Recent conversations with Scot McKnight and John Franke spurred me to pick up a copy of Proper Confidence by Leslie Newbigin. Both suggested this helpful for the current theological milieu.
Recent conversations with Scot McKnight and John Franke spurred me to pick up a copy of Proper Confidence by Leslie Newbigin. Both suggested this helpful for the current theological milieu.
Here’s my guess at why they suggested that book. In it, there is a good discussions of Personal Knowledge, which is a book by Michael Polanyi. Len Sweet told us that everybody he teaches has to read that book. It’s his own personal hazing. It’s like 450 pages from a chemist, a philosopher, and all around genius. I couldn’t grasp it, but discovered that Newbiggin had a good discussion of the main ideas in Proper Confidence. I had to read Proper Confidence to understand Polanyi so I could have some kind of discussion about the book in class.
BTW…I suggest this theory because I saw Polanyi’s book (in mint condition I might) on Franke’s shelves in his office. Did you notice that? Every one of his books looks like it’s in mint condition!
If you go for Polanyi, it’s like having a root canal without drugs. Be prepared.
Todd, one more thing:
This is also why I think that it may be necessary, according to what I interpret of Polanyi, Newbiggin, and others, that we move from deduction and induction to abduction – a knowledge theory proposed by Charles Peirce. Polanyi’s ideas of intuition are similar, from what I can gather, to Peirce’s ideas of abduction.
BTW…since seeing Polanyi and reading his stuff, I’ve come across his name in everything including a discussion of neuroscience and neuroplasticity.
David,
As always thanks for giving me more to read. 🙂 I have seen Polanyi’s name before. I will enjoy a root canal!
My conjecture is that both McKnight and Franke understand what happens when we finite beings hold Truth, and even truth, of the Infinite with such rigidity that we run the risk of making the Infinite unnecessary as we have “once and for all” apprehended it.
I am hoping to finish this week and if time permits I will blog review it. I will be paying attention to your insights along the way. Thanks.