Blog :: Wherein our protagonist takes a postmodern point of view

I've been a fan of the Internet Monk for a long time now, even before he hit the big Time! I'm coming from a completely different place culturally and theologically (hint: not reformed backwoods Kentucky revivalist Baptist) but so much appreciate his honest explorations and often excellent writings.  A few months ago I even signed up for an account and left an occasional comment on his site.

Now lately I've been rather much to busy to do any writing of my own. Someday, I keep promising myself, I'll work less at work and be done with my remodel project at home. Someday. In the meantime my blogging has suffered... But every now and then I find myself compelled to comment at somebody else's blog.

Such was recently the case when the IMonk posted his hypothetical dialogue about communion. He has had it, apparently, with being told that people of other communions (ah, even the language is against him) regard him as a brother in Christ, but will not cannot allow him to take communion with him. Call me a heretic if you like, IMonk seems to be saying, but don't call me a brother while refusing me communion.

Now I must admit that I have mixed feelings about the issue. You'll have to go visit the IMonk and read my comments to see exactly what those mixed feelings are. My point in expressing them, however, was that ultimately I think that IMonk is making a theological assertion about the nature of communion. He may even be right. But he is insisting that the assertion be assumed; if you come at it from my point of view, he says, you can't really disagree with me.

By now, of course, every sophomore who's flunked out of English Lit. can give you the standard postmodern critique about how the context of our assumptions actually determines the truths we think are absolute, unbiased, and impartial. I hesitate (almost) to argue from this tired cliche that really boils down to "that's just your point of view" (or as Crash would say (annoyingly): "but that's just your culture").

Well, I must have been annoying too, because while I thought the dialogue was going along swimmingly, our proprietor showed up and kicked everybody out! Maybe I'm getting tired of people who call me a brother in Christ but won't even let me comment on their blog! Just call me a heretic already! (That's satire, in case the IMonk is reading over my shoulder). Ah well, since I'm not writing about theology here, lately, anyone interested (hi Mom) can go visit the sites where I am...

Posted on September 22nd 2006, 10:47 PM