June 2006 Archives

I came to reflect on this idea as I was sitting in an open field, after jumping out of a plane. My tandem skydiving parter enthusiastically began to recount his ascetic pursuits in Eastern thought when he found out that I taught philosophy. Our conversation prompted me to think about one of the fundamental differences between Christianity and most Eastern religions, all of which hold that reality is fundamentally impersonal and advocate the dissolution of the individual into this reality. Christianity, on the other hand, claims that reality, at its most basic level, is personal and that the individual is unique and distinct in its relationship to ultimate reality.

In some ways the difference between embracing a personal or impersonal reality, is the difference between a friendly and responsive world or a cold disinterested universe. Some days, when natural disasters are more than a distant memory away, one may find it easy to dismiss the world as a hostile, uncaring foe. For the most part, I feel that my experience in the world though is one where my needs are responded to on some level. There is food when I am hungry, shelter when I am cold, and love when I am lonely. I am not saying that grasping these basic human needs always proves an easy task, only that our universe seems to contain the needed resources.

Perhaps one can see how the personal nature of the universe affirmed within Christianity may be an extension of the needs of humanity and the offerings of the universe. We are intimate beings who desire to relate to others on a personal level, the question is does our universe respond to this need?

With The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown masterfully concocts an intelligent and lucid thriller that marries the gusto of an international murder mystery with a collection of fascinating esoteria culled from 2,000 years of Western history.

A murder in the silent after-hour halls of the Louvre museum reveals a sinister plot to uncover a secret that has been protected by a clandestine society since the days of Christ. The victim is a high-ranking agent of this ancient society who, in the moments before his death, manages to leave gruesome clues at the scene that only his granddaughter, noted cryptographer Sophie Neveu, and Robert Langdon, a famed symbologist, can untangle. The duo become both suspects and detectives searching for not only Neveu's grandfather's murderer but also the stunning secret of the ages he was charged to protect. Mere steps ahead of the authorities and the deadly competition, the mystery leads Neveu and Langdon on a breathless flight through France, England, and history itself. Brown (Angels and Demons) has created a page-turning thriller that also provides an amazing interpretation of Western history. Brown's hero and heroine embark on a lofty and intriguing exploration of some of Western culture's greatest mysteries--from the nature of the Mona Lisa's smile to the secret of the Holy Grail. Though some will quibble with the veracity of Brown's conjectures, therein lies the fun. The Da Vinci Code is an enthralling read that provides rich food for thought. (From Amazon.)

Book club members, engage in discussion by leaving your comments here.

What if every religion accomplishes what it claims? Buddhism leads you out from the illusory attachments of desire. Judaism ensures that you live a life that honors God's standards of justice and holiness. Islam offers the five pillars so that you live a life of righteousness. Christianity claims that you the whole of human nature needs a reconstruction that can not be accomplished without personal divine intervention.

If each religion effects the change that it claims humanity needs, the question becomes focused around whether each is correct in its assessment of humanities' predicament. If our problem only amounts to petty shortsightedness as the Qu'ran outlines, then perhaps the five pillar plan would be sufficient (1). However, if we are as far gone as the New Testament claims then only Christ will provide the necessary redemption. Perhaps a way of assessing the claims of the religions is not to judge their efficacy, but instead to evaluate their project in the light of the human experience. The question is what do we all really need?

Source: Fazlur Rahman, Major Themes of the Qur’an, Biblioteca Islamica Inc., 1989. 18, 26-27.