Kaylee and Pablo will present Chapter 6 today. Here is their presentation.
HW: Tonight, please read Ch.7. You may skim Ch.9 if you have time.
Presenters, prepare for your lessons tomorrow!
Problem of Pain - Student Teaching Schedule
Wednesday 2/28
Ch. 6 ~ Human Pain (second half) - Kaylee and Pablo
Thursday 3/1
Ch.7 ~ Human Pain, CONTINUED - Mattie and Chase
Ch.9 ~ Animal Pain - Mackenna and Kelsey
Monday 3/5
Ch.8 ~ Hell - Josh and Scott
Tuesday 3/6
Ch.10 ~ Heaven - Robbie and Nick
Ch. 6 ~ Human Pain (second half) - Kaylee and Pablo
Thursday 3/1
Ch.7 ~ Human Pain, CONTINUED - Mattie and Chase
Ch.9 ~ Animal Pain - Mackenna and Kelsey
Monday 3/5
Ch.8 ~ Hell - Josh and Scott
Tuesday 3/6
Ch.10 ~ Heaven - Robbie and Nick
Tuesday, Feb.27 ~ POP Ch.6 & 7
Discuss Ch.6
1. "If suffering is good, ought it not to be pursued rather than avoided?" What part of suffering is good?
2. List the four steps that occur in a fallen and partially redeemed universe?
3. Explain how a person may serve God as a son or as a tool.
4. What conclusions does Lewis make about ascetic practices such as fasting?
5. Why does Lewis believe that utopia will not be ushered in through social or economic reform?
6. What does Lewis mean when he says: "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."?
7. In his final point (#6), Lewis claims that pain is the only type of evil that is disinfected or sterilized-in other words, it is not contagious. He explains that error and sin can breed more trouble, but pain usually solicits pity from spectators. Do you agree/disagree?
- Lewis speculates that 80% of suffering is the result of human wickedness. Would you agree or change the percentage, etc...?
- Why is self-improvement not enough? What does it look like to "lay down our arms"?
- How does pain lead to surrender?
Notes for Ch.6
John Henry Newman (1801-1890): Anglican who converted to Roman Catholicism in 1845. Known for his spiritual autobiography Apologia pro Vita Sua (1864); a leader of the Oxford or Tractarian movement in 1833; made a cardinal at the age of 74.
Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679): English political philosopher and author of Leviathan,which introduced the social contract theory.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928): English novelist of the naturalism movement. Raised Anglican, the seeming unfairness and struggles of life caused Hardy to question the Christian view of God. A clergyman asked him how to reconcile the human experience of pain with the goodness of God. Hardy wrote back:Mr. Hardy regrets that he is unable to offer any hypothesis which would reconcile the existence of such evils as Dr. Grosart describes with the idea of omnipotent goodness. Perhaps Dr. Grosart might be helped to a provisional view of the universe by the recently published Life of Darwin and the works of Herbert Spencer and other agnostics.Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936): English classicist and poet, best known for a cycle of poems called A Shropshire Lad.Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): English writer best known for Brave New World. Lewis's reference to "non-attachment" in chapter six, refers to Huxley's book Ends and Means, wherein Huxley writes, "The ideal man is the non-attached man . . . non-attached to wealth, fame, social position. Non-attached even to science, art speculation and philosophy." Lewis, Huxley, and John F. Kennedy all died on the same day-November 22, 1963.
William Paley (1743-1805): a Christian philosopher and apologist best known for his "watchmaker analogy" regarding the existence of God, as set forth in his book Natural Theology. He had some political views that were out of step with his generation, such as the right of the poor to steal if in need of food, a graduated income tax, and a woman's right to pursue a career rather than be dependent upon male relatives. These views are believed to have kept him from advancing in church hierarchy.
C. C. S.: stands for Casualty Clearing Station -small mobile hospitals used during WWI. If sepsis and gangrene were treated within 36 hours, survival rates improved.
William Cowper (1731-1800): English hymn writer and poet. He was a friend of John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") and contributed to the hymnal Newton was compiling. Cowper suffered from depression throughout his life, including several suicide attempts. Inkling member Lord David Cecil wrote a biography of Cowper titled The Stricken Deer (1929), which is still in print.
Thomas Hardy (1840-1928): English novelist of the naturalism movement. Raised Anglican, the seeming unfairness and struggles of life caused Hardy to question the Christian view of God. A clergyman asked him how to reconcile the human experience of pain with the goodness of God. Hardy wrote back:Mr. Hardy regrets that he is unable to offer any hypothesis which would reconcile the existence of such evils as Dr. Grosart describes with the idea of omnipotent goodness. Perhaps Dr. Grosart might be helped to a provisional view of the universe by the recently published Life of Darwin and the works of Herbert Spencer and other agnostics.Alfred Edward Housman (1859-1936): English classicist and poet, best known for a cycle of poems called A Shropshire Lad.Aldous Huxley (1894-1963): English writer best known for Brave New World. Lewis's reference to "non-attachment" in chapter six, refers to Huxley's book Ends and Means, wherein Huxley writes, "The ideal man is the non-attached man . . . non-attached to wealth, fame, social position. Non-attached even to science, art speculation and philosophy." Lewis, Huxley, and John F. Kennedy all died on the same day-November 22, 1963.
William Paley (1743-1805): a Christian philosopher and apologist best known for his "watchmaker analogy" regarding the existence of God, as set forth in his book Natural Theology. He had some political views that were out of step with his generation, such as the right of the poor to steal if in need of food, a graduated income tax, and a woman's right to pursue a career rather than be dependent upon male relatives. These views are believed to have kept him from advancing in church hierarchy.
C. C. S.: stands for Casualty Clearing Station -small mobile hospitals used during WWI. If sepsis and gangrene were treated within 36 hours, survival rates improved.
William Cowper (1731-1800): English hymn writer and poet. He was a friend of John Newton (who wrote "Amazing Grace") and contributed to the hymnal Newton was compiling. Cowper suffered from depression throughout his life, including several suicide attempts. Inkling member Lord David Cecil wrote a biography of Cowper titled The Stricken Deer (1929), which is still in print.
HW: Chapter 7 - Human Pain, continued
NotesMarlowe's lunatic Tamburlaine: refers to Christopher Marlowe's 1587 play Tamburlaine the Great.
Farewell, my boys! My dearest friends, farewell!
My body feels, my soul doth weep to see
Your sweet desires depriv'd my company,
For Tamburlaine, the scourge of God, must die.
My body feels, my soul doth weep to see
Your sweet desires depriv'd my company,
For Tamburlaine, the scourge of God, must die.
1. "If suffering is good, ought it not to be pursued rather than avoided?" What part of suffering is good?
2. List the four steps that occur in a fallen and partially redeemed universe?
3. Explain how a person may serve God as a son or as a tool.
4. What conclusions does Lewis make about ascetic practices such as fasting?
5. Why does Lewis believe that utopia will not be ushered in through social or economic reform?
6. What does Lewis mean when he says: "Our Father refreshes us on the journey with some pleasant inns, but will not encourage us to mistake them for home."?
7. In his final point (#6), Lewis claims that pain is the only type of evil that is disinfected or sterilized-in other words, it is not contagious. He explains that error and sin can breed more trouble, but pain usually solicits pity from spectators. Do you agree/disagree?
Monday, Feb. 26 ~ POP Ch.6
Discuss Chapters 4 & 5
HW: Read Ch.6 (Annotate and have at least three points/questions to discuss tomorrow in class)
HW: Read Ch.6 (Annotate and have at least three points/questions to discuss tomorrow in class)
Block Day, Feb.22 ~ Catch up...to POP Ch.5?
Chapter 5 - The Fall of ManNotes
Total depravity: Theological teaching that the Fall affected every part of human intellect, feeling, heart and will. Christians may differ in their views of just how "total" total depravity is, but they agree that human beings cannot save themselves.
Original sin: Refers to the sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, the effects of which were passed on to their descendants (Romans 5:12, 19).
Pons asinorum: Latin for "bridge of asses"; refers to the fifth proposition in Book One of Euclid's Elements which holds that angles opposite the same length sides of an isosceles triangle are equal. Metaphorically it means a problem that tests the ability of the inexperienced.
Gautama (563-483 BCE): the spiritual leader on whose teachings Buddhism is based.
Zarathustra aka Zoroaster: Persian founder of Zoroastrianism
Marcus Aurelius (121-180): Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor who wrote Meditations.
William Law (1686-1761): Anglican clergyman and devotional writer. In 1729, he wrote A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, which argued that Christianity affects every area of life, including business and leisure as well as devotional practices. This book was a favorite of John Wesley. In 1731, he wrote The Case of Reason, which contended that as important as reason is, it alone cannot grasp the mysteries of God without the aid of divine revelation.
N. P. Williams (1883-1943): professor of divinity and editor of Theology, which represented liberal Catholicism.
Yogi: one who practices the mental, physical and spiritual discipline of yoga
Meum: Latin for "mine"
Richard Hooker (1554-1600): Oxford-educated minister in the Church of England. His best-known work is Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity published in eight volumes-the last three posthumously. The series is both a response to Puritan doctrine and a guide for church governance. Considered one of the best examples of Elizabethan literature, the work influenced political theory and English prose, as well as theology.
A note on some of the controversial items: Depending on your beliefs and/or theological background, some of Lewis's statements in this chapter may be unsettling. (For example, in the second paragraph, he refers to "myths in Holy Scripture" or midway through Lewis says, "for long centuries God perfected the animal form.") The topic for today is the Fall-not inerrancy of Scripture or what part, if any, evolution may have played in creation. Lewis has given in depth treatment to these issues elsewhere. Since they are tangential to the problem of pain, see what benefit or insights you can draw from this chapter despite other disagreements that may (or may not) exist.
Journal 14 ~ Ch.5
1. What is the sole function of the Fall according to Lewis?
2. Do you think God should have simply erased the results of the first sin and given humanity a second chance? How does Lewis work through that proposition?
3. What was the root of humanity's first sin? (In Mere Christianity, Lewis called it "the great sin.") Why does Lewis believe this is the only sin that could conceivably be the Fall?
4. In what ways do postlapsarian human beings differ from prelapsarian, according to Lewis's speculations?
5. Lewis contends that the Fall did not take God by surprise, nor did God plan the whole thing. Instead, Lewis describes the world as a dance. What "steps" make up that dance? (He will develop this concept more in Chapter 7.)
Total depravity: Theological teaching that the Fall affected every part of human intellect, feeling, heart and will. Christians may differ in their views of just how "total" total depravity is, but they agree that human beings cannot save themselves.
Original sin: Refers to the sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, the effects of which were passed on to their descendants (Romans 5:12, 19).
Pons asinorum: Latin for "bridge of asses"; refers to the fifth proposition in Book One of Euclid's Elements which holds that angles opposite the same length sides of an isosceles triangle are equal. Metaphorically it means a problem that tests the ability of the inexperienced.
Gautama (563-483 BCE): the spiritual leader on whose teachings Buddhism is based.
Zarathustra aka Zoroaster: Persian founder of Zoroastrianism
Marcus Aurelius (121-180): Stoic philosopher and Roman emperor who wrote Meditations.
William Law (1686-1761): Anglican clergyman and devotional writer. In 1729, he wrote A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, which argued that Christianity affects every area of life, including business and leisure as well as devotional practices. This book was a favorite of John Wesley. In 1731, he wrote The Case of Reason, which contended that as important as reason is, it alone cannot grasp the mysteries of God without the aid of divine revelation.
N. P. Williams (1883-1943): professor of divinity and editor of Theology, which represented liberal Catholicism.
Yogi: one who practices the mental, physical and spiritual discipline of yoga
Meum: Latin for "mine"
Richard Hooker (1554-1600): Oxford-educated minister in the Church of England. His best-known work is Of the Laws of Ecclesiastical Polity published in eight volumes-the last three posthumously. The series is both a response to Puritan doctrine and a guide for church governance. Considered one of the best examples of Elizabethan literature, the work influenced political theory and English prose, as well as theology.
A note on some of the controversial items: Depending on your beliefs and/or theological background, some of Lewis's statements in this chapter may be unsettling. (For example, in the second paragraph, he refers to "myths in Holy Scripture" or midway through Lewis says, "for long centuries God perfected the animal form.") The topic for today is the Fall-not inerrancy of Scripture or what part, if any, evolution may have played in creation. Lewis has given in depth treatment to these issues elsewhere. Since they are tangential to the problem of pain, see what benefit or insights you can draw from this chapter despite other disagreements that may (or may not) exist.
Journal 14 ~ Ch.5
1. What is the sole function of the Fall according to Lewis?
2. Do you think God should have simply erased the results of the first sin and given humanity a second chance? How does Lewis work through that proposition?
3. What was the root of humanity's first sin? (In Mere Christianity, Lewis called it "the great sin.") Why does Lewis believe this is the only sin that could conceivably be the Fall?
4. In what ways do postlapsarian human beings differ from prelapsarian, according to Lewis's speculations?
5. Lewis contends that the Fall did not take God by surprise, nor did God plan the whole thing. Instead, Lewis describes the world as a dance. What "steps" make up that dance? (He will develop this concept more in Chapter 7.)
Wednesday, Feb. 21 ~ POP Ch. 4
Discuss Journal 13
Discussion Questions: Chapter 4 - Human Wickedness (Sych...Not J14)
1. Christianity must now preach the diagnosis (i.e. that people are sinners) before it can win a hearing for the cure. To what does Lewis attribute this development? According to Lewis, what happens when people attempt to be Christians without an awareness of sin? Consider 1 John 1:8-10.2. Lewis makes eight observations as to why the modern day illusion of innocence is just that - an illusion. We'll take a closer look at some of them. a. What happens when we look on the outside of things?
b. What danger did Lewis see in the "re-awakening of the socialconscience"?
c. How does Lewis handle the argument that there is "safety in numbers"? d. Do you think the level of morality in society today is better than our ancestors? e. Twice in this chapter Lewis cautions against an overemphasis on one virtue. He believes "kindness" was the exalted virtue of his day. Do you consider one virtue to be higher than others? If so, which one? Does the Bible identify a highest virtue? Consider Matthew 22:35-40 and 1 Corinthians 13:13. f. As genetic science develops and finds biological explanations for some behaviors (e.g. a propensity for violence), how does this fit in with Lewis's eighth observation about shifting responsibility back to the Creator?3. What was Lewis's position on total depravity?
b. What danger did Lewis see in the "re-awakening of the socialconscience"?
c. How does Lewis handle the argument that there is "safety in numbers"? d. Do you think the level of morality in society today is better than our ancestors? e. Twice in this chapter Lewis cautions against an overemphasis on one virtue. He believes "kindness" was the exalted virtue of his day. Do you consider one virtue to be higher than others? If so, which one? Does the Bible identify a highest virtue? Consider Matthew 22:35-40 and 1 Corinthians 13:13. f. As genetic science develops and finds biological explanations for some behaviors (e.g. a propensity for violence), how does this fit in with Lewis's eighth observation about shifting responsibility back to the Creator?3. What was Lewis's position on total depravity?
Tuesday, Feb.20 ~ POP Ch.3
Review Ch.2
Journal 12: Chapter 3 - Divine Goodness
NotesImpassible: incapable of experiencing emotion or pain; theologians have debated whether this is an attribute of God
Ephraim: the second of Joseph's sons; when used in the Old Testament prophetic books, it refers to the last piece of the northern kingdom of Israel to be carried into Assyrian captivity.
King Cophetua: a painting by Sir Edward Burne-Jones as well as a poem by Tennyson, based on the legend of an African king who had no interest in women until he saw a beggar maid, fell instantly in love with her, and made her his queen.
NotesImpassible: incapable of experiencing emotion or pain; theologians have debated whether this is an attribute of God
Ephraim: the second of Joseph's sons; when used in the Old Testament prophetic books, it refers to the last piece of the northern kingdom of Israel to be carried into Assyrian captivity.
King Cophetua: a painting by Sir Edward Burne-Jones as well as a poem by Tennyson, based on the legend of an African king who had no interest in women until he saw a beggar maid, fell instantly in love with her, and made her his queen.
1. What does Lewis mean when he says we want "not so much a Father in Heaven as a grandfather in heaven"? Why do we prefer the grandfather?
2. Contrast "love" and "kindness" as used in this chapter.
3. Lewis uses four analogies to try to understand God's love for humanity. Select one of them. What insights and observations do you glean from it?
2. Contrast "love" and "kindness" as used in this chapter.
3. Lewis uses four analogies to try to understand God's love for humanity. Select one of them. What insights and observations do you glean from it?
4. What does Lewis mean by the "intolerable compliment"? How might we sometimes settle for less of God's love rather than more? Why?
5. How does Lewis address the objection that God's love for humans is selfish or possessive?
HW: Journal 13 ~ Read Ch.4 This time, you come up with the discussion questions. Record at least three please.
HW: Journal 13 ~ Read Ch.4 This time, you come up with the discussion questions. Record at least three please.
Tuesday, Feb.13 ~ Problem of Pain, Ch.2
Discuss Chapter 1
Journal 11: Chapter 2 - Divine Omnipotence
1. What do you think of Lewis's summary of the problem of pain at the beginning of chapter two? Might factors other than God's goodness and power play a part in the human experience of pain?
2. Scripture teaches and Christianity holds that God is omnipotent (Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Mark 14:36, and Luke 1:37). Nevertheless, God cannot do what is intrinsically impossible. Why is this an important clarification?
3. Why is it necessary for matter to have a fixed nature?
4. What would happen if God intervened every time someone abused his free will?
5. Do you agree with Lewis's statement: "Try to exclude the possibility of suffering . . . and you find that you have excluded life itself"? Why or why not?
6. How does God's freedom differ from human freedom?
Journal 11: Chapter 2 - Divine Omnipotence1. What do you think of Lewis's summary of the problem of pain at the beginning of chapter two? Might factors other than God's goodness and power play a part in the human experience of pain?
2. Scripture teaches and Christianity holds that God is omnipotent (Jeremiah 32:17, Matthew 19:26, Mark 14:36, and Luke 1:37). Nevertheless, God cannot do what is intrinsically impossible. Why is this an important clarification?
3. Why is it necessary for matter to have a fixed nature?
4. What would happen if God intervened every time someone abused his free will?
5. Do you agree with Lewis's statement: "Try to exclude the possibility of suffering . . . and you find that you have excluded life itself"? Why or why not?
6. How does God's freedom differ from human freedom?
Monday, Feb.12 ~ The Problem of Pain, Ch.1
Weight of Glory Reflections due today!
Let's read and work through Journal 10 together.
Journal 10: The Problem of Pain
Let's read and work through Journal 10 together.
Journal 10: The Problem of Pain
Preface and Chapter 1
Reading Notes
Ashley Sampson (1900-1947): was the owner of Centenary Press who invited C. S. Lewis to write The Problem of Pain after reading the "smuggled-in theology" in Out of the Silent Planet. Geoffrey Bles Ltd., another publisher of Lewis, later bought the Centenary Press. Rudolf Otto (1869-1937): a Lutheran theologian from Germany who taught at the University of Marburg Divinity School. His most famous work is The Idea of the Holy,which has not been out of print since its publication in 1917. Otto coined the term "numinous" to signify the non-rational experience of the divine that is simultaneously terrifying and fascinating. He died of complications after a fall from a tower. There is some debate over whether his fall was a suicide attempt or precipitated by members of the Nazi Party, which opposed his views. Numinous: a term coined by German theologian Rudolf Otto to describe a sense of the mysterious, supernatural and holy. Incorporates both awe and dread.
Anfractuous: full of windings and turnings
Preface
1. According to the Preface, what was Lewis's only purpose for writing the book? Chapter 1 - Introductory 2. The chapter opens with the response Lewis would have given to the question, "Why do you not believe in God?" prior to his conversion. Do you think this is what the average person today would say? What other arguments are at the top of the list? 3. According to Lewis, if you look at the natural world around you, what would you conclude about its Creator? Consider the epigraph from Pascal. Does nature reveal anything about God? If so, what? 4. What question is Lewis hoping to answer by looking at the commonalities of all religions?
5. List the three elements that developed in all religions and the fourth element, which is unique to Christianity.
6. What is his main point drawn from looking at the origins of all these elements?
7. Explain how the concept of the Numinous guarding the unattainable moral reality is a paradox. (What makes it impossible and yet true?)
8. What are the consequences of ignoring the Numinous (having a non-religious morality)? Ignoring the moral law (a non-moral religion)?
9. How is the existence of Jesus one of the "awkward facts which have to be fitted into any system we make"?
10. Why is the problem of pain more of an issue for the Christian? |
I just wanted to record our thoughts...
As we enter tricky conversations, we want to honor each other and protect a chance to engage fully in a learning environment that we desire. Yes, WE are MV, and we are also real people.
Things that shut people down...
Things that shut people down...
- condescension
- disrespect
- folks thin-slicing/oversimplifying my thoughts
- indirect/subtle comments
- assumptions, biases
- interrupting
- lack of effort/empathy to find common ground
- thoughts undervalued due to things we can't help (ex/social class, gender, age, race, etc...)
- discrimination
- disengagement
- "parrot talk"
- listening to argue rather than to understand
- not listening (or working to understand fully)
- "gas lighting" (abuse by twisting someone's words)
- assumption that my logic is flawed without approaching the details of the actual logic
- exclusion
- interrogation
- refusal to wonder (cut off before thought expressed)
- assumption of an expert
- "tunnel vision"
How then do we engage with honor?
- empathy trumps being right
- respect
- acceptance
- mindful words
- listen, don't label
- hear the person out with a posture of figuring out the validity of his/her point
- Guard your own heart against offense by kindly confronting the point that is offensive, hopefully with a clarifying question or an honest admission of the corner you feel backed into.
- "walk softly"
- avoid personal attacks
Thursday, Feb. 7 ~ The Problem with Pain begins
Reflections on The Weight of Glory
The Problem of Pain
- Due Monday, Feb.11 (typed, hard copy please)
- Assignment: Please write a 1-2 page reflection on your take-away thoughts from this piece. Include at least two key quotes. Your reflection should reveal a thorough understanding of Lewis' concept as well as your own reflection. Personal pronouns are okay in this response.
A thought before we start...
- Philippians 2:12-13 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
- We are seekers of truth over comfort or control. We must take "one another seriously-no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption" (9).
- Is it possible to discuss these heavy truths with people who hold a variety of beliefs?
- What shuts people down?
- What norms can we practice to create an open space for all?
- What does it take for my own heart to be safe and open at the same time?
- Proverbs 27:17 Iron sharpens iron; so a man sharpens a friend's character.
Before we begin...
- Can God (or a god) co-exist in a world with pain and suffering?
- If God is good, why doesn't s/he prevent suffering?
- Is pain ever good?
- Is pain our fault?
- Can a painless world include free will?
- What stance or perspective helps people best deal with pain/suffering?
- What is the cost of not making meaning of pain/suffering?
Reading time...Let's read as much of the text out loud as we can today.
HW: Focus on your response to The Weight of Glory. We will pick up PoP on Monday.
Block Day, Feb.1 ~ The Weight of Glory
Discuss journals and Spirits in Bondage.
Read The Weight of Glory
Journal 9 ~ The Weight of Glory
Read The Weight of Glory
Journal 9 ~ The Weight of Glory
- Write a brief outline to track his thoughts...What is the point of the message when you look over the whole outline.
- Write a thoughtful reflection on the last three questions written on page 9 of the packet.
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