Seminaries convened their seniors
to make certain that they would give correct answers when being examined for
ordination. From today’s vantage point [57 years] I think few of us were even
aware of the questions raised in/through these concerns.
·
We
knew that “heaven” was not “up” and we knew that “hell” was not “down”. But
being “out” in the universe was still moving from the comic strips – and
“sputnik” was still a year or so away.
·
We
knew that Paul talked much about “in-the-body” or “out-of-the-body” and that
his Damascus road experience with Jesus was not a “physical” meeting.
·
We
knew that the advances being made in psychology were radically altering our
understanding of the “self” – and that in the act of praying one was affirming
the “self” as dependent upon and lesser to the “Other”. Still, in 1955 [and for
many subsequent decades] many of us believed that prayer was both an
attempt to alter/change the mind of God and a practice that changed my “self”!
The clergy were George Crist Jr.
(31), Victor Wrigley (36) and John Gerberding (33). Crist and Wrigley were
adjudged as guilty. Gerberding was acquitted – but within a year he resigned
from the roster. My attempts to learn more of their subsequent lives have been
at fraught. Googling their names have been unsuccessful.
Such “anonymity” is unfortunate.
Theological progress always comes out of the intense dialogues with those who
raise questions about the status quo. Those discussions almost always identify
“truths” which need to be altered due to advances of knowledge.
Unfortunately [albeit
understandably] the victors would declare the losers as heretics.
Excommunication, banishment from the community, even death were the usual
punishments for the losers – and, most likely the arguments they proposed were
also eradicated. (The Heresy Tribunal records are sealed in the ELCA archives
until all parties are deceased.)
The term heresy is from Greek αἵρεσις
originally meaning "choice". It also referred to that process whereby
a person could examine various philosophies to determine how to live one's
life. In light of the phenomenal knowledge changes experienced between 1955 and
2012 such a process ought to be mandatory:
·
Evolution
is only a controversy within certain religious groups. For many today, life is
involved in a continual creative process. History is replete with organisms
that came into existence and then moved into non-existence. Our belief(s) in a
Creator must move beyond an anthropomorphic tribal leader.
·
Prayer
whose goal/aim is to thwart laws of nature [suspense of the law of gravity so
the vase won’t break!] or to gain while another loses [my team or my army or my
political party] or to seek healing as if an angry or vengeful god must be
assuaged so as to grant mercy – such prayers challenge all that my 21st
century rational mind believes! I do believe there is a power in/with prayer –
but such exists only through hard, focused effort.
·
“Truths”
are all relative! That’s scary. There is not any field of life that has
not been impacted by having its “truth” declared invalid. All have experienced
it. We need to live in that paradox. Live in it – and help our people know that
life can still have love and hope.
It would be exciting to visit with
Crist, Wrigley and Gerberding and to continue their quest. Life in 2012 has
moved light years beyond 1955. We need to capture the original sense of the
word “heresy” so as to consider choices more reflective of what is known today!
