1 - God in the Dock Flashcards
What is the topic
Apologetics. Explaining God effectively, to convert unbelievers.
What is meant by the phrase “God in the Dock”?
Putting God on trial for his actions and his universe
Who is Lewis’s audience?
The unbelieving proletariat (the RAF in his example)
What was his experience?
They are so skeptical of history that they believe we have no valid history of early man. Pics or it didn’t happen!
What are Lewis’s five discoveries?
1) non-christian creeds like Theosophy, spiritualism materialism are rife in society, even within Christianity 2) The proletariat is skeptical of history to the point that they won’t believe anything before modern times. This includes the bible. 3) vulgar vs learned language is hugely different 4) the proles have no sense of sin and 5) we cannot awaken the conscience of our hearers like we used to, so for them we must abandon intellectualism and find a new way.
What do you think of Lewis’s proposal for future pastors: “Every examination for ordinands ought to include a passage from some standard theological work for translation into the vernacular”?
I think it would be hugely useful in avoiding rampant intellectualism, and would help ensure that we are speaking the same language as our listeners.
What could a failure to do this translation mean?
At best we confuse our listeners or leave them behind, worst case we offend them.
React to this statement: “We have to convince our hearers of the unwelcome diagnosis before we can expect them to welcome the news of the remedy.”
Because people don’t understand sin, we have to re-work how we explain sin so that they will feel bad, and possibly devise new social constructs to work out evil and sin in words that make sense to people.
How do we awaken the consciences of our hearers?
Instead of saying “sin,” which some people don’t understand, we can say jealousy, anger, stealing, etc.
