Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.
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The Carpathian Conundrum
The BBC has recently launched a new Science Fiction series called Outcasts. It starts 5 years after a colonisation expedition has arrived on a new planet that has been called Carpathia, after the ship that showed up to rescue the survivors of the Titanic. Carpathia only has one major town, called Forthaven. The society is…
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Jesus Christ : the Liminal Man
When reading Bishop Spong’s book, something struck me about an idea he had put forward of the river Jordan. That Jordan River was also thought to offer a door way into the promised land where God was believed to reign as king. [*] The Jordan, then is a liminal place. A Place on the boundaries.…
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Bishop Spong : Removing the image of the Divine Rescuer
In his book, Why Christianity Must Change or Die, Bishop John Shelby Spong outlines many of the problems which he sees in modern-day Christianity. Though I agree with the statement, I’m not sure that I agree with his conclusions. Bishop Spong seems to want to remove the Theistic aspect from Christianity, which while I can…
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A Breif Outline for a Baptismal Liturgy in the 4th Century
For an essay that I have to write, I decided that it would be easier to do if I actually had a liturgy from the 4th Century to read from, so that I can make the comparisons. I found that there are many reconstructions, but I wanted one that used the writings of St. Cyril…
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Wishing for Answers
Sometimes I wish I had the answers. Sometimes I wish there was a way that I could articulate in a way that was fully rational why I believe there is a God. I look around the internet, and it seems to be polarised between Kantian-descended rationalists, who have finally done away with Kant’s need for…
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Bishop Marries Lesbian Clergy
Finally, it’s happened. The Church of the USA, despite threats from the rest of the Anglican Communion to “hold back” on it’s progressive moves has decided to go ahead and Marry to Lesbian Clergy, on New Years Day in St. Paul’s Cathedral in Boston. It’s a bit of a gutsy move, with the Anglican Communion…
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Working 9 To 5 (ish)
At 9am precisely, Susan DeWitt pushed open the door to the little office. She had been there now nearly 4 months, and she was slowly beginning to get used to their little peculiarities. The main part of the office was taken up with two desks. The one nearest to the door was heaped with folders,…
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A Visit to a Greek Orthodox Church
I have just returned from a visit to the local Greek Orthodox Church, a visit that was done as part of one of my university courses. The first thing that struck me about the worship was that it seemed some-how disconnected from the people. The congregation would arrive, chat to each other, wander out again,…
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Wisdom, where art thou?
Oh Wisdom, where art thou? Where is your promised rest? Upon You, and upon Your word I meditate, I read, mark, learn and inwardly digest, And my questions are answered by silence, As though they are but dust and wind. I take Your light into the world, And bare witness to it, Yet they question…
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Worship Styles, How do we feed the Sheep?
Being a student at an all-party college (that’s not a college where all we do is party, but rather a Training Seminary, where all traditions (Catholic/Evangelical, etc) train side-by-side) has it’s advantages and disadvantages. When I first arrived I thought that the chance to experience worship in many different forms would better allow me to…
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Ugly Duckling – 18 Only!
So, for those regular reading of the blog, will know that I’ve been writing a Novel. I’ve just written an article that I think is perhaps a little close to the line, and as such I’ve password-protected it. If you are OVER 18 and want to read the post, the password is Iam18, if your…
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Protected: Ugly Duckling
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
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Could you be an anonymous Muslim?
During the Christianity and Interfaith Dialogue Module that I’m following as part of my course, we are studying Karl Rahner’s idea of being an “unnamed Christian”. This phrase is more commonly though of as the “Anonymous Christian”. This is the notion that so long as you are worshipping God as best you can in your…
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Exploring my Religion and my Post-Modern World View
In the modern world, belief has become something of a joke. People either think that you are, in some way, in capable of rational thought, or that you are incapable of seeing why it is your belief doesn’t match the modern world. It’s a tough place to be in. The Post-Modernist View of the world…
Got any book recommendations?