400 of us are at The Acton Institute, which has as its mission to promote a free and virtuous society characterized by individual liberty and sustained by religious principles. So I’m sitting in lectures all day for three and a half days. It’s a role I’ve not been in for a long time! So far I’ve heard lectures on Christian Anthropology, Limited Government, Basic Economics, and Natural Law as Foundation for Government.
I suppose it is typical that I’m often impressed by the two lectures where I know nothing than the ones I do a lot with. I have basis to assess where I’ve done a lot of thinking. But then I learn a lot less too. For example, the lecture on Christian Anthropology got to humans as embodied persons with reason, will, creativity, fallen, and both individual and societal is very good. But, good as it was, not even mentioning the image of God just seems wrong to me, I have to say.
There are different ways to see people. The standard trichotomist system sees humans as spirit (God connecting faculty), soul (mind, will, emotions, etc), body (world connecting faculty). But why does the Bible only use that particular breakdown once (1 Thess. 5:23) and even Jesus uses others (e.g., heart, soul, mind, strength in Mark 12:30)? I am inclined to see people as whole persons with both material and immaterial essences which may be distinguished, but cannot be divided until death. Thus everything we are and do, work and worship, is both spiritual and physical. People are unrepeatable individuals as well as social beings. While all humans are unique, there is a commonality of humanness that is true of all humans. When I do a breakdown, I see people as Spiritual (related both to God and other spiritual beings), Intellectual, Emotional, Physical, Volitional – Moral (thus free and responsible), Vocational, Social (related to friends, state and church), and Familial (“nuclear” family as well as family line) beings. Lots to say here!
Stephen Grabill’s work on natural law is another area I know about. I was applauding most all the way, but didn’t learn much of anything. I fully agree with him on the concept of natural law, a common morality available to all humans can serve as a good foundation for government and public policy. It is not sufficient, of course, but if we were to follow the results of the research, we will know that criminal acts come from criminal character. Environment and economics are not sufficient reasons for crime. The recent data that major crime fell dramatically after the economic collapse fall of October 2008 makes that abundantly clear. You can see that FBI data here and New York City here and Chuck Colson’s commentary here and here. People who refuse the data do so for philosophic not evidential reasons. While general revelation and natural law is a good source of moral information and can be the basis of good moral law, it cannot bring about right action. I agree with Stephen that many who dismiss natural law because it is not enough give up what should not be given up, especially as we enter the public arena. Waving our Bibles as authority source won’t work on the campus of Grand Valley State University (where we are meeting) or the campus of Intel.
More to come!
[...] on their experience. You can find several blog post by Cortez here. Breshears has posted one here and one here. Tags Acton Conference, Acton Institute, Gerry Breshears, Marc Cortez, Western [...]