tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post755046766169537837..comments2018-10-14T23:23:56.634-07:00Comments on The Bayou Thebaid: The Evangelical Prayer Masters, or a Protestant reads the desert fathersJ. B. Aitkenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15616638312087360239noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-28082801307827774462015-09-09T03:35:23.596-07:002015-09-09T03:35:23.596-07:00I'll do a post clarifying my position. The po...I'll do a post clarifying my position. The point was the Greek word doesn't mean total possession, nor does total possession fit with what the church has historically taught about free will. <br /><br />Further, most exorcist accounts from Charismatic to Catholicism say that even in the worst cases free choice remains (however limited).J. B. Aitkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616638312087360239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-91994822475043243642015-09-07T06:30:01.588-07:002015-09-07T06:30:01.588-07:00Perhaps you could write a post clarifying these te...Perhaps you could write a post clarifying these terms.<br /><br />I have often heard Christians suggesting that such and such a heinous criminal must be demon-possessed on account of their evil deeds, but I would have said nobody who does not behave like a raving lunatic is possessed.Matthew Celestinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02874430461346560520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-50932246940134719312015-09-07T03:56:16.957-07:002015-09-07T03:56:16.957-07:00I don't reject the idea of demons having compl...I don't reject the idea of demons having complete control. That happens. But that's not what the word daimonidzomai fully means. And even Fr Malachi Martin mentioned that in those cases free will is still involved.J. B. Aitkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616638312087360239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-88722309856297332132015-09-07T02:42:32.751-07:002015-09-07T02:42:32.751-07:00I don't think I agree with you about demonizat...I don't think I agree with you about demonization. All the examples of demon possession we have in Scripture seem to involve demons having complete control. We don't see examples of demonized people behaving rationally, but committing immoral and depraved acts. There is the fortune-teller in Acts 16, but we don't get enough description to conclude her demeanor was any different from the raving demoniacs of the Gospels.<br /><br />I would suggest that the idea of a demon-possessed person who is in control of his senses, but lead by the demons to do immoral acts is foreign to Scripture.Matthew Celestinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02874430461346560520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-36832876828533538702015-09-06T18:23:56.883-07:002015-09-06T18:23:56.883-07:00I had in mind a study by Martin Marty called "...I had in mind a study by Martin Marty called "Fundies in their Undies." Victorianism was a pagan degeneration.J. B. Aitkenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616638312087360239noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1420093134571892773.post-13494951248632949742015-09-06T18:19:53.312-07:002015-09-06T18:19:53.312-07:00I did profit a lot from reading Rowan William'...I did profit a lot from reading Rowan William's take on Desert spirituality. He does a mostly good job connecting them to us and unleashing the treasures of their wisdom and practice on a world who thinks discipline is another way to be an over-achiever.<br /><br />I appreciated the comments on being 'demonized'. You're completely right that 'forgiveness' doesn't mean instantaneous transformation and being re-climatized to being 'fixed'. Even when resurrected Jesus still had His cruciform scars.<br /><br />It's sad that deeply important biblical concepts, like 'charisma', spiritual-warfare, exorcism etc. are redefined by the whackier, pagan instantiations of Pentecostalism. I appreciate you trying to take them back.<br /><br />cal<br /><br />PS. What do you mean Protestant's typically have healthier views of marriage? I tend to see the frigidity of stale Victorian sentiments or a hyper-sexed reactionary swing among younger evangelical crowds. Where do you see this particularly? Any particular theological position articulate this best?Cal of Chelcicehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04274276191242967318noreply@blogger.com