great danger. Joy summarizes what he sees as the clear and present danger that confronts us: The 21st-century technologies – genetics, nanotechnology, and robotics (GNR) – are so powerful that they can spawn whole new classes of accidents and abuses. Most dangerously, for the first time, these accidents and abuses are widely within the reach of individuals or small groups. They will not require large facilities or rare raw materials. Knowledge alone will enable the use of them. © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page10   Thus we have the possibility not just of weapons of mass destruction but of knowledge-enabled evil whose possibility spreads well beyond that which weapons of mass destruction bequeathed to the nation-states, on to a surprising and terrible empowerment of extreme individuals. That is a sobering conclusion from a very responsible and well-informed scientist who has made his mark as one of the chief architects of the present state of cybertechnology. And he declares, “… I trust it is clear that I am not a Luddite.” Rather, he affirms a strong belief in the value of the scientific search for truth and the ability of great engineering to bring material progress. Why is he surprised to find himself in his present state of unease and foreboding? Because, he writes, Perhaps it is always hard to see the bigger impact while you are in the vortex of a change. Failing to understand the consequences of our inventions while we are in the rapture of discovery and innovation seems to be a common fault of scientists and technologists; we have long been driven by the overarching desire to know that is the nature of science’s quest, not stopping to notice that the progress to newer and more powerful technologies can take on a life of its own. This is what he sees developing before our eyes. As this enormous computing power is combined with the manipulative advances of the physical sciences and the new, deep understandings in genetics, enormous transformative power is being unleashed. These combinations open up the opportunity to completely redesign the world, for better or worse, The replicating and evolving processes that have been confined to the natural world are about to become realms of human endeavor. In designing software and microprocessors, I have never had the feeling that I was designing an intelligent machine. The software and hardware is so fragile and the capabilities of the machine to “think” so clearly absent that, even as a possibility, this has always seemed very far in the future. But now, with the prospect of human-level computing power in about 30 years, a new idea suggests itself: that I may be working to create tools which will enable the construction of the technology that may replace our species. How do I feel about this? Very uncomfortable. Having struggled my entire career to build reliable software systems, it seems to me more than likely that this future will not work out as well as some people may imagine. My personal experience suggests we tend to overestimate our design abilities. Given the incredible power of these new technologies, shouldn’t we be asking how we can best coexist with them? And if our own extinction is a likely, or even possible, outcome of our technological development, shouldn’t we proceed with great caution? © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page11   There is much more in Joy’s essay, but what I have lifted up is surely enough to answer his question in the affirmative. Let me be clear – in all of this discussion of the accelerating pace of technological breakthroughs, I am over my head; nanotechnology is beyond my capacity to conceive. When I read of molecular level “assemblers” and that “one kind of nanomachine is the assembler, which is a tiny factory that can manufacture other machines, including replicas of itself,” I confess I am in a deep fog. But, I can at least catch some sense of the frontiers on which research and development is being executed. What it means that there will be robotic humans or human robots, I can hardly imagine, but I am now aware that this is no longer the stuff of science fiction; this is where we have arrived and where the next two or three decades will bring us if we survive – an open question! Joy puts is this way: The nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) technologies used in 20thcentury weapons of mass destruction were and are largely military, developed in government laboratories. In sharp contrast, the 21st-century genetic, nanotech, robotic technologies have clear commercial uses and are being developed almost exclusively by corporate enterprises. In this age of triumphant commercialism, technology – with science as its handmaiden – is delivering a series of almost magical inventions that are the most phenomenally lucrative ever seen. We are aggressively pursuing the promises of these new technologies within the now-unchallenged system of global capitalism and its manifold financial incentives and competitive pressures. This is the first moment in the history of our planet when any species, by its own voluntary actions, has become a danger to itself – as well as to vast numbers of others. And then he continues: “It might be a familiar progression, transpiring on many worlds – a planet, newly formed, placidly revolves around its star; life slowly forms; a kaleidoscopic procession of creatures evolves; intelligence emerges which, at least up to a point, confers enormous survival value; and then technology is invented. It dawns on them that there are such things as laws of Nature, that these laws can be revealed by experiment, and that knowledge of these laws can be made both to save and to take lives, both on unprecedented scales. Science, they recognize, grants immense powers. In a flash, they create worldaltering contrivances. Some planetary civilizations see their way through, place limits on what may and what must not be done, and safely pass through the time of perils. Others, not so lucky or so prudent, perish.” © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page12   That is Carl Sagan, writing in 1994, in Pale Blue Dot, a book describing his vision of the human future in space. I am only now realizing how deep his insight was, and how sorely I miss, and will miss, his voice. For all its eloquence, Sagan’s contribution was not least that of simple common sense – an attribute that, along with humility, many of the leading advocates of the 21st-century technologies seem to lack. For Bill Joy, there must be relinquishment – the limiting of development of the technologies that are too dangerous, by limiting our pursuit of certain kinds of knowledge. And, positively, he cites the Dalai Lama in his Ethics for the New Millennium as a guide to a more humane future – the call to conduct our lives with love and compassion for others, developing a stronger notion of universal responsibility and recognizing our interdependency. It is either such a course, or we stand in the shadow of catastrophe, the end of the Human Story. As much as I affirm Bill Joy in his recognition of the threat with which we live and his call for relinquishment of the pursuit in which we are engaged, I wonder if that is either realistic or even the best course to follow. Freeman Dyson, from 1953-1994, Professor of Physics at the Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, and now Professor Emeritus, was invited to address the assembly of the world’s major players at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January, 2001, as was Bill Joy. Bill Joy took the precautionary side of the question, “Is our technology out of control?” Freeman Dyson took the libertarian side. There were no votes taken on who won the debate; however, as much as I am in sympathy with Bill Joy, I must admit to voting for Dyson’s libertarian position. I surprise myself. I will not detail Dyson’s arguments, but let me cite only his conclusion in which he appeals to none other than John Milton in his Areopogitica. The last part of my reply to Bill Joy concerns remedies for the dangers that we all agree exist. Bill says, “Internationalize control of knowledge,” and “Relinquish pursuit of that knowledge … so dangerous that we judge it better that [it] never be available.” Bill is advocating censorship of scientific inquiry, either by international or national authorities. I am opposed to this kind of censorship. It is often said that the risks of modern biotechnology are historically unparalleled because the consequences of letting a new living creature loose in the world may be irreversible. I think we can find a good historical parallel where a government was trying to guard against dangers that were equally irreversible. Three hundred and fifty-nine years ago, the poet John Milton wrote a speech with the title Areopagitica addressed to the Parliament of England. He was arguing for the liberty of unlicensed printing. I am suggesting that there is an analogy between the seventeenth-century fear of moral © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page13   contagion by soul-corrupting books and the twenty-first-century fear of physical contagion by pathogenic microbes. In both cases, the fear was neither groundless nor unreasonable. In 1644, when Milton was writing, England had just emerged from a long and bloody civil war, and the Thirty Years’ War, which devastated Germany, had four years still to run. These seventeenth-century wars were religious wars, in which differences of doctrine played a great part. In that century, books not only corrupted souls but also mangled bodies. The risks of letting books go free into the world were rightly regarded by the English Parliament as potentially lethal as well as irreversible. Milton argued that the risks must nevertheless be accepted. I believe his message may still have value for our own times, if the word “book” is replaced by the word “experiment.” Here is Milton: I deny not, but that it is of greatest concernment in the Church and Commonwealth, to have a vigilant eye how books demean themselves as well as men; and thereafter to confine, imprison, and do sharpest justice on them as malefactors … I know they are as lively, and as vigorously productive, as those fabulous dragon’s teeth; and being sown up and down, may chance to spring up armed men. The important word in Milton’s statement is “thereafter.” Books should not be convicted and imprisoned until after they have done some damage. What Milton declared unacceptable was prior censorship, prohibiting books from ever seeing the light of day. Next, Milton comes to the heart of the matter, the difficulty of regulating “things, uncertainly and yet equally working to good and to evil”: Suppose we could expel sin by this means; look how much we thus expel of sin, so much we expel of virtue; for the matter of them both is the same; remove that, and ye remove them both alike. This justifies the high providence of God, who, though he commands us temperance, justice, continence, yet pours out before us even to a profuseness all desirable things, and gives us minds that can wander beyond all limit and satiety. Why should we then affect a rigor contrary to the manner of God and of nature, by abridging or scanting those means, which books freely permitted are, both to the trial of virtue, and the exercise of truth. It would be better done to learn that the law must needs be frivolous which goes to restrain things, uncertainly and yet equally working to good, and to evil. My last quotation expresses Milton’s patriotic pride in the intellectual vitality of seventeenth-century England, a pride that twenty-first-century Americans have good reason to share: © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page14   Lords and Commons of England, consider what Nation it is whereof ye are, and whereof ye are the governors: a Nation not slow and dull, but of a quick, ingenious, and piercing spirit, acute to invent, subtle and sinewy to discourse, not beneath the reach of any point the highest that human capacity can soar to … Nor is it for nothing that the grave and frugal Transylvania sends out yearly from as far as the mountainous borders of Russia, and beyond the Hercynian wilderness, not their youth, but their staid men, to learn our language, and our theologic arts. Perhaps, after all, as we struggle to deal with the enduring problems of reconciling individual freedom with public safety, the wisdom of a great poet who died more than three hundred years ago may still be helpful. (From The New York Review of Books: “The Future Needs Us!” February 13, 2003.) Preacher that I am, I suspect Dyson got to me with his argument based on the great Milton that the whole Creative Process has been fraught with risk. In the mythic story of Eden’s test, the human failed; yet, it was Milton who spoke of the paradox of “The Fortunate Fall.” Was it not in the fruit’s seductive lure that the human became like God, knowing good and evil? And throughout the human story of triumph and tragedy there remains that sense expressed in the Genesis myth that the human is created in the image of God. Volumes have been written on that conviction and I will not attempt to discuss it further here, except to remark that such a conception of the human expresses a profound sense of the dignity, nobility and potential of the human creature. It speaks, as well, of the connectedness of the Divine and the Human, as the human mirroring in some significant manner the Creative Source and Ground of Being. Again, as much as I affirm the call of Bill Joy to serious discussion about where technology is leading us and awareness of the risks and potential peril of the track we are on, I must say I simply do not believe the quest will be relinquished and further development halted. But, acknowledging that I am incapable of conceiving the spectors Joy envisions, I want to contend that, not only will his call for relinquishment not be heeded, but to do so would be to halt the emerging Creative Process that is unfolding through the human. The potential catastrophe to the human endeavor must be as great as has been portrayed by such responsible seers – we may be on the threshold of effecting our end; we may be bringing down the curtain on the human story. But, what if relinquishment short-circuited the emerging process in which the Human Story might reach its End –that is, its purpose, its full blossoming in the great cosmic dance? In the rapid pace of technological development, studies of over a decade ago may seem ancient. Yet, the questions with which we wrestle are not new, even if they suddenly appear more urgent. The Harvard scholar, © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page15   Professor of Divinity, Gordon D. Kaufman, wrestled with these questions in his wonderfully titled In Face of Mystery (1993). In a chapter, “The Corruption of Historicity: Freedom and Evil,” he claims it is possible to draw some notions about why and how our historicity becomes corrupted. After surveying the “corruptions of history,” he declares, The central point with which we must come to terms is this: whether in the West or in more traditional societies, the processes of modernization (into which the development of our historicity and agency has brought us) now confront us with dilemmas that seem to be increasingly unmanageable by us, dilemmas which can eventuate not only in the extinction of various cultural traditions but in the annihilation of humankind itself. Our historicity, that which gives us our distinctiveness among all living beings, has proved to be a mixed blessing. But it is no longer possible to retreat into non-historical, non-agential modes of being (as we have seen): human life has become so thoroughly historicized that such moves backward into a simpler form of animality are inconceivable. We must, then, attempt to take responsibility for this situation in which we find ourselves, no matter how great its complexity and incomprehensibility. We have no choice but to move forward into a further widening and deepening of our historicity, and of the agency and responsibility which it makes possible. There are further frightening problems. We will, for example, soon have to decide what kind of beings we should seek to become in the future, into what sorts of beings we should seek to transform ourselves. The most obvious point where this question is beginning to make itself felt is in recent developments in biology. We can now conceive the possibility of bringing about changes in the very genetic basis of human life, and we shall soon need to decide whether we want to do that. If so, in what directions should the biological substructure of human existence be moved? Should we think of our desired future as some sort of continuation or extension of the historical existence which is now ours? Or would some other mode of being, something above or beyond historicity, be more desirable? Can we even imagine a transhistorical mode of human existence? Would it be a form of life “beyond freedom and dignity,” to use B. F. Skinner’s famous phrase? – an existence in which we were conditioned or programmed in such a way as to function perfectly, without anxiety, stress, guilt, failures, crime, insanity; in short, without the enormous human problems which we have just been noting? If we could make the necessary genetic modifications to bring off a mode of existence of that sort, would that really be a gain? Or a tremendous loss? Are anxiety, guilt, failure, the threat of meaninglessness inseparable from the powers of creativity and freedom which make responsible historical existence possible? And is self-responsible historicity, with all its problems, more desirable than a perfectly programmed life, well tuned and adjusted, in a society without major issues that need to be addressed? © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page16   It is difficult to know how to answer such questions, or even to grasp what they mean. We have no concepts for thinking clearly about what we are here trying to conceive. The imaginative works of science-fiction writers may provide some suggestions, but it is difficult to know what should be taken seriously there and what is just fantasy. The old religious dreams about a heaven in which human life goes on in a perfected form, without any problems or difficulties, express the attempts of earlier generations to imagine a form of human existence beyond historicity; but the fundamental absurdities and incoherences of all such pictures simply confirm the difficulty (or impossibility?) for humans either to conceive or imagine a genuinely transhistorical mode of existence. This might seem to argue that in posing questions of this sort we have simply moved beyond our depth, and that we should, therefore, not bother ourselves with them. But that option is really not available to us, for the possibilities of actually changing the biological base of human life are clearly opening before us, and we shall have to make decisions about these matters soon. The human movement through a long history into historicity has always been a movement into the unknown; it has often involved fearful dangers and has resulted in tragic losses. To be historical beings means to take risks in face of unknown futures. Who is in a position to say that gaining some degree of genetic control over human evolution is not an appropriate next step in the development of our humanity, a next major move forward toward our fuller humanization? Our evolving into historical beings in the first place involved massive evolutionary modifications in the central nervous system and the brain, the development of the hand, the change to an upright posture, and the like. Why suppose these biological modifications are now completed? Clearly, we are in fact ill-adapted in many ways. We have bodies which gained their fundamental form and capacities during the long period when humans lived in small packs or hordes, the form of their life shaped largely by activities like hunting and food-gathering. But modern civilization is far removed from those sorts of patterns; historical changes in human existence have far outstripped the biological evolution which produced the physical organisms undergirding our existence. If it is becoming possible now to more directly adapt the biological organisms of future generations to match the character and strains of modern life, why not attempt it? Would this not be an important – even necessary – extension of the whole evolutionary-historical development which has produced humanity?(pp. 221-223) Kaufman is speaking of biological modification which sounds less threatening than the nanotech and robotics of which Bill Joy speaks; yet, his argument, I think, would be the same – in this risky cosmic dance into which our lives are woven, the story is of creative, evolving emergent forms and structures that © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page17   introduced radical transformations along the way. Was there any way to predict at the moment of the Big Bang that creatures of conscious awareness would evolve billions of years in the future? To cite Kaufman once more: …The traditional notion that God works through all of cosmic history – and is working in human history in particular toward the creation of a thoroughly humane order (that is, toward human salvation) – now becomes understood in terms of the modern notion of the evolutionary-historical process within which humanity has emerged and developed: the serendipitous creativity underlying and working through all reality is expressing itself here (over many aeons of time) in a trajectory toward human and humane orders of being. In a slow, long-term development of this sort the direction in which things are moving may, of course, remain unclear for a very long time. Not until a stage of considerable differentiation and specification has been reached is it possible to imagine, or make judgments about, what is really happening; and even then many quite diverse possibilities remain open. But each new stage of the ongoing biohistorical process specifies a bit more precisely what directions the movement is going and what outcomes may be expected, as some possibilities are cut off and eliminated, and others are opened up and increasingly realized; and there may come a moment of decisive “revelation” of what is going on in the process as a whole. Thus, for example, at the moment of cosmic time in which the earth was gradually cooling and solidifying from the ball of fire it had earlier been, there would have been no way to anticipate or predict that in due course it would become a womb and home for living creatures. Later on, when living organisms began to appear in the sea, it would hardly have been possible to guess that they would eventually evolve into myriads of species of life – birds, insects, animals, plants with infinite varieties of flowers and fruits, and so on. Even with the appearance of mammals it could hardly have been suspected that anthropoids would appear further down the road. And with the emergence of fully formed Homo there was still no sufficient basis to foresee the development of ancient Egypt, Babylon, India, China, Greece, or Rome – and certainly not the various forms of modern civilization. However, if from the vantage point of modern humanity we look back over this long cumulation of events, we may begin to discern what appears to be a more or less continuous line of development up to the present. It is striking to realize that this line was not visible until the last half of the nineteenth century; before that (even one hundred years earlier) it could not be seen at all. It seems, thus, that with a trajectory of this sort what is going on is by no means evident at all points along the way; the events which give it its distinct character and significance become determinate only in the course of the process itself. Only as certain crucial thresholds were crossed did new possibilities appear and in due course become realized; and only after many such decisive thresholds were crossed did beings appear with a vantage point enabling them to see that it was possible to interpret this whole development as somehow implicit from the beginning. One speaks of a “process of development” when one can specify © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page18   certain points or stages through which a particular trajectory has proceeded, the process as a whole being marked off and defined by some (at least implicit) beginning and end. “End” and “beginning” and “process of development” are thus all logically interconnected with one another; they illuminate and determine one another conceptually, and no one of them can be clearly understood –as the “end” or the “beginning” of “this particular process” – without the others. Because of these conceptual interconnections we are inclined to think of the end of a particular process of development as implicit from its beginning; and if it happens to be the process of our own development into humanness that we are considering, it will be of importance to us to attempt to see, on the basis of the direction it seems to have followed up to the point at which we humans now find ourselves, where it may be going. In a fascinating essay, “Praying in a Post-Einsteinian Universe,” David S. Tooland writes, What we think of as matter – whether it be a subatomic quark, a yellow low star like our sun, or a beehive – must be thought of as bound and condensed energy, captured in an eddy out of the torrential, buzzing flow set loose by the first chord of our cosmic symphony. We, the plants and the stars are warps or disturbances in the field of this ballooning, random energy.(Cross Currents, Winter 1996-97, p. 450) Tooland writes, We are all thermodynamic systems (heat users), and that means we are precarious balancing acts, moment by moment converting random energy into information/organization and, in the enterprise, loosing structured energy in the form of waste. …The universe is a gigantic communications network, a complex circuitry of instructions – most of which we can barely decipher. Consequently, the gap between nature and human culture has increased considerably … The natural sciences, we may now say, do archeological digs into the primitive signs and protolanguages of atoms and DNA molecules; the humanities deal with the more developed sign systems and meanings of the animated star dust we call human cultures. (p. 452F.) Animated stardust! What a magnificent image of the human –stardust that has over billions of years evolved/emerged in human consciousness. In poetic expression, Tooland declares, Offspring of stars, children of earth, we are great mothering nature’s soulspace, her heart and vocal chords – and her willingness, if we consent to it, to be spirited, to be the vessel of the Holy One. (p. 464) © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page19   In his book, Sodom and Gomorrah, Charles Pellegrino concludes with a chapter entitled, “God, the Universe, and Everything,” in which he begins by describing the immensity of the energy of nuclear power, and then writes, These are the realities of the world we are creating. The same fire that warms and lights our homes can, at any moment, be turned against us. This is how it has been since Homo erectus times. The difference is that now we are handling much stronger fires. Our rocks contain traces of metals forged in the hearts of supernovae. They are the ash of stars that lived and died when our solar system was dust. Refined, arranged in specific geometries, and tweaked in just the right way, the primordial ash of Creation can be made to echo, billions of years later, the last shriek of an exploding star. If we have retained as much dryopithecine savagery as Bronze Age and Iron Age Scriptures suggest, then the shriek may yet manifest as brief reincarnations of distant suns burning hellishly in the centers of our cities. If we are wise, and perhaps even if we cling to some of the lessons contained in those very same Iron Age Scriptures (“Thou shalt not kill,” would be a good start), the shriek will be harnessed, for decades to come, as a warm, steady glow in the reactor core. Born of Auschwitz, Pearl Harbor, and Hiroshima, Indian Point 3 (especially in this era of American and Russian nuclear disarmament) stands to become the ultimate realization of Isaiah’s beating swords into plowshares. There seem to be no limits to what the human mind is capable of dreaming and producing. But the one thought that stands foremost in my mind, as I study the cyclic collapse of past civilizations and dream of new machines for the advancement of our own civilization, is that as we begin forging the keys to the universe, we must be very, very careful that those same keys do not also open the gates to hell. (p.334F) Pellegrino’s book was instigated by Father Fernando, a Jesuit and director of Sri Lanka’s Institute for Integral Education, along with his colleague Arthur C. Clerk. The book closes with a dialogue with Father John MacQuitty and explorer Robert Ballard. Pellegrino speaks of the human evolutionary story. By the time of the dryopithecines – only a few seconds ago, by a rock’s standard of time – the numbers of nerve cells and the complexity of synaptic connections in the savage brain had been rising for millions of years. When the australopithecine “Lucy” stood upon the shores of Lake Turkana, the columns of her neocortex were already more alive with neurotransmitters, neuromodulators, and electrical charges than anything yet seen upon the Earth. As if following some true compass, the australopithecine lineages were diversifying into newer, even larger-brained tribes. Sooner or later one of those diverse branches was bound to reach a neural threshold. By the time Mitochondrial Eve appeared, the threshold had been reached and exceeded. Out of inanimate carbon, hydrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur had emerged consciousness. Carbon and calcium knew fire and flint, and most important, it knew itself. Knowing itself, and lonely, it amassed in the © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page20   river worlds. With consciousness and massing behavior, both promise and dread entered the world. Anything that thinks can build. Anything that builds can destroy. “The first thing that must be asked about future man,” Charles Darwin said, “is whether he will be alive, and will know how to keep alive, and not whether it is a good thing that he should be alive.” “The first thing I’d like to ask about future man,” Father Mervyn Fernando once told me, “is whether the evolutionary process stops with our present civilization or are there further stages ahead? If you look back to the origins of man, if you are really paying attention, you can get bearings and sights to peer into the future. As the diversity of life on Earth increased, some organisms became increasingly complex. Increasing complexity brought increasing consciousness, and now one conscious organism has spread from pole to pole, over the oceans and under them, enclosing the Earth in a single thinking envelope. And the envelope is becoming more and more unified. We see this happening before our very eyes.” The way Father Fernando viewed civilization, five billion people, seemingly mindless of what was actually happening, were creating a world mind connected by a network of satellites, telephones, and fax machines. The planet was acquiring a nervous system, and there was no telling what shape it would eventually take. What surprised me is how closely the priest’s vision of man’s ascent and ultimate fate agreed with the news of NASA scientist Jesco von Puttkamer: “The origin and persistence of consciousness are the key to our evolutionary vocation,” said von Puttkamer, who was part of the rocket team that put Scott Carpenter into orbit. “And it may be that we are already creating our next evolutionary stage.” For more than a decade von Puttkamer had been speaking about what he liked to call “the soul in the machine.” “It is an attempt,” he told me, “to explain why machines, in my opinion, as they get more complex, do become more responsive to humans. They become more sophisticated. They become more automatic. They become more independent. The robot spacecraft Voyager 2, as it flew past Saturn, was in a sense very independent from humans. One command beamed up from Earth triggered a whole chain of commands. So if you look at the inanimate matter all these automatic systems are made from –“ “Oh, my God!” I remember cutting him off in mid-sentence; then we both trailed off. The soul in von Puttkamer’s machine had raised something new in my mind and was raising a chill, a gooseflesh on my arms. “Do you mean,” I said at last, “that as biology has done with carbon and phosphorus and sulfur, so, too, are we doing with silicon, plastic, and steel? A © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page21   computer’s circuits, and the nerves bundled in my neocortex, move pulses of electrons around in organized fashion. Are you suggesting that by creating artificial intelligence, we may actually be creating our next evolutionary offshoot, that we are creating life?” “In a sense, yes. The computer chip is still inanimate matter, but it is obviously more than sand.” “But what is it that is more?” “An ever-increasing complexity,” said von Puttkamer,“which shows itself in terms of a consciousness.” As he followed the neural networks of modern computers backward through time, back through the ancestral and already primitive brain of Voyager 2, back past the human brains that had created the machines, and into the Earth itself – all the way back to atoms of carbon or silicon – he began to see that there must have been a continuing chain of increasing degrees of consciousness, which started with the simplest form of matter. “It has to start somewhere, and I figure it starts at the electron. The electron could actually be the unit of consciousness, meaning that human brains are simply the electron’s way of reaching increased complexity.” “You make it sound as if electrons do this by design,” I said. “And who’s to say there is no grand design?” “I try not to view nature that way.” “You wear the badge of Darwin with too much pride, Charlie. Be careful. It can blind you. A good scientist leaves all possibilities open, even the possibility that there is a grand design. Look at us, for example. We are building more and more complex machines, and we really don’t know why. We are just doing it. Somewhere we think it’s the right thing to do, almost as if we were following some deep-rooted instinct. We build Voyager 2 and plan to follow it with a whole generation of more sophisticated space-faring robots. We are forever reaching on, and if somebody asks us why we are doing it, basically we have no answer. We are just supposed to be doing it.” I never was able to stop thinking about those electrons …the way von Puttkamer had spoken about them. How is it that certain nerve fibers arranged in certain ways allow us to think? A lot of matter from diverse places (salts from Antarctica, calcium from a Triassic pond) was assembled, not very long ago, into the first diploid cell of the yet-to-beborn, from which unfurled genetic blueprints for a gridwork of brain cells. And although the electrons coursing through the neural grid are the basis of every thought we have, they somehow produce a mind that, as it asks questions and designs computers to help answer them, feels quite separate from the cells themselves. The electrons are working in our best interest, © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page22   supposedly. But when I imagine what I would look like if all the organic molecules in my body could be made invisible, so that I could look in a mirror and see only the paths of freely moving electrons, I know that the outline of my entire body would be there in every detail, brightest at the brain and spine; even the nerves in my fingertips and eyelids would show up as streams of electrons. As von Puttkamer would have it, the electrons, being among the very first particles to come out of the Big Bang, waited more than twelve billion years for planets like Earth to form and then to sprout life, waited for moments such as this. Perhaps it is really the electrons who are thinking these words. Perhaps our bodies are little more than vessels serving their interests, and as we set forth to design increasingly advanced artificial brains, it is possible to believe that the sine qua non of our existence is to build larger, faster electron vessels, perhaps even to eventually clear the decks for them, as the dinosaurs once cleared the decks for us. Viewed in this light, the history of the universe has been a tremendous waiting game. In the beginning, electrons emerged as the perfect parasites, fresh and hot from the Big Bang, awaiting only the arrival of the perfect host. If this is true, it is not I but the electrons coursing through my brain … who are looking back across all time and asking, “Where did we come from?” (p. 337F.) Father MacQuitty asked Charles Pellegrino where he saw humanity going. Pellegrino answered: “I’m not as optimistic as the others,” I said. “I’ve known Karnak, Jericho, BetShe’an, and Babylon too well to think we’ve got that much of a shot. There is a long, difficult road ahead, and it diverges here, near the border of the third millennium A.D. A thousand years from now we will either be an archaeological curiosity that our own descendant star farers look back to and ask, ‘How did they ever accomplish so much with so little?’ or we will be another in a long line of vanished civilizations – mysteriously advanced for our time and full of promise – just another lost Eden, romanticized and over-glorified forever. It’s the doors of heaven and Earth or the gates of hell, the universe or nothing. That is the choice man is coming to.” “Then you were wrong about something,” MacQuitty said. “What do you mean?” “You once told me that if this is how far we’ve come, we have not come very far. But that is not the whole story, my friend, is it?” “No,” I conceded. “That is not the whole picture. I’m afraid the real story is this: Whatever we’re coming to, we’re almost there.” Is there an End for the human story, an End in terms of an intention arising from a Creative Spirit as the Font of Being with a bias toward Life, Conscious Life with © Grand Valley State University �The End of the Human Story Richard A. Rhem Page23   awareness stumbling on its way toward an End of Love and Peace and cosmic wellbeing? Or, will we creatures who find ourselves at this point in the evolutionary trajectory, consciously holding the keys to the City of God as well as the Gates of Hell, instead of realizing our End, end the story in technological catastrophe? One will live in hope or fear not by an analysis of technological potential, not by peering into the depths of space or probing the mysteries of microbiology. Finally, this is a spiritual decision, a matter of trust or not. I do not think we can simply halt the ongoing march of the human quest; that will go on. The issue of the ongoing quest will depend not on whatever technology is devised, but on the human spirit, the human family that has become the co-creator of the future. In our conscious awareness, we know we are “animated stardust,” creatures in process, on the way to an as yet unimagined future which is our End. I know we can end it all; I choose to believe and so to bet that, rather, we will realize our End – by God! References: Freeman Dyson, “The Future Needs Us!” New York Times Review of Books, February 13, 2003. Bill Joy, “Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us: Our most powerful 21-st century technologies…are threatening to make humans an endangered species,” Wired, April, 2000. Kirkpatrick Sale. Rebels Against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution: Lessons For the Computer Age. Basic Books, paperback edition, 1996. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival Series Technology & Humanity Location The location of the interview Torrent House, Muskegon References Freeman Dyson,"The Future Needs Us!" New York Times Review of Books, February 13, 2003. Bill Joy, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," Wired,April 2000. Kirkpatrick Sale. Rebels Against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution, 1996. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-20051017 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The End of the Human Story Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 17, 2005 entitled "The End of the Human Story", as part of the series "Technology & Humanity", on the occasion of Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival, at Torrent House, Muskegon. Tags: Potential and peril of scientific technology, . Scripture references: Freeman Dyson,"The Future Needs Us!" New York Times Review of Books, February 13, 2003. Bill Joy, "Why the Future Doesn't Need Us," Wired,April 2000. Kirkpatrick Sale. Rebels Against the Future: The Luddites and Their War on the Industrial Revolution, 1996.. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2005-10-17 Potential and peril of scientific technology https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/ddc155b6533655547c7ae7d49becf601.pdf cec48942478c6d9084ae3ef3ce811b26 PDF Text Text Human Being in Freedom Marguerite Holcomb Lecture Muskegon Council for Arts and Humanities 2004 Festival On the Theme Freedom and Privacy Richard A. Rhem Torrent House Muskegon, Michigan October 11, 2004 Prepared text of the lecture I want to express my appreciation to the Muskegon Council for Arts and Humanities for being invited to be a part of the 2004 Festival and to the Marguerite Holcomb Lecture Committee for the opportunity to be the tenth lecturer in this series. I am honored to be a part of this Muskegon community event. The theme for 2004 is Freedom and Privacy and I’m certain that theme is coming to expression in various ways through the multiple events and media of the Festival. Recognizing that the selection of the theme may well have been influenced or determined by our present societal and global situation with the threat to our freedom and privacy through government measures to counter the terrorist threat, as well as the whole new set of complex issues arising from the worldwide Internet that has created the Information Highway, turning our global home into a neighborhood, I have chosen to think about the theme philosophically, theologically, reflecting on the nature of Human Being and thus the ground of freedom and privacy in the Creative Source of the cosmic drama of which we are a part. In the last lecture entitled “The Emergence of the Sacred in Human Being,” I sought to establish the claim that the freedom and privacy, the dignity and worth of the human being lie in the Creative Source and Ground of Being which I refer to as the Ultimate Mystery of Being, however that Ultimate Mystery may be experienced and named in the respective religions of the human family. This was clearly expressed in the American Declaration of Independence, as well as other writings of those Enlightenment thinkers who were the shapers of a new experiment in human government. These authors of our founding documents were shaped by the biblical story of Creation found in the early chapters of Genesis. The explosion of knowledge of the natural world and the rise of historical consciousness called in question the biblical paradigm and, in leading intellectual circles, unhinged the human from its grounding in the sacred. © Grand Valley State University   �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Those who divide the human drama into periods claim the Modern period is over and we are in the post-modern period - a period so named because its contours are not yet definite enough to define. Clearly, the term post-modern indicates movement beyond those centuries which witnessed the unfortunate and unnecessary conflict between Science and Religion and the emergence of modern atheism. If, indeed, we have moved philosophically and culturally into a new period in the human story, it is time for the religions and, in my case, the Christian tradition, to let go of those pre-scientific religious sagas and myths which conveyed profound religious/spiritual insight and wisdom, finding new language with which to speak of the spiritual dimension of Reality, language that is reflective of the best knowledge we have of the nature of cosmic reality. Thus, my major thesis in the previous lecture was: The freedom and dignity of the human will be best affirmed and protected if the biblical worldview is replaced by a worldview that is conceived and imagined in light of our present knowledge of the cosmic reality into which our lives are woven. Specifically, the biblical paradigm of a Creator God “out there,” calling into being a created order separate from the Being of God and over against God should be replaced by a model that sees Reality as one, the emergence of its Sacred Source and creative center. Secondly, and following on that conception, the Human must be conceived as the emergence of the Sacred in the one cosmic totality. The sacredness, the worth, dignity and the freedom of the human being is not something conferred on the creature by a God “wholly other,” in the language of Karl Barth, but rather intrinsic to the creature, the creature being the emergence of the Sacred in the evolving cosmic reality. The human then is not a creation in perfection in an initial state of innocence from which the creature “fell,” marking the human race as fallen. Rather, the human is the product of a process of billions of years of cosmic unfolding, the emergence of consciousness, of awareness, the emergence of spirit. I concluded the previous lecture with the contention that we are not robots marked by an inevitable fate, cogs in a cosmic machine grinding on its way. We are sacred, for we are the emergence of the Sacred Ground and the Source of Being in the concrete drama of cosmic unfolding, the drama of history whose future lies in our hands. We possess the terrifying gift of freedom to create paradise or destroy the human experience as the emergence of the Sacred in the cosmic story. Our world is at a crisis point because we have not only emerged to this stage of consciousness with the gift of freedom, but we have the technology that can either transform the Earth into a Garden of Eden or into an uninhabitable wasteland © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 3   cutting short the human story. I closed the last lecture with a question as well as a beautiful image. I asked: Will we be able to break free from old paradigms and patterns of behavior that have written a history of violence, war and destruction? Is human transformation possible, given the entrenched ideologies that continue to find expression? Barbara Marx Hubbard in Conscious Evolution (p. 10) provides the image. She writes, Let’s compare our situation with the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. When the caterpillar weaves its cocoon, imaginal disks begin to appear. These disks embody the blueprint of the butterfly yet to come. Although the disks are a natural part of the caterpillar’s evolution, its immune system recognizes them as foreign and tries to destroy them. As the disks arrive faster and begin to link up, the caterpillar’s immune system breaks down and its body begins to disintegrate. When the disks mature and become imaginal cells, they form themselves into a new pattern, thus transforming the disintegrating body of the caterpillar into the butterfly. The breakdown of the caterpillar’s old system is essential for the breakthrough of the new butterfly. Yet, in reality the caterpillar neither dies nor disintegrates, for from the beginning its hidden purpose was to transform and be reborn as the butterfly. I have been working in this area of the human as the emergence of the Sacred, Creative Center of being, what I speak of as the Ultimate Mystery of being, for some time now because I see this complex of ideas as providing an understanding of God, the human, and contemporary cosmology. The Ultimate Mystery of being is the Creative Source of the one cosmic reality, immanent within it and coming to extrinsic manifestation as consciousness and spirit, as awareness and creativity in the Human. I was pleased to come on a book just a short time ago written from the perspective of a scientist who was probing the same ideas. Harold Morowitz has written The Emergence of Everything, published by Oxford University Press in 2002. A reviewer, Philip Clayton, gives a concise summary and affirmation of the work: This is a brilliant book. Biophysicist Harold Morowitz has provided the first state-of-the-art overview of the theory of emergence across the scientific disciplines. Neither too detailed nor too abstract, his 28 stages of emergence trace the history of the universe from the Big Bang through the appearance of cuture, philosophy and spirituality. No other work has laid out the core case for emergence - and hence against the ultimacy of reductionism - across the whole spectrum of science. This introduction to emergence theory should guide philosophers of science and © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 4   anthropologists, theologians and metaphysicians, as they reflect on the nature of Homo sapiens and our place in the cosmos. It is always exciting to discover that one is not alone in wrestling with questions of profound significance for the understanding and destiny of Human Being. Much of the scientific data is beyond my capacity to comprehend, but Morowitz not only chronicles the emergents that mark the history of the universe, but goes on to reflect philosophically and theologically on the data and comes to a view very similar to what I have been setting forth. For example, in a chapter entitled “Science and Religion,” he writes, Thus far we have been dealing with 15 billion years of emergence. Sometime over the last 5 million years, something radically different occurred: the emergence of a species capable of attempting to understand cosmic history and purpose and capable of altering some small portion of the universe in ways far more radical than anything in the past.... Twelve billion years of emergence finally led to a creature who had the ability and chose to ask, “What does it mean?” Eating at the tree of knowledge seems like an inevitable consequence of the development of the universe. There is little doubt from current understanding that there must be a large number of planets upon which intelligent beings may be asking for the meaning of the universe. (P. 194) Morowitz points to the emergence of consciousness as I have above, although my concern has been to create the context for the Freedom of the Human Being. But he acknowledges the same possibility for good or evil that inheres in the magnificent emergence of the Human. He writes, But the kind of transcendence that comes with the human mind is a twoedged sword. The same kind of activity that leads to antibiotics can lead to germ warfare. With transcendence comes the awesome power to choose good or evil. Choice emerges with consciousness. We have argued that the fitness of consciousness is that, given the huge variety of environments, one can distinguish far more states than can be encoded for. Making the fit choice then becomes advantageous. This is the beginning of free will. When it is finally combined with the ability to understand the consequences of interactions, our collective behavior becomes transcendence. I am aware that this is a startling, frightening, and thoroughly heretical conclusion. If our evolving minds are the transcendence of the immanent God, then the responsibility of making a better world is ours, as is the responsibility of figuring out what we mean by a better world. Our exemplars, Moses, Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed, and many more are those who have struggled the most in the search for the path of life. We have no © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 5   one to turn to except ourselves and our exemplars. We are the third branch of the trinity. We dare not turn away from the task. There are no limits. Computers and genetic engineering give us whole new pathways in our transcendence. Emergence is not through with us or our universe. We must celebrate our divinity and go on with the nitty-gritty of the world. We can change the world for the benefit of mankind. We, Homo sapiens, are the transcendence of the immanent God. “We are God,” the best and worst of us. The statement embodies such hubris that it is hard even to announce, but I believe it contains a profound truth. The immanent God is knowable to us through our science, and the transcendent God is knowable to us through our actions. It is not the God of our ancient and revered faiths, but the world has changed, and we too must change our thinking. The intermediate emergent, God, must be understood next. (Pp. 194-95) Morowitz’s final chapter is entitled “The Task Ahead,” which concludes: To those who believe that we are the mind, the volition, and the transcendence of the immanent God, our task is huge. We must create and live an ethics that optimizes human life and moves to the spiritual. To do this, we must use our science, our knowledge of the mind of the immanent God. I am reminded of the words of the Talmudist: “It is not up to you to finish the task: neither are you free to cease from trying.” (P. 200) Perhaps by now you are thinking that all of this is a long way from the assigned theme, “Freedom and Privacy,” and I acknowledge that. However, I began with the intention of reflecting on that theme philosophically and theologically. I have attempted to establish that the Human is the emergence of the Sacred and that, although operating with what for us is an untenable worldview, a worldview dissolved by the discoveries of modern Science, the American Creed of “certain inalienable rights,” among them life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, rooted as it was in the Biblical Story, was grounded in the conviction that the Sacred Ground of Being is the Guarantor of Human Freedom and Dignity. We have rooted those inalienable rights, the freedom and dignity of the Human in the Ultimate Mystery of Being as well, but I have argued, in contrast to traditional theism, that the Human is the Emergence of that Sacred Source of Being - indeed, that the Human Being in Freedom is the incarnation of that Ultimate Mystery, now become the agent of ongoing Creation responsible for the future unfolding of the Cosmic Story. The awesome truth is that the gift of creativity and the freedom that we possess by the very nature of being human, place the future in our hands. One might respond that such a responsibility and such a task to create the Human Future in the unfolding Cosmic Drama is more than the Human can bear. © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 6   No wonder the religions that claim an omnipotent God who creates, grounds, and guarantees the universe and cares for the human creature has had such an attraction. But, knowing what we know, fleeing to such a refuge is irresponsible wishful thinking. There will be no dramatic intervention from some imagined Beyond to save us from our destructive, warring ways. What will we do with our freedom and privacy? As I have wondered about this question, I have come to the realization, in light of what rests in our hands, that I must re-think Freedom and Privacy. We have experienced the precious heritage of freedom and privacy in this nation. Not only is the Human free as emergent of Ultimate Being and not only does the human possess privacy because finally the inner sanctum of the mind and spirit cannot be penetrated, but in the American experience, in contrast to so many of Earth’s children, we have lived the human experience in a nation whose constitutional structures were expressly shaped to protect our freedom from the encroachment of government and to guard our Privacy from invasion by the agencies of the State. We have shared a precious heritage in a grand tradition of constitutional liberalism - understanding liberalism in the classic nineteenth-century sense, meaning concerned with individual, economic, political, and religious liberty. In light of our discussion, placing the Future in our hands, I suggest that we must think again about Freedom and Privacy as they relate to what we might envision as a more humane human future in the emerging cosmic drama. I am nudged in this direction by the German theologian Jürgen Moltmann in an essay entitled “God Means Freedom,” appearing in a volume, Humanity in God. Moltmann does not develop cosmology and emergence as I have done here; he operates out of a traditional theistic conception of God. His discussion of Freedom, however, is most helpful as I think about the task before us. Moltmann distinguishes between Freedom as Lordship and Freedom as Fellowship, an important distinction, I must say, of which I had never thought. In his words: Politicians and revolutionaries, pietists and atheists - many people talk about freedom, but they do not mean the same thing. Obviously, it is not easy to define freedom. There are so many freedoms: freedom of religion, freedom of conscience, freedom of thought, freedom of trade, free economic exchange, free enterprise, free love, and even alcohol-free drinks. There are many things we call free. What then do we mean by freedom? And what is true freedom? The first definition we know from political history defines freedom as lordship. Since all previous history can be interpreted as a continuing battle for power, the so-called free, the victors in battle, are those who rule. Those who lost, who are subjected and exploited, are called unfree ... © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 7   When we say today that people who can do or have what they want are free, then we understand freedom as lordship, a lordship of people over themselves. When we say today that someone who is not pressured by inner or outer forces is free, then we understand freedom as lordship... Modern liberalism involves possessive individualism. It replaced royal absolutism and feudalism in Western Europe and remained cast in the mold of the feudal lord. The liberals say that everyone who carries the human face has the same right of freedom. The limit of the freedom of each individual is only the freedom and property of the other. Those who claim their own freedom must respect the same freedom for others. But that means also that for modern liberalism, freedom is defined as lordship. Each one sees the other as a competitor in the battle for power and ownership. Each one exists for the other only as the limitation of freedom. Each one is for himself or herself free, but no one takes interest in the other. This results in a society of freer, but lonelier, people. No one cares for the other; everyone cares for himself or herself. Freedom has then really become public. Every person has a right to freedom. But is this really true freedom? Is this not the narcissism of the modern Western world? The other definition we know from social history defines freedom not as lordship but as community. In my earlier comments on the glory and misery of modern liberalism, I said that the truth of freedom is love. Only in love does human freedom come to its truth. I am free and feel myself to be free when I am recognized and accepted by others and when I, for my part, recognize and accept others. I become truly free when I open my life for others and share it with them, and when others open their lives for me and share their lives with me. Then the other person is no longer a limitation of my freedom but the completion of it. A communal and mutual freedom - that is, our freedom - evolves out of your freedom and my own freedom. In this mutual participation in life, individuals are freed from the limitations of their own individuality. They can transcend themselves in the open community. This is the social side of freedom. We call it love or solidarity... Divide et impera - divide and conquer - this is and was the well-known method of lordship. As long as freedom means lordship, people must separate, isolate, segregate, and differentiate everything in order to control it. But if freedom means community, then one experiences the wholeness of all separated things. The history of German and Anglo-Saxon languages confirms that community is the root of the word freedom: Whoever is free is friendly, well disposed, open, delightful, and loving. This understanding is found in the concept of hospitality - in the German gastfrei, which means, literally, “free for guests.” Those who are hospitable never rule over their guests and © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 8   they are never without them. They are capable of community with strangers. They let strangers participate in their life; they are interested in the lives of others. Freedom as lordship destroys community. Freedom as lordship is freedom in its untruth. The truth of human freedom lies in love. It leads to unrestricted, solid, and open communities of mutual help. Only this freedom as community can heal the wounds, which freedom as lordship has caused and continues to cause. (Pp. 62-65) I am struck by Moltmann’s distinction between Freedom as Lordship and Freedom as Community. Having taken for granted the Freedom defined by classic nineteenth-century Liberalism as the highest human possibility, I must face Moltmann’s claim that it does have the element of Lordship at its core and thus I am wondering if we do not need to think again about our present human situation which has become a Global Village. Is it not time to give up Freedom as Lordship and begin to work for Freedom as Community which, at its heart, is love that creates unity rather than Lordship that divides? Let me speak personally; I am a Christian and a religious pluralist. I reject all Christian exclusivism and triumphalism. But, I find my human vision in the Way of Jesus of Nazareth, the Jewish Rabbi whose life and death became the inspiration of the Christian Religion. I have been working in another area besides the imagining of the Human as the emergence of the Sacred, as the incarnation of the Ultimate Mystery of Being. That other area of concern has been the possibility of Peace in a dangerous world teetering on the brink of disaster. I see our only hope in pursuing a path such as that that came to expression in the Way of Jesus, that is in a concrete human existence that was so remarkable that those who encountered him saw in him the embodiment of God. And here I connect my two claims: that the Divine has emerged in the human; that the Way of Jesus is an instance of emergence that holds hope for our world. What do we see in Jesus? Obviously, I cannot begin here to spell that out, except to say, here was a teacher and leader who in that historical context of Roman Imperial power dominating and exploiting the life of the Jewish people, ordering the everyday life of the people through the collaboration of the Sadducean Priestly elite, dared to speak truth to power. In the finest tradition of the Hebrew prophets, Jesus made a prophetic protest against the domination system that held the Jewish people hostage. I need not flesh that out more than to say, as I have so often said, © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page 9   He died the way he died because he lived the way he lived. Death through crucifixion was the imperial response to Jesus’ prophetic challenge, even though that challenge was non-violent, an instrument of prophetic protest used by Gandhi in India’s freedom drive and Martin Luther King’s civil rights movement. That Jesus captured my imagination and the passion of my heart. No longer was my mission the salvation of souls for an eternal reward in heaven. No longer was the main event in another place and another time, but rather the creation of a new humanity for global community marked by justice and compassion and issuing in Shalom where no one would hurt or destroy and all would dwell without fear in Freedom. It was at this point that I began to feel compelled more and more to follow the Way of Jesus in concrete human existence. Where once I avoided the Sermon on the Mount because I did not know what to do with the impossible ethic there advocated, I now came to see Jesus’ teaching not as hopelessly idealistic and wholly unrealistic, but as truly the only hope of the world. My Lenten preaching pointed more and more to the Way of Jesus that led to his death with the painful recognition that in our present situation we are the Imperial Power which once was Rome. I was troubled when our President began to speak of the “Axis of Evil” and in a sermon I suggested it was our place as the concentration of power - the only superpower - to attempt to sit down with these so-called “rogue nations” and ask about their hopes and dreams, to learn of their humiliation and their frustration that were driving them to dangerous desperation. And then the group of Neo-Conservatives presently dominant in the Administration released their working document on that New American Century advocating the Pax Americana and American Empire, advocating the build-up of military might in order to create and dominate a “unipolar world.” The horror of 9/11 was the opening these ideologues needed to actualize their vision. The tragic debacle of Iraq is the consequence which now hangs as an albatross around our neck - and the world is more dangerous than ever. Being absorbed with the Iraqi misadventure, we turned our focus and our resources from the real issue - dealing with terrorism - its perpetrators and its roots and we have provided the greatest motivation possible for further terrorist recruitment, while alienating most of the international community. So, I come in this consideration of Freedom and Privacy to a place I could not have predicted - recognizing the Freedom conceived in our founding documents the Freedom of classic Liberalism which, for all the benefits it has provided and all the amelioration of the human situation it has effected, is finally a freedom of © Grand Valley State University �Human Being in Freedom Richard A. Rhem Page10   Lordship in a world that has progressed to a point where that is a dangerous enterprise that must be replaced with a movement toward the Freedom of Community whose heart is Love. The Human is the emergence of the Sacred, the coming to expression of the Divine, the Ultimate Mystery of Being. The Human is thus sacred marked in essence by creativity, freedom, worth and dignity. But, the freedom and privacy of the Human must begin to be understood and actualized not in narrow individualism, but in community - global community bonded in love. Hopelessly idealistic? No, rather, utterly realistic and the most urgent imperative of our time: The only hope for a Human future! References: Barbara Marx Hubbard. Conscious Evolution: Awakening our Social Potential. New World Library, 1998. Jurgen Moltmann, “God Means Freedom,” a chapter in Humanity in God, authors Elizabeth Moltmann-Wendel and Jurgen Moltmann. Pilgrim Press, 1983. Harold Morowitz. The Emergence of Everything. Oxford University Press, 2002. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival Series Second Talk of Two Location The location of the interview Torrent House, Muskegon References Barbara Marx Hubbard. Conscious Evolution: Awakening our Social Potential, 1998. Jurgen Moltmann, "God Means Freedom," in Humanity in God, 1983. Harold Morowitz. The Emergence of Everything, 2002. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-20041011 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Human Being in Freedom Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 11, 2004 entitled "Human Being in Freedom", as part of the series "Second Talk of Two", on the occasion of Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival, at Torrent House, Muskegon. Tags: Emergence of the Sacred, Immanence. Scripture references: Barbara Marx Hubbard. Conscious Evolution: Awakening our Social Potential, 1998. Jurgen Moltmann, "God Means Freedom," in Humanity in God, 1983. Harold Morowitz. The Emergence of Everything, 2002.. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-10-11 Emergence of the Sacred Immanence https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/cc40c3f4dfac3402bcfd854d2261eaf1.pdf 509624808df6453e49bd6b4166addf28 PDF Text Text The Emergence of the Sacred in Human Being For the Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival, On the theme “Freedom and Privacy” Richard A. Rhem Torrent House Muskegon, Michigan October 4, 2004 Prepared text of the lecture It is an honor to be the tenth Marguerite Holcomb lecturer and to be included on the program of the 2004 Muskegon Arts and Humanities Festival. In all my years of preaching, even though I observed the Church Year calendar and loved the great festivals of that calendar, I resisted using the Lectionary which provided a four-fold set of scripture readings for each Sunday and all Feast Days. For me, it was part of the creative process to wrestle with season, scripture and theme. And so, when Mr. Ford called me to invite me to give these lectures and gave me, as well, the theme “Freedom and Privacy,” my only hesitation in accepting the invitation was the assignment of the theme. I have insisted on determining my themes in private, with freedom, you see! Freedom and Privacy? What qualifies me to address such a subject? But, then, in his own inimitable fashion, Mr. Ford continued, suggesting I could really develop the subject in any way I chose, even if the theme was not at all evident. I was also encouraged by a gracious letter from Martha Ferriby in which she wrote: The theme of the 2004 Festival is “Freedom and Privacy.” With that theme in mind, we have no preconceived approaches you should take. We encourage you to develop your own presentation consistent with your area of specialization ... You are encouraged to consider the wide range of subjects touching our contemporary world within your area of expertise. That was the permission I needed to think about “Freedom and Privacy” philosophically and theologically. I suspect, although I do not know, that the theme was determined in light of our contemporary situation which has been so largely shaped by 9/11. The terrorist attack on this nation and the worldwide terrorist phenomenon has required governmental measures to attempt to provide security in an increasingly dangerous world and security measures inevitably threaten human rights. Especially in a nation that has been marked by the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights, the creation of a Department © Grand Valley State University   �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 2   of Homeland Security and the passage of the Patriot Act create tension with fundamental human rights as we have enjoyed them. Surveillance cameras becoming a fact of life, along with provisions of the Patriot Act create a chill as the possibility of an Orwellian world emerges. I am a technological dinosaur, but I am learning slowly to use the computer. I know enough to go to Google and with one finger type in words. For “Freedom” and then “Privacy” and then for “Freedom and Privacy,” I found a few million entries. Not being up to researching that vast field, I did linger long enough to realize that not only the terrorist threat but also the Internet has created a whole new threat to Privacy. One’s profile as to habits and tastes can now be filled out in details and, as we are all aware, the tension between freedom and control has created one of the great contemporary debates. You may have heard of the comment made by Scot McNealy, Co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Sun Microsystems. He was asked at a press conference about the need for privacy and said: You have no privacy. Get over it. Well, he caused a firestorm, but the response clearly indicates that he touched a raw nerve and the issue at stake will not be solved by raising the decibels of emotional retort. As I said earlier, I do not know how our theme was selected, but I suspect our contemporary situation marked by terrorist threat, security measures, as well as the whole new complex of issues raised by the Internet may well have played into the discussion. As critical as this whole complex of issues is for the well-being of present and future society, I have no special knowledge or experience to offer a full analysis of the problems nor to offer solutions to the new threats to our freedom and our privacy. What does interest me, however, and what I have spent much time thinking about is the nature of human being. And one cannot think long and deeply about the human without recognizing the critical importance Freedom plays and the right to Privacy, as well. The first point I would like to make is that the American Experience grounds its core values of Freedom and Human Dignity in a religious-metaphysical understanding. The American experience in its formation rooted human freedom in the Sacred Source of Being itself. In the familiar words of the Declaration of Independence, We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness; that to secure © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 3   these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed; that whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles, and organizing its powers in such form as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. Chief architect of that great document, Thomas Jefferson, in his first Inaugural Address contended, Equal and exact justice to all ... of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political; peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations, entangling alliances with none. ... Freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and freedom of person ... These principles form the bright constellation which has gone before us, and guided our steps through an age of revolution and reformation. The wisdom of our sages and the blood of our heroes have been devoted to their attainment. They should be the creed of our political faith, the text of civil instruction, the touchstone by which to try the services of those we trust; and should we wander from them in moments of error or alarm, let us hasten to retrace our steps and to regain the road which alone leads to peace, liberty, and safety. In our day, advocates of the Christian Religious Right claim ours is a Christian nation, but such a claim is unwarranted. The foundation of human dignity issuing in human freedom transcends any particular religious creed while rooting that claim more profoundly in a shared religious conviction that human worth and human freedom are given by the Creative Source of Being, however that Sacred Mystery is conceived or named. The authors of our forming documents were Enlightenment thinkers whose Christian faith found particular expression in a Deistic creed. God, Creator, other than creation, was the Source and guarantor of human dignity, human rights and, thus, human freedom. The claim that these truths are self-evident may well be challenged as one observes the human story. Obviously, accident of birth, to say nothing of innate giftedness would seem to call in question the surface claim that all are created equal. But, certainly this is not a recent recognition; it must have been evident, as well, when these words were penned. What, then, is the claim of equality, of certain inalienable rights? Surely those claims must point to that which is universally shared - the sacredness of human being in the created order of Being itself. This was the fundamental conviction of the Deist who had moved beyond Christian orthodoxy but held, nonetheless, to a conception of God as Creator. In this understanding, God is the great Clockmaker who creates the universe, endows it with the Laws of Nature, and sets it on its way without intervention or interruption. © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 4   The Deists, as their orthodox predecessors, were thus shaped by the biblical story - the profound Creation mythology of the early chapters of Genesis in which God, the Creator of all Being or Reality creates all that is, including the human being in the Divine Image. Volumes have been written about the meaning of the Image of God. I will not attempt even to summarize that discussion, but only claim that it would seem obvious that the ancient Hebrew author was reflecting the sense of a profound connection between the Divine and the Human in terms of conscious awareness and moral sense. Attempting in those first eleven chapters of Genesis to set Israel’s salvation history in the context of a universal history, the human condition is described in narrative form as one of rebellion and revolt with all the negative consequences that mark humanity. In traditional theological language, we speak of the human condition as Fallen. The whole ensuing biblical story, continued in the Christian scriptures, particularly in the writings of St. Paul, is a story of redemption deliverance from that fallen state of estrangement from the God of Creation, restored to communion with God. The Deism of the authors of America’s founding documents reflected a move beyond a traditional orthodox Christian theology, but the Deist was still locked into a God “out there,” a Supernatural Being who created and endowed the Creation with Natural Law, thereby calling in question the engagement of God with Creation - challenging the traditional understanding of God’s immanence. The Deist, in other words, moved from a traditional Theist position which marks biblical religious understanding, including the Islamic conception of Deity, but Deism was only a halfway house to modern atheism which denied a transcendent Ground of Being. In his book, Does God Exist?, (1978), Hans Küng traces the development of modern atheism, from Feuerbach through Karl Marx, Sigmund Freud, to the nihilism of Friedrich Nietzsche. Beginning with Feuerbach’s projection theory claiming, The consciousness of the infinite is nothing else than the consciousness of the infinity of the consciousness. That is: In the consciousness of the infinite, the conscious subject has for his object the infinity of his own nature. Küng explains, This, then, is how the notion of God emerges, and it seems entirely understandable. Man sets up his human nature out of himself, he sees it as something existing outside himself and separated from himself; he © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 5   projects it, then, as an autonomous figure - so to speak - in heaven, calls it God and worships it. In a word, the notion of God is nothing but a projection of man: “The absolute to man is his own nature. The power of the object over him is therefore the power of his own nature.” ... God appears as a projected, hypothesized reflection of man, behind which nothing exists in reality. (Küng, p. 200) Feuerbach’s projection theory provided the “Climate of opinion” for those thinkers who accepted that theory uncritically and assumed its truth as they pursued their respective areas of special focus: Marx’s socio-political atheism; Freud’s psychoanalytic atheism and Nietzsche’s nihilism. Rather than engaging the amazing discoveries of the natural sciences about the universe in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and the advent of historical consciousness in the nineteenth century, the Church hardened the lines of orthodoxy, claimed absolute authority in tradition, institution and scripture and absolutized its dogmatic creedal declarations, all of which had been conceived on the basis of a worldview that was rapidly dissolving before the unrelenting movement of new knowledge exploding across the spectrum of the disciplines of human research. The war between science and religion is both familiar and unfortunate and need not be recounted here, other than to say that it is incredible that there continues to be vocal claims from Fundamentalist religious quarters for obscurantist views of the universe, literalizing the profound biblical myths and sagas and thus draining them of their symbolic value. I relate this historical development of the modern period because it ended with an impasse; much of institutional Christianity continuing to perpetuate the biblical worldview that could not stand the test of empirical research and verification and much of the intellectual leadership and the academic community, not willing to make the sacrifice of the intellect demanded by the Church, simply giving up on the formal religious observance. Even the movement of Liberal Theology continued the biblical paradigm of theism - the Supernatural God “out there,” Creator in perfection and Fall - the human creatures fallen, their nature needing redemption. The Liberal Theological movement did attempt to accommodate its religious understanding to the findings of modern science, but like the Deists we spoke of earlier, it was a halfway house, trying to preserve the biblical worldview in an age whose breakthroughs in discovering the nature and history of cosmic reality could not be accommodated in that worldview. Thus I come to my major contention: The freedom and dignity of the human will be best affirmed and protected if the biblical worldview is replaced by a © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 6   worldview that is conceived and imagined in light of our present knowledge of the cosmic reality into which our lives are woven. Specifically, the biblical paradigm of a Creator God “out there,” calling into being a created order separate from the Being of God and over against God should be replaced by a model that sees Reality as one, the emergence of its Sacred Source and creative center. Secondly, and following on that conception, the Human must be conceived as the emergence of the Sacred in the one cosmic totality. The sacredness, the worth, dignity and the freedom of the human being is not something conferred on the creature by a God “wholly other” in the language of Karl Barth, but rather intrinsic to the creature, the creature being the emergence of the Sacred in the evolving cosmic reality. The human then is not a creation in perfection in an initial state of innocence from which the creature “fell,” marking the human race as fallen. Rather, the human is the product of a process of billions of years of cosmic unfolding, the emergence of consciousness, of awareness, the emergence of spirit. We who are human are not marked by all the negativity that clings to us because we have fallen from some state of perfection, but rather, because we are animals who have arrived through the exercise of the survival instincts we have practiced in order to prevail. We have come to our present state through millennia of evolution from the slime and the jungle from which we have emerged. If I claim that the biblical worldview must be replaced by an understanding that accords with our best scientific knowledge of cosmic reality of which we are a part, I do not mean to say that the great religious traditions that look to the Bible have not provided profound insight into the human situation. Earlier I mentioned that intuitive insight in the Genesis stories that the human is created in the image of God. I now add a second insight which is at the heart of the Christian tradition, namely, that God has become human. The Christian claim of the incarnation of God in the humanity of Jesus is expressed profoundly in the Johannine writings. In the Gospel of John we have in the prologue the claim that the Word or logos that was in the beginning, became flesh or human. John 1:1 can be translated “in the beginning was the Divine Intention.” Then in 1:14, we could read “The Divine Intention became human.” This would seem to be a claim of the Divine becoming human in the unfolding of history. Of course, the biblical writer had no sense of a cosmic process of 13.7 billion years. Still, the emergence of the Divine in the Human is clearly there. © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 7   That is a profound and radical claim. Of course, what the Church has done with that insight is to isolate that event of God becoming human to the once-for-all event of Jesus, thus leading to Christian exclusivism and absolutism. Such exclusivism can no longer be reasonably maintained in a world awake to the pluralism of religious understanding and observance. Nonetheless, this was an amazing claim and all we have to do is recognize the claim as a moment in the evolving process of the Sacred emerging in the human and the human as the location for the concretizing of the Sacred in the cosmic process. Perhaps one might counter that the human is a very questionable manifestation of the Sacred, to which I would respond that that is because we are not yet fully human, carrying with us as we are the marks of our evolutionary movement in the violent struggle for survival. We are animals still on the way to the human, to the realization of Spirit. One of the most vivid descriptions of the human being I know was penned by a great preacher and theologian, Carlyle Marney: Man is the most dangerous and savage of the beasts: His bite is poisonous; his hand is a club; his foot is a weapon; knives, clubs, spears are projectiles to bear his hostility. Nothing in nature is so well equipped for hating or hurting. Confuse him and he may lash out at everything. Crowd him and he kills, robs, destroys, for his crime rate increases in proportion to his crowding. Deprive him and he retaliates. Impoverish him and he burns villas in the night. Enslave him and he revolts. Pamper him and he may poison you. Hire him and he may hate both you and the work. Love him too possessively and he is never weaned. Deny him too early and he never learns to love. Put him in cities and all his animal nature comes out with perversions of every good thing. For greed, acquisitiveness, violence were so long his tools for jungle survival, that it is only by the hardest [effort] that these can be laid aside as weapons of his continued survival. And that, you say, is the emergence of the Sacred? And I would answer, “Yes, precisely,” for Marney’s description needs to be put within a larger picture. The biblical story begins with a “let there be ...,” the recognition that all there is is not a chance accident, nor a self-creation, but a gift, a grace, if you will, that has been evolving for 13.7 billion years. That evolving cosmic process lately issuing (in the last ten thousand years or so) in a human cultural history unfolding before our eyes in amazing fashion. It is within the cosmic evolution that history has emerged and is unfolding, and it is within history’s unfolding that the Creator Spirit moving the process from within becomes flesh - human flesh. Thus, Incarnation is Spirit enfleshed or God embodied - not an alien invasion but an immanent emergence. David Tooland expresses it with power and grace: Offspring of stars, children of earth, we are great mothering nature’s soulspace, her heart and vocal chords - and her willingness, if we consent to it, to be spirited, to be the vessel of the Holy One. When we fail in this soul- © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 8   work, nature fails/falls with us. But when it happens, when we say yes to the Spirit who hovers over our inner chaos, the mountains clap their hands, the hills leap like gazelles. They and the quarks have a big stake in us. Remember, though, to be patient: in the condensed astronomical time of a cosmic year, our species has only been around for a minute or two, and for much of that time we’ve been sleepwalking. Our cosmological task takes some waking up to, and getting used to. Nonetheless, we represent a turning point for nature, and a turning point for the Great Dispatcher, as well. Two significant events happen simultaneously, or converge, once humans emerge from the prebiotic soup. First, as the team of Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, and Aquinas would say, consciousness or mindedness - of whatever fleeting sort - would not be there except for participation in the mindfulness of the Poet-Maker of all things. Darwinian evolution only explains our hard wiring, not how it is that we are aware or minded. Secondly, as I have said, consciousness is also nothing else than great nature more or less awake and reflective. That’s a beginning; the spiritual task is to deepen our inwardness and, therewith, our imaginations. In this sense, we are nature’s black box, her soul-space - and hence her last chance to become spirited, to be the vessel of God, the carrier of the message that all creation is not only “very good,” but to be glorified. That’s the script, the big drama. ... Like us, Jesus is the cosmos become conscious; he provides it with soulspace. But in him the cosmos finally finds adequate soul-space, a cavern of interiority big enough to contain the fullness of divine love and compassion. (Unlike us, he isn’t a shallow container; he doesn’t babble nonsense or go haywire under the strain of the dawn that is trying to break through in our species.) The Torah, the big dreams of the Hebrew prophets, and the poetry of the Wisdom literature stand behind him, within him; Jesus is intelligible only within this lineage. He represents an intensification of what God has particularly chosen the people of Israel to meditate and mediate: the meaning of everything from quarks to cities; nothing is too small or big or unclean as not to merit passionate interest and attentive understanding. Through this son of Israel Christians discover that the Ur-Mystery lives in human blood, would act through us, speak through us. (From Cross Currents, Winter 1996/97, by David Tooland (p. 464) Such is the Human - stardust, the cosmos becoming conscious, the awareness of the wonder, miracle, glory and joy of life, the Voice of Being, for the Human is the emergence of the Sacred in the ongoing cosmic process. The Human therefore becomes co-creator with the Eternal Spirit coming to embodiment. It is ours then to recognize our true nature and vocation, not to find meaning, but to create it, recognizing that we are not passive passengers on some cosmic journey, but the © Grand Valley State University �Emergence of the Sacred Richard A. Rhem Page 9   agents through which the truly Human as the emergent of the Divine is coming to be. The biblical writers had no sense of our cosmic home, but they did sense that the human is the creation of the Divine. The authors of our founding documents who brought to expression the American Creed with Freedom as its core value labored still with a paradigm of cosmic reality we can no longer affirm. Nonetheless, they did recognize that the Human can be fully realized only in Freedom - a freedom that was intrinsic to Being and thus essential for Human Being. We are not robots marked by an inevitable fate, cogs in a cosmic machine grinding on its way. We are Sacred, for we are the emergence of the Sacred Ground and the Source of Being in the concrete drama of cosmic unfolding, the drama of History whose future lies in our hands. We possess the terrifying gift of Freedom to create paradise or destroy the human experience as the emergence of the Sacred in the cosmic story. Will we be able to break free from old paradigms and patterns of behavior that have written a history of violence, war and destruction? Is human transformation possible, given the entrenched ideologies that continue to find expression? Barbara Marx Hubbard in Conscious Evolution (p. 10) provides an image with which I would leave you. She writes, Let’s compare our situation with the metamorphosis of a caterpillar into a butterfly. When the caterpillar weaves its cocoon, imaginal disks begin to appear. These disks embody the blueprint of the butterfly yet to come. Although the disks are a natural part of the caterpillar’s evolution, its immune system recognizes them as foreign and tries to destroy them. As the disks arrive faster and begin to link up, the caterpillar’s immune system breaks down and its body begins to disintegrate. When the disks mature and become imaginal cells, they form themselves into a new pattern, thus transforming the disintegrating body of the caterpillar into the butterfly. He breakdown of the caterpillar’s old system is essential for the breakthrough of the new butterfly. Yet, in reality the caterpillar neither dies nor disintegrates, for from the beginning its hidden purpose was to transform and be reborn as the butterfly. When it seems the darkness can never be overcome, let us not despair. Let us remember the hidden purpose for which we were born. References: Hans Küng. Does God Exist? 1978. David Tooland, Cross Currents, Winter, 1996-97, p. 464. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival Series First Talk of Two Location The location of the interview Torrent House, Muskegon References Hans Küng. Does God Exist? 1978. David Tooland, in Cross Currents, Winter 1996-97, p. 464. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-20041004 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Emergence of the Sacred in Human Being Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 4, 2004 entitled "The Emergence of the Sacred in Human Being", as part of the series "First Talk of Two", on the occasion of Muskegon Council for the Arts & Humanities Festival, at Torrent House, Muskegon. Tags: New Paradigm, freedom, divine intention. Scripture references: Hans Küng. Does God Exist? 1978. David Tooland, in Cross Currents, Winter 1996-97, p. 464. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2004-10-04 Divine Intention Freedom New Paradigm https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/80feb88aa02ea4a0ff8bac74fab2193b.pdf 036dd1371e8661f5c65743a4bf021536 PDF Text Text On Being Civil and Committed: Reclaiming a Great Tradition Lecture By Richard A. Rhem Minister of Preaching and Theological Inquiry Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan At United Church of Christ Fall 1996 Conference St. John’s United Church of Christ Grand Rapids, Michigan October 6, 1996 Prepared Text I am honored to be invited to address you at this Fall Conference. I come to you as one recently released from a denominational affiliation, which I am certain is no news to anyone here. On Tuesday of last week, the Classis of Muskegon, RCA, signed a separation agreement with Christ Community and accepted the resigning of my ordained status within the Reformed Church in America. I mention this because it gives me a new sense of freedom. The experience is one of being unleashed and, with that, a sense of entering a much larger world. This sense of release has been mine now for some time as I have been emotionally removed from the RCA since February when the Classis judged me out of bounds. And I have found that I have moved into a state of being able to identify with a much larger community of faith than ever before. In the 60s, I spent four years in Europe. I found that a richly enlightening experience as I was able to look at my own nation from afar, from a distance. Being immersed in the culture of The Netherlands, I was able to view my own country with the eyes of my Dutch neighbors. That was a transforming experience. I came home, but I've never been the same. I had been broken loose from a narrow nationalism and had come to appreciate another culture, people, way of structuring government, society. I tell you this because it reflects something of what I feel as I come into your fellowship today. I come with a deep appreciation for who you are as the United Church of Christ. I have been aware of you, knowing a few of your clergy, learning much from the work of your Walter Brueggemann, being aware of the cutting edge positions you have taken as a denomination. But, more recently, I have had © Grand Valley State University   �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 2   a more intimate look at the UCC. Over these past months I have received several letters of encouragement from UCC folk and I am indebted to your Conference Minister, David Reece, for his supportive presence and counsel. I have had the sense that I am not alone and that I am not outside the great mainstream of the Christian tradition. In your fellowship I would never have been called in question. I never suspected I would be in my present position. Over the past twenty-five years I have carried out my pastoral ministry, nurturing and shaping a faith community as I myself have continued to probe the biblical story and reflect on Christian faith formulation in light of our contemporary context. I have been straightforward in my preaching and teaching at home and I have attempted to engage the RCA in theological reflection through my writing in Perspectives, a journal founded by the RCA in 1985 to stimulate theological discussion. I carried out my calling to think the faith seriously and responsibly and I had a genuine concern to effect theological renewal within the RCA. Suddenly that was challenged, not because of theological positions set forth in writing, but because at Christ Community we offered our chapel for use by the Metropolitan Community Church of Muskegon, a denomination that ministers to marginalized folk, especially the Gay/Lesbian community. Once the investigation of our ministry to that community began, it soon broadened to my theological positions, which had been in print in the journal of the RCA for a decade. The investigation became a nightmare; the matter took on a life of its own. The result was that I was judged outside the parameters of RCA confessional statements. I resigned my ordination in the Reformed Church in America, which has, after some months of negotiation and a good deal of anguish, now been recognized by the Classis of Muskegon. You did not gather today to hear my story, but that recent experience is so fresh and vivid in my mind that you must recognize that it forms the context of what I want to say to you today. My experience causes me to want to affirm the spirit and posture of the UCC. All human institutions have strengths and weaknesses and I'm sure as you experience the UCC from the inside there are elements you value and aspects you might want to change. But, as one who views you from the outside, let me call you to appreciate and value the liberal spirit that marks you as a denomination. I use liberal not as a catch word or as a label for a certain theological persuasion, but in the sense of a spirit of openness; liberal as large, broad, generous in contrast to narrowness of outlook, of mind; in contrast to meanness of spirit, to bigotry and dogmatism. I use liberal in the sense of magnanimity. It is that spirit that I find marking you as a people and I want to suggest that, because that is so much a part of your culture, you might take it for granted, but you must never take it for granted. And beyond that, Liberalism as a name for that 19th-century theological development that marked the progressive wing of © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 3   Protestantism in its mainline expression has taken a beating in the last half century and especially in the last couple of decades. One hears the claim, "Liberalism is dead," and not infrequently there is a certain satisfaction in that claim as though what Liberalism's critics always claimed has proven true - that it held forth an inadequate Gospel, a faulty view of scripture and a flawed theological vision. As sign of Liberalism's naiveté concerning the radical darkness that again and again erupts into the human scene, the demonic that lurks in the wings of historical movement, one hears reference to the preeminent journal of liberal Christianity, The Christian Century, named around the turn of the century that was to be the century in which the Kingdom of God came to flower - The Christian century. Then one is reminded of the bloodshed, violence and horrendous evil that has manifested itself in this century now nearing its close, and one hardly dares confess the least affinity with the great Liberal ideals that fired the imagination of the spokespersons of that movement. Add to this century's bludgeoning of the liberal vision the rise of the Religious Right with its rhetoric of righteous indignation over the societal chaos and turbulence coming to expression in the 60's - the collapse of values and crumbling of the foundations of family, church and nation, and it is clear that any claim to hold and advocate the Liberal vision is a sure formula for being written off as a hopeless Don Quixote, dreaming an impossible dream. Perhaps it is best to begin with the admission that the classic Liberal vision was flawed. Under the spell of evolutionary development that so permeated every sphere of the human endeavor as this century dawned, there was a dangerous naiveté and shallow optimism that marked the thought of Protestant liberalism. The Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man was as glaring in its sunny optimism as in its sexist expression. The Kingdom of God was coming through rational human effort and goodwill. The arrogance of Western civilization's paternalistic attitude to the rest of the globe and the exploitative colonialism were well masked under a facade of good will, for the most part sincere, of bringing light to the nations, liberation to those enslaved in heathen darkness. The darkness would retreat before the dawning of the light of the world, Jesus Christ. John S. B. Monsell caught the spirit of the 19th century in his hymn, penned in 1863: Light of the world, we hail Thee, Flushing the eastern skies; Never shall darkness veil Thee Again from human eyes; Too long, alas, withholden, Now spread from shore to shore; Thy light so glad and golden, Shall set on earth no more. © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 4   There is something here that stirs the soul. There is a grand vision of light and love enveloping the whole human family. But then this "Christian Century" moved into unprecedented darkness and the manifestation of the demonic such as could not have been imagined. The great wars, the Cold War, the anguish of the Middle East, the agony of the Balkan countries - as this century draws to its close, we must recognize that the amazing breakthroughs in science and developments in technology have only increased exponentially the potential for the human family to destroy itself, its environment and its grandest vision. Liberalism reacted against the orthodoxy locked in a 17th-century paradigm of Protestant scholasticism which was defensively reacting against the rise of the modern in the wake of the Enlightenment. Liberalism scrubbed the dour doctrine of original sin, emaciated the Evil One with the promise of progress through education and saw everywhere in historical development the upward movement of the evolutionary drive. But, instead of the Kingdom of God - disaster dawned. I cannot rehearse the whole theological, social history of the last half of our century, but only mention the names of Karl Barth and the reversal of the liberal tide on the continent with his Theology of the Word and God - the "Wholly Other"; Reinhold Niebuhr and his powerful recognition of the darkness that continues to threaten and the demonic that breaks out again and again. Liberalism has been chastened and put on the defensive. And we are now faced with a vociferous Religious Right marked by fundamentalism in biblical interpretation, arrogance in claim to be the Christian voice and belligerence in claiming its right to determine "Christian values," willing if possible to legislate its social agenda. Well, before we dispose of the Liberal vision, let's take a closer look at where we are in the cosmic journey and whether or not there are contained in that vision essential insights and attitudes that cannot be lost if we are to fulfill our calling to follow the way of Jesus, live under the reign of God, and be agents of Shalom in the world. In a society locked in culture wars where reasoned discourse and respectful dialogue is all but a lost art, I believe there is a critical need for a resurgence of the liberal vision, duly humbled by the experience of this century, taking account of the reality of historical existence as it has been experienced in this century, the most violent ever. My contention is based on my conviction that a world marked by global consciousness, technology that has made the world a neighborhood and the fact of religious pluralism demands an open mind, a gracious spirit and an all-embracing compassion. © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Global consciousness marks our world. For the first time ever, humankind is experiencing a common history. The beautiful picture of this lovely planet suspended against the black background of spacial darkness is reproduced on posters and postage stamps. Our kind has set foot on the moon and looked back on the earth - beautiful, fragile and obviously an interconnected whole. That view of our world from beyond us is a symbol of the reality of our human existence. We are one and belong to each other and all the barriers that divide - national borders, tribal turf, religious enclaves – erode before the compelling reality of one world spinning out its destiny in cosmic space. The image of the planet as one, indivisible whole is being translated into existential experience through the marvels of the electronic age, the wonders of global communication. Being one of the few human creatures remaining who owns not a computer and cannot even type, I am an anachronism, a dinosaur, left in amazement before it all. Through the enthusiasm and genius of one of our young members, Christ Community has a Web Site. On August 22,1996, an article appeared on the front page of The New York Times describing our controversy with the Muskegon Classis. The Times puts their copy on the Internet and they referenced our Web Site. Within the next 12 hours, our Web Site went crazy recording over 200 'Visits" from around the world. There are no walls high enough or impermeable enough to stifle the word that goes out into space and returns to earth as the falling rain. A world marked by global consciousness, bound together in community through communication and bowing in worship to God in churches, temples, mosques, ashrams and a variety of shrines - that is our present state. In her book, Encountering God, Diane Eck narrates her own pilgrimage from Montana Methodism to immersion in Hindu religious culture in the Holy City of Banares. Teaching at Harvard, she has a task force of students fanning out over this nation of ours taking photographs of the places of worship of the multiplicity of faiths that are now a part of the American scene. The landscape is marked by religious pluralism - that is the fact of our time. How will we respond to our time - named by many as Post-Modern? That term becomes almost useless because it is attached to such diverse dimensions of the present, but it may yet be usable for us if we define it in the context of our present focus on the movement we have described as Liberalism. As mentioned above, Liberalism reacted against the stubborn orthodoxy of the 17th century. It welcomed the throwing off of authoritarianism and the ascendency of human rationality as it emerged in the Enlightenment. But the Enlightenment reduction of reality to the measure of human rationality proved inadequate. There was a loss of the Mystery of the transcendent and the rule of human rationality was proven false by the eruption of evil in our century. The Modern period, marked by confidence in human reason to shape and control human destiny, gave way to a post-modern era, which in some forms denies the © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 6   existence of absolutes and dissolves into an abyss of relativism which allows of no claims to absolute certitudes. In a more humble expression, post-modernism is marked not by the denial of the Absolute or of absolute truths, but by the denial that humankind rooted in concrete historical circumstance is able to grasp the Absolute or formulate absolute truth statements. Rather, there is a recognition that being human is to be limited to a relative grasp of the Absolute and that every truth claim is provisional, that human knowledge is cumulative, growing, and that human religious tradition must be living, open-ended and in need of constant revision. If our world and our age is at all as I have set it forth, then it must be obvious that a brittle orthodoxy that claims a revelation of propositional truths that move through history unaffected by development and a strident fundamentalism that reiterates yesterday's answers to today's questions cannot meet the challenge of the reality of our world, cannot address with openness and sensitivity the moving target of the human condition. It is for that reason that I affirm the posture and spirit of the UCC and urge you not to take it for granted and not to be intimidated by the raspy rhetoric of the Religious Right. I would encourage you, rather, to be faithful to your vision and be firm in your resolve to stand for those causes that represent the grace of God as it was embodied in the way of Jesus. It is not for me to set your agenda; I call you, rather, to confidence in your historic posture and spirit. Yet, lest I leave everything vague and fuzzy, let me suggest some concrete challenges that will concretize how your posture and spirit might find expression. Continue to lead the way in the matter of the ordination of gay/lesbian persons. I really do not know the history of how you came to your prophetic stance, but you lead the way on an issue that vexes those church bodies that are wrestling with the issue, to say nothing of those bodies that have not yet openly dealt with the issue. You are in ecumenical discussions with Lutheran and Reformed bodies and I know from my former church body you have been called to turn from your practice before some kind of union would be considered. Stand firm. Continue to lead the way. The matter of sexual orientation tears the Church apart. Homosexuality is one of the most volatile issues with which the Church must deal. I did not choose to champion the cause of those of homosexual orientation. Ours was an act of hospitality to the MCC group. But, when confronted with the challenge to our action, I had to be true to my conviction. And my position is clear: It is not a moral issue. For claiming that, I have been assaulted by a blind biblicism that fails both to take seriously the knowledge available to us today from the sciences and to exercise a responsible biblical hermeneutic. © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 7   In regard to the instance of the Byron Center teacher, also, we see the incendiary effect of the discussion of sexual orientation. When an issue elicits such response, one can be sure there is great fear, ignorance, and insecurity operating. Out of that situation has arisen a group called Concerned Clergy in which the UCC is well represented. We must continue to stand for reasoned understanding, justice and compassion. I have been moved by the stories that have been told to me by those who have suffered from discrimination and rejection, spurned as less than human. You are the people to take the lead and break down the walls of suspicion and misinformation and replace walls with bridges of compassion and embrace. I mention a second area in which I believe you have been prophetic and call you to continue - standing for and with the most vulnerable of society. On the Sunday following the passage of the Welfare Reform Bill, I said in the sermon, "Congratulations, Mr. President. Congratulations, members of Congress. You have changed the face of welfare in this country. Now, when will you deal with the big issues facing this nation?" Well, I got a little response to that. I was asked if I thought the state of welfare did not require change - was I arguing for the perpetuation of the current system? That, of course, was not my point. Rather, I was trying to indicate that we are selective in our indignation; that a stealth bomber or two would cover all the abuse of the system. And further, while I'm sure reform is needed, who, in the meantime, will watch for those who fall through the cracks? The Church must make its voice heard on behalf of the voiceless ones. While we must be engaged in concrete aid and support to the poor and disadvantaged, we cannot make such efforts a substitute for an ongoing struggle for a more just and humane and compassionate social-economic order. Finally, let me challenge you to the critical importance of interfaith dialogue. Hans Küng has said there will be no peace in the world without peace among the religions. Religion is a powerful force in the human situation and the militancy of the respective fundamentalism of Christianity, Islam and Judaism puts our world at risk. In our world where the other is our neighbor, we cannot continue with a blind exclusivism that dogmatically affirms its truth to be the only truth, its way to God, the only way. Not only does that fail to build broad community and mutual respect, it also fails to realize the enrichment of spiritual insight and the enhancement of human wellbeing that dialogue affords. I just returned from two weeks in Spain. I visited Toledo, site of the Council of Toledo in 589 - an important early Christian center that was conquered by the Moors in the 8th century, bringing with them their Moslem faith. For centuries © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 8   the Jewish, Christian and Islamic communities lived peacefully together until the 13th century when Christian forces conquered, driving out the Jews and Moslems, instituting the Inquisition, where it was convert or be banished or lose your life. We moved on to Cordoba where, in the middle of a magnificent mosque, the conquering Christians raised a cathedral towering over the surrounding mosque, sign of Christianity's triumph. And then it was Seville. There, the cathedral took over the mosque site. The tower of the mosque was kept intact, but the huge silver monstrance that served the cathedral was replicated on top of the mosque's tower - again a sign of the triumphalism of the Church. And when the Jews were driven out, the Jewish quarter was renamed Santa Cruz - The Holy Cross. In all of this I was struck by the arrogance of the triumphalist spirit that has marked so much of Christendom in its history, and I felt deeply the need for a different spirit to mark the Church in our day. Just as the early Jesus movement discovered the wide embrace of God's grace for the Gentiles without demanding they become Jews, so is not the God of Israel, the God of Jesus calling us today to recognize that the grace that flows from the heart of God embraces peoples beyond the Christian Church? These matters I mention are illustrative, not exhaustive. I use them simply as example of a spirit, a perspective. My concern is, as I began, to call for a resurgence of a liberal tradition chastened, to be sure - humble, acknowledging our limited insight and knowledge as part of our human condition; gracious, open to the other, the alienated, the vulnerable; passionate, finding in the way of Jesus the way of compassion; a liberal tradition that combines intellectual integrity with evangelical passion. Intellectual integrity - We need to think the Faith - to reflect on the biblical story in light of our historical context. We must know the story and the tradition that has shaped us. And we must be open to contemporary human experience, to all the knowledge afforded us in the full spectrum of human learning. Out of that reflection on the biblical story and the faith tradition in light of our present human experience, we have something to say and action informed by insight. A mind open to the Word and the world. A heart passionate with the grace of God embracing the world in all its connectedness. A liberal tradition marked by humility, passionate, and full of faith. As we traveled through Spain we stopped in La Mancha and visited the windmills challenged by Don Quixote. Lunching in the village that was the setting for Cervantes' novel, I had my picture taken near a bronze sculpture of the strange warrior and I thought to myself, here was a fit hero for our time - Calling for the resurgence of the liberal tradition in our culture marked by a conservative tide laced with mean spirit, defensiveness and fear, we must dare to dream the impossible dream. Do you remember Eldonza, the kitchen maid whom Quixote named Dulcinea, against her protest that she was nothing but a slut - no lady at all? Do you remember that scene where Quixote lies dying, disillusioned? She comes to him, © Grand Valley State University �On Being Civil and Committed Richard A. Rhem Page 9   now having become the lady he saw in her while still in her rags, saying to him, "I'm your Lady Dulcinea," transformed by his naming her not as she was, but as she might become. Be true to yourselves. In an age of quite a different spirit, I challenge you to make your own these stirring lines from "The Man From LaMancha." To dream the impossible dream, to fight the unbeatable foe, to bear with unbearable sorrow, to run where the brave dare not go. To right the unrightable wrong, to love, pure and chaste from afar, to try when your arms are too weary, to reach the unreachable star. This is my quest, to follow that star, no matter how hopeless, no matter how far, To fight for the right without question or pause, to be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause. And I know if I'll only be true to this glorious quest that my heart will lie peaceful and calm, when I'm laid to my rest. And the world will be better for this: that one man, scorned and covered with scars, still strove with his last ounce of courage, to reach the unreachable stars. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Address to Fall UCC Conference Series Lecture Location The location of the interview St. John's United Church of Christ, Grand Rapids, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-19961006 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-10-06 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource On Being Civil and Committed: Reclaiming a Great Tradition Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 6, 1996 entitled "On Being Civil and Committed: Reclaiming a Great Tradition", as part of the series "Lecture", on the occasion of Address to Fall UCC Conference, at St. John's United Church of Christ, Grand Rapids, MI. Tags: Universal Grace, Religious Pluralism. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Religious Pluralism Universal Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/c46aba8fa9763f10a6f1bc023ce08666.pdf 0a1a0fbe85a5115e186f2d5a1c04e5c7 PDF Text Text Regarding the Conflict About Christian Exclusivity Richard A. Rhem Minister of Preaching and Theological Inquiry Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Edited Transcript of the Spoken Address followed by Questions and Answers at The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America Ramapo, New Jersey October 4, 1996 Editor’s Note: See “The Church in Conflict – Can Non-Believers Be Saved?” for the prepared text of the address. Thank you for the opportunity of being with you today (I think). I want to begin by saying that I am not here on a crusade. I am here because I was invited to come and, having taken the stand I have, I feel there is some responsibility to give an account of myself. I have all of my life been a part of the Reformed Church in America, and being outside at this point in my life is the most surprising thing that has ever happened to me. And yet, I don’t want simply to turn my back on that which has been my whole life, but continue in a dialogue and conversation to the extent that that is desired. And so, I am here today to do that very thing. But, I want to be clear, I am not here because I am trying to win a battle or make a point. I’m not on a crusade. I was not on a crusade in Michigan, either. I was simply ministering in my own concrete community of faith, in my own congregation, and there was no idea ever that what we had discovered at Christ Community to be an effective embodiment of the grace of God should be exported anywhere, to our local community or beyond. We simply were trying to be faithful as the people of God in that place, and what has transpired over the last year has come to us from the outside; it is not something that originated inside, and it is not something that has happened because we were trying to move out. I want to be very clear about that. I am here to be in conversation with you and to be of whatever help I can be in lifting up aspects of the question that is before us, namely, that the grace of God is limited to those who come to God through faith in Jesus Christ; in other words, Christian exclusivity. I think there is no one that would deny that we are dealing with a very important question for the Christian church, but I begin with that disclaimer, that I am here for conversation and not as a crusader, not moving out now to convince the whole world, after all, that I was right or that I am right. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 2 The other thing I want to say is that I am a Christian minister of the Gospel. I have for 36 years been involved in the ministry. Four of those years I was in graduate study in The Netherlands. Other than that, I have been a pastor and have preached every week, been involved in pastoral care, preaching, teaching, just a garden variety pastor, committed to the local congregation – all of that done as a Christian minister. I preach the grace of God as it has appeared in Jesus Christ and no other message. We don’t get up on Sunday morning at Christ Community and say, “Well, let’s look at the menu this morning. Shall we have a pinch of Buddhism or a dimension of Islam, or whatever.” No, I preach every week from the scriptures. I try to be faithful in my wrestling with scripture and its interpretation, and to proclaim the God whom I have come to experience as the one embodied in Jesus Christ. So, let me be clear on that, as well. I suppose there will be some other things that will come out as the day progresses, but I think I want to say those things by way of introduction. I am here at your invitation, not at my initiative, and I’m here as one who continues to be what he has always been and that is a minister of the Gospel of the grace of God in Jesus Christ our Lord. I’ve tried to think of how I could best get the story, the issue before us, and sometimes to tell one’s own story is about as effective as anything. Obviously, in the last weeks and months I have had good opportunity to try and track the pilgrimage on which I have been engaged, and the way that I have come to where I am presently in my understanding of Christian faith and other faiths. It seems to me that, when I was in New Jersey in the middle 60s when my “little system” was coming up short in terms of being able to deal with the experience of a pastor in a congregation, and my ability to interpret life, understand human experience, and to preach my theological system, my understanding of the faith, was limited. I came out of a very conservative nurture and continued in that very conservative track through my college and seminary education. I went into the ministry a very conservative, evangelical pastor and I certainly would have been at the far right of the theological spectrum. Human experience has a way of humbling us and creating situations in which our tight little systems are not adequate. I was beginning to run into that when I made the move from Spring Lake to New Jersey. My first four years were in Spring Lake, Michigan. At the time that I came to New Jersey, the Reformed Church was engaged in some controversy over a Church School curriculum, Covenant Life Curriculum, and this was the first time in which the church at large was being introduced to some of the critical views of the scripture. It was really very good stuff and very responsible and actually conservative material. But, nonetheless, there were those who were threatened by some of the things that were handled in the Covenant Life Curriculum. I began to study that curriculum and it began to address some of the questions that I was having in my own pastoral ministry. It was time for me to go to Europe in 1967 and find out if I really had anything to say, if I had a Gospel to preach. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 3 I went there wanting, for the first time in my life, to know the truth. I went through my whole college and seminary education seeking to buttress the presuppositions with which I came, those I had imbibed with my mother’s milk. I did not want to be stretched and I was not aware of it, but I was very defensive against those questions that put my faith understanding in question. But one eventually has to deal with that and so I went to Europe and found a very wonderful mentor in Hendrikus Berkhof who was at the University of Leiden. He helped me identify what the real questions were. Berkhof would say, when I would come with a question, “Ja, ja, ja. That’s the question.” I said, “I know that’s the question. What’s the answer?” He’d say, “Ja, ja, ja, ja. Just live with the question for a while.” So I did and they were four wonderful years in which I imbibed as much as I could. I read and read and read and wrote and read and wrote and thought, and had, what was for me, my first real immersion in an educational experience. I sat in his study one day and I said to him, “You know, in the Reformed Church, we can’t really deal very effectively with any of the specific theological questions that come up because we have never dealt with the issue of the authority of scripture and how scripture is to be used. It seems as though with everything we’re debating, we never debate the issue. We debate the issue in terms of what it will do to our doctrine of scripture.” I think at the time it may have been the ordination of women to the Elder-Deacon office, and I could see that nobody was asking whether women could be spiritual, whether women could be gifted, whether women could be effective leaders in the church. It seemed to me that the issue always came down to, “Well, if we grant that, what will happen to First Timothy, whatever, and what about this passage?,” so that it was not the issue itself, but it was that authority which informs all of our decisions. I said to Berkhof, “What I really should do is write a dissertation on the place of scripture and the use of scripture in the church,” and he looked at me and he said, “You go back to the Reformed Church in America and the United States of America and do that, do you know what they will do to you?” And so, I came back and I didn’t do that. But I was aware that that needed to be dealt with. Then, after some years, having returned to Spring Lake where I had continued to wrestle with the faith, I went to the University of Michigan in the fall of 1983 where Hans Küng was a guest, giving public lectures on Monday night. They were held at Racham Auditorium, with overflow crowds. He gave the lectures, now published, entitled Eternal Life? On Tuesday afternoon I was engaged in a crossdiscipline seminar with him for three hours. There were about 35 of us from the various schools of the university, medical people, artists, a couple of pastors – a marvelous experience. He was working from mimeographed material on paradigm change in theology – wrestling with that whole shift in perspective that © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 4 comes when current data put the present conception of things into question. Then there seems to arise a new model that can include and embrace the fresh data and there is a significant shift. It happens, of course, in the sciences, and there was a significant book by Thomas Kuhn, The Structure of Scientific Revolutions, in which he said this is actually what happens in the natural sciences. Hans Küng and David Tracey of the University of Chicago had gathered a consultation in Tübingen prior to 1983 about the application of paradigm shift through theological understanding. So I really got into that paradigm shift dimension early on. Küng helped me to understand that, in all of my training, I had come up with the scriptures as the authoritative word of God and all of human experience, the ongoing human experience, really had little impact on the faith understanding that came out of the scriptures. I had one pole to which I was lashed, and yet life was going on “out here.” Küng helped me to see that the theological task is to live between the two poles – that which is given, the history of Israel and Jesus in our scripture, and ongoing human experience, the present horizon. And that theology does not pass along through history untouched by historical circumstance, some deposit of faith as though it fell out of heaven, simply to be delivered to the next generation as it is. Rather, theology is that hermeneutical task that constantly runs between the given revelation that is in the scripture and the ongoing human experience, so that from the scripture the present is illuminated and the present elicits new life and new understanding from the scripture. There is a coordination between those two poles. And when I saw that, I realized that my whole experience prior to that had been living out of this pole of the scripture without any significant regard as to what was happening out in the world. I also realized that what had happened in the liberalism of the 19th century, that had come on bad times, was that there was such an earnest attempt to understand and accommodate what was going on in the world that the pole of the scripture was not taken seriously. I began to realize that the task really for us in the church is to live between that biblical story and our ongoing story, and to understand our lives in the light that comes from the story, the founding story, but that the founding story has spurred a tradition that has resources that are rich, being enlarged through ongoing human experience, that can continue to be reclaimed to bring the faith to fresh expression as we go on in our pilgrimage. For me, I think that was a very significant moment. On Monday night Küng spoke on heaven and hell and purgatory, judgment and death to overflow crowds in this vast educational institution where only a professor’s half time is given to a program in religious studies in this huge state university. There is just a smidgeon of interest in the whole phenomena of religion. This was a new experiment at the time, Küng being the first guest lecturer in Religious Studies. The Vatican was putting the heat on him in Germany; they wanted him put under censure for his views, and he came to the University of Michigan almost on a lark in order to have some leverage back in © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 5 Tübingen because Michigan did say to him, “If you want to stay here, you can stay here.” He didn’t do that because, when you’re a professor at Tübingen in the German system, you want to retire out of that system, which he has done. So there I was, preaching every week, and now I see in this huge secular arena sophisticated, educated, cultured, cultural despisers of religion sitting for two hours to hear the rather difficult English of this Catholic theologian talk about death, purgatory, hell, judgment, and I said to myself, ”Good grief, I don’t even preach on those things in my own pulpit. In this secular setting I gathered with people, fully human, listening to lectures on such issues. Maybe they know, too, they’re going to die, and they must wonder, and maybe they’ve lost someone, and they must wonder.” And so it was like a revelation to me that there was this intense existential interest in the human person, whether they were connected with the institutional religion or had any particular faith profession. Those end questions engaged them, and I came home and began my own search. That is what has gotten me into trouble, because I discovered the expanse, the extent of the grace of God was much broader than I had ever dreamed. It was about that time that the Reformed Church founded a journal of theological investigation whose purpose was to stimulate theological discussion in the Reformed Church and, because I was a pastor at a rather safe pastorate, I seemed to be the one that got the assignments to write on the issues that would address the Reformed Church in terms of those questions that we felt needed to be talked about. And so, an early article was on purgatory. I never would have believed that I would have been concerned at all about purgatory, but I began to see what was the wisdom of the ancient church and what was behind that whole construction of things, and to recognize that, as a child of the Reformation, I never got a fair shot at understanding what that was all about because we were in such sharp reaction precisely at that point in the 16th century. And then I began to investigate the extent of God’s grace and I found out that, in the early church, there was a strong strain of universalism, that the grace of God would finally be triumphant in regard to all. And I found some high Calvinists who simply were more logical than some of the rest who also came to that same position of the ultimate triumph of the grace of God And then, of course, there was my own mentor, Hendrikus Berkhof and his reference to Karl Barth and to the contemporary discussion of that issue. And so, again, I wrote in Perspectives. The “Letters to the Editor” revealed that some people were upset. There were also a few positive comments and there was engagement. However, it was in black and white. Over the next decade I continued to address these issues in the journal until 1995, when I published an article on interreligious dialogue and my recognition that we had within the Christian church some serious thinking to do before we could enter authentically into religious dialogue. That © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 6 got me to where I am and there was never any question about it until the spring of 1995. The catalyst for the discussion on salvation was the fact that we allowed a group from the Metropolitan Community Church ministering largely to gay and lesbian people simply to use our chapel. When that was called in question, then one thing led to another, and then my theological views were called in question and eventually the Classis recognized, I think, there wasn’t much point in pursuing the original issue, but they were deeply concerned, then, about this question of salvation apart from Christ. This has become a conversation within the Reformed Church and the question, as it has been phrased, is “Can non-believers be saved?” I want to say that that is the wrong question. I’m not interested in the question of whether non-believers can be saved. I am interested in the question of whether those who have a yearning for God and seek after God and who pursue that yearning and that seeking in another faith tradition can be saved, because we are not talking about people who are Christian and the rest of the world as non-believers. We are talking about a world that is laced with believers of many stripes, and we are living in a context today, a global context in which these people are our neighbors and our children are bringing home people of other faiths and presenting them as their future spouses. We meet them at work and down the street there is a temple or a meditation place or a shrine of some sort that was not the case some years ago. So, the question is not whether non-believers can be saved. The question is “Must I insist that there is salvation through Jesus Christ alone?” Now, let me be very clear again. Before the Classis of Muskegon I said, “If you will scratch out one word, I’ll sign your document” that affirms that there is salvation through Jesus Christ. I believe that and I would affirm that, and I have affirmed that. But, when you tell me that I must say it is through Jesus Christ alone, then I don’t know what to do with Jewish folks that I have come to know so well and have become so fond of, working in the Jewish-Christian Committee for Dialogue in the West Shore area of Michigan. Then, what do I do with all of those about me in our world today who seem to manifest all of the fruits of the Spirit, whose questions are my questions, and whose experience seems to be the same experience as mine – what am I to do with them? The issue is not whether or not there is salvation through Jesus Christ. It is whether or not I must be held to an exclusivist position that says through Jesus Christ and through no other, and that apart from Jesus Christ there is only condemnation, there is no salvation and light, and no eternal life for any who come not through Jesus Christ our Lord. That I will not say. And that is the issue upon which I have been put out. Obviously you might expect me to argue my theological conclusion on the basis of scripture. But that is not as simple as it sounds because, as has been claimed in many arguments, anything can be “proven” by scripture. I learned from Professor Berkhof the rich diversity of the biblical witness, for example, on the very © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 7 question of the extent of God’s grace. In his Well-Founded Hope, he has a chapter entitled “The Double Image of the Future.” He deals seriously with the biblical witness but concludes that Scripture leaves us with a double track. Countless attempts have been made to subsume one track of texts under the other by ingenious “exegetical tricks” but, Berkhof concludes, “we cannot smooth out this contradiction in the New Testament.” All that we read abut the future, texts offering consolation and texts of warning, do not “fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.” In the case of the passages giving warning, these present the gospel in its nature as a call to decision; the passages offering consolation give hope and the promise of eventual salvation of all. We must hear both witnesses; we must not reduce one to the other. But we cannot simply allow them to stand with no link between them. Berkhof suggests we pronounce them “one after the other,” for “only the person who has learned to tremble at the possibility of rejection may speak about universal salvation.” When my article, “The Habit of God’s Heart” was published in 1988, I was the Preaching Professor at Western Theological Seminary. The piece caused a stir. I was called before the Executive Committee of the seminary board to give an account of myself. I remember distinctly when I suggested that scripture spoke in more than one voice on the matter of the extent of God’ s grace, I was immediately “corrected.” Scripture interpreted by scripture leaves no ambiguity – salvation comes through Jesus Christ alone. I remember a conversation with the wonderful Lutheran bishop, the late Krister Stendahl, who was a guest at our Jewish-Christian Dialogue. He spoke of the brilliant apologist for Christianity, C. S. Lewis. He spoke of how much he loved the Lewis of Shadowland and of A Grief Observed, the result of his grievous loss of his wife to cancer. Lewis, in his grief expressing the loss of his love, spoke the language of the heart. But, said Stendahl, when Lewis argues for the existence of God, the incarnation, the atonement, I don’t take him seriously because he is so brilliant he could be just as effective on the other side of the question. So it is with the Bible. As Luther argued, scripture is a wax nose; one can be as honest and responsible as possible and have someone on the other side of the question come up with a contrary conclusion. And thus I have not really engaged in the whole biblical debate. That said, it does not imply that I do not believe there is a legitimate biblical witness to God’s universal grace. In Luke’s Acts we read the story of the movement of the Gospel beyond its community of origin – to the vast Gentile world. The story of Peter and Cornelius is paradigmatic, showing the expansive movement of the Gospel to the Gentile world. Luke records the story and then © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 8 has Peter rehearse the whole experience before the Jerusalem Elders who called him to account for going to the Gentiles. In light of his concrete experience of the Spirit of God anointing the Gentiles, Peter says, according to Luke’s account, “…who was I that I could hinder God?” An even larger crisis was generated by Paul who brought the Gospel intentionally to the Gentiles. Acts 15 records the story of the first “Church Council.” The Jesus Movement was at a crisis point; a decision had to be made concerning the nonJews who were embracing the Gospel and becoming a growing part of the Jesus Movement that, to begin with, was a Jewish movement. Peter recounted his experience with Cornelius. In Luke’s recounting of the story, he has Peter declare, And God, who knows the human heart, testified to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he did to us; and in cleansing their hearts by faith he has made no distinction between them and us…we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will. (Acts 15:811) Following Peter’s witness Barnabas and Paul told of “the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles” (verse 12). And then the leader of the Jerusalem Church, James, gave his “decision that we should not trouble those Gentiles who were turning to God…” (verse 19). Luke is recording the most momentous decision that early Jesus Movement was called upon to make. Luke records the pivot point of the whole Jesus Movement. Gentiles could become Jews. That was not new. What was new in Paul’s argument is that Gentiles can become God’s children without first becoming Jews. Paul is arguing for Grace, the Grace of God embracing the Gentile apart from those specifically Jewish rituals, circumcision, dietary laws, whatever, and Paul’s experience is that God is embracing the Gentiles through faith as Israel had been embraced through all the generations. Peter’s experience is that God is embracing a Cornelius and his household, the Holy Spirit falls on them, the waters of baptism are applied to them. In Jerusalem the leadership asks, what’s going on here? That was a critical point because they could have said it would be necessary for the Gentiles to come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah, but they would have to do it by way of full participation in the Mosaic legislation following the Torah. And they decided not. They decided that the grace of God could embrace the Gentile without that Gentile becoming a Jew, and that was a paradigmatic shift. Paul said God is doing a new thing; God is creating one new humanity. In Romans 9, 10 and 11, Paul is struggling because he does not see how his Jewish brothers and sisters can fail to see what he sees in Jesus. How they can fail to see © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page 9 what God is doing in history. He says, “My heart is deeply distressed. I, myself, would be accursed for my brothers and sisters if only they could see.” He goes on in those three chapters struggling with that issue, and he comes to the end of that struggle in the 11th chapter in verse 32, where he says, “God has reckoned all in disobedience, the Jew and the Gentile, Israel and the nations, in order that God may have mercy on all.” And then he breaks out into the one great doxology that has no reference to Jesus Christ, just praising the eternal God, the God of Israel, for His unsearchable ways, His inscrutable judgment, and he says, “Source, Guide and Goal of all there is, to God be glory forever.” He finally believes that a mystery is at work here, that Israel finally will be saved, he knows not how, and, in the meantime, the grace of God has come to the Gentiles. Now we are talking about a hinge point in history. We are talking about the fact that Peter had to do that which is contrary to the scripture by which he had lived. He could quote scripture and verse, the ritual, the tradition that would have said don’t enter the house of Cornelius, don’t do this, don’t do that. He was going contrary to that which had been deeply inbred in him, and he did it because he said who can fight God? He was so inwardly compelled and the evidence, what he saw before his eyes, made him say, “I have to do this.” And it was confirmed in the experience. So I would say we are at another hinge point in human history. I don’t know where we got into it and I don’t know when we’ll get out of it, but I think that we are living through a time of global change. We live in that period of history in which the whole human family is experiencing its history at the same time and together. This is a time of global consciousness, of a global community, and it does not seem reasonable to me that the whole world is going to be evangelized and the Gospel is going to be brought to the whole world. That was a noble dream and a noble vision, and it was an honest response to an apocalyptic vision, that conviction that they were standing on the end of the age and that the whole cosmic drama would be wrapped up rather soon. But, can you imagine that the Christian church could hold its breath for 2000 years and still be talking about the imminent return of our Lord Jesus Christ? As we approach the year 2000, are we not going to hear more and more about it? And how can we honestly do that when we come to recognize that those New Testament documents were written by those who believed they were at the End and they were not at the End. The Jewish scholar Paula Fredrikson of Boston University has written From Jesus to Christ, and she says, “Why did the Jesus Jewish movement fade out first, and why did the Christian movement become a Gentile movement?” She says, first of all, because the one who was to come didn’t come. Nothing happened. Three times in the Gospel of John it speaks about being put out of the synagogue. Why? Well, if you were a Jew and if you had responded and believed that this Jesus was the Messiah that you were expecting and according to the message, © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page10 history was all going to end very soon and this one would return, but nothing happened. And now the Pharisaic, Rabbinic Judaism, the movement of Judaism after the temple which became the ascendant group, the ongoing Jewish community – that community now is saying, “If you say Jesus was the Messiah, you’re going to be put out of the synagogue.” And now you have to say, “Am I going to remain with my religious heritage of all of these centuries, or am I going to be put out of the synagogue on the chance that this one really was the Messiah and he’s going to come back very soon?” What would you do? Paula Fredrikson said the reason that the earliest movement faded , first of all, nothing happened; and secondly, there were just too many Gentiles. Paul was too successful. And if Paul succeeded, if Judaism had stayed with the church, there would not have been the question of assimilation of the Jewish people in the 20th century. It would have happened in the first century. And I think our world would have been diminished for lack of that ongoing Jewish community. Now it seems to me that what was going on then is going on now. We are not seeing the death of the great religious traditions; we have seen their renaissance and their resurgence, and, not only that, we have found that they contain riches and gifts that can enhance our own understanding and our own experience. I believe that we are faced with a global reality that calls us, in light of the power of religion and its volatility, to discourse together, to learn from each other, to live in mutual respect and civility in order that all together we may work toward the building of community and world understanding. Karl Jaspers was a German philosopher who spoke about the first axial period. The pre-axial period was when the human family was pretty much caught up in the rhythms of nature and the cosmos. Then the first axial period, 800-200 BCE, independently, in three places around the globe, India and China and the eastern Mediterranean, the great religious traditions arose. They all arose in that period of time effecting a transformation of human consciousness, a transformation that shaped the first axial period to the present. Ewert Cousins, Fordham University, suggests that we may be in the second axial period and that the image for us is that view of the globe that the astronaut has seen, that beautiful, fragile, blue globe hanging in space. For the first time our kind has been able to look back and see it whole and to realize that all the borders and divisions and the lines that we draw over which we fight and for which we kill, that all of that has no reality because we are a part of one inner-connected whole. And, if we are part of one cosmic whole and we are part of one human family, and if we are serious that God in the beginning created the heavens and the earth, then I believe that it is high time for us to deepen our particularity and to learn again from Jesus Christ and all of that which has been revealed through him of the purpose and heart of God and to recognize that God has a grander scheme and a broader purpose and that there is so much enrichment, so much greater possibility as we live together in the human community transcending those barriers and divisions that have separated us. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page11 As I said, Krister Stendahl was in Michigan. He was at the temple on Friday night, a Sabbath service, and then Saturday lectures, and then he preached at Christ Community Church on Sunday morning. My son came up to me afterwards and said, “Dad, I’ve had a religious experience,” and I said, “I know.” He said, “This feels so right,” and I said, “I know. If it feels so right, you don’t need an argument, do you?” He said, “No.” I said, “Once you have had that sense that it’s so right, then you can simply be there and invite others to share that same sense of shared humanity. You don’t need to prove anything or demonstrate anything.” But, I’ll tell you, my own experience is that I have never experienced such openness from the other and desire to hear about my Jesus than since the time I laid down my arms and did not feel that monkey on my back of world evangelization, but rather speaking of the grace of God in Jesus Christ and listening and receiving and giving and taking in a mutual enhancement that builds toward world community that is so much better than anything I have ever known. Thank you. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS Q. The rise of fundamentalism in all world religions frightens me. How can people engage with Christians and other fundamentalist groups when they are willing to kill for their faith? A. Well, it scares me, too, and I do believe that that is part of the reason why it is so imperative that we enter into dialogues in a broad scope. James Davison Hunter, in his New Culture Wars, points out the fact that the breakdown in civil discourse and in communication between people has created such a threat throughout the world, and I think that the militant mind in the respective traditions, there's a Jewish fundamentalism, an Islamic fundamentalism, a Christian fundamentalism, you don't have to have a particular badge in order to have that mentality and that mind set, and I do believe that as the times become somewhat anxious and people become somewhat unsteady and afraid, they tend to this kind of fanaticism and absolutism, wanting to find security and wanting to find the answer that is absolutely clear and simple. So to me, I don't know why, I just know that, in such a world, at such a time it is critical that we dialogue together and open up the channels of communication together. Now, for a lot of these things I do not think that it is a question of being right or wrong. I mean, there's such a broad spectrum of understanding, and there are various symbol systems © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page12 and it's not like one will work and the rest won't. I think that we need to find that which communicates meaning and connects us to that sense of transcendence, meets that hunger for God, and if that is in place, then I think that, rather than enforcing that on everyone else, in that sense of connectedness with the transcendent to find a freedom and a resting place in which to open oneself up to the other and thus create the bridges of communication. So, I don't know what the answer is, but I know it's a serious problem. Q. Will you describe more fully your phrase “Monkey on your back?” You applied that to world evangelization. A. Did I say that this morning? Well, if I didn't, I should have. I came into the ministry, I grew up, feeling that I had to defend God. I had to defend the faith. I felt such an urgency; I was insecure. I didn't know how insecure I was. I didn't know how defensive I was. But I thought it was up to me to defend God and to keep God enthroned, and it seemed to me that it was my responsibility that you believed correctly, that you dotted the i's and crossed the t's and that is a terrible, terrible burden. I can remember the experience of believing finally that God could take care of God's self, whether or not I could defend God. Now, that was Step One. And then to believe, as well, that God had a marvelous embrace of people who had an experience quite other than mine, and yet which seemed to be also very similar in terms of that which it generated within the individual. And when I could simply affirm that and not have to change someone to my image ... I had lived with a monkey on my back. I had to get the world to Jesus. And I had no sense of letting that in God's hands and simply being an instrument, and so that's what I meant. Q. We have just heard for over an hour about the love of God for everyone, but 10% of those God has created are homosexuals who cannot change their identity and are ostracized by the church. These are people who are looking for God's love. How can the church deny them? A. Well, I don't think the church can deny them, but the church does deny them. I have to say that this was the catalytic event that got this whole conflict started for us because, as I said to you, we gave a group ministry, largely lesbian and gay people, the use of our chapel. For us it was an act of hospitality. Again, I was not looking to take on a crusade. This was not my issue. Subsequent to what has happened, I think it should have been my issue a long time ago. It is an issue of justice; it is an issue of the love of God and the grace of God. I had heard stories, people pouring their heart out to me, beautiful human beings and I thought, "My God, where was I all these years?" Just not even concerned about this thing with people who were suffering and being ostracized and being shunned and so, when you say how can the church deny them, I don't know how the church can deny them love, and I will now speak anywhere, everywhere for... In fact, I’ve got a lot of stories. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page13 Q. Does God's grace extend to non-believers, too, in your theology? Could your position be better supported by the teaching of Christ himself rather than appealing to St. Paul? Who now holds your credentials? Will the Spring Lake church align itself with another denomination? A. The congregation holds my credentials at present, and we have done some very preliminary kind of investigation, but I have found that it's a little bit like marriage, it's a lot easier to get in than to get out, and I'm – just scratch that one – I'm at this advanced age, you know, and in the springtime of my senility, and I don't know if I really want... I believe in the connectedness of the church and I believe in mutual covenants of accountability, I believe in all that, but I may just keep investigating long enough to where it won't be an issue anymore, and in all that time no one will be able to criticize me for living in splendid isolation and I'll say, "I'm working on it, I'm working on it," and one day they'll bury me. Sort of like Peter Paulson today, as Bob said, you know, Paul Fries tells me that he suggested to Peter when he went into the pastorate that he always keep a body at hand in case he needs a funeral. Can my position better be supported by teachings of Christ? I do believe that. Yes, I do believe that. But, you know, when you've got Dutch Calvinism in your blood and your genes, you have to argue with Paul and I do believe, yes, Jesus. Again, I'm hesitant to get into biblical discussions about this because you can argue it all over the place. But, I would say that, apart from any specific biblical reference, just the God I see in Jesus is a God that would make me reach out and embrace my neighbor and listen to the other and live in harmony with the other, and that's not by having a text, it is by the whole context, the whole encounter with Jesus Christ which says to me God is bigger than anything we've yet dreamed of, so I would agree with that. Does God's grace extend to non-believers, too, in your theology? Yes. Because ... I don't know. How do I know? This is what I think and that is that God is not through with us at our death. This is what I began to wrestle with Hans Küng and then I would never have thought that I would think twice about purgatory and I go to these lectures and find, why did the ancient church have this? What were they talking about? Then I read from C. S. Lewis, his Letter to Malcolm, where he talks about purgatory as, you know, being in the dentist's chair and when you're coming around the dentist says, “Wash your mouth out with this." And he says, that's purgatory. I began to read Lutheran and Reformed theologians as well as Catholic theologians who speak about our encounter with God at our death, and so, what does it mean to be a non-believer? What does it mean? Does it mean that I have been so damaged by the institutional church? I'll tell you what -I could almost leave the institutional church. This past year with that experience in the church – I'll tell you what – if I wasn't a stubborn Hollander, I'd be out. I'm just too ornery not to go. But then, how many people have not been damaged and hurt by the attitudes, by the spirit, by the structures? So, non-believers - who are © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page14 they, anyway? I don't find as many non-believers out there as I used to. I used to know how many there were; I used to know what percentage of the population they were, and now I found out when I don't know so much, they're really interested and they really want to talk and I think there's something deep down in the human spirit that can be appealed to that makes that category of non-believer somewhat fuzzy. One of the old, early American preachers, Lyman Abbot, said if he were a Calvinist he would be a universalist, but he said, because I respect the human will, I cannot be a universalist because I believe that God will not finally crush my human Yes or No. I think God respects our Yes or No to such an extent that... So, non-believers? Someone wants to finally say, "Not thy will be done, but my will be done?" will God say then, "Thy will be done?" I don't know. Of course, I don't know those answers. But, I don't think there are as many non-believers out there as I used to. Q. You said that you didn't want to get into scripture, but there are a few people here who would like you to at least address some issues. One question: please speak on the question of the necessity of the cross of which Jesus speaks often, particularly consider the incident of Jesus in Gethsemane saying, "If it is possible for the cup to be removed," but God demanded Jesus to drink of it, nonetheless. A. Yes. I would say that one of the areas of revision as I reflect on Christian faith and doctrine, as I have learned it and I have preached it and taught it, is my understanding of atonement. I think that when Jesus said, "Let this cup pass from me," that Jesus was saying, "Bring that kingdom about, effect your purposes apart from my having to go through with tomorrow." I think Gethsemane was just what it appears to be and that was the real existential struggle of Jesus in the garden at the threshold of his own death, a horrible death, in which he could have slipped out of town and gotten away with it. I don't think that Jesus died to bear our sins; I think Jesus died because of our sins. I think Jesus died the way he died because he lived the way he lived, and his dying was the authentication of the life that he lived ,which was the embodiment of the kingdom of God and the rule of God in the midst of human society. And so, when he said, “Let this cup pass from me," I think he wanted out, like I would want out. And I think when he said on the cross, "My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?" that's not like my Calvinist theology said, that in that time he was experiencing the torments of hell because God turned God's face away from Jesus in those moments. I think he was experiencing hell; he was experiencing forsakenness. That which he had staked his life on and pointed to and embodied was not happening. He was dying! He was being crucified. And I think anybody that lives the way he lives is going to end up pretty much like he ended up, and that's why most of us are smart enough, most of the time, not to do it. And to follow the Way of Jesus is a most radical way to go, and I'll tell you what - I'm not ready for it. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page15 Q. How do you respond to such scripture as "No one comes to the Father but by me"? A. I refer people to Bishop Krister Stendahl's little paper on “From God's Point of View, We're all Minorities.” Now, he's a New Testament scholar; I'm not. And he says, you know, to take a text in the intimacy of conversation between Jesus and his friends, and then to lift that up out of its context and absolutize it as though it is the end all and the be all.... I wouldn't be in any trouble if it weren't for John 14:6 and Acts 4:12. "No other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." In other words, save as healed, and they're talking about the crippled man who was just healed. And they are saying in Acts 4:12, in your name did you do this? And Peter says, "No, not in our name. There isn't any other name. The only name is the one Jesus, that name. That is the healer, that Jesus who was in our midst who was the embodiment of God who brought the healing power of God to bear." And in 14:6, “In my Father's house there are many resting places." Krister Stendahl says that's in the world. In the world there are many places you can be, and so, be there. And as I go to prepare a place for you and so forth. I do not think that one ought to take John 14:6 and try to explain it as though it had no nuances of exclusivism because there is a genuine biblical exclusivism, there is that track in the scripture, and I think that it is most understandable that there would be, because the Bible, New Testament documents, this is not a book on interreligious dialogue; this is not a book on religious philosophy; this is a book of proclamation. This is a book written by those who believed they were at the end of the age, that God had appeared in Jesus Christ, that the answer was in Christ, everything was in Christ, this was their message; this was their preaching, so, I don't think I ought to try to whitewash that thing and say there is no possibility of constructing that kind of exclusivist view where there is salvation through Jesus alone and no other. The only thing that I would argue is that that's not the only voice of the scripture, and that if we look at it in its context and in its time and then, through the tradition of 2000 years and our present situation, you put all of those things together, then I think that's the basis on which I would say that if Jesus said John 14:6, which Jesus Seminar says he didn't, of course, that's too easy, isn't it, then I think that there's the possibility of nuanced interpretation, but maybe that's exactly what John wanted to say. Q. Has human experience taken precedence over the authority of scripture? A. Yes, I hope so. And that's why I'm in trouble, because I say things like that. You see, and now Dr. Fries can't be that foolish because he still holds an institutional position. But, the reason I'm in the trouble I'm in is because I think human experience and scripture need to be in dialogue and need to be coordinated. I need to give human experience a lot of credence in order to make up for the first fifty years of my life, when I didn't know that human © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page16 experience even existed. I had a text and I had a book and it didn't matter whether human experience was being honored or regarded at all. So, I think there is the scripture, there is the tradition, there is present human experience and then there is the reflection of reasonable faith, and Krister Stendahl who was with us some years ago in a dialogue with David Hartman, the Rabbi from Jerusalem, spoke about tradition as an instrument for continuity and change. Now, I know of tradition as an instrument for continuity. I didn't understand it as an instrument for change. As Krister Stendahl spoke of it, I could see that it is the living tradition that connects us with the founding story, and that living tradition is a constant re-interpretation of the founding story in light of ongoing human experience, so that at every point of the historical spectrum, as you look back at this event, you see it from a bit of a different angle, you see new wrinkles and new nuances because what goes on is also God's history and the spirit of God is still active in the world. It’s not as though it all happened back there and now it's just waiting for the applause at the end. We have to constantly look at that story in light of our experience, in light of that way we have traversed, and we do it, we use our heads, we think! And in that mix we come to our present understanding of the faith which helps us to interpret present human experience. So, I think that's a red herring. I think that's a false dichotomy. I don't think you can understand the Bible apart from human experience, and I don't think that human experience apart from the critique of the founding story will ever connect you to the transcendent. I think that both of them have to live in tension. Q. How do you view Buddha and Krishna? A. Hardly ever do. I don't know, and frankly, I am an incurable Christian theologian and I have not really dipped with any breadth or depth into the world of religious dialogue. The only specific relationship I've had is with the Jewish community which has been a very enriching kind of relationship, but I am not a scholar of world religions. However, when I hear someone like John Hick who advocates a pluralist position, or when I hear someone like Huston Smith, then I sense that perhaps if I am going to make sense of what they tell me about the authenticity of that spiritual experience, then I would say that the spirit of God can take up residence within Buddha, Krishna. I think that the historical, concrete figure may be agent and instrument of the Spirit of God, and that there have been those in whom that transcendence came to shining expression to a degree far beyond that which is true of us ordinary mortals. So, I think where there are great religious leaders, if there is truth there, I would guess it is the truth of God. Q. Where or how do you fit in the 250,000 Jewish people who have come to believe in Jesus as Messiah since 1967, and who believe that the Messiah is still to be preached to their own people? A. I am aware that there is such a movement. I just got a letter from Isaac © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page17 Rottenberg who wrote to a Rabbi in New York City about the Jesus Jewish movement and the fact that that ought to be a part of the agenda of the discussion, the dialogue between Christianity and Judaism. I think in all of the religious traditions there ought to be the possibility of crossing over. I believe that one ought to deepen one's own tradition and one's own particularity. In other words, don't hear me say that you ought to put all the traditions into a blender and homogenize them and come out with some new kind of mush. Let's be authentically what we are. Let's even deepen what we are. Because I do believe that the universal is accessed only through the particular. But, I think that there should always be the possibility for a Jewish person to see Jesus and say, "Messiah!" And if that is the authentic experience of that person, wonderful. Ironically, in the Muskegon Classis in the last two years, I'm the one who has baptized two Jews, adult Jews! I almost did it with a bad conscience. I said, "Are you sure you want to do this? You know, you don't really have to do this," but they wanted to do that. Okay. But, on the other hand, seriously, about myself, maybe I'll join the synagogue. I could become a Jew because I see Jesus very much in his Jewishness and to follow Jesus and practice Judaism, live out of the Torah, so if I want to do that, I think the Rabbi should receive me. But, all I'm saying is that you can cross over, pass over, if that is where you find that connects you, God bless you. And if you are a Jew and you want to find in Jesus the Messiah today and you want to tell your fellow Jewish people about that, I think that's witness, that's fine, that's fine. I respect that. Q. If your views moved the Reformed Church closer to the Unitarian position, if so, what would be gained for the church body, and what might be lost? A. The doctrine of the Trinity is a mystery and I can understand how the church, seeking to come to terms with the raw material of its experience, its Christological creedal formulas, I understand. I understand what those doctrinal symbols are pointing to and seeking to communicate. Would my views move the church more toward Unitarianism? Maybe, but not necessarily, because I think that, even within the Jewish tradition, that which comes to expression in the doctrine of the Trinity, there are echoes of that in Judaism, as well. And so, I think that that is not necessarily the issue of where I would go. I would say this: I understand the impetus to Unitarianism when it happened. I can understand why there was such a movement and such a development, and I'm not nearly as scandalized by it as once I was or probably some of you would think I should be. But, I want to maintain the embodiment of God in the flesh of Jesus. That's the God I know. That's the God I see, and I am not as impressed with some of the contemporary discussions of the Trinity where that's reflective of community within a godhead which is modeled after community of humankind - frankly, it never really grabbed me, but that's for esoteric theologians like Dr. Fries. I mean, you know, we wouldn't need seminaries, we wouldn't need such brilliance if there were not those kinds of questions to think about. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page18 Q. Will you please respond to the question once posed to Karl Barth – “Professor, will there be a hell?” A. Hell, no. I think that Hell is the experience of separation from God and I do believe that I believe in judgment. I believe that no one will get away with anything. Thank God. True for all of us. So that there will be this authentic encounter with God so that my life will be there and I will face my life, and then, you know you have to talk in symbols and images. I love The Great Divorce, where C.S. Lewis says on the other side of death you can sort of float around in those misty grey flats as long as you want to, and then if you want to get on board the bus a little farther in, a little farther up, okay. You get up there and say, "Ooh, this is too bright. I think I like it down below," the ambience of the misty flats. But, it is always the individual in authentic encounter with God. God is not mocked and I will see myself consciously in the presence of God. I believe in judgment. But, I believe that judgment is redemptive. I think that in the scriptures that judgment is always for salvation. So, Hell for as long as you want it, but it doesn't have as many folks in it as it used to have, for me, and it doesn't last as long as it used to last. Q. Dick, it would have seemed that Joseph Campbell addressed this issue without the controversy, why is it now considered controversial? A. Well, Joseph Campbell wasn't talking within the rather narrow limits of the Reformed Church in America. I mean, Joseph Campbell had a world stage and the whole mythology tradition of which, of course, he was expert. I cannot believe that this issue is of such interest that it would get on the front page of the New York Times. I can't believe it. Others have said it better; they've said it years and decades and centuries ago more eloquently, more explicitly. I do not know why now this issue is so big. I think it's reflective, perhaps, of the church being afraid, being threatened. And rather than in faith saying, "What in the world is going on?" and "Is there something bigger? Does God have a grander scheme that is more than I ever, ever conceived of?” Rather, there's this growing in, and why it is now, I don't know. I don't feel like I have said anything new. I've not said anything very well. I am pretty much mainstream, down the middle. In my context? No, but in the broader human context, certainly, and even within the broader Reformed Church, I believe that I would come somewhere in the middle of the spectrum. So, it baffles me. Q. As a seminary student that shares your views, should I consider a longer engagement, both live together for a while, or break it off now? A. If I answered that in all honesty, I would be answering out of a deep woundedness that would not be a fair answer. I am wounded. The church has hurt me. And I should not be giving counsel to anybody for another year or two. Q. Why is there no movement to change our creedal statements? Why are we © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page19 stuck in 15th and 16th century statements? A. I said to the Classis of Muskegon that I would be willing to sign the formula for ordination which speaks of those statements as faithful, historical witnesses to the Christian faith. I do believe that those statements were authentic statements of faith. They were affirmations; they were proclamations. In their context they addressed the questions and the issues of that time. It's simply a human quality - we tend to say it, the movement erupts, there is this prophetic flame, there is an eloquent statement, and then we absolutize it and we perpetuate it through history as though it no longer will be touched by ongoing historical experience. It happens all the time. It happens in every tradition. You don't have to be the Reformed Church in America, and I think that's the question. Until we can honor our creedal tradition as being a faithful expression in a given context, recognizing that that faith needs constant translation and fresh expression - until we do that, we'll be going through the torment of this past year in Michigan. Historical consciousness is a relatively late arrival on the scene of the human disciplines. I think that science of history, historiography, is an 18™ century phenomena, and it, when it really soaked into the human psyche… I mean we all think historically today. It is the very lens through which we see everything, but we have somehow or other compartmentalized our faith and our theological expression, and made out as though those expressions do not need to continue to bring new light through translation in light of ongoing experience. I don't know. I don't know why we can't learn that. I've learned it. I said in New Brunswick Seminary when John Beardsley - John Beardsley, where are you? What year did you go to New Brunswick? Could it have been '64? I sat there on behalf of Western Theological Seminary and stood in your procession and John Leese gave a lecture, and John Leese's lecture pointed out the historical condition of every creedal statement, and it was like a light went on, and I sat there and thought, why didn't I understand that in my first 30 years? Why didn't I know that? And then I could see. It happened. It's just amazing to me, but I can remember it like it was yesterday. The historical conditionedness. You want to read a great story? The Presbyterian Controversy by Bradley Longfield, the fundamentalist controversy from 1920 to 1936 in the Presbyterian Church, the one where _________came out and started Westminster Seminary. Henry Sloane Coffin, I think, Robert McCartney, William Jennings Bryant, anyway, six of these outstanding church leaders, and the controversy of those, assembly after assembly, where the fundamentalists in the decade of the 20s, it is an amazing story, and Jay Gresham Machen said this is the deposit of faith and this thing goes down through history and nothing touches it. © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page20 I can remember as a student reading Machen who said never go down on the playing field. They'll slaughter you. Stay in the citadel of faith. Okay, you got it here, stick there, just keep saying it. Fundamentalism is simply the reiteration of yesterday's answers to today's questions, and so, you don't go down. He said, don't get out of the citadel and go down there. In other words, you can't reason with those people. Don't draw swords with those people. Don't dare try to go mind to mind, thought to thought. No encounter, because they'll slay you, because if you have the citadel of faith, and you have this pure source of revelation, you just keep repeating it. Well, to think that that deposit of faith can just sort of move through history with all of the... was it Einstein who said after the explosion of the first atomic bomb? Everything is changed, except our thinking. I would say that, on the threshold of the year 2000, if the church would open its eyes, it would have to say everything has changed and it's time we think about it. And then it's a question of whether one really believes in God, really has faith, you see. I believe in God. I trust God for the future. I think it's going to be great. I'm going to keep preaching. Q. What can be done by a Reformed Church minister to engage in a serious Christian-Jewish dialogue where the Consistory is opposed to this dialogue? A. Take a call. I don't think you can do it without leadership in tune with it. The only reason I've survived this past year is because my own congregation has been wonderfully solid and supportive. If my congregation were torn up, I would be torn up and I would be out of here because I am not a fighter. I don't go around looking for confrontation and I couldn't stand it if my own people were not together in this thing. So, I would be very hesitant to recommend a minister or a church leader of any sort to get involved in that which is not affirmed by his or her own leadership. It's a formula for disaster, I think. Q. Of course, a lot of things can feel right, even demonic persecution which takes the persecutor beyond need for argument. What are the critical criteria for putting holds on affirming all kinds of behaviour, such as your ouster …? A. Well, you see, I think that if we operate with a biblical tradition, with the biblical story, with the Christian tradition in a concrete community of faith, and if we are in dialogue together and in conversation together, then I think that we'll make some mistakes, but I think we'll correct ourselves, too. I trust, basically, the people. I think that there's a terrible gap between the academy and the congregation. Your pastors have known a lot of things they've never told you about over many, many years, and my experience has been that I can trust my people with anything I'm thinking about, anything I'm toying with, and it's a community and the Spirit of God lives in that community. And so, I have the biblical story, I have the tradition, I have the concrete community. And then, I think we test the spirits, and sometimes we make mistakes, but © Grand Valley State University �Spoken Address to Mid-Atlantic Synod Richard A. Rhem Page21 we have the freedom to fail, and then we can turn around and say that didn't work or the consequences of that were not foreseen. I'm going to back down from that. I don't know any other magic, but I do think that the Christian community can be trusted. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Series Address to The Synod of Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America Location The location of the interview Reformed Church Synod of Mid-Atlantics, Ramapo, New Jersey References Karl Barth, The Humanity of God, 1960,1996, Hendrikus Berkhof, Christian Faith, 1979, 1986 C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, 1964, Richard A. Rhem, "The Habit of God's Heart," Perspectives, Sept., 1988. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-19961004 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-10-04 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Regarding the Conflict About Christian Exclusivity Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 4, 1996 entitled "Regarding the Conflict About Christian Exclusivity", as part of the series "Address to The Synod of Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America", at Reformed Church Synod of Mid-Atlantics, Ramapo, New Jersey. Tags: Inclusive Grace, Nature of God, Pluralism, Universal Grace, Scripture, Authority. Scripture references: Karl Barth, The Humanity of God, 1960,1996, Hendrikus Berkhof, Christian Faith, 1979, 1986 C. S. Lewis, Letters to Malcolm, 1964, Richard A. Rhem, "The Habit of God's Heart," Perspectives, Sept., 1988. . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Authority Inclusive Grace Nature of God Pluralism Scripture Universal Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bc50d5f76951f91e4caf5bd404ccf465.pdf e145e9517fd457752535311d84ca521b PDF Text Text The Church in Conflict – Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Minister of Preaching and Theological Inquiry Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan Prepared Text for the Address to The Synod of the Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America To be delivered at Ramapo, New Jersey October 4, 1996 Editor’s Note: See “Regarding the Conflict About Christian Exclusivity” for the edited transcript of the spoken address followed by questions & answers. Let me begin by saying that we are focused on the wrong question; the issue is not whether non-believers can be saved, but rather, whether those who yearn for God and seek God can experience God's gracious embrace outside the revelation of that grace as it has appeared in Jesus Christ and been mediated through the Christian tradition. I suspect the question means to raise that issue - can nonbelievers in Jesus Christ as the sole mediator between God and humankind be saved? But, we ought to be careful that we not give the impression that those who believe in Jesus Christ are the world's only believers. If pressed, I doubt any of us would claim that, but our language can be thus construed and create such an impression. As for the first phrase in the day's theme, “The Church in Conflict,” there is no doubt. The Church is in conflict and I have been at the center of that conflict. I was given the ultimatum by the Classis of Muskegon to recant my views on the extent of God's grace, on the possibility of knowing God savingly beyond the limits of the Christian tradition or leave the ranks of ordained clergy in the Reformed Church. Refusing to deny my conviction that the grace of God is broader than that grace operative within the Christian tradition, I resigned my ordination. How did we come to such a point? A brief review is important in order to understand the conflict situation because the salvation question was not the issue that fomented the conflict. The catalyst for the Classis of Muskegon to investigate my ministry was a feature article in The Muskegon Chronicle on the Muskegon Metropolitan Community Church. For nearly two years that small community had been conducting Sunday evening worship in our chapel. We had hosted a pastoral care seminar on ministry to persons suffering from AIDS. At that seminar we learned from the pastor of the Metropolitan Community Church that they were meeting in the basement of a Muskegon bar because they could not © Grand Valley State University   �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 2   find a church facility open to them. We brought the matter to our Consistory which unanimously invited the group to use our facility without charge. The Consistory saw the invitation simply as an act of hospitality. The newspaper feature appeared on the Friday before the Spring session of the Classis in March of 1995. The article mentioned that the group met in our chapel and accompanying pictures were taken in our chapel. At the close of the Classis session, someone brought up "Christ Community's ministry to homosexuals." There followed an emotional discussion of our ministry, which can only be explained as an outburst of pent-up hostility to our ministry in general. That was the beginning. A task force was appointed to investigate our ministry to homosexuals. Our Consistory gathered at the request of the task force and answered their questions - the real question being, "Do you call these people to repentance?" Our Elders answered yes, that we are all called to repentance every time we gather in worship. Obviously, that was not the answer being sought. The interrogators wanted to know if the Metropolitan Community people were challenged to turn away from their homosexuality. Not being satisfied with the task force findings, the Classis Executive Committee requested I present myself for questioning from the floor of Classis at its Fall meeting. At the October, 1995, meeting, I was asked to give my view of homosexual relationships. I answered that I believed sexual orientation was for the most part a given at birth and that homosexuality was not a moral issue. That viewpoint shocked the Classis. From there it led to the charge that I obviously did not believe in the authority of the Bible. And further, I was questioned about salvation through Jesus Christ alone. I am not even certain how that question came up. The meeting got out of control. There were calls for my immediate dismissal. Finally, it was moved that the Executive Committee engage me in theological discussion. On Reformation Day, 1995, the Executive Committee came to Christ Community for the discussion on the three issues that surfaced at the Classis meeting: 1. What do you believe and teach about the scriptures as the only rule of faith and life? 2. What do you believe and teach about the way of salvation apart from Jesus Christ? 3. What do you believe and teach about the need to repent of homosexual behavior? For about two hours I gave account of myself. Although two tape recorders were used, neither one produced a usable recording. Therefore, one of the Executive Committee members summarized what they had heard from me and he and another committee member came to me with the summary. Scanning the summary, I said I felt my views had been heard and were quite well represented. I offered to take the summary and put it in my own words, keeping to the same © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 3   format and length. I also promised to be as clear as possible so that the issue in each case would stand out clearly. I then suggested the Classis meet to discuss my response to their questions at a session in which no vote would be taken. This was done. On February 1, 1996, the Classis met in special session, breaking up into small groups to discuss my paper, hoping to come to a consensus on whether or not my views were within what was judged to be acceptable parameters of Reformed faith. Of the eight groups, five held I was beyond the limits, two that I was within and one group couldn't come to a consensus. With that indication from the body, the Executive Committee called a special session for February 29. They had decided to drop the issue that had been the catalyst for the whole discussion - the issue of homosexuality. I suspect they realized the Classis was getting bad press on that issue and it was the issue the press grabbed on to. I think, too, they came to recognize that Christ Community was living out the General Synod's directives concerning pastoral ministry to persons of homosexual orientation more than any other congregation in the Classis. The charge that I have an inadequate view of biblical authority has never been discussed. Again, I suspect the Classis was not overly confident they could make a case there and I resolutely rejected their charge. Thus, the centerpiece of the case against me was that I denied that salvation was available through Jesus Christ alone. That issue was clear and simple and it generated emotional response. Because the conflict took on this sharp focus, we are here in conversation around the question of salvation, not whether nonbelievers can be saved, but whether only those who believe in Jesus Christ can be saved. To the question put to me by the Muskegon Classis regarding salvation apart from Jesus Christ, I responded: SALVATION I am a Christian. I trust in, worship and serve God as God has been revealed to me by God's Spirit in the face of Jesus Christ. For me, Paul has expressed it well: ...the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"... has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. II Corinthians 4:6 That is the God I have preached for thirty-five years, twenty-nine of them in Spring Lake. The Good News that appeared in Jesus is the Gospel preached at Christ Community, the Gospel that has built this Christian community. © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 4   Is this God, Creator of all - God alone, known by any others through any other manifestations? Is God's Spirit operative savingly through any other revelation? My study, reflection and experience would say, "Yes." There are three answers given to the question of salvation in the Christian tradition. Although there are shades of difference within each position, for simplicity's sake, let me define the three positions thus: The exclusivist position says salvation is available only through Jesus Christ consciously embraced by the believer. The inclusivist position holds that salvation was accomplished only through Jesus Christ but some will be included even though they make no personal appropriation through faith in Jesus Christ. My position is the pluralist view: Jesus Christ mediates to the Christian community salvation, but the God of whom Jesus is a true revelation is known by others in their respective traditions. I use the example of a cathedral resplendent with stained glass windows. The windows tell stories, biblical stories, but think for our purposes, for example, of Jewish folk gathered in the nave, the Christians in the choir, Muslims in the transepts. Each group is reading the story of faith in their respective areas through their specific windows, the windows of their tradition. But that is possible only because there is a common source of light that filters through all the windows. I see the respective religions as historical concretizations of founding revelatory experience, but the common source of all true revelation is the one God - the God who, for me, is the God whose heart is revealed in the face of Jesus. It is to that God that I witness; it is to the grace of God that I point. But I can enter authentically into dialogue with other faith traditions, bearing my witness but also listening, open to learn new nuances of truth. All religions are not equally true (or equally false). That is where dialogue and mutual understanding come in. There is clarification, growth and transformation possible where such dialogue is entered into without fear and defensiveness, but with deep trust in the God whose Spirit leads into truth. Salvation became the single focus of the inquiry into my theology and, in spite of my affirmation of God's saving grace through Jesus Christ as the center of my faith and my preaching and teaching ministry, I have been judged as outside acceptable parameters of Reformed faith because I will not go on to say that only those who come to God through Jesus Christ can be saved. I have made this point concisely before the Classis. I was very clear that, if they would scratch the word "alone," I would gladly assent to the statement they called upon me to affirm. In "A Pastoral Letter to Muskegon Classis Churches © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 5   Regarding our Relationship with the Rev. Richard Rhem," the Executive Committee wrote: • We affirm theological search, questioning, and struggle. Clearly these are values of the Reformed tradition. At the same time, we affirm the integrity and the appropriateness of communal belief. • We affirm Dick Rhem's love for Christ. • We recognize Dick Rhem's respect for and struggle with Scripture. • We know that many have been very blessed by the work and ministry of Dick Rhem as it has been carried out for 25 years at Christ Community Church. However, setting aside the issue of personal faith and based on our serious and sincere consideration, we believe that what is being taught and preached by Dick Rhem at Christ community Church in regards to the authority of Scripture and salvation by Jesus Christ must be considered unacceptable. This conviction comes from out of a time of honest wrestling, and causes us much pain and sorrow. To the extent that this stance will hurt and bruise fellow children of God, we do grieve that result. Having said this, we hereby recommend that, unless Dick Rhem publicly recant his views, as clearly espoused, which are not fully supportive of the definitive authority of Scripture and salvation by Jesus Christ alone, Rev. Rhem and the Muskegon Classis purposefully move toward a peaceful separation, with humility and a gentle spirit. Muskegon Classis Executive Committee February 22,1996 It was the "alone" I could not in good conscience declare. I stated in the special session of February 29, 1996, that I did believe the revelation of God was possible beyond the Christian tradition and that the grace of God could be mediated other than through Jesus Christ. I also affirmed that I felt it arrogant to deny that, as well as presumptuous to declare that God must save universally. But the "alone" was the part at issue and on February 29,1996, Classis Muskegon voted 2 to 1 against me, thus leading to my being set outside the Reformed Church of America. At its June, 1996, session, the General Synod of the Reformed Church seemed to confirm the decision of Muskegon Classis relative to the exclusivity of salvation through Jesus Christ. A news release stated: © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 6   RCA General Synod Reaffirmed Doctrines of Christ and the Scriptures The General Synod of the Reformed Church in America, meeting June 814 at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, strongly reaffirmed two tenets of the church - that salvation is only through faith in Christ and that the Bible is the Word of God, the only rule of faith and practice. It also approved (subject to approval by two-thirds of the RCA's 46 classes) a Book of Church Order change which would require ministers to annually affirm these beliefs. The news release did not go on to relate the further action of the Synod which was reported in the July/August, 1996, issue of The Church Herald. THE UNIQUENESS OF CHRIST The General Synod adopted the following resolution upon the unanimous advice of the advisory committee on theology: The 1996 General Synod of the Reformed Church in America joyfully and gladly reaffirms its confession that God's unique, unrepeatable, and decisive activity in Jesus Christ is the only sure hope for this world. God's work in Jesus Christ alone saves all who believe. Indeed, there is salvation in no one else, as the Old and New Testaments themselves teach. Further, this position marks not the end, but the beginning of the church's attempts faithfully to witness to the gospel. In our culture, there is an increasing tendency to view religious issues merely as matters of personal preference. Such an attitude renders the church's confession more difficult for many to understand and to embrace. Increasing contact with adherents of other religious traditions and those outside the Christian faith also stretches the boundaries of Christian understanding, as Christians recognize truth and value in religions and perspectives other than their own, even while challenging them with Christ's unique claims about himself. Therefore, in light of these changes in our world, the Reformed Church in America seeks fresh guidance on how to interpret and to live out its faith in the uniqueness of Christ in the midst of a pluralistic world with diverse religious perspectives; and further, The General Synod directs the Commission on Theology, in consultation with Evangelism and Church Development Services, to engage in a study on "Christian Witness to the Uniqueness of Christ among People of Other Faiths" which will both interpret the nature and character of Christian claims regarding the uniqueness of Christ and also guide Christians in understanding and assessing the religious experience and claims of those outside the Christian faith. © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 7   Thus, the conversation in which we are engaged today is part of the RCA agenda at the present time. Let me move on now to give the background of my claim that God's gracious embrace is broader than the Christian Church. As I do that, I want to be clear that my movement from an Exclusivist position that salvation is possible only through the atoning death of Jesus Christ consciously embraced by faith - to a Pluralist position - that God's revelation "happens" not only within the biblical tradition (Israel and Jesus), but also beyond that tradition in other religious traditions, and, further, that God's saving grace is mediated also through other traditions beyond the biblical tradition - is the result of long wrestling with the biblical tradition and the theological tradition of the Church in the light of my own human experience. Those three, the biblical witness, the theological reflection of 2000 years, and present human experience, must be understood as the mix out of which my present position is arrived at. They are the matrix upon which thoughtful reflection - the exercise of one's rationality - is focused as one carries on the interpretive function of the theological task. If I were to identify the catalyst for my in-depth probing, I suspect it would be my experience of a world marked by global consciousness in which the great religious traditions, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and the Eastern religions, Hinduism and Buddhism in their respective expressions are being practiced in close proximity to each other. I have for some time questioned the idea that the whole world would be brought to embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It simply does not appear a likely possibility, given the long traditions of those great traditions that arose in the First Axial period, 800-200 B.C., and their present vitality. Questioning the possibility of world evangelization, I found my concrete experience calling into question the propriety of the effort to turn the respective traditions from their path to Christian faith. That experience was a close encounter with Jewish faith in its concrete observance. In a day-long dialogue between Rabbi David Hartman and Bishop Krister Stendahl in 1991, sponsored by the West Shore Committee for Jewish-Christian Dialogue in Muskegon, Michigan, David Hartman raised the question, Do I have to deny your truth to affirm my truth? Do I have to deny your joy to celebrate my joy? From the depths of my soul, I answered, "No, of course not." It was not only the actual content of this all-day discussion that deeply impacted me; it was the manner in which two totally committed religious scholars and leaders in their respective traditions engaged each other. It was a moving experience to watch these two persons wrestle with the issue of faithful interpretation. © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 8   That experience led me to accept an invitation to join the West Shore Committee and that experience has led to many concrete encounters with Jewish people and Jewish observance - a briss in which I recognized precisely the same yearning for God's grace to embrace the child, the same commitment of parents and grandparents and community that I experience at the baptism of an infant in the Christian community; a Bat Mitzvah at which I experienced the same passage into spiritual adult faith that we experience at the confirmation of our youth; Sabbath worship in which the Word is heard and prayers are offered before the mystery of the God of Israel. Beyond these formal moments of ritual and worship, it has been my privilege to come to know in meaningful friendship persons in the Jewish community and sense with them our solidarity in the human family. Such experience is powerful; it is transforming. It calls in question one's traditional posture that would disallow the validity of the religious tradition of the other. One finds the sharp divide created by religious exclusivism eroding. What does one do with that experience? If one would be serious and responsible to one's calling to be a minister of the word and sacrament, one will necessarily be sent back to one's own tradition: to the biblical story and the theological formulation of the faith. For me, this was not a new endeavor; I had been wrestling with the biblical word and Reformed confessional formulations for a quarter century since my return from study in The Netherlands with Hendrikus Berkhof. While with Berkhof I recognized that the inability of my own conservative Reformed tradition to deal with ongoing human experience stemmed from its understanding of the nature of scripture. My theological education had taught me that Scripture is God’s inspired word, infallible in all that it intends to teach. Further, I was taught that Scripture is to be interpreted by Scripture– an individual passage in light of the whole testimony of Scripture; there could be no contradictory material within the Bible. The presupposition was that there was finally one unified biblical witness. To determine the content of that witness, one had to apply a confessional hermeneutics – that is, one approached the biblical material with a pre-formed doctrinal system. To be sure the biblical theological scholars and the systematic theologians carried on their debates, the biblical people pointing out the gaps and flaws of the system by reference to biblical texts that did not “fit.” However, in the Reformed Church and in conservative evangelical theology generally, the system prevailed – Scripture interpreted by Scripture subsumed and explained away the contradictions. In this hermeneutical approach the rich diversity of the biblical witness was smothered and the diverse voices that came to expression within the canon of Scripture were silenced. © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page 9   My awareness of this failure to listen to the whole diverse biblical testimony dawned as I read Berkhof’s Well-Founded Hope, a study of the biblical teaching of themes of heaven and hell, judgment and salvation. From his study I learned that the scheme of things I had always believed – that faith in Jesus Christ brings salvation from eternal damnation and failure thus to believe destines one for eternal punishment – was not the whole story. From Berkhof I learned there are also passages that point to a universal salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Further, I learned that this was not something that lessened Berkhof’s passion for witness to God’s grace in Jesus Christ but, rather, gave him the hope that ultimately God’s “Yes” to humankind would prove stronger than the human “No.” Cautious, not presumptive, nevertheless a positive hope that the gracious God would overcome all human alienation. Yet it was obvious that, not only the followers of other religious traditions lived and died without knowledge or experience of Jesus Christ, but in the secular society of the West many lived and died without any apparent Christian faith or practice. How would all those who “died without Christ” be reconciled to God through Christ? If it were the case that God’s grace was universal in its embrace, how would that grace be mediated to those who never heard or heard but never heeded? I was moving away from exclusivism toward an inclusivist understanding of salvation but had no sense of what was involved in such a move. After twelve strenuous years of building Christ Community, it was time for a sabbatical. Without this as my goal, my sabbatical experience set me on a course of investigation that gave foundation to my nascent inclusivism and paved the way for my eventual movement to a pluralist position. In the fall term of 1983, Hans Küng, the noted Roman Catholic theologian, gave a series of lectures at the University of Michigan entitled, “Eternal Life?” It was an investigation of life after death as a medical, philosophical, and theological problem. He faced squarely and straightforwardly all the difficult questions surrounding the subject, dealing with ancient and contemporary issues, the question in the history of religions, the modern denial of anything beyond death, and the near-death experiences recorded in recent years. He dealt with biblical material, the question of resurrection, the resurrection of Jesus, and the church’s teaching on judgment, heaven, and hell. The lectures were subsequently published under the title Eternal Life. By virtue of my sabbatical, I attended the lectures and was a participant in a cross-discipline seminar with Küng for the term. I came away with two striking realizations: first, that there was intense interest in these questions of death and dying, of life after death, of heaven and hell on the campus of a large secular university. The lectures had to be moved from the largest lecture hall available to the Rackham Auditorium. Secondly, I realized © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page10   how little these vital questions were probed in the church, how little reflection I had personally given to them in my ministry, and how comfortably and uncritically we in the church have accepted traditional answers. Once awakened to the questions that are not nearly so simply answered as once I had thought, and also to the deeply existential interest of today’s people, both secular and religious, I began to open again questions on which I had come to premature closure. For me, the greatest surprise came in a new appreciation for the teaching of purgatory, which was resolutely rejected at the time of the Reformation and which has received little serious reflection in the Protestant tradition. For the first time ever I sought to understand what the ancient tradition of the Roman Church taught. To my surprise my own mentor, Hendrikus Berkhof, also recognized a place for some process of purgation following death. He wrote, God is serious about the responsibility of our decision, but he is even more serious about the responsibility of his love. The darkness of rejection and God-forsakenness cannot and may not be argued away, but no more can and may it be eternalized. For God’s sake we hope that hell will be a form of purification. (Christian Faith, Revised, p. 536) I found C. S. Lewis’ treatment of the subject in The Great Divorce profound and helpful. And in his Letters to Malcolm the imagery is moving. Our souls demand Purgatory, don’t they? Would it not break the heart if God said to us, “It is true, my son, that your breath smells and your rags drip with mud and slime, but we are charitable here and no one will upbraid you with these things, nor draw away from you. Enter into the joy”? Should we not reply, “With submission, sir, and if there is no objection, I’d rather be cleaned first.” “It may hurt, you know.” – “Even so, sir.” I assume that the process of purification will normally involve suffering. Partly from tradition, partly because most real good that has been done me in this life has involved it. But I don’t think suffering is the purpose of the purgation. I can well believe that people neither much worse nor much better than I will suffer less than I or more. “No nonsense about merit.” The treatment given will be the one required, whether it hurts little or much. My favourite image on this matter comes from the dentist’s chair. I hope that when the tooth of life is drawn and I am “coming round,” a voice will say, “Rinse your mouth out with this.” This will be Purgatory. © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page11   I was convinced. Whatever the nature of the encounter with God at our death, the redeeming intention of the God of all merely seemed to me consistent with the whole movement of God in the historical outworking of the covenant of grace. I returned to the biblical story, reading with new eyes, with new questions, and I discovered a rich vein of material that pointed to a wideness in God’s mercy I had never discovered in the Scriptures before. Along with the witness of Scripture, I found a long line of theologians from the early Church Fathers who affirmed the universal triumph of God’s redeeming grace. I summarized my research in an article I wrote for the journal Perspectives (September, 1988)” Throughout Christian history some have understood God’s redemptive action in Jesus Christ to be universal in its scope. The early church was far more universalistic in its understanding of the radical renewal of reality, the radical alteration of the human situation through God’s action in Jesus Christ, than was the church of subsequent centuries. Among the fathers of the early church we find statements pointing to the final conquest of evil and rebellion, if not within history, then beyond, through some kind of purgation process. Clement of Alexandria wrote, Punishment is, in its operation, like medicine; it dissolves the hard heart, purges away the filth of uncleanness, and reduces the swellings of pride and haughtiness; thus restoring its subject to a sound and healthful state (Pedagog,1.8). Clement’s more famous pupil, Origin, wrote, …God is a consuming fire, what is it that is to be consumed by him? We say it is wickedness, and whatever proceeds from it, such as is figuratively called “wood, hay, and stubble” (I Cor. 1:ii), which denote the evil works of man. Our God is a consuming fire in this sense; and he shall come as a refiner’s fire to purify rational nature from the alloy of wickedness… (Contra Celsum, Lib. IV, 13). Gregory, bishop of Nyssa, declared, All evil, however, must at length be entirely removed from everything, so that it shall no more exist. For such being the nature of sin, that it cannot exist without a corrupt motive, it must, of course, be perfectly dissolved and wholly destroyed, so that nothing can remain a receptacle of it, when all motive and influence shall spring from God alone (De Anima et Resurrectione). Theodore of Mopsuestia held © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page12   That sin is an unavoidable part of the development and education of man; that some carry it to a greater extent than others, but that God will finally overrule it for their final establishment in good. Among these early Christian thinkers there is no denial of evil and sin, but they seem to entertain no doubt that God will finally conquer the last vestige of evil and restore all things through remedial punishment. It was not until 544 A.D. at a local council called by Justinian that the teaching of universal salvation was condemned. In the Perspectives piece I brought the discussion closer to our time, referencing Karl Barth. In our century the question of universalism has surfaced in Reformed theology in the work of Karl Barth. Berkouwer’s early study of Barth was entitled, The Triumph of Grace in the Theology of Karl Barth. Barth’s detractors labeled him a Universalist and wrote him off as dangerous. Yet the matter is not that simple. Barth resisted systematizing; he defied neat pigeonholing. In a lecture delivered to a Swiss Reformed minister’s association in 1956, he reflected on those early, heady days and the theological ferment he fomented. He entitled his remarks, “The Humanity of God.” One consequence of the humanity of God, Barth maintains, is that the sense and sound of our word must be fundamentally positive. He writes: To open up again the abyss closed in Jesus Christ cannot be our task. Man is not good: that is indeed true and must once more be asserted. God does not turn towards him without uttering in inexorable sharpness a “No” to his transgression. Thus theology has no choice but to put this “No” into words within the framework of its theme. However, it must be the “No” which Jesus Christ has taken upon Himself for us men, in order that it may no longer affect us and that we may no longer place ourselves under it. What takes place in God’s humanity is, since it includes that “No” in itself, the affirmation of man (The Humanity of God, p. 58). After developing that notion, Barth raises the question, “Does this mean universalism?” He then makes three observations “in which one is to detect no position for or against that which passes among us under this term” (p. 59). Barth suggests one ought not surrender to the panic that that term seems to spread before informing oneself exactly concerning its sense or nonsense. One should, he contends, at least be stimulated by Colossians 1:19 and parallel passages to determine whether the concept could not perhaps © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page13   have a good meaning. And he suggests finally that the ‘danger’ with which universalism seems to be attended should be balanced by concern for an even greater danger: a theology that fosters suspicious questioning because of its own legalistic perspective and morose spirit. Of this Barth is certain: we have no right to set limits to the lovingkindness of God which has appeared in Jesus Christ. Rather, he argues, it is our duty to see and to understand it as still greater than we have seen before. And, of course, my mentor, Hendrikus Berkhof, was an important guide for me as I wrestled with issues of ultimate concern. I wrote, Hendrikus Berkhof gives a full discussion to the question before us in Well-Founded Hope, the chapter entitled “The Double Image of the Future.” He deals seriously with the biblical witness but concludes, as was stated above, that Scripture leaves us with a double track. Countless attempts have been made to subsume one track of texts under the other by ingenious “exegetical tricks” but, Berkhof concludes, “we cannot smooth out this contradiction in the New Testament.” All that we read about the future, texts offering consolation and texts of warning, do not “fit together like a jigsaw puzzle.” In the case of the passages giving warning, these present the gospel in its nature as a call to decision; the passages offering consolation give hope and the promise of eventual salvation of all. We must hear both witnesses; we must not reduce one to the other. But we cannot simply allow them to stand with no link between them. Berkhof suggests we pronounce them “one after the other,” for “only the person who has learned to tremble at the possibility of rejection may speak about universal salvation.” It is the believing church, declares Berkhof, that can confess the last secret. In the end it is the power of God’s “yes” that triumphs over the recalcitrance of the human “no.” This is our last word but a last word that must be spoken if we believe God is ultimately not powerless or cruel or arbitrary, but rather infinite in mercy through Jesus Christ. Summarizing his conclusion on the issue in Christian Faith, Berkhof writes: We know that the covenant means that God’s faithfulness ever and again does battle with man’s unfaithfulness. What ultimately will be forced to yield: divine faithfulness or human unfaithfulness? Paul raised that question with respect to Israel, as the trial grounds of God’s relationship to man; and he ends with the confession: “God has consigned all men to disobedience, that he may have mercy © Grand Valley State University �Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Richard A. Rhem Page14   upon all” (Romans 11:32). These considerations compel us, not to detract from the gravity of the human “No” against God and its consequences, but to think just a little more of the divine “Yes” to recalcitrant humans. God is serious about the responsibility of our decision, but he is even more serious about the responsibility of his love. The darkness of rejection and God-forsakenness cannot and may not be argued away, but no more can and may it be eternalized. For God’s sake we hope that hell will be a form of purification. (Revised edition, p. 536). Is this universalism? Karl Barth was unwilling to be so labeled and rightly so. In my own wrestling with the question I have come to realize that it is not for us to dictate to the Eternal God what is or what must be. It would be arrogant to deny that God’s gracious embrace did not include all; it would be presumptuous to insist that it must. But for me, the serious revisiting of the biblical story and reflection on the Christian theological tradition convinced me that the extent of God’s grace is far wider than I had ever thought. As I concluded the piece I wrote for Perspectives: In light of God’s gracious election in Jesus Christ, of God’s steadfast love and covenant faithfulness, of God’s infinite power and patience, we have good reason to trust and confidently hope that the habit of God’s heart will finally heal every wound, overcome all opposition, and gather all God’s children safely home. References: Hendrikus Berkhof. Christian Faith: An Introduction to the Study of the Faith. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979, Revised edition, 1986. C. S. Lewis. Letters to Malcolm: Chiefly on Prayer. Harcourt, Inc., 1964. Richard A. Rhem, “The Habit of God’s Heart,” Perspectives, September 1988, pp. 8-11. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Series Address to The Synod of Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America Location The location of the interview Reformed Church Synod of Mid-Atlantics, Ramapo, New Jersey Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-19961003 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1996-10-03 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Church in Conflict - Can Non-Believers Be Saved? Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on October 3, 1996 entitled "The Church in Conflict - Can Non-Believers Be Saved?", as part of the series "Address to The Synod of Mid-Atlantic, Reformed Church in America", at Reformed Church Synod of Mid-Atlantics, Ramapo, New Jersey. Tags: Inclusive Grace, Nature of God, Pluralism, Global Community. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Global Community Inclusive Grace Nature of God Pluralism https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/9fdb9833f36189fe96eb39dc8ec59522.pdf 94d3025b83b946b010d82d3b02d5ee05 PDF Text Text Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Christ Community Church Spring Lake, Michigan January 30, 1989 Transcription of the spoken lecture I am giving you the first of three introductory looks at the proposed fall seminar with Ira Progoff. I wanted to begin now because I want to give you a bit of my rather slight understanding of Progoff and also to let you know why I was interested in Progoff in the beginning and why I believe that to bring the Journal Workshop to this community is the kind of thing that I would like Christ Community Church to do as a service to the broader community. I am going to try to stick somewhat to my area and not get into an area which is not at all my own, namely, the whole field of psychology and specifically depth psychology, because I know very little about it. But I see in the work of Progoff, in the knowledge I’ve had of it and of the persons with whom I’ve spoken, the kind of resource that would be valuable for persons, for many kinds of persons, a broad spectrum of persons, and therefore I have been rather excited about the possibility of getting him here. Getting him here is no small feat, and I guess he does only 4 or 5 Journal Workshops a year across the country. But, wonder of wonders, the man himself has agreed to come here this fall. I think to have the presence of someone like Ira Progoff in itself is significant and very meaningful. I have divided up what I want to say to you tonight into a few sections. The first thing I want to say is just a word about who I am, because some of you are from Christ Community, and some of you are from parts beyond. I want to say that I understand myself and I understand Christ Community as a kind of purveyor of this experience. Probably after tonight these kinds of things won't need to be said, but I want to say them at the outset. I want you to know that I am, first of all, a Christian person. My faith is in Jesus Christ, and I have found God through Christ and the grace of God experienced in Jesus Christ. I'm just a simple believer. Beyond that, my vocation, my profession, is that of a theologian and a pastor. I didn't know whether to put pastor first or theologian first, but I learned a little about my self-understanding because I put theologian first. And that means that I am a Christian who, in his vocational and professional life, is constantly trying to understand Christian faith and tradition and Christian existence in the larger context of the human experience. I'm always trying to do that. I am a pastor; I © Grand Valley State University   �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 2   have pastoral responsibilities for this community of faith, but I think this community of faith, as we have postured ourselves, is concerned about the larger community, the total community beyond our bounds. And so, that's who I am. You have to know that I am a bridge person, or a boundary person. I always live "on the edge." I live on the edge of the Church. I almost can't stand to live in the Church. It's restricting; I get disappointed with it; I get frustrated with it. What little hair I have left I could tear out at the behavior of the Church, which, I think, in its institutional form has become rather rigid, has become very defensive, and has lost the sense of movement with which, of course, it began in the aftermath of Jesus Christ. It has become an institution with a lot of vested interest and a lot of structure and harness and all that kind of “stuff” to preserve. I think most of its posture is characterized by defensiveness and conserving and preserving, rather than stretching and probing and pushing. So I always live with uneasy relationship with the Church. I am a boundary person or a bridge person, and, as I understand myself, I feel it my calling to try to understand the whole spectrum of human knowledge in the light of the Gospel, and the larger Christian tradition, but then to attempt to translate that Gospel in the light of that context. So, it's always a two-way back and forth with me. I believe that in the scriptures I have a history of Israel and the event of Jesus Christ which is a given for me. But then the other pole is the present horizon, the world in which we live. It seems to me that the task of the theologian is to constantly be living between those two poles: trying to understand that which is given in the revelation in Israel and in Jesus; and to understand as much as possible the larger cultural context with its various human disciplines; and then seeking from that understanding of the larger culture to have questions addressed to the Gospel, which I believe bring new insights out of the Gospel; but also bringing the Gospel to bear on our culture so that culture is not absolute but is always under judgment of the Gospel. So, one must live in that kind of tension. I think the systematic theologian has the largest task of any thinker, frankly. We live in a world of great specialization. More and more people know more and more about less and less. And we know that the academic world is characterized by a lack of communication, a breakdown of communication and deep specialization where there is no longer the ability to communicate across disciplines. But the theologian is the one who claims to speak of God and, if God is the source and the ground of truth, then to speak of God is to speak of that whole spectrum, and therefore to be responsible to provide that umbrella that can bring some kind of unity and coherence to the respective human disciplines. Now, that's how I understand what I'm about and I love it and am fascinated by it, and I think that it is important to me as a rooted and committed Christian to be in that kind of dialogue and conversation with the broader spectrum of human learning. And then, let me say a word about this particular community of faith. One of the models by which we have shaped ourselves over the past couple of © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 3   decades – one which I enunciated back in 1971, which had come to me in my own studies and kind of existential quest – was that this community should always seek to combine intellectual integrity with evangelical passion. The uniting of head and heart. Intellectual integrity, searching honestly for truth, wherever that may lead, in the confidence that the source of truth is in God and that God's revelation in Jesus Christ is an expression of that ultimate truth, and that therefore any genuine quest for truth cannot be something that will lead away from but, rather, to God, to the extent that it is an authentic quest. But also with evangelical passion, for we are not finally on a head trip, but we are engaged in seeking to bring good news to persons. And we are about human transformation here. We are about the transformation of the human person, which is more than communicating a system of doctrines or structure of belief. That is a means; that's all part of the mix. But, what we really are concerned to do is to see a human person transformed, moving toward wholeness. The best model that I can give you for that which we have had some experience with here, is the AA model, where various steps are set forth which are simply a borrowing of the Gospel without the names attached, but which lead to the transformation of persons. And I believe that what we see in the movement of AA is really what should be happening and happens all too little in the Christian Church. Through that genuine encounter, that community of support, that total acceptance and openness, which allows genuine confession and self-exposure in a healing environment, there does occur the transformation and the healing of the person. And the healing of the person is to say about the individual what we hope for the larger picture, and that is the humanization of society. Now, that may sound very humanistic. But, I happen to think that God is about a very humanistic thing. I think that God is about gracing persons in order to release their full potential and to recreate them into the image of Jesus Christ who, I believe, is the human person par excellence, and that the Kingdom of God is the rule of God or the reign of God and, where the reign of God is recognized, there will be a very human society. So, I could speak about the Kingdom of God, but just to keep it kind of down to earth, let me say once again, the transformation of the person and the humanization of society - that, I think, is what we must be about. And of course, our resources are dynamic; our power, our vision comes out of our understanding of the God revealed in Jesus Christ, and we do believe, as Scott Peck says in The Road Less Traveled, that this is a graced universe, and that there is a grace operative in the world at large which is a healing and positive movement of God toward this world and toward persons. So, that's kind of in a nutshell the way we operate here. That's what this community of faith, this particular congregation, is all about. To the extent that people have come and the church has prospered, to that extent, anybody that has come in has kind of bought that vision, and I suppose that I'm guilty of shaping it © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 4   in large measure, but that always happens when you get to stand up front once a week, front and center. So, we are a Christian congregation, and yet we see, I believe, a broader world out there. We are not content to live a kind of parochial life of a Christian congregation, within a Christian tradition, but would seek to understand ourselves and to relate in a positive way to the broader cultural spectrum, and to the world of spirit in whatever form that manifests itself. I happen to believe that we are on the threshold of a new inter-dialogue among the religions, and I think it is inevitable. The earth has shrunk to the size of a grapefruit, and we really are members of a global community. It is no longer such that we have a largely Protestant religion in America, and that you go East to find Buddhism, and you go to the Middle East to find Islam or whatever. It's all over. The crosscurrents of religious expression are everywhere, whether you go to Ann Arbor or Chicago or New York, Los Angeles, you can find it all. Not only can you find it all, but also you can find all kinds of offbeat brands more and more. The religious resurgence in our day is one of the remarkable phenomena of this last quarter of the 20th century. It seems to be incumbent upon us to be in dialogue with that larger religious scene. I brought along this little study of Martin Buber, the great Jewish thinker. Martin Buber is very deeply knowledgeable of Christian faith, thinks very highly of Jesus, does not understand Jesus as I understand him, but nonetheless really sees a kind of movement of Messianism as he, as a Jew, understands it coming to expression in Jesus. But he says, speaking to Christians, It behooves both you and us to hold inviably fast to our own true faith, that is, to our own deepest relationship to truth. It behooves both of us to show a religious respect for the true faith of the other. That is not what is called tolerance. Our task is not to tolerate each other's waywardness, but to acknowledge the real relationship in which both stand to the truth. Whenever we both, Christian and Jew, care more for God Himself than for images of God, we are united in the feeling that our Father's house is differently constructed than our human models take it to be. Now that is a much broader understanding than has been true of Orthodox Christianity, which would see other religions as expressions of error. It is the understanding of my mentor, Hendrikus Berkhof, who says that, since the split of the Jewish and the Christian religions, God has had two peoples, and Berkhof bases that on his own biblical understanding of the irrevocable covenant that God has entered into with the Jewish people. That question is debated among Christian theologians and there is difference of opinion on it. The point is I think we need to be deeply rooted. Let me say, personally (I don't want to take you in on this), I need to be deeply rooted in my tradition. I need to be deeply rooted, deeply committed, and I must bring to the discussion my © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 5   deepest and best understanding of Christian faith, and not try to just jot that down and remove the sharp contours of that in order to make it fit, but only as I do that as genuinely as I can can I engage in genuine dialogue with someone like a Martin Buber who will be genuinely Jewish. Harvey Cox is a theologian who has written a number of books, one of which is Many Mansions. He's been involved in much of this dialogue among the religions and it's his feeling that what we need in this inter-religious dialogue is not so much seeking to find the lowest common denominator, as bringing into the discussion the sharpest focus of each understanding, so that there can be genuine meeting and encounter. Well, let me say that that kind of dialogue I affirm. I'm not afraid of it. I don't think that our faith is so fragile that we will be tainted. I don't think that. I used to think that I had to protect my people. I used to think that one of my tasks as a pastor was to protect my people from error. Now I find that my people are well able to handle themselves in such areas, and that more often I don't generally really have to protect them. More often, I have to push them. I don't know if it's true in most congregations, but it's true in this congregation that I'm always pushing. I'm always trying to push people into risking and into scary places, because I believe that is faith-building. I don't think that you need to be sheltered. And, as a matter of fact, I wonder how long in the world in which we live anybody can be sheltered anymore. I think it could be less and less possible. All right. That's a little bit about the posture with which we approach this thing. Let me say a word about what I see in the horizon of our world. You maybe didn't ask for all of this, but give me an inch and I'll take an hour. I think we're in a very interesting period in the world's history. I think that the period in which we find ourselves is toward the end of a period of tremendous revolution and transformation in human understanding. And I think that we have moved out of the settled past of maybe eighteen centuries of unquestioned tradition. And we are at the end of a couple of centuries of thrashing about, experimentation, of overthrowing old forms and shaking foundations, but we are not yet at a time in which new contours are clearly set. Just, for example, the social-political context. If you would read Hans Küng's Does God Exist?, you would find him tracing the roots of modern atheism. He would take you back to the Socialist Revolution in Russia, for example. But, behind that, you would go to the philosophical writings of the German philosopher, a Protestant pastor's son, Ludwig Feuerbach, who was the first to speak of religion as a human product, that religion arises out of the human person, and that God is the projection of our needs. We have these needs; we create God; we project God onto the screen of reality; we bow down and worship. The God we worship is the God we need. We created God. Religion is a human business. © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 6   It was on the heels of Feuerbach that you have Karl Marx in the social-economic realm. You have Sigmund Freud in the psychoanalytical field, and you have finally Nietzsche with his nihilism, where he came to the conviction that nothing is nothing and that there is ultimately nothingness, the abyss. I do think that nihilism is really the logical conclusion of atheism. If God is not, then finally nothing is. And you can turn everything upside down and there's no reason for saying that good is evil or evil is good. You have no norms. It's over. But, if you see that development, you will also see that those people were dealing with very real issues in history and society which were manifesting themselves, and the reaction of the Church was, again, one of fear and defensiveness and refusal to engage in genuine dialogue with the realities of history that were right there. The Marxist theory was constructed on the background of a class society in Europe and the church leadership was very insensitive and not at all in genuine dialogue. If you take the actual political-social revolution, the Russian Revolution particularly, you see that it took on this atheistic form because the Church and the State were joined together; throne and altar were one. To throw over the government, to throw over the political and economic system was also to throw over the Church, because the two were joined where the Church ought never to be joined. Then the whole social revolution that took place took an atheistic bent, not because the economic theory demanded it, but because the social situation meant that those two were wedded and when one went, the other went. And if you come down to our present day and you see how that revolution has kind of spent itself, it has not brought in Utopia. In fact, Gorbachev would tell us that the whole thing is a failure and we can well pray that Gorbachev is successful in what he is about because he has by economic necessity been forced to see that it is either change and transform that old giant, or it's not viable. I think that you put all those things together and it is not just business as usual, but there are some very long-term movements and forces and tides within history which have created a kind of openness and possibility today, which just haven't been here in a long time. I think that this is a rather interesting time and it has peril and it has opportunity. And it's not just some result of an immediate situation, but I think the gathering of long-term things that have been going on for a couple of hundred years. The Enlightenment on the European continent, the Age of Reason which was the continuation of the Renaissance (the Reformation period was kind of an interruption of that flow), but the whole coming to the devotion of the human person, of the human mind, of reason, and of throwing off of authorities of all sorts: Church, Bible, whatever. The authoritarian day is past. We haven't learned that much in the Church yet. But Authoritarianism is over. In the world at large I really believe Authoritarianism is over. So that is the socialpolitical context. Take the scientific world. If you read Steven Hawking, this brilliant English Quantum physicist, in A Brief History of Time and Space, you find that we live © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 7   on what is the threshold of that discovery of what they call the Theory of Everything, the theory for which Einstein was questing – that little formula that would reveal the ultimate core of reality and develop it. In the Christian Science Monitor of some time ago there was a series, Making the Quantum Leap: A FivePart Series, a fantastic series written in newspaper format, Christian Science newspaper format, so it's still a little hefty. But even I can almost understand some of it and it is amazing. I, in my next incarnation, hope to be either a conductor of a symphony or a physicist. I've always been fascinated by the close tie between physics and theology. Now, I regret to say that generally the breakthroughs in physics have been registered in theology rather than the other way. I'd like to get that reversed some day, but that probably won't ever happen. But Newton was a Christian thinker, a physicist. And he did his best to maintain his Christian faith alongside his understanding of the physical universe. But his system, his understanding of the cosmos actually left no room for God. No, Sir Isaac never gave up on God, and I'm sure that God never gave up on Sir Isaac. But, as a matter of fact, the ordered universe of Newtonian physics had no room for God; it had no room for prayer; it had no room for miracle or any of that. Now, the amazing thing is that Newtonian physics has been blown sky high. And Quantum Physics, the understanding of the structure of reality, whether in its cosmological expanse or in the understanding of the tiniest little molecule and atom, neuron and electron, speaks of eruption, of the eruption of the new, the possibility of randomness. It's an open ball game. Einstein hated it. Einstein hated it! He fought the Quantum Physicist Neils Bohr. Einstein said, "God doesn't play dice with the universe." He didn't want any randomness. But, nonetheless, that's where we are today, and it's impressive when you do see a person on the moon or when a satellite brings a picture from around the world, or your computer chip does everything you ever wanted done. The world of religion, the resurgence of fundamentalism in various forms. I read a statement by Charles Colson the other day. In his new book, Kingdoms in Conflict, he says, "Not since the Crusades have religious passions and prejudices posed such a worldwide threat." That's the world we live in today. I think he's right. Not since the Crusades. If not through a religious zealot or confused idealist whose finger is on the nuclear trigger, then certainly by destroying the tolerance and trust essential for maintaining peace and concord among people. Martin Marty, in a discussion of the aggressiveness and the orneriness of religion in the world in its manifestation, raised the question, "Is it not possible to be both civil and committed?" Is it not possible to be both civil and committed? Now, you see, that is kind of a trick, to be both civil and committed. But too often commitment has resulted in fanaticism and has wrought all kinds of havoc in the history of the world. And too often civility has been the result of lack of any real commitment or passion. To hold those two together is so important. © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 8   Well, that's the world we live in and it is a wonderful fascinating world in which to be alive. I think that it is a world that has openings for those of us who are concerned about spiritual reality and human transformation like never before. Now, let me get more specific with Progoff. Why? What has all this to do with Ira Progoff? Well, I don't know a great deal about Ira Progoff. But I have heard him on tape, I've read some of his works and I was first put on to him by a couple of very respected friends in ministry some years ago, and I know that he has had wide acceptance in the Catholic church, more so than in the Protestant Church. But a couple of my friends in the Reformed Church have been part of some of his activity and have spoken very highly of him. Ira Progoff is of Jewish origin. He is perhaps best characterized as a JudeoChristian-Buddho spiritual sage. He has milked all of these traditions for insights, which he has put together with his understanding of depth psychology. Now, I really am not going to say very much about depth psychology because, well, I'm going to say everything I know, but that's not very much. I know that Progoff – having been a student of Carl Jung, Jung having been a student of Freud but breaking away from Freud – is one who created in his understanding room again for God, but not a God "out there," which incidentally isn't even in vogue in the best theology today, but a God in the depths of the unconscious where there is a kind of meeting of all kinds of consciousness down in some deep reservoir in the depth of reality. A depth psychologist believes that the consciousness of the person is the tip of the iceberg. And I think that that has been rather well documented in terms of the tremendous structure of the unconscious. And I think images do evolve out of an unconscious depth. But I don't know much about that. Anyway, that is Progoff's orientation. He is a spiritual person. He's a deeply spiritual person. He's a mystical person, in the line of the mystics, I would say. If you want to label him in terms of Protestant or Jewish theology, he's probably closest to Paul Tillich, a Christian theologian now dead, and to Martin Buber, whose famous I and Thou book has made such a great impact in our century. How Progoff speaks of religion – as I utilize Progoff's understanding of religion – it is a functional understanding of religion. He is dealing with the function that religion performs in human life and human society. It is more a question of functionality than it is a question of truth. Progoff would not want to referee between the truth claims of Eastern religions or Judaism or Islam or Christianity. But, he would see in them all a kind of commonality of function, and I believe that it is perfectly legitimate to look at it that way. Now, that's not all I'm concerned about, because finally I think that the truth question will obtrude itself. It certainly will for me. And I am always struggling with the truth question in Christian faith, in religious expression. But, nonetheless, there can be a very positive and helpful understanding of the place of religion in the function it © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page 9   performs in the person and in society as a whole. And when Progoff speaks about religion and the religions, he is speaking functionally. He would see its function as enabling persons to position themselves in relationship to the transpersonal reality in order that they may experience guidance and structuring for their outer life. Religion ought to help me to position myself over against reality that is beyond myself in order that in my everyday life and living I may have guidance, orientation, to be at home with myself and at home with the world. Now, if religion does that for a person, it has done a great, great deal. Progoff would see the various religions as particular forms and structures, all of which are performing that kind of common function: to enable me to live as a human being, with other human beings, to enable me to live as a person over against transpersonal reality. Sometimes when he speaks, I think of the AA program where you have a Higher Power. I have encountered, from time to time, a few Christian people who have been uneasy with that, as though to speak of the Higher Power is to deny either the uniqueness of Jesus Christ or the God we see in Jesus Christ. Now, it doesn't bother me at all. I had an old gentleman in here one day coming off the AA program and, so help me, a man in his 60s who had absolutely no conception of God. I had a yellow pad like this and I had a pen, you know, and I'm generally nervous and I was making signs and I was trying to kind of speak about God and him down here and I put a big cross between as kind of a bridge and I made this silly diagram and we talked together and he said, "Somebody said, well, the Higher Power: just visualize a telephone pole." Well, I made this little thing and we talked some more and when it was all over I was quite moved as he said to me, rather moved himself, "May I take that with me?" And I thought to myself, what hunger. You can call that God or you can put whatever face you want to on it and I don't think Progoff will argue with you. He will say, "Is it helping you to live well?" Now, I do think it is valid for us to take whatever resources we have to help people to live well. So, Progoff is kind of a mystic who believes that there is a huge cosmic process that has been about, which is evolving. He reminds me somewhat of the French Catholic thinker, Teilhard de Chardin, whose works, of course, the Vatican banned, but then the best things that come from Catholics get banned for a while. But, de Chardin is an original thinker who sees kind of the Omega point off there and he sees this whole cosmic process evolving toward that point. And Progoff believes that it is in the likes of us, in our individual spirits, that Spirit comes to expression, and that Reality enters the world – it emerges, as it were, out of the depths – through the individual spirit of a person. His concern is that we enable persons to become, to be the bearers of Spirit and the expression of Spirit, and that, as Spirit is able to flow through our spirit and come to some kind of tangible form, Reality actually enlarges itself and the whole process continues to go on. © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page10   He sees a crisis in the present time because he believes that traditional patterns, beliefs, doctrines and rituals have lost their grip on people, or people have lost their grip on traditional symbols and forms. Symbols and forms, be they doctrinal formulation, sacramental acts, or whatever, can function to put us in touch with the transpersonal as long as we believe in them. When we don’t believe in them, they can't do it for us anymore. Now, when you stand in Western Michigan with all of our churches and with a large Christian community and in a rather conservative part of the world, it may sound a bit apocalyptic to speak about secular culture and about people uprooted, cut off from their roots. But, we have to keep reminding ourselves that this is not all there is, and when he speaks perhaps with more of a world purview and he speaks out of the context of New York City and Los Angeles, he probably feels that and senses that more than we do. Nonetheless, we have to recognize that the world as a whole is not becoming – now speaking as a Christian and an advocate of the Christian Gospel – the world as a whole is not becoming more, but is becoming less Christian. We are becoming a minority. And it is a fact that those traditional patterns and beliefs and rituals have for large portions of the world population lost their power. But, the need still remains for that which will put the individual and the larger society in touch with the transperson, or with God, if you will. And so, the need in our day is to find the way in which that can happen. Now, being a depth psychologist, Progoff believes that we will find that truth by going into the depth dimension, and that God (I'll say God), is perceived, the knowledge of God is accessible, not through rational formulation, but through intuitive perception, that it comes not by rational instruction which has been the hallmark of Reformed tradition, but that it comes through apprehension, through images, and symbols, that it erupts, that it is not mastered rationally and discovered. Now, you know, I have to say, just coming as I have through the season of Epiphany, I have found myself wrestling with that question week after week. When you really get some insight, when you really have a "high" experience, when you really capture something, when there's been a breakthrough for you, how do you express it? Isn't it, "Suddenly it dawned upon me?" Isn’t it often after a churning and wrestling and in a moment of insight, and doesn't it often come to us whole? As I was wrestling with this whole matter of how God reveals God's self, I was so aware of the fact that it is one thing to say that the light's on; it's another thing to say, "I see the light." So that we can talk all we want to in theological and doctrinal terms about the revelation of God in Jesus Christ, about the light shining and all that, but when Progoff speaks about going into the depth dimension, I have to say that there is something to the fact that God's unveiling of God's self will happen within us. It must finally be a subjective apprehension, no matter how much we may clamor for the fact that it is objective and real. You know, we often equate objectivity with the real. Oh yes, it's certainly real. But until I believe it, until it grasps me and I say, "Wow," it has not really come full cycle. © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page11   And so, Progoff’s point for a community such as ours – this is what he would think: In a crisis of a culture that has lost its moorings, whose symbols have largely become empty symbols, he would say, first of all, the church should give social support to the person, enabling that person to work on his or her own inner life. If in our day our young people are being told, "Just say no," Progoff says to the Church, "Just say yes." When there's someone, some funny person in the congregation, a little odd, a little strange, doesn't fit the stereotype, talks about the inner journey, why he says, "Just say yes." Encourage them. Be a place that encourages people to get on with that work on the inner life. He says, secondly, let the Church be the social institution and the culture where work on the inner life can take place. And I like the word he uses here: "Let the church be a sanctuary where that can happen." You know, we really ought to be about that, and we really ought to get on with it. I think about that every Sunday when I see the large assemblage of people, and then I realize how superficial is my little touch. When they leave for the rest of the week, what's happening? Are we as a community creating a sanctuary where people can do more than come in on Sunday morning and at worst complete the Sunday obligation, at best get a little Sunday morning high, and hopefully in it all, worship God? Thirdly, he says, let the Church provide the means and the program whereby this can be encouraged. And I guess that bringing a seminar like this here would be a tangible, concrete means by which to expose and offer to people ways in which to do that. He remarks about the fact that youth, many of the younger generation, have taken over Eastern religions lock, stock and barrel. You know, it's faddish, it's trendy, and those waves happen. It does indicate, however, a real spiritual hunger and a search and a quest. And he also says, "Look, our generation cannot really successfully just go back lock, stock and barrel and pick this thing up. I mean, the new and the different is fascinating, and we understand all that dynamic, but he says it's not for them to go back and get ancient Buddhist meditation techniques, but the challenge to us is to find the ways in which they can be put in touch with God, with the transpersonal reality, in the garments of the 20th century. Find the methodology. Find the modes, the means by which this can happen, which I think is the same kind of thing which I said earlier tonight when I said I felt it was incumbent upon me to translate the Gospel into today's idiom, because that needs constant translation so that it always comes to expression in the conceptuality and the language of the particular context in which it is being proclaimed. Otherwise, it is simply the reiteration of formulas out of the past and that's fundamentalism – just the literal reiteration of formulas out of the past is © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page12   fundamentalism. You don't think about that. You just give obeisance to formulas, slogans, models, and then you're not really in touch. So, in his book The Dynamics of Hope, Progoff deals at quite some length with the experience of Tolstoy who went through a period of tremendous anguish in his life after being very successful. He was on top of the world socially, culturally, a great literary success, and he came to a time of a sense of the meaninglessness of it all. And he tells in some detail Tolstoy's experience and he speaks in The Dynamics of Hope, of the Utopian person, and that is the person who has this kind of prophetic sense, who is willing to anguish and struggle, but always in hope, and out of the anguish and the struggle eventuates the new realm of experience and insight, which is the prelude to another struggle and anguish, which eventuates in a new breakthrough, because he sees our human experience as being an ongoing pilgrimage and process and, for creativity to be released, there is a need for this constant movement between the struggle and anxiety and always, however, with the hope undergirding it and breaking through to a new plateau and a new discovery. Let me just read a couple of paragraphs. "I began to understand,” Tolstoy reports, “that in the answers given by faith was to be found the deepest source of human wisdom. That I had no reasonable right to reject them on the ground of reason, and that these principle answers alone solve the problems of life. I understood them, but that did not make it any easier for me.” The fact, in other words, that his reason was now giving assent to an act of faith of some sort, did not bring such an act of faith any closer. It did not even make it any more possible. All that this new intellectual realization achieved, in fact, was to intensify the internal pressure and to build up an even greater tension around the vacuum of meaning which he felt in himself. How could he find a faith that he would not merely be in favor of believing? But one that he would actually be able to feel as a reality? It would be good if he could accept some structured body of doctrine that had been worked out in generations past by an established church. That would not be a fact for him. He would not feel the reality of such a faith. And so, no matter how much he might try to convince himself rationally that he ought to place his faith there, the persistent question about the validity of life would not be silenced. But, he goes on and he struggles and then he tells about the dream that Tolstoy had and the peace and the resolution that he came to. I'm not going to do more with that, but this is a very fine introduction to Progoff’s understanding of the journey of the individual, and it is his conviction that it is necessary for an individual to feel his life story and to be able to have a sense of continuity through the various stages and that in the creative unfoldment of a life there will be those periods of dark and light. I was thinking about his understanding of the human experience in contrast to, for example, someone within the Reformed Church. I shouldn't even say that © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page13   because it's not Reformed, but there is this friend of mine who I know rather well and who probably most of you would know, as well, Bob Schuller and the Hour of Power. Bob Schuller with his possibility thinking, which was built on Norman Vincent Peale's The Power of Positive Thinking, has done a tremendous amount for many, many people. He has recognized the importance of self-esteem and he has brought a positive and hopeful accent, and many people who didn't believe that they had it in them have found that, after all, they had it in them. My problem with Schuller is that I feel that sometimes he almost becomes shrill and I want to say to him sometimes that success isn't always the consequence of faithfulness or responsibility or effort, and so I always felt that there was something lacking. There was a depth dimension in the Gospel, if you will, that I felt never came to expression with Bob Schuller's formulations. I thought to myself, interestingly, how much closer Progoff is to an understanding of human personality and the experience of darkness and light, of guilt and forgiveness, of bondage and freedom. And then, really, not just a once for all thing, although we believe in a great once for all transformation, but as the ongoing unfoldment of life, this constant swinging between the poles. I can understand that in terms of my understanding – my biblical orientation. Walter Brueggemann in an excellent study of the Psalms speaks about how you can categorize the Psalms as Psalms of Orientation where creation is good, God's in his heaven, all's right with the world, everything's ducky; Psalms of Disorientation, where nothing is right and everything's unraveling; and then there are Psalms of New Orientation. Brueggemann's point is that life is not often lived in only orientation or disorientation. Life is generally lived moving from orientation, disorientation and new orientation, and out of the study of the Psalms you have that same kind of expression. Our life is a dynamic movement, and we do move through periods of openness, joy and light; we do move through valleys and through arid periods and dry periods; and it seems to me that is more true to human experience as I understand it than in some of the pop psychology and what I think is kind of a vulgarized psychology taken over by some of the religious stuff that is on the market. Finally, in his book The Symbolic and the Real, Progoff has, toward the end of the book, that which really spoke to me and what turned me on in the first place to his thinking and his whole approach to things. Let me just read you a couple of paragraphs here. His point, again – I said this earlier and I'm going to say this once again – his point is that to be in touch with reality or to be in touch with God is not the consequence of coming to the end of a well-constructed syllogism. It is the intuition that comes with the apprehension of symbol and image; it is a moment of illumination; it's revelation. So he says: As the symbol unfolds, reality enters the world and becomes present. A new atmosphere is established, and this is much more than a new climate of thought. It is reality increasing its presence among humankind by means of symbolic events that are enacted upon the depth dimension of © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page14   the psyche. In another style of language, this type of event is often described as a breakthrough of spirit, into human experience. It has, indeed, all of the traditional attributes of spirit, for it possesses power and meaning and the healing quality of inward peace. It expresses itself, however, not in the fixed forms of dogma, but in the living fluidity of symbolic acts. (p. 214) And then he speaks about revelation in the Old Testament: One context in which this new perspective is especially important is our attitude toward the Bible. In the biblical tradition there has been the view that when the Old Testament was finished and was certified in its standard version, that was the end of God's appearance to man. After that, man was not to expect a breakthrough of spirit in the world. At least not until the coming of the Messiah. All that was required of people then was that they keep the formulas and the stories so that they would keep alive the remembrance of the great moments of contact with the Divine which had taken place in history and were now restricted to the past. The traditional understanding was that since the voice of God stopped speaking when the Old Testament was closed, it would be best if people stopped listening for the voice of God in the world and concentrated on fulfilling the commandments. When the experiences recorded in the New Testament transpired, this view was reconsidered and was opened anew. Then it was felt that God had indeed made a new entry into the world. Necessarily so, since He had needed to make a new covenant between Himself and man. With the ending of the experiences in the New Testament, however, the same tendency to restrain the human spirit and enclose it in fixed molds recurred. Again, it was believed that the spirit of God would no longer enter the world in a prophetic breakthrough. It would not because it was no longer felt to be necessary. The Truth had been given. After that it would be sufficient if people would imitate Christ and concentrate on entering the dimension of the sacred by repeating the festive formulas accrued by ecclesiastical authorities. (pp. 222-223) And then he says, One of the very greatest and most basic difficulties of Western history is expressed in this fact that we have drawn from our traditions of belief that major openings of the Spirit are not possible any longer because they stopped when the Bible was officially sealed. We need to become capable of reopening the Bible as a living contact side by side with other styles of experience and sources of the spirit in the modern psyche. The two testaments which comprise the Bible are openings. They surely were not intended to be closings in man’s relation to the infinite. (p. 224) © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page15   I think he's right. I think a great problem with the Church is the fact that, in order to manage the revelation given, it was historically necessary to close the canon. It was a historical necessity. But then, to refuse to understand that the Spirit of God continues to speak was to allow the Church to become rigid and to allow a conception of orthodoxy. And I must say to you, this is my confession, one that I close with, that to me the idea of orthodoxy is an arrogant presumption. That's probably why I'm a heretic. Now, I think from my perspective, my understanding of things, there's richness here and that it is a great resource. I will be participating with my own labels, with the God reflected in the face of Jesus. I will understand this in terms of my own theological understanding. But I see the possibility of a very fruitful instrument here which again I think holds great promise for the healing of persons and, through the healing of persons, the humanization of society, which I think is what we're all about. Now, I think I've talked sufficiently long so that you should be sufficiently tired, so you probably wouldn't even want to raise a question. But, if you would, I would be happy to take it. Frank: I agree you're a heretic. I think you're making heretics out of all of us, but I think I'm beginning to enjoy it. When you sent that first letter about Ira Progoff I immediately rose up in my traditional background and sent you a letter back saying you probably were off base, and that we couldn't tolerate this new kind of thinking. But, I guess it just exemplifies the fact that most of us are completely uneducated. For forty years I have been studying anatomy and physiology and biochemistry and medicine, pharmacology, thinking that all of medical science depended on how much I — I suddenly realize how much an uneducated nincompoop I am and I sure appreciate your bringing these things into the open so that we could all learn from them and get carried along with your enthusiasm. RAR: Well, thank you, Frank. I want to say that the questions, the concerns you raised were very legitimate concerns. Frank. I was really comforted to find explicitly Progoff recognizing the dangers of that kind of trendy movement, of the sensitivity movements and groups, and those things of the 60s or 70s where people were undressed and then left defenseless, and he definitely set himself over against that kind of thing. And the legitimacy of his Journal Workshop has been tested. He's kind of a quiet person; he shuns the idea of guru. Doesn't even want to be called a sage. He's a very humble pilgrim who is sort of feeling his way along. But, your concerns were very, very well taken, and I was almost positive immediately that that's not where he was, but I was happy to find it confirmed, that he also distanced himself from that kind of thing. So, I appreciate the concerns you raised. I read today the Seminary Times of last fall, a book by James Ashbrook, whom I do not know. He's a seminary professor. He was at Colgate Rochester; he's moved since then. Making Sense of God. And it is a book entitled Brain and Belief where © Grand Valley State University �Introduction to Progoff Richard A. Rhem Page16   for a couple decades he has done serious research on the brain, as a theologian, trying to find the relationship of the function of the brain to spiritual perception. It is an absolutely fascinating article. And there is a rather serious critique of it, as well, in which, you know, it's such a pioneering kind of thing that the guy says, "I don't know how to critique it." But it's just fascinating. In fact, I'm going to give it to you to take home with you and you can tell me about it when I get back from vacation. But you know there are such interesting things happening today and there is an openness today. I think across the board: to structure of reality, to what we mean when we say God, and I do think that it is an exciting time in which to be alive. It's a perilous time, too, because people are also falling for all kinds of... someone accused me of being New Age. Now, I've never read anything New Age. I don't know what New Age is. But, I know this - that anytime that there is a genuine breakthrough and movement, there are going to be all kinds of counterfeits and all kinds of peripheral things going on and there will be faddy, trendy things. That's true. But, nonetheless, that shouldn't scare us. Ira Progoff. The Dynamics of Hope: Perspectives of Process in Anxiety and Creativity, Imagery and Dreams. Dialogue House Library, 1985. Ira Progoff. The Symbolic and the Real: A New Psychological Approach To The Fuller Experience of Personal Existence. Peter Smith Publisher, Inc., 1983. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Midweek Lecture Location The location of the interview Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI References Ira Progoff, The Dynamics of Hope: Perspective of Process in Anxiety & Creativity, Imagery and Dreams, 1985, Ira Progoff, The Symbolic and the Real: A New Psychological Approach to the Fuller Experience of Personal Existence, 1983 Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-3-19890130 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 1989-01-30 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Introduction to Dr. Ira Progoff Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Talk created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 30, 1989 entitled "Introduction to Dr. Ira Progoff", on the occasion of Midweek Lecture, at Christ Community Church, Spring Lake, MI. Tags: Progoff, Transformation, Hope, Spiritual Journey, Symbol, Emergence, Insight, Spirit, Interfaith, Consciousness, Nature of Religion, Community of Faith, Global Community,Revelation, Nature of Religion, Psychology . Scripture references: Ira Progoff, The Dynamics of Hope: Perspective of Process in Anxiety & Creativity, Imagery and Dreams, 1985, Ira Progoff, The Symbolic and the Real: A New Psychological Approach to the Fuller Experience of Personal Existence, 1983. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Community of Faith Consciousness Emergence Global Community Hope Insight Interfaith Nature of Religion Progoff Psychology Revelation Spirit Spiritual Journey Symbol Transformation https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/716a5bfa173c9ae8e23f4b29481715ac.pdf 5993d7b3796bad526bdc14ba8cc702c7 PDF Text Text Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer Richard A. Rhem Hope College Holland, Michigan September 9, 2015 O God, in Whom we live and move and have our being, great cosmic Artist, painting the universe in hues that take our breath away, inspiring human art that enhances and transforms our lives, we gather to dedicate today The Kruizenga Art Museum, a gem on this beautiful campus for the enrichment of the whole college community and the larger community beyond, whose space will be filled with masterpieces from around the world, bringing here a window on artistic expression from the global community. As we dedicate this museum, we give thanks for the vision of Richard and Margaret Kruizenga and the generosity that has made it possible, and we celebrate the intention that beautiful artistic expression enrich all the disciplines of the college. We pray your Spirit and grace will rest richly on the college that values life’s aesthetic dimension – on administration, on faculty, on the student body – that there may be a continuing stream of lives enriched by encounter with some of the world’s great art, who will make their world more beautiful, more humane, knowing that all that is true and good and beautiful flows from Your creative grace. O God, Source of all that enriches us on our human journey, to such high and holy purposes we gather to dedicate this, The Kruizenga Art Museum. Amen. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Dedication of the Kruizenga Art Museum Location The location of the interview Hope College, Holland, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20150909 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-09-09 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 9, 2015 entitled " Kruizenga Art Museum Dedication Prayer", on the occasion of Dedication of the Kruizenga Art Museum, at Hope College, Holland, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Community, Art. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Art Community Prayer https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d7d7c981e89e8a6dbdfdbb435bc730c6.pdf 2d4b216d79808e83945ce0dc69caa108 PDF Text Text God of Many Names, A Prayer by Richard A. Rhem Interfaith Leadership Dinner Kaufman Interfaith Institute Grand Valley State University Grand Rapids, Michigan April 27, 2015 God of many names, gathered into one, in your love we sense our oneness. Having traveled our respective paths, which we honor, we find we have arrived here together in one place – not only physical space – but oneness of vision, oneness of spirit, embraced together in the freedom of grace and the wonder of love. We are grateful for this movement that gathers us, for those whose vision is being realized, for those whose faithful leadership challenges us to new frontiers of faith and service, and especially for the lives of those honored this evening, who have embodied the beauty of being as one in your presence. As we gather around tables spread, we know your grace as we look into each other’s face and sense a bit of heaven on earth. O God of many names, receive our thanksgiving. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Interfaith Leadership Dinner Kaufman Interfaith Institute Location The location of the interview GVSU, Grand Rapids, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20150427 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2015-04-27 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource God of Many Names Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on April 27, 2015 entitled "God of Many Names", on the occasion of Interfaith Leadership Dinner Kaufman Interfaith Institute, at GVSU, Grand Rapids, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Interfaith. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Interfaith Prayer https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/7c2689ab3ee735b032e9b5d7140f983e.pdf 11512cc243754e285468d0c9c1b09a70 PDF Text Text Prayer At The Celebration of The Life of Margaret Ruth Olezczuk Richard A. Rhem The Lee Chapel, Sytsema Funeral Home Norton Shores, Michigan September 15, 2014 Transcription of the written prayer For these few moments, O God, Sacred Mystery of our lives, Creative Source, Eternal Presence, and our Final Home, grace us with awareness that we are held in the embrace of Love as family and friends and the one we have loved and lost awhile. God of our lives, beyond the changing seasons, constant through the passages that mark our days, for these moments, still our minds, quiet our hearts, be present to us as we, in Your presence, remember this one who filled so large a role in our lives. Her physical beauty was the outward embodiment of the beauty of the soul, the instrument of a human spirit that transformed every situation into which she entered, creating joy, good humor, well being. She had that about her that made us confident that all would be well – not through what she did, but simply because her presence was a sweet aroma of grace and goodness that changed everything for the better. O God, our hearts are full. Images tumble through our minds. We see her yet, always a lady, stunning, stylish, classy, able always simply to be herself – unaffected, genuine, authentic, deep. © Grand Valley State University   �Prayer in Celebration of the Life of Margaret Olezczuk Richard A. Rhem For this crown jewel of Your creative art, we give You thanks. O God, there is no denying our loss. Where love looms large, loss is large as well. Where bonds of love are tight, when broken, grief and loss are painful. All of that we own, we acknowledge without denial. Yet we are overwhelmed by the beauty, the wonder of this life that has touched us so deeply – the amazing grace with which she lived and the deep trust with which she breathed her last. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Receive our thanksgiving, O God. Grant the comfort of Your Spirit. Renew our hope and lead us on in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. © Grand Valley State University Page 2   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Funeral Service at Sytsema Funeral Home Location The location of the interview Lee Chapel, Norton Shores, MI Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20140915 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-09-15 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer at the Celebration of the Life of Margaret Ruth Oleszczuk Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on September 15, 2014 entitled "Prayer at the Celebration of the Life of Margaret Ruth Oleszczuk", on the occasion of Funeral Service at Sytsema Funeral Home, at Lee Chapel, Norton Shores, MI. Tags: Funeral, Prayer, Grace, Trust. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Funeral Grace Prayer Trust https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/3d8d378463cc4c0ce288ffe8f832390d.pdf f8f317ece3f74f24f2b9aa5b238b108d PDF Text Text Prayer Celebrating the Life of Norman Campbell Richard A. Rhem First Congregational Church Muskegon, Michigan January 24, 2014 Oh God, we would be still and know that You are God, Source of all being, Mysterious Mover of the ongoing cosmic drama, creatively breathing fresh surprises into the tapestry of our history, graciously present to us in those moments of awareness when we come to ourselves, when for at least a brief time light dawns upon us and we are saturated with wonder – at the sight of setting sun or starry sky, or our Great Lake blanketed with snow on towering bergs of ice. Then in silence and solitude we know what is beyond knowing. Then a serenity sweeps over our souls and we know all is gift. For we did not create ourselves or our world – not the brilliant winter sun or blinding blizzard, not the air we breathe, not the winter landscape wrapped in glistening ermine. Then we know we are part of something so much larger than the narrow parameters of our daily experience and limited understanding. Before the wonder of it all, we sense we are embraced, caught up in something the dimensions of which we cannot begin to take in – that Mystery that has addressed us, eliciting from us in turn the response of address, when from our depths we utter, “O God.” Then, knowing beyond knowing, we know we have been found by our Source and in turn have found our Resting Place. © Grand Valley State University   �Prayer in Memory of Norman Campbell Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Source and Resting Place, present to us in mysterious and gracious Presence. It is enough. Only gratitude then fills our being and thus we pray, “Thanks be to You, O God.” Gathered here as we are in the posture of worship in Your Presence, we have come to celebrate the life of this good man, Norman Campbell. We remember the way he was and we know why we are grieving so deeply. He leaves such a crater in our hearts for he filled us so tenderly with his mere presence – gentle, kind, gracious, humble, unassuming, generous – the adjectives surface so spontaneously. This one we have loved and lost awhile was a very special human being and he graced our lives so richly. A lover, a care giver, an irreplaceable presence. Beyond the circle of family and friends, a brilliant engineer, a keen industrialist and business man – one who created of his workers a family. Yet in this gentle giant a fire burned – for Tigers, and Blue was a sacred color in the liturgy of his life. And, O God, he walked always in Your Light, a man of deep trust, of inquiring mind, one who rested deeply in Your grace. Those of us beyond family saw all of this but knew as well that his family was where his heart dwelt, where his love was poured, where he found his deepest joy. We celebrate this one, dearly loved and deeply respected. We remember and we give You thanks, O good and gracious God, for the gift we shared– family, dear friends, larger community – the gift we shared of his presence in our midst. Loss is proportionate to love; pain is measured by what the one removed meant to us – and this one meant so much. Yet, amazingly, O God, © Grand Valley State University �Prayer in Memory of Norman Campbell Richard A. Rhem these are bitter-sweet moments. There is no denying the loss, but there is no denying the wonder as well – the wonder at the beauty of love, the meaning of life, the sacredness of human bonding. Things come into focus; we gain perspective. We know in tangible experience what we thought we knew before, but realize we didn’t know as deeply – that what matters finally is the love we’ve known, the love we’ve given, the love we’ve received. Our hearts swell, eyes moisten as we contemplate it all – the gift we’ve known in this one who loved so deeply, so broadly, so naturally… Knowing he was resting on everlasting arms in the embrace of Grace, he saw his end, and in confidence he chose to enter Your presence, O God, resting in his final labored breathing in the abyss of Your love. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord, so then whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Sacred Mystery of all being, of our being, consciously aware of our lives in Your light, we worship. We know that all will be well, all will be well. All manner of things will be well. Amen. © Grand Valley State University Page 3   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Funeral Service for Norman Campbell Location The location of the interview First Congregational Church Muskegon, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20140124 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2014-01-24 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer Celebrating the Life of Norman Campbell Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on January 24, 2014 entitled "Prayer Celebrating the Life of Norman Campbell", on the occasion of Funeral Service for Norman Campbell, at First Congregational Church Muskegon, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Funeral, Presence of God, Worship, Grace. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Funeral Grace Prayer Presence of God Worship https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/568e3dd8a0c0084268b9babc93bad224.pdf d6427e543f6d736ebd2d700976dc7099 PDF Text Text A Family Christmas Prayer Richard A. Rhem Christmas, 2013 O God, Mystery beyond us, Mystery within us, Sacred Presence enveloping our lives in all that is good and true and beautiful, we are gathered here in this home we have loved for over 30 years as a family first formed forty-one years ago on Christmas. We remember the little church, the tree, the poinsettias, the reception at the Brysons in their warm and lovely home and can hardly believe we have shared forty-one Christmases as a family, grown from eight to twenty-six – a family we treasure, so warm, so caring – simply Love embodied. Today we welcome Robbie into the embrace of this family as he and Sarah dream a future together. And today Richard is in the circle, having been given a place in Dan and Susan’s family, welcomed by Dani, Sarah and Sam. Gathered here, we hold in our hearts those absent from us: Katie, Jonathan and Brenda, Joseph and family. How blessed we are. In these moments, O God, we know that the Christmas story is true. It goes to the heart of what is truly human, truly divine – Love and Joy and Peace, the Light that scatters the darkness, a vision of an alternative world that can find expression in nothing less than a choir of angels singing, “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace.” �Once a year this annual festival calls us to stop, to reflect, to penetrate the mists of our muddled thinking, so caught up with matters of only passing concern, to see what is truly ultimate, what truly matters, what is finally true – that vulnerability invites trust, that humility invites embrace, that love begets love. O God, we worship and adore in the Presence of the Christmas Babe. Amen. � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event A Prayer at a Rhem Family Gathering Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20131225 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-12-25 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource A Family Christmas Prayer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 25, 2013 entitled "A Family Christmas Prayer", on the occasion of A Prayer at a Rhem Family Gathering. Tags: Prayer, Christmas, Family, Presence of God, Love. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Christmas Family Love Prayer Presence of God https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/d2a0555ae20a27e7427909c66572243a.pdf 569e1f12a53533ab14b35b5842a4f43b PDF Text Text   An Anniversary Prayer Prayer offered by Richard A. Rhem at the 50th Anniversary Celebration of Glenn and Arlene Yoas December 13, 2013 Oh God, Eternal One, in whom we live and move and have our being, in the midst of this happy celebration we pause consciously to experience and to acknowledge your presence, present to us. We do so naturally at life’s critical junctures, life’s moments awash with meaning – those moments that cause our hearts to sing or to break, our minds to be radiant with light and illumination or numb in somber darkness. We pause; we are still. We are present to you who are present to us – the presence of Mystery in whom and before whom our lives are played out. In the quietness of this moment, we pause to give thanks for the fifty years of life together shared by Glenn and Arlene – for their love and faithfulness, for the richness of their experiences, for the model they are of strength and steadiness, of faith and devotion. We celebrate their years as lovers, partners, friends, and we give you thanks that, as children, grandchildren and friends, we can share these moments with them. Memories wash over us of special times and seasons. The film of fifty years flashes through our minds – times when we laughed until the tears washed over our cheeks; times when the struggle was intense, and the goal far off; times when dreams came true, © Grand Valley State University   �Anniversary Prayer Richard A. Rhem Page 2   and times when dreams were shattered; times when joy burst the soul, and times when grief filled the heart; times of health and strength; times when health seemed threatened and the future put in question. Oh God, we remember with laughter and with tears, and we own it all, the whole long, wonderful, fragile, perilous, beautiful journey. For it is the tapestry of two lives lived well, lived fully, authentically, before your face – a tapestry with entwining threads of all the colors of the rainbow: brighter and more somber tones, light and shadow. And through it all your presence, your faithfulness, even your presence in absence. We give you thanks, O God, for your grace that has enabled them to be all they are, and we seek your benediction upon them as they move beyond this significant landmark. Fill their future years with the richness of harvest, enabling them to savor the fruits of their love and labor. Favor them with good health and even new adventure. Surround them with the loving care of their children, the happy exuberance of their grandchildren, and embrace of the circle of their friends. May your mercy be experienced with every breaking dawn and peace mantle them with every golden sunset. And as they gaze on the grandeur of the night’s starry heaven, may they know themselves enwrapped together in the Mystery of the abyss of your steadfast love. With gratitude we gather around these tables, acknowledging the gifts of bread and wine. And in the midst of this joyous feast, we remember the one who broke bread and poured the cup, and has become for us the Bread of Life, the Wine of New Creation, the one whose birth we celebrate in this beautiful season of Advent and Christmas – Jesus Christ our Lord. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event A prayer at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of the Yoas Location The location of the interview Grand Haven, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20131213 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-12-13 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Anniversary Prayer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on December 13, 2013 entitled "Anniversary Prayer ", on the occasion of A prayer at the 50th wedding anniversary celebration of the Yoas, at Grand Haven, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Anniversary, Life Journey. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Anniversary Life Journey Prayer https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/bf2e9c7eddd36f3a759466abeeda2042.pdf d29f5472217d8a7f163a63900ed15773 PDF Text Text Prayer Offered at the Celebration of Dorothy Boelen’s Life Richard A. Rhem St. John’s Episcopal Church Grand Haven, Michigan August 1, 2013 In the spirit of quiet anticipation, we come consciously into your Presence, Sacred Mystery of Being, in Whom we live and move and have our being. We would be still and know that you are God, our Sustainer through this earthly pilgrimage and our eternal home. Hidden from us in a cloud of unknowing, yet so very present to us in life’s Grace moments, moments when Love becomes tangible because embodied in another, in a face, a smile, a touch. This one whose life we celebrate today was such an instrument of your Love, a channel of your Grace. What a gift we have shared! Loss is proportionate to love; pain is measured by what the one removed meant to us – and this one, our Dorothy, meant so much. There is no denying the loss. Yet, O God, there is no denying the wonder as well, wonder at the beauty of love she embodied, wonder at grace amazing, simplicity, humility, authenticity, indeed, an altogether lovely humanity. We remember the way she was. We remember and we give thanks that our lives were enriched living in the circle of light that shone through her. Good and Gracious God, we have gathered in worship to remember and to give thanks – to remember a wife, a mother, grandmother, great grandmother, sister, aunt and friend. We acknowledge our sadness as over the last years and months we witnessed that brilliant mind closed even as her eyesight dimmed. The strong and gracious presence was reduced to quiet desperation. We were heartbroken that we lost her long before she breathed her last. © Grand Valley State University   �Prayer in Memory of Dorothy Boelens Richard A. Rhem Gord’s loving care, family’s deep concern and love surrounded her. But that vibrant one we loved and admired was only a shadow of herself. Yet, amazingly, O God, these are bittersweet moments. There is no denying the loss but there is no denying the wonder as well – the wonder at the beauty of love, the meaning of life, the sacredness of human bonding. Things come into focus; we gain perspective, We know in tangible experience what we thought we knew before, but realize we didn’t know as deeply – That what really matters finally is the love we’ve known – love given, love received. Our hearts swell, eyes moisten as we contemplate it all – the gift we’ve known in this one who loved so deeply, so broadly. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord, so then whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Sacred Mystery of our lives, You are there to hear our borning cry, You are there when we are old. And when we shut our weary eyes you are there with just one more surprise. With such full faith we bid our loved one farewell, trusting in full assurance that All will be well, All will be well, All manner of things will be well. O God, our hearts are full, quite overwhelmed. We commend our loved one, full of love, into the abyss of Your Love, in the name of the Good Shepherd whose love she embodied, Jesus Christ our Lord. © Grand Valley State University Page 2   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Funeral Service for Dorothy Kruizenga Boelens Location The location of the interview St. John's Episcopal Chruch, Grand Haven, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20130801 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-08-01 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer in Celebration of the Life of Dorothy Boelens Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on August 1, 2013 entitled "Prayer in Celebration of the Life of Dorothy Boelens", on the occasion of Funeral Service for Dorothy Kruizenga Boelens, at St. John's Episcopal Chruch, Grand Haven, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Mystery, Death, Profile in Love, Family. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Death Family Mystery Prayer Profile in Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/f3af856cca191e82568101d78c5fd644.pdf 7bd84097904914930803c85b7479417b PDF Text Text Prayer Offered By Richard A. Rhem At the Memorial Service for Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan May 25, 2013 Oh God, beyond our fathoming, eternal, infinite – terms we use to describe what is indescribable – we bow in these moments conscious that we are in the presence of Mystery, a Mystery that embraces us and will always defy our lust to define, to reduce to manageable terms, yet a Mystery not all mysterious for, eternal though You be, You have taken time for us. In the beginning You stepped out of eternity’s depths and called a world into being. In the fullness of time You spoke once more and the Word that wrought our time became flesh in our midst; a human face gave shape to the glory of Your being and revealed You full of grace, mediated to us through the Presence of Your Spirit. Thus, on the morrow, the Lord’s Day, Trinity Sunday, we shall worship You, Father/Son/Holy Spirit, in whom we live and move and have our being. When we have done our best to grasp you, image you, only one thing matters – Eternal Love that came to expression in the face of Jesus. God is Love. All of our theology and philosophy, our reasoning and our wondering, comes down to that: God is Love. Thus Margaret knew you, trusted you, committed her life to you in her love of family, her community, whomever crossed her path in need. We remember and we give thanks. © Grand Valley State University   �Prayer Richard A. Rhem Page 2   Images tumble through our minds of the way she was, larger than life. Perhaps her fondest dream, her greatest gift, was the Art Museum for which ground was broken yesterday. How ironic, O God of Mystery, that this Memorial Day Weekend should see the realization of her dream and the celebration of her life in death. Yet so it is and, not denying the grief, still there is something rather beautiful – in her death her crowning achievement realized. We remember and give thanks for this one who touched so many with grace, whose heart was large enough to embrace a broad and diverse community, whose wisdom aided so many onto the paths of well-being. We remember and we give thanks for this remarkable woman, this Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga, strong of mind and will, strong of conviction and of faith, yet generous, full of life, good humor, loving to delight, one whose strong presence made a difference. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord. So then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Receive our thanksgiving, O God. Grant the comfort of Your Spirit, renew our hope and lead us on in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Memorial Service Location The location of the interview Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20130525 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-05-02 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer in Memory of Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on May 2, 2013 entitled "Prayer in Memory of Margaret Feldmann Kruizenga", on the occasion of Memorial Service, at Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan. Tags: God is Love. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf God is Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/5e4b9a3c9f9cf7db64908f84628d475c.pdf c58623d39df5b002398e7271da0aaef3 PDF Text Text Prayer Following the Meditation for Marvin Bottema Richard A. Rhem Spring Lake, Michiga March 2, 2013 Eternal God, Source, Guide and Goal of all that is, from You we receive life as a gift and to You our life returns. In the Psalmist’s poetic expression, You send forth your breath, your Spirit, and they are created. You take away their breath, they die. We find our comfort in life and in death that we are not our own but belong to you, a faithful God, Whose steadfast love embraces us on this fascinating and fragile human pilgrimage. And thus we find it most natural at such a time as this, in such a place as this, to lift up our hearts in worship, to bow in Your presence before the mystery of life and the reality of death. We worship, for we are aware of the wonder of creation, its beauty and its terror, its loveliness and its pain. We turn to You, O God, giver of life and Ground of all being. We rest in You, we trust where we do not know. In You we hope and to You we commend those we’ve loved and lost awhile. Finally home, our beloved father, grandfather, great grandfather, brother, friend, your faithful servant, Marvin Bottema. Finally home in a grand reunion– his beautiful Thelma, Gerrit and Johanna, Neil and Alice, and the others who have been part of this remarkable family, a family rooted in a wonderful community of village and church where ties of love, mutual care and strong tradition created the good life – the good life we have all received as a gift of Your Grace, O God, a gift we treasure, a gift we pray we pass on as it has been entrusted to us. We give thanks for the privilege of living in the aroma of your Grace as it was manifested in his life. © Grand Valley State University   �Prayer for Marvin Bottema Richard A. Rhem The kitchen was the sanctuary – gathered around the kitchen table, the liturgy varied according to who came through the door. And no matter who showed up one could find their picture plastered on the refrigerator. There was always coffee and chocolate chip cookies – unless John had been there earlier. Precious times. Our loved one, now parted from us, was not, as it were, the chairman. On any given day on any given topic, anyone might take the lead. Nonetheless, his was the presence that mattered, the presence that bound all together in the bundle of life and love. We celebrate this life, this one who kept us together when his beloved Thelma entered your light eternal, O God. Summer holidays in the yard, Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, crunched into the family room. And miss him though we will, grieve his absence, still we know it was time. He was tired, he was ready, he faced his end with equanimity, receiving the benediction in full assurance. O God, there is no denying our loss. Where love looms large, loss is large as well. Where bonds of love are tight, when broken, grief and loss are painful. All of that we own, we acknowledge, without denial. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord, so then, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Receive our thanksgiving, O God. Grant the comfort of Your Spirit, renew our hope and lead us on in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord, Who taught us to pray, saying, © Grand Valley State University Page 2   �Prayer for Marvin Bottema Richard A. Rhem Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever. Amen. © Grand Valley State University Page 3   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Funeral Service Location The location of the interview Spring Lake, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20130302 Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2013-03-02 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer in Memory of Marvin Bottema Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on March 2, 2013 entitled "Prayer in Memory of Marvin Bottema", on the occasion of Funeral Service, at Spring Lake, Michigan. Tags: Prayer, Funeral, Community of Faith. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Community of Faith Funeral Prayer https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/84c555339f9c96b8758b2ae2a35552ab.pdf 3ec32a474833692fbff0b44e83c674f6 PDF Text Text The Best is Yet To Be A Prayer in Celebration Of the Life of Louise Zevalkink Richard A. Rhem Fifth Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, Michigan July 3, 2012 Prepared text of prayer Let us be in the spirit of prayer in the presence of the Creative Source of all being, in whom we live and move and have our being – the Sacred Mystery hidden in a cloud of unknowing. Eternal God, Source, Guide and Goal of all that is, from You we receive life as a gift and to You our life returns. In the Psalmist’s poetic expression, You send forth your breath, your Spirit, and they are created. You take away their breath, they die. We find our comfort in life and in death that we are not our own but belong to You, a faithful God whose steadfast love embraces us on this fascinating and fragile human pilgrimage. And thus we find it most natural at such a time as this, in such a place as this, to lift up our hearts in worship, to bow in Your presence before the mystery of life and the reality of death. We worship for we are aware of the wonder of creation, its beauty and its terror, its loveliness and its pain. We turn to You, O God; we rest in You; we trust where we do not know. In You we hope, and to You we commend © Grand Valley State University �The Best is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 2 those we’ve loved and lost awhile. Good and Gracious God, we have gathered in worship to remember and to give thanks – to remember our mother, grandmother, great grandmother and friend. We remember the way she was – indeed an extraordinary person for whom there are not superlatives enough to describe her and to give expression to all she meant to us and the ways she made our lives come to life. Her physical beauty was the outward embodiment of the beauty of her soul, the instrument of a human spirit that transformed every situation into which she entered, creating joy, good humor, well being. She had an unaffected presence about her that made us confident that all would be well – not through what she did, but simply because her presence was a sweet aroma of grace and goodness that changed everything for the better. Our model, our inspiration – dear God, how we miss her and will miss her as weeks and months and years pass. But filling the cavern of our grief will be memories – so many memories of times and places, and through tears we will laugh as we remember her. Over these last years physical ailments took their toll and finally, slowly, her life ebbed away. The body gave way but not her mind, not her spirit, not her trust in You, good and gracious God. Her faith burned brightly. Scripture – favorite passages, old favorite hymns – these saturated her soul as life ebbed away. Enwrapped in a mantle of love from family and care givers, she breathed her last, awaiting “just one more surprise,” which for her was not a surprise at all for she has experienced that which in trust she anticipated. Face to face she has beheld him – © Grand Valley State University �The Best is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem the blessed assurance with which she lived is now fully realized, even beyond her fondest dreams. O God, there is no denying our loss. Where love looms large, loss is large a well. Where bonds of love are tight, when broken, grief and loss are painful. All of that we own, we acknowledge, without denial. Yet we are overwhelmed by the beauty, the wonder of this life that has touched us so deeply – the amazing grace with which she lived and the deep trust with which she breathed her last. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord, so then whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Receive our thanksgiving, O God. Grant the comfort of Your Spirit, renew our hope and lead us on in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. © Grand Valley State University Page 3 � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Prayer for the Funeral of Louise Zevalkink Location The location of the interview Fifth Reformed Church, Grand Rapids Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20120703 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Best Is Yet To Be Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on July 3, 2012 entitled "The Best Is Yet To Be", on the occasion of Prayer for the Funeral of Louise Zevalkink, at Fifth Reformed Church, Grand Rapids. Tags: Faithful God, Grace, Family. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-07-03 Faithful God Family Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/0692a60070aa6fcb543c524281a64f77.pdf eedfc455f3bdcf2b7309e31793142571 PDF Text Text The Best is Yet To Be Meditation and Prayer In Celebration of the Life of Frederic R. Birdsall Richard A. Rhem Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan June 16, 2012 Let us be in the spirit of prayer in the presence of the Creative Source of all being, in whom we live and move and have our being – the Sacred Mystery hidden in a cloud of unknowing. Eternal God, Source, Guide and Goal of all that is, from You we receive life as a gift and to You our life returns. In the Psalmist’s poetic expression, You send forth your breath, your Spirit, and they are created. You take away their breath, they die. We find our comfort in life and in death that we are not our own but belong to You, a faithful God whose steadfast love embraces us on this fascinating and fragile human pilgrimage. And thus we find it most natural at such a time as this, in such a place as this, to lift up our hearts in worship, to bow in Your presence before the mystery of life and the reality of death. We worship for we are aware of the wonder of creation, its beauty and its terror, its loveliness and its pain. We turn to You, O God; we rest in You; we trust where we do not know. © Grand Valley State University   �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page 2   In You we hope, and to You we commend those we’ve loved and lost awhile. Good and Gracious God, You breathe into us and we have the gift of life; we commend our breath to you and, thus, our earthly pilgrimage is ended. You, O God, are the source and giver of life, and to You all life returns. In the beginning, in the end, You are God. And in the meantime, this in-between time, You uphold us with everlasting arms. You overshadow us with a gracious Presence. You bear us up on eagle’s wings; beneath your sheltering wings we find refuge and peace. Sacred Mystery of all being, of our being, consciously aware of our lives in your light, we worship. We know that all will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well. That was the confident trust of the one whose life we celebrate today. This one we’ve loved and lost awhile, our Fred, beloved husband, father, friend. Quiet, unassuming, competent in his profession – images tumble through our minds as we remember him. We will always smile as we think of him because he was our good humor man – story upon story he sent into cyber space, bringing to a wide circle of friends delight and laughter. Fred stories abound and the twinkle in his eye was contagious. Yet there was more – there was in Fred a passion for peace, for justice. An astute observer of our times, he was an advocate for human decency, civility and fairness. He was a truly good man who stood for a kinder and gentler nation and righteousness and justice in society. Fred cared and he made his voice heard for the values he embraced. With open mind he continued to wonder and to grow in knowledge and understanding, and with good heart he embodied compassion. © Grand Valley State University �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem And thus, O God, we celebrate Your grace in his life and remember him with affection and respect. Knowing he was resting on everlasting arms in the embrace of Grace, he saw his end, and in confidence he chose to enter Your presence, O God, resting in his final labored breathing in the abyss of Your love. And in such a time as this, in such a place as this, Gracious God, we are grateful above all that the end is not broken health and dreams unfulfilled, swallowed up in death, but rather the confidence that to live is to live unto the Lord, and to die is to die unto the Lord, so then whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. Receive our thanksgiving, O God. Grant the comfort of Your Spirit, renew our hope and lead us on in the confidence that nothing can ever separate us from Your love in Christ Jesus our Lord, who taught us to pray, saying, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.   © Grand Valley State University Page 3   �The Best Is Yet To Be Richard A. Rhem Page two © Grand Valley State University Page 4   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Prayer and Meditation in Memory of Frederic Birdsall Location The location of the interview Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20120616 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource The Best is Yet to Be, Birdsall Memorial Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on June 16, 2012 entitled "The Best is Yet to Be, Birdsall Memorial", on the occasion of Prayer and Meditation in Memory of Frederic Birdsall, at Freedom Village, Holland, Michigan. Tags: Faithful God, Grace. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2012-06-16 Faithful God Grace https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/8de395c3a617aff307f3913e4306db0b.pdf ff2a068e0345a80b451b19e0050a84b0 PDF Text Text Prayer Fred Meijer Memorial Service Richard A. Rhem Sunshine Community Church Grand Rapids, Michigan November 30, 2011 Let us be in the spirit of prayer in the presence of the Creative Source of all being, in whom we live and move and have our being – that sacred mystery hidden in a cloud of unknowing. We are gathered here to celebrate the life of one whose presence was larger than life, one who, it seemed, would always be there. We are still reeling from the shock, the abrupt wrenching away of one so deeply loved – husband, father, grandfather, titan of business, inspiring leader of the broader community. We know that death awaits us all, that, from the moment we emit our borning cry, there is for all of us a final farewell. Yet, especially when the leave-taking is sudden, it seems too soon, even after nearly 92 years. Though spared the agonizing pain and suffering of a slow, deteriorating death, there has been no time for proper goodbyes, no time to say things so often felt but left unsaid, no time for mutual blessing and holding and hoping. And thus, the grieving comes so sharply, cuts so deeply, because there has been no time for easing into the inevitable, to adjust to the loss. Thus, we feel bereft of one who it seemed would always be there. Loss is proportionate to love. Pain is measured by what the one removed meant to us – and this one meant so much. There is no denying the loss. Yet, O God, there is no denying the wonder as well – wonder at the beauty of love, at the amazing grace, simplicity, humility and authenticity © Grand Valley State University   �Fred Meijer Memorial Prayer Richard A. Rhem with which this one, now absent from us, lived before us, with us. In the spirit of prayer, we remember this one whose life we celebrate – remembering the way he was in the fullness of human being; the brilliance of that mind that never rested, yet was ever at rest; a sensitivity that shined through those eyes dancing with delight as he looked into our eyes and put us at ease; a brilliance used never to intimidate or embarrass or humiliate, but to lay bare the truth that sets us free, to free us from superstition that holds the soul bound, from a lack of nerve, a failure of courage, to follow where justice and fairness lead, furthering the possibilities for a humane world, for civility and dignity, for compassion and peace… We remember and we marvel; he was so tender in his sensitivity and care, yet so strong… Living out of his own center in freedom, submitting to no external authority, living with a marvelous detachment that enabled him to live beyond the siren call of recognition or adulation or fame purchased at the cost of one’s soul – yielding never to compromise or expediency in the struggle for justice and defense of principle. In the silence we remember the way he was, the way he changed our lives. We remember and we are grateful, grateful that the luminosity of his being irradiated our own; grateful for this gift we have shared, this human encounter which has been divine. For Fred Meijer in whose life and love we have beheld You and been brushed by Your grace. what can we say but “Wow!” Thanks be to You, Oh, God. Amen. © 2013 Kaufman Interfaith Institute and Grand Valley State University Page 2   � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Fred Meijer Memorial Service Location The location of the interview Sunshine Community Church, Grand Rapids Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20111130 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Prayer at Memorial of Fred Meijer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on November 30, 2011 entitled "Prayer at Memorial of Fred Meijer", on the occasion of Fred Meijer Memorial Service, at Sunshine Community Church, Grand Rapids. Tags: Community, Love . Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-11-30 Community Love https://digitalcollections.library.gvsu.edu/files/original/b06931477ff5e2833524968b726f4cee.pdf 9ba345c8e004016a9b06d658efcb8e0f PDF Text Text Thanksgiving Prayer Richard A. Rhem St. John’s Episcopal Church Grand Haven, Michigan November 20, 2011 Let us be in a spirit of prayer, conscious in these moments of that Sacred Presence present to us in moments of awareness. Living God, fountain of creative energy, mystery beyond fathoming, we pray, we speak, we address You, hidden in a cloud of unknowing. We address You, God of our lives, for we have been addressed – encountered, touched, moved by grace. We contemplate our world and we stand in awe; wonder overwhelms us. Are You the cosmic poet, the composer of this cosmic symphony, the grand initiator of all that is, the ultimate strange attractor that beckons all life and existence toward the heavenly city? Infinite mystery of being, on this Lord’s Day evening we contemplate our lives; we bring our prayer of thanksgiving. We, Your children, offspring of stardust, gaze with awe at the wonder of it all. Creative Spirit, transforming chaos into cosmos, disorder into order, dissonance and noise into the language of a poem, You are our life, In You we live and move and have our being. Conscious, aware, observers of a cosmic drama – we sense we have been addressed. We have been touched by a very great grace. Overwhelmed by the wonder of it all, we are truly grateful, humbled by the richness and the goodness that mark our lives. November is here; another month, one more after this, and another year will have passed. © Grand Valley State University �Thanksgiving Prayer Richard A. Rhem Page 2 Season upon season – how quickly the tale of our lives is told. We know November is here: the trees are bare now; biting wind and chilling rain threaten the first snow. Sunsets are flaming gold and heavy clouds portend the approaching winter. November spells Thanksgiving –a time to reflect, to remember, to give thanks, to give thanks for a providence in life which we cannot comprehend. We give You thanks: that You are, that You are gracious, that You have created space for us, that You have taken time for us, that You have created us for life – together, for community; that You have brought us into fellowship with Yourself and with one another. We give thanks that we belong, that we are family. We are not immune from pain; we suffer loss; sometimes a tide of doubt overwhelms us; sometimes questions haunt us, fears taunt us. But we are not alone. We have each other and, in the care and support of one another, we find You. We know there is a love that heals and a grace that will triumph, and so we trust, sometimes in sunlight, sometimes in darkness, but always in You, O good and gracious God. Thanks be to You through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now as we move to this table, we pray for the breath of Your Spirit. Enable us to know the one who came garbed in our flesh to show us Your love as graciously, powerfully present to us, enlivening us, renewing us. Spirit of God, through bread and cup feed us, give us drink and let us know the love of God beyond knowing. Hear these our prayers through Jesus Christ our Lord. © Grand Valley State University � Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Title A name given to the resource Richard A. Rhem Collection Description An account of the resource Text and sound recordings of the sermons, prayers, services, and articles of Richard Rhem, pastor emeritus of Christ Community Church in Spring Lake, Michigan, where he served for 37 years. Starting in the mid 1980's, Rhem began to question some of the traditional Christian dogma that he had been espousing from the pulpit. That questioning was a first step in a long and interesting spiritual journey, one that he openly shared with his congregation. His journey is important, in part because it is reflective of the questioning, the yearnings, and the gradual revision of beliefs that many persons in this part of the century have experienced and continue to experience. It is important also because of the affirming and inclusive way his questioning was done and his thinking evolved. His sermons and other written and spoken materials together document the steps in his journey as it took a turn in 1985, yet continued to revolve around the framework and liturgies of the Christian calendar. Subject The topic of the resource Clergy--Michigan Reformed Church in America Christ Community Church (Spring Lake, Mich.) Religion Interfaith worship Sermons Sound Recordings Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhem, Richard A. Source A related resource from which the described resource is derived <a href="https://gvsu.lyrasistechnology.org/repositories/2/resources/514">Richard A. Rhem papers (KII-01)</a> Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available Grand Valley State University. University Libraries. Special Collections & University Archives. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kaufman Interfaith Institute Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource English Type The nature or genre of the resource Sound Text Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context KII-01 Coverage The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant 1981-2014 Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource audio/mp3 text/pdf Text A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text. Event Thanksgiving Location The location of the interview St. John_s Episcopal Church, Grand Haven Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Identifier An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context RA-1-20111120 Type The nature or genre of the resource Text Title A name given to the resource Thanksgiving Prayer Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Richard A. Rhem Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource <a href="http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/?language=en">In Copyright</a> Language A language of the resource eng Description An account of the resource Prayer created, delivered, or published by Richard A. Rhem (Dick) on November 20, 2011 entitled "Thanksgiving Prayer", on the occasion of Thanksgiving, at St. John's Episcopal Church, Grand Haven. Tags: Thanksgiving, Community. Format The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource application/pdf Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2011-11-20 Community Thanksgiving