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Where do we stand?: An examination of the Christian's position in the modern world
As an experienced and discerning teacher, Mr Blamires understands with particular clarity how barren and desolate is a mind self-restricted to mental data; how meager is the range of a pilgrim confined to Time, with no concept or sight of eternity; how paltry is a vision that ends on the horizon....
Hardcover
Published January 1, 1980
14 people want to read
About the author
Harry Blamires
17 books12 followersHarry Blamires is an Anglican theologian, literary critic, and novelist.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_B...
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_B...
Librarian Note:
There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
August 29, 2011
Following the title, "Where Do We Stand," the author has chapters on Where do we stand at this point in history? Where do we stand against secularism? Where do we stand against denigration of authority? Where do we stand against worldliness? Where do we stand against current idolatries? Where do we stand against irrationalism?
The book was first published in 1980, so it's a bit dated. Blamires was a student of C. S. Lewis, and writes in the style of Lewis (or maybe it's the style of English authors...). Whatever it is, this prose takes some getting used to.
Blamires reminds Christians that the challenge today is one Christians have always faced: "The conflict between the Church and the World, between Christ and Caesar, will not go away and cannot be resolved by shuttle diplomacy, however patient or protracted. The Christian's vocation is always to be a citizen of another kingdom and therefore to live uneasily in the kingdom of this world."
Another good quote: "One of the weaknesses of aberrant theologians who spill their novel theories over the ecclesiastical scene is that they try too hard. They see themselves as modern men, and they are determined to knock Christianity into shape to meet the exigencies of their time. But Christianity has for two thousand years resisted being knocked into shape to meet the exigencies of any particular age or fashion. Bring your opinionated cleverness to bear upon it, and you will find that it has slipped through your fingers. It was designed for the pure in heart, not for the ingenious in intellect; for babes and sucklings, not for those addicts who turn every objective fact they encounter into a unit for their construct-yourself-a-faith kit. We must all examine ourselves in this respect. Very often what we mean when we say that we want to give Christianity the stamp of our age is that we want to give it our own personal stamp; we want to take it over instead of allowing it to take us over. We have always been tempted to make gods in our own image; increasingly we are tempted to refashion Christ in our own image--and then to award him a testimonial for being so just right."
The book was first published in 1980, so it's a bit dated. Blamires was a student of C. S. Lewis, and writes in the style of Lewis (or maybe it's the style of English authors...). Whatever it is, this prose takes some getting used to.
Blamires reminds Christians that the challenge today is one Christians have always faced: "The conflict between the Church and the World, between Christ and Caesar, will not go away and cannot be resolved by shuttle diplomacy, however patient or protracted. The Christian's vocation is always to be a citizen of another kingdom and therefore to live uneasily in the kingdom of this world."
Another good quote: "One of the weaknesses of aberrant theologians who spill their novel theories over the ecclesiastical scene is that they try too hard. They see themselves as modern men, and they are determined to knock Christianity into shape to meet the exigencies of their time. But Christianity has for two thousand years resisted being knocked into shape to meet the exigencies of any particular age or fashion. Bring your opinionated cleverness to bear upon it, and you will find that it has slipped through your fingers. It was designed for the pure in heart, not for the ingenious in intellect; for babes and sucklings, not for those addicts who turn every objective fact they encounter into a unit for their construct-yourself-a-faith kit. We must all examine ourselves in this respect. Very often what we mean when we say that we want to give Christianity the stamp of our age is that we want to give it our own personal stamp; we want to take it over instead of allowing it to take us over. We have always been tempted to make gods in our own image; increasingly we are tempted to refashion Christ in our own image--and then to award him a testimonial for being so just right."
Displaying 1 of 1 review