[April 1999 journal entry]
Thesis: Spirituality, ethics, and theology within the ‘religious’ T/O sphere – increasingly so toward the fundamentalist end of the spectrum -- are anchored in a view of human beings as ‘weak’. Appeals to or consideration of human beings’ ‘strength’ are either accounted for in reference to special gifts or are seen negatively as indications of pride/self-righteousness. It seems to me that when relationships – with others or with ‘God’ – are anchored in ‘weakness’, there is a disincentive to diminish one’s ‘weakness’ because to do so diminishes the ‘religious’ experience. I would propose (1) to build on and aspire for ‘strength’ re spirituality, ethics, theology and (2) to deal with ‘weakness’ in light of and in relation to ‘strength’.
Thesis: Spirituality, ethics, and theology within the ‘religious’ T/O sphere – increasingly so toward the fundamentalist end of the spectrum -- are anchored in a view of human beings as ‘weak’. Appeals to or consideration of human beings’ ‘strength’ are either accounted for in reference to special gifts or are seen negatively as indications of pride/self-righteousness. It seems to me that when relationships – with others or with ‘God’ – are anchored in ‘weakness’, there is a disincentive to diminish one’s ‘weakness’ because to do so diminishes the ‘religious’ experience. I would propose (1) to build on and aspire for ‘strength’ re spirituality, ethics, theology and (2) to deal with ‘weakness’ in light of and in relation to ‘strength’.
