I read an interesting note from Dr. Lysaught a bit ago when I got in from dissertating downstairs at Starbucks, encouraging me to try to grab
a newly-posted Systematic Theology position, and noting that:
New Zealand is supposed to be a very interesting place to live. They use the British system -- only teach theology students. That sounds dreamy. I'd say it's worth an application.
I looked at it, and briefly thought about it, but four objections came immediately to mind with astonishing power:
Not to mention everyone else I love. I was willing to consider work in the U.K., knowing that that's a seven-hour plane ride, and having had domestic travel that lasts longer, given delays and connections, but New Zealand is far enough that the trouble of the distance seemed too prohibitive.
I was reading a book on Celtic Christianity. In the chapter on kin, it suggested that the Celts, even pagan ones, had a better concept of family and community than modern Christians do. (Okay, a lot of that was preservationalist - the individual couldn't make it on his own, but still: food for thought.)
There's an awful lot that's interesting to adapt from the sources we have on Celtic Spirituality, but the better material out there seem to me to do one of two things: either to not attempt the adaptation at all, but simply to present the historical material in as undecorated a way as possible and to leave it to the reader to make something of it, or to be very clear about what is historical and what is a proposed adaptation, which is then understood to be such – a modern innovation inspired by something of the past, but not claiming to be a return to that pure, pristine artifact of a glorious Golden Age.
:-) Sorry: I've thought a lot about this, as I'd like to put together a serious Celtic Spirituality and History of Spirituality course at some point, so you pressed my buttons!
Edited at 2009-05-12 07:07 pm (UTC)