Marginal Christianity

  June 15, 2015 by Peter Enns 0 Comments In 1965, the Byrds had a big hit with a song written by Pete Seeger and based on chapter 3 of Ecclesiastes: “Turn, Turn, Turn.” Everything on earth has its time and place—its “season,” as the writer (Qohelet) puts it.   There is a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; a time for war, and a time for peace, etc. The Byrds’s tune features great harmonies and gives off a feel-good-be-at-peace-with-the-world-Zen vibe. You know. The ‘60s. But these ancient words are anything but harmonious and peaceful. We are seeing a faith crisis happening right in front of us. Read more at http://www.patheos.com/blogs/peterenns/2015/06/a-faith-crisis-in-the-bible-and-dont-let-some-60s-hippies-tell-you-otherwise/

In C. S. Lewis’ Narnian story The Silver Chair, a Marshwiggle, named Puddleglum, along with two children, Jill and Eustace, are trapped trying to free a Narnian prince who has been enslaved in an underground world by an evil witch. The witch interrupts their rescue effort and attempts to enchant them all with a spell which would cause them to forget the world above, persuading them that things like the sun or lions were merely wish-projections from having seen and cats and wishing for bigger and better versions of them. Just as the group is about to fall under the enchantment, Puddleglum bravely stamps out the fire on which the enchanted power had been sprinkled. The pain of such a move brings him to clarity of mind. With such clarity Puddleglum bears witness to his faith in Narnia: "'One word, Ma'am,' he said... 'One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the b...