good, true, beautiful
Many Christians uphold the virtues of the Good, the True, and the Beautiful (taken from Micah, is it?) as some kind of standard by which they live their lives in relation to the world/culture, etc. However, it seems that this is a faulty standard. There can't be one Good and one True and one Beautiful. These virtues are defined by their particular system. Each system of belief or living will have certain ethics, or ways people relate to each other, and Good will be determined by the ethics that system has set. Let's say I'm a utilitarian. Good for me is that which benefits the greatest amount of people. So in this system, let's say there are five people, and one person from this group is a major menace to the other for, such that they can hardly function in daily life. It would be Good to kill that person. It would benefit the greatest amount of people. Now that's kind of a silly, crude example, but you begin to see how relative Good really is...and it wouldn't take much to extend the same to Truth and Beauty, as well.
But the Christian might retort, "ok. so you want a system for me to rest my standard in? The Scriptures. God. How much more self-authenticating can you get?" Yes, that is so. But think about it. What is Truth, Goodness, and Beauty for a Christian? It is that which glorifies God. That is our chief end, after all. Now the assured Christian can rest. The standard is once again in place as a mesh with which to interact with culture safely. It is as though they could go down a list checking off, "yes, glorifies God = beautiful. nope, doesn't glorify God=ugly...SIN! Away from me!"
My question is how can we can evaluate what glorifies God? How can we make a judgement whether or not something glorifies God? In some respects, glorifying God is a specific function. A precise way or posture in which a Christian can live his or her life. But in other respects, it is so vague from our human perspective. Can we decide what does or does not glorify God? Or make such presumptions on the world around us? Are these things self-evident? I don't think so. I think Christians very often in an effort to build a "safe" culture around them wash things with "glorify God" talk or with the aforementioned virtues...or a "wordlview", if you will.
A quintessential example from my world of music is the tonal/atonal music question. (note: this is not a problem or "issue" outside of Christian circles.) It is an essentially aesthetic question. What is beautiful? A Christian may approach this by saying, "Obviously, the triad represents the Trinity and an ordering of sound implicit in physics and the universe. Good music is that which explores this to its fullest complexity. It glorifies God because it uses the ordering of sound that He created." Not only is atonal music out, but so is rock 'n' roll and Aaron Copland, for that matter. The Christian has created a safe system. A standard by which to accept some and throw out others.
But consider this. A passage from Colossians with which many of us are familiar. "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. And He is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things He may have the preeminence." (v. 16-18) If Christ truly has dominion over the created world, then do we need to fear? Do we need to put our world through a wringer of virtues in order to ensure that we are living a life that is glorifying to God? Shouldn't we concentrate on our own obedience? And fearlessly explore the world into which He has placed us and over which He has dominion?
disclaimer: I'm not a philosopher, so please excuse any philosophcially hackeneyed examples and arguments. just reflecting.
Comments
You make some very good points, Jeanette, and if the greater Christian culture answered "no" to your question: "If Christ truly has dominion over the created world, then do we need to fear?" we would be a much more potent force in the world.
And you are wise to question the "goodness, truth, and beauty" anthem because (while admirable things each) it comes not from Scripture but from the revered pedophiles of Greek philosophers. We are told in Micah to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before God.
When we ask "Can we decide what does or does not glorify God? Or make such presumptions on the world around us? Are these things self-evident?"
we must be careful to acknowledge that we do not decide or make presumptions on the world, but that Scripture does inform us of these things, yet not in checklist form. But to say that they are evident does not mean it is easy.
Enjoy your page, glad I found it out.
Posted by: Remy | 06.08.03 22:03
Comments
I couldn't agree with you more, yet I think people who do make these "virtues" paramount in their lifestyle are trying to conform to
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up.." Eph 4:14. " But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy people. Nor should there be obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking, which are out of place, but rather thanksgiving" 5:3-4 and "finally,...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think on these things." Phil 4:8
Notice the "goodness, truth, and beauty anthem" may be something the Greek philosophers, while sinners, had common grace insights into. Oh, don't I sound like a Cov grad...but obedience of necessity, of course, pursues God's glory. Our joy in life is our joy in God's glory (see Piper and Edwards). Our absence of fear (refusal to worry!) does give us freedom to love God more deeply, rather than obssess over ourselves (selfishness). Many of our godly "fathers" did hold themselves to a strict accounting between their conscience and the Word. Yet it does not necessarily become legalism if we remember we have logs compared to other's "specks". Something on our conscience may not bother our "stronger brother".
the pendulum needs to stop in the middle
Posted by: Ruby | 07.08.03 09:37
Comments
He does not seem to me to be a free man who does not sometimes do nothing.
Posted by: Serota Pamela | 25.05.05 10:36