DR. GWEN DEWEYDR. GWEN DEWEY

GREEK SOUPSecular-Sacred Divide

Early Church Christians (33AD-325AD)

They were Jews from Judea, who had retained their Hebrew worldview

They were called Christians (Christ followers) and “The People of the Way” (who lived like Jesus taught and lived)

Their lives were highly integrated Work, community, worship all flowed together Church leaders had businesses (fishermen, farmers, carpenters, masons, ten makers, government workers, etc)

Early Church Christians (cont’d)

A minority group of Christian Jews were Greek-educated who had returned from Diaspora

Often there were violent confrontations between Judean Jews (retained their Hebrew worldview) and Diaspora Jews (adapted to the Greek worldview)

Stephan was a Diaspora Jew who was martyred by the Judean Jews

Differences Between Eastern and Western Worldviews

Eastern (Hebrew) Western (Greek)

Reality Metaphysical wholeness (one essence)

Metaphysical dualism (two essences)

Beauty Function & purpose primary

Physical & form primary

Acquired wisdom -knowledge

Enlightenment, revelation Pure logic – reason

God Totally spirit and truth - can not be physically described or represented

Can be described in human terms

Religion A way of life Gods honored in rituals

Gentiles in early church increased in number

and Judean Jews decreased

Judea defeated by Rome in 70AD temple destroyed Many lives lost

By 130AD, all Jews had been violently eliminated from Judea Unimaginable slaughter Remaining Jews escaped to Egypt, Spain, other

Gentile portion of Church faired a little better, escaping the Judean slaughter

But, all Christians (Jew and Gentiles) suffered until Constantine in 325AD

Major Worldview Difference Within Christianity

Eastern, where most people hold primarily to a metaphysical wholeness(Old Testament and most of the New Testament)

Western, where most people hold primarily to a metaphysical dualism(Can be seen In a few parts of the New Testament)

This worldview difference has caused us to be confused theologically

Why did Christianity change in the 3rd Century?

Church became the official religion of Roman Empire (3rd Century) Constantine became Emperor of Rome from 306-337; first Christian Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire

Creeds developed; emphasis on “life style” became secondary

Early Church Fathers were trained in Platonism prior to becoming Christians, and carried Greek philosophy over into Christian thought. To make Christianity a respected & logical religion

To counter “learned” scholars attacks on Christianity

Why did Christianity change in the 3rd Century? (cont’d)

Through Platonism, work was compartmentalized into two parts “Sacred” (the work of Church leaders and especially the monks)

“Secular” (mundane work of laity and peasants)To be “spiritual” one needed to separate oneself from the material world as much as possible.

Metaphysical Dualism

The perfect, eternal, unchanging non-physical realm of ideas

Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111

Form

Matter The imperfect, temporal, changing

physical realm

Metaphysical dualism applied to religion

SacredThings pertaining to the spiritual, eternal, and unchanging upper realm of God in heaven

Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111

SecularThings pertaining to the physical, temporal, and changing lower realm of humans on earth

Adverse Impact of Platonism on Christianity

SpiritualDirect church-related work by

missionaries, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc.

SecularHome, school, health services,

business, marketplace, the trades, the arts, sports, government, labor, sex,

money, etc. Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111

Mundane, temporal & unworthy work

Worthy, everlasting work

This Gap Creates

Idea in the West that only the work of cardinals, bishops, priests, pastors, missionaries, etc. is “God’s work”

(Christianity in the east did not did not fully move into the Platonic thought)

Did Christianity ever correct this worldview?

YES! Priesthood of the laity a major issue during the Reformation (1517-1540)

The Reformation affirmed the concept of work as worship and ordained by God

Martin Luther and the rest of the champions of the reformation believed that the laity were on a par with liturgists and preachers

People groups such as the Puritans were responsible for bringing on the Industrial Revolution

(Max Weber: Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism-1905)

Greek thought came roaring back in the 18th & 19th Centuries

The Western “Enlightenment” movement (18th C) equated enlightenment to pure logic and reason (Greek thought) Eastern enlightenment remained equated to revelation

Western educational systems completely embraced Greek thought

The Industrial Revolution (19th C) split the activities of family, work, church, government apart Fathers left families to work Churches were no longer integrated into work activities

Greek thought came roaring back in the 18th & 19th Centuries (Continued)

Heavy emphasis on mission work by the Church

Materialism: Wide spread financial success led to loss of interest in the things of God.

Reduced role of the Church (education, health care, etc.)

Eugene Peterson on Sacred-Secular Divide

Eugene Peterson on Sacred-Secular Divide

Biblical Worldview of Human Activity

BusinessSchoolArt

Home

MusicSports Churchlaw order

Human sexualityMedicineBanking

In conflict with God’s design (“evil”)

In harmony with God’s design (“good”)

Assumptions that affect our Lives, pg 112

Where is the Secular World?

NASH & McLENNAN STUDYCHURCH ON SUNDAY, WORK ON MONDAY (2001)

Institutional church ineffectively bridges between Sunday and Monday

Christians in business report less-than-satisfactory connections between their faith and work

NASH & McLENNAN STUDYCHURCH ON SUNDAY, WORK ON MONDAY (2001) cont’d

Problem appears at both ends: Christians in business comments:

“The clergy are the last people to go to for guidance on business”

“We don’t speak the same language” “They can’t manage themselves, how can they advise others”

Most clergy “felt” they had made no impact and had no mandate to do so

Biblical Alternative to Dualism by John Beckett

Adverse Impact of Platonism on Christianity

SpiritualDirect church-related work by

missionaries, ministers, pastors, evangelists, etc.

SecularHome, school, health services,

business, marketplace, the trades, the arts, sports, government, labor, sex,

money, etc. Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111

Mundane, temporal & unworthy work

Worthy, everlasting work

Metaphysical dualism applied to religion

SacredThings pertaining to the spiritual, eternal, and unchanging upper realm of God in heaven

Assumptions that Affect our Lives, pg 111

SecularThings pertaining to the physical, temporal, and changing lower realm of humans on earth

This Gap Creates

Idea in the West that only the work of pastors or missionaries is “God’s work”

Christians have been sprinkled like salt in the workplace but are often ineffective

(Eastern Christianity did not fully move into the Platonic thought)

What Went Wrong?

Priesthood of the laity a major issue during the Reformation (1517-1540)

Reformation affirmed the concept of work as worship and ordained by God

Luther and the rest of the champions of the reformation believed that the laity were on a par with liturgists and preachers

People groups such as the Puritans were responsible for bringing on the Industrial Revolution

(Max Weber: Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism-1905)

What Went Wrong? (Continued)

Work as mission was lost in West, because: Heavy emphasis on mission work - redemption Government took over the role of social support – no need for church

Educational systems based on Platonic thought Wide-spread financial success has led to loss of interest in the things of God

Faith in the Workplace by John Beckett’s Company

For John Beckett there is No Divide

End