Aging is theologically explored in both creation and the cross through the concept of Deep Incarn... more Aging is theologically explored in both creation and the cross through the concept of Deep Incarnation. As a partial extension of Martin Luther's thought, Deep Incarnation affirms God to be intimately involved in the natural processes of all biological creation, including aging, bringing solace, companionship, and hope to the elderly. God conceived as being both in the creation and beyond it (panentheism) allows for divine grace to relate to all creatures from the cellular level on up, including through evolutionary development. Employing the concept of compound theodicy, evolutionary theodicy is also briefly explored.
... Physical reality is as much a cloud as a clock, to borrow a metaphor from Sir John Polkinghor... more ... Physical reality is as much a cloud as a clock, to borrow a metaphor from Sir John Polkinghorne. ... See also the work of D. Lyle Dabney in Die Kenosis des Geistes: Kontinuitat zwischen Schopfung and Erlosung im Werke des Heiligen Geistes (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener ...
The metaphorical appropriation of quantum entanglement (non-local relational holism) helps to con... more The metaphorical appropriation of quantum entanglement (non-local relational holism) helps to conceptualize the physical relationship of God to creation in a way that can support the understanding of deep incarnation. The relational holism of Divine entanglement helps clarify how deep incarnation is possible. The pandemic is then approached as an example of evolutionary theodicy that can be addressed through such entangled deep incarnation. This in turn provides the basis for deep resurrection, which, while acknowledging suffering and death in the natural world, also affirms hope and life in Christ. K E Y W O R D S creation, cross, compound theodicy, deep incarnation and deep resurrection, evolutionary theodicy, panentheism, quantum entanglement "Long before humans arrived, the way of nature was already a via dolorosa." Holmes Rolston III 1 "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" John 1:14
That Nahum Ward-Lev's study of the Hebrew prophets receives an enthusiastic recommendation as wel... more That Nahum Ward-Lev's study of the Hebrew prophets receives an enthusiastic recommendation as well as a three page forward from Walter Brueggemann suggests its value. Indeed, Ward-Lev offers an insightful and comprehensive reflection not only on the biblical prophets themselves but also on the continuation of "the prophetic stream" in prophetic activists today. His book is the "fruit" of a 50 year "journey, a wilderness trek in search of the Presence that breathes life into all that is" (p. 203). His approach is more Midrashic than academic, perhaps because he is a rabbi and not a professor. His method is more heuristic than hermetical, perhaps because it grew out of a traditional Jewish Beit Midrash study group and not a graduate school classroom. He seeks to inspire as well as educate. He does both! Ward-Lev begins his study by canonically linking the prophetic traditions with the book of Deuteronomy. Having so grounded "the prophetic stream," he develops it in terms of two themes which are at the heart of this "radically new worldview": (1) people are "on a liberation journey with God," and (2) "the core dynamic" of this liberation journey "is learning to engage in increasingly mutual relationship" (p. 18) with God. He argues that the "central story of the Torah" is not the journey to the promised land" but "the journey toward [his emphasis] the promised land" (p. 19). As such, the "dynamics of the journey and the direction of the journey … are more important than arriving at the destination" (p. 19). This journey involves a mutual relationship with God as the "Living Presence" rather than a reliance on institutions like the Temple and the monarchy. The covenant "establishes the relationship" which is maintained by dialogue as the means through which the "intimate relationship evolves from day to day" (p. 34). As Ward-Lev develops the idea of divine/human dialogue, he stresses the key element of mutual listening in contrast to obedience to a divine command. People listen to God, and God listens to people. Hence, each learns for the other. Having developed these two key themes of the "prophetic stream" in terms of Deuteronomy and the Writing Prophets, Ward-Lev continues to trace them throughout a "narrative 250
Aging is theologically explored in both creation and the cross through the concept of Deep Incarn... more Aging is theologically explored in both creation and the cross through the concept of Deep Incarnation. As a partial extension of Martin Luther's thought, Deep Incarnation affirms God to be intimately involved in the natural processes of all biological creation, including aging, bringing solace, companionship, and hope to the elderly. God conceived as being both in the creation and beyond it (panentheism) allows for divine grace to relate to all creatures from the cellular level on up, including through evolutionary development. Employing the concept of compound theodicy, evolutionary theodicy is also briefly explored.
... Physical reality is as much a cloud as a clock, to borrow a metaphor from Sir John Polkinghor... more ... Physical reality is as much a cloud as a clock, to borrow a metaphor from Sir John Polkinghorne. ... See also the work of D. Lyle Dabney in Die Kenosis des Geistes: Kontinuitat zwischen Schopfung and Erlosung im Werke des Heiligen Geistes (Neukirchen-Vluyn: Neukirchener ...
The metaphorical appropriation of quantum entanglement (non-local relational holism) helps to con... more The metaphorical appropriation of quantum entanglement (non-local relational holism) helps to conceptualize the physical relationship of God to creation in a way that can support the understanding of deep incarnation. The relational holism of Divine entanglement helps clarify how deep incarnation is possible. The pandemic is then approached as an example of evolutionary theodicy that can be addressed through such entangled deep incarnation. This in turn provides the basis for deep resurrection, which, while acknowledging suffering and death in the natural world, also affirms hope and life in Christ. K E Y W O R D S creation, cross, compound theodicy, deep incarnation and deep resurrection, evolutionary theodicy, panentheism, quantum entanglement "Long before humans arrived, the way of nature was already a via dolorosa." Holmes Rolston III 1 "And the Word became flesh and lived among us" John 1:14
That Nahum Ward-Lev's study of the Hebrew prophets receives an enthusiastic recommendation as wel... more That Nahum Ward-Lev's study of the Hebrew prophets receives an enthusiastic recommendation as well as a three page forward from Walter Brueggemann suggests its value. Indeed, Ward-Lev offers an insightful and comprehensive reflection not only on the biblical prophets themselves but also on the continuation of "the prophetic stream" in prophetic activists today. His book is the "fruit" of a 50 year "journey, a wilderness trek in search of the Presence that breathes life into all that is" (p. 203). His approach is more Midrashic than academic, perhaps because he is a rabbi and not a professor. His method is more heuristic than hermetical, perhaps because it grew out of a traditional Jewish Beit Midrash study group and not a graduate school classroom. He seeks to inspire as well as educate. He does both! Ward-Lev begins his study by canonically linking the prophetic traditions with the book of Deuteronomy. Having so grounded "the prophetic stream," he develops it in terms of two themes which are at the heart of this "radically new worldview": (1) people are "on a liberation journey with God," and (2) "the core dynamic" of this liberation journey "is learning to engage in increasingly mutual relationship" (p. 18) with God. He argues that the "central story of the Torah" is not the journey to the promised land" but "the journey toward [his emphasis] the promised land" (p. 19). As such, the "dynamics of the journey and the direction of the journey … are more important than arriving at the destination" (p. 19). This journey involves a mutual relationship with God as the "Living Presence" rather than a reliance on institutions like the Temple and the monarchy. The covenant "establishes the relationship" which is maintained by dialogue as the means through which the "intimate relationship evolves from day to day" (p. 34). As Ward-Lev develops the idea of divine/human dialogue, he stresses the key element of mutual listening in contrast to obedience to a divine command. People listen to God, and God listens to people. Hence, each learns for the other. Having developed these two key themes of the "prophetic stream" in terms of Deuteronomy and the Writing Prophets, Ward-Lev continues to trace them throughout a "narrative 250
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