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Wednesday, October 08, 2008

2nd (3rd, 4th...)innocence, theosis and imago dei


When our delightful Nazarene friend Marvin pushed our wonderful Mennonite Brethren college professor as to whether he believed in a "second work of grace",
the prof replied with a knowing smile:

"Second work, third work, fourth work...believe in it!"

Christianity Today recently offered (somewhat surprisingly) an article on theosis, drawing from Wesley (who drew from the Orthdox fathers). The author suggests Wesley would wonder why contemporary hymnals (even Wesleyan hymnals) have excised/banned verses about theosis.

The leaders of the ancient church thought so, speaking regularly of salvation in a way that may sound strange to many evangelicals, but which Wesley alluded to in some of his hymns. In particular, they envisioned salvation as theosis, an ongoing process by which God’s people become increasingly “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Peter 1:4), formed more and more in God’s likeness.
[James R. Payton Jr. “Keeping the End in View: How the Strange yet Familiar Doctrine of Theosis can Invigorate the Christian Life.”
- Christianity Today, October 2008, 67., quoted by Walking Barefoot here)


Hmmm, someone connect for me holiness/theosis/sanctification with the concept of "second innocence" ("restored virginity," "informed simplicity") below

Dave Tomlinson's connection of "second innocence," of course, connects to Bono's summary of the atmosphere of 2004's "Atomic Bomb" (having lost innocence and wanting it back) compared to the "first innocence" of 1980's "Boy").
From Peter Wilkinson's review of Tomlinson:

Tomlinson’s central theme is that contemporary western culture is more spiritual than it has ever been, and that it is not difficult to connect with this spirituality as a Christian, but that the taste of the age is not for the religion, belief and dogma with which Christianity is closely identified. He quotes with ease from surveys which bear out his views: western society is becoming more spiritual, not less, and the church needs to sit up and take notice...
Tomlinson draws on Ricoeur’s description of a threefold response to texts - naive, literal acceptance; disenchantment, and then the possibility of a ‘second naiveté’ - and applies this to the changing patterns of spiritual journey. He argues for the necessity of a deconstruction of the faith, as a precursor to a deeper, more mature faith which is a synthesis of belief and doubt - or a second innocence, as he describes it.
-Peter Wilkinson
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