Superb. Just superb. A wonderful meditation on all the meanings of faith, love, and comfort through the ages. I have little to add but a piling-on of dusty citations dropped from the bookshelf, and an observation that the sensation of God is love. Therein also lies God's real manifestation in the world - love. The core of the Bible (and so many other religious texts): love. It's not for nothing that the Marcionite sect, in the wavering infant days of Christianity, thought that the agapetic, loving God of the New Testament could not possibly be the aged judge of the Old Testament.
But you know, and feel, so much of this already. I suppose I shall just add that I find fascinating just how utterly penetrating this radical love is in Christianity. (Prevalent and penetrating in other faiths, too, I just know them less well.) So many vituperative millenarians, so many preachers with words illumed by Hellish flame, so many stern warriors for faith who were all forced to admit a core of unconditional, true love in faith. Luther, who saw himself as a wretched sinner, admitted that God must have a great and unlimited kindness and grace towards humans to forgive them. Pope Benedictus XVI, that great German conservative, still wrote Deus caritas est. It is the terrifyingly unavoidable thing about faith that we are always loved, whether or not we want it, whether or not we feel we deserve it, whether or not we can see it. It envelops all of us.
Oh my gosh, Oliver. You have always had this sublime capacity for discernment as well as a vast stock of rationality and intellect, and the way you have married the two together here for this beauty of a comment has me puddled in gratitude (and admiration, hopefully needless to say). Thank you so much. Dusty citations are good ones; old and steadfast ones worthy of our continued and deliberate care well into their elder years. And those closing lines from you. Sheerly brilliant.
brilliant writing, always makes me happy to see one of your posts in my inbox! as someone who has no experience with a lot of these texts you often reference, it's always a great experience to be introduced to them by you embedding them so expertly within your writing. hope you're doing well <3
Liam! Thank you so very much. This means everything. I can’t explain it very well but your support is such a source of writerly encouragement for me; I respect your work so much. Thank you, you too <3
I have also often contemplated getting myself to a nunnery.. this was really beautiful and I loved it!! Your writing style is so fresh and smart! Also what that Islamic scholar thought about believing in heaven reminded me of Pascal’s wager a bit
ugh i'm so glad old english went to good use (i am obsessed)
Those lessons were the crucibles in which our academic souls were made I think (you are so kind to me; thank you <3)
Superb. Just superb. A wonderful meditation on all the meanings of faith, love, and comfort through the ages. I have little to add but a piling-on of dusty citations dropped from the bookshelf, and an observation that the sensation of God is love. Therein also lies God's real manifestation in the world - love. The core of the Bible (and so many other religious texts): love. It's not for nothing that the Marcionite sect, in the wavering infant days of Christianity, thought that the agapetic, loving God of the New Testament could not possibly be the aged judge of the Old Testament.
But you know, and feel, so much of this already. I suppose I shall just add that I find fascinating just how utterly penetrating this radical love is in Christianity. (Prevalent and penetrating in other faiths, too, I just know them less well.) So many vituperative millenarians, so many preachers with words illumed by Hellish flame, so many stern warriors for faith who were all forced to admit a core of unconditional, true love in faith. Luther, who saw himself as a wretched sinner, admitted that God must have a great and unlimited kindness and grace towards humans to forgive them. Pope Benedictus XVI, that great German conservative, still wrote Deus caritas est. It is the terrifyingly unavoidable thing about faith that we are always loved, whether or not we want it, whether or not we feel we deserve it, whether or not we can see it. It envelops all of us.
Oh my gosh, Oliver. You have always had this sublime capacity for discernment as well as a vast stock of rationality and intellect, and the way you have married the two together here for this beauty of a comment has me puddled in gratitude (and admiration, hopefully needless to say). Thank you so much. Dusty citations are good ones; old and steadfast ones worthy of our continued and deliberate care well into their elder years. And those closing lines from you. Sheerly brilliant.
brilliant writing, always makes me happy to see one of your posts in my inbox! as someone who has no experience with a lot of these texts you often reference, it's always a great experience to be introduced to them by you embedding them so expertly within your writing. hope you're doing well <3
Liam! Thank you so very much. This means everything. I can’t explain it very well but your support is such a source of writerly encouragement for me; I respect your work so much. Thank you, you too <3
I have also often contemplated getting myself to a nunnery.. this was really beautiful and I loved it!! Your writing style is so fresh and smart! Also what that Islamic scholar thought about believing in heaven reminded me of Pascal’s wager a bit
Much too tremendously kind, and too generous by far. Thank you, Jack