If for Halloween someone told me I had to dress up like some from the history of the church...I would be Martin Luther. I grew up in Minnesota, I went to a Lutheran church, and I have a tendency to let my passions get the best of me. I have as yet to drop an f-bomb on any of my students...but I bet if Luther were teaching at Dordt, which is a funny thought, he surely would have done so already and been promptly fired.
Today, after my Theology 101 class, I let my passions get the best of me. I had seen a post on the Dordt forum that caught my eye...challenging the notion that C.S. Lewis was a Christian. I love C.S. Lewis...his writings, as they do for so many, help me wrestle with the Christian faith. I knew the student who wrote it would be coming in for the next class...I had her in my sights...and I couldn't stop the words from coming out of my mouth..."So you don't think C.S. Lewis is a Christian?" I hope she can forgive me...it was the Luther in me. We preceded to argue about the issue of Biblical inerrancy. I threw out some thoughts...she rebutted...some other students chimed in...other students were waiting to talk to me about the Theology 101 test on Friday...but I kept on. When I act like this I think of Seinfeld...and the phrase pops into my head..."Luther!"
Did we resolve anything? Nope. Was I all fired up...yup. I had done the exact same thing the day before. A rep from a confessional upstart seminary stopped in my office for a fight...and I gave him one. We went from the Westminster to Moltmann to N.T. Wright to Calvin. I just can't help myself. I had other things to do - but I love a good fight.
So why did I title this blog "inerrancy"? Just to get your attention! No seriously, I found this on the website of St. Olaf with regard to Luther. How often we take our 20th century issues and impose them back upon historical Christianity...onto people like Luther.
Here's the link. Hope you enjoy it...and if I ever go all Luther on you...please show me grace. Us Luther types need it badly.
http://www.stolaf.edu/people/edwards/luthbibl.htm
2 comments:
Being the student whom Lief is talking about when he asked "So you don't think C.S. Lewis is a Christian?", I wanted to publicly clarify that I never said C.S. Lewis wasn't a Christian. Only God knows the heart. I just challenged people to look a little deeper into Lewis' theology.
~Rachel Veit
I think the Luther in you is what made your classes so enjoyable. Finally, a teacher who wasn't afraid to step on some toes, in the effort to declare the truth (or at least challenge the "Holy Huddle" mentality).
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