From: Carl W. Conrad (cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu)
Date: Thu Dec 31 1998 - 19:57:09 EST
At 1:35 PM -0800 12/31/98, Ron Rhoades wrote:
>>Syncretism is a mixed bag, not something one can judge as either
>>wholly >positive or wholly negative. Syncretism can be a threat when what
>>is an >essential core notion of the faith is diluted or lost in the
>>process of >cultural diffusion. So yes, syncretism is a problem, but it
>>is not per >se something to be feared.
>
>We are probably dealing with a slight difference in definition here.
>Using/adopting cultural differences and knowledge is acceptable. But I
>define syncretism in religion strictly as something that causes
>Scriptural belief or principals to be diluted or lost, a loss of Truth.
>This usually starts small, with seemingly insignificant matters. So I
>think the Scriptures demand a watchful "fear" of any dilution.
>Deut.12:30,31, Jn.4:23,24, Mt.15:3,6,9.
>
>This basically is the problem I have with the translation "wise men." I
>believe it contributes to an acceptance of all the fable and untruths
>associated with "Christmas," most of which has been adopted from
>paganism. This dilutes the true worship and distracts from the proper
>view of Christ and who he is now (ie: a baby vs a Mighty King).
What we are dealing with here, in fact, is radically different perspectives
on the nature of the Biblical text and on Biblical hermeneutics. I respect
the differences among us and, as I noted before, I would not be voicing
these opinions of mine on the list directly where I believe they are
unwelcome and divisive; I express only my own perspectives here, as one who
is not an inerrantist but who rather discerns a considerable diversity
within primitive Christianity as reflected in the NT texts. I will only say
at this point that I personally believe that forcing a single understanding
of MAGOS on all the Biblical Greek texts that use it results in a
distortion of the original sense of those texts. I don't expect others to
share this view of mine, but I trust that we can understand where each
other is "coming from."
Best regards, cwc
Carl W. Conrad
Department of Classics/Washington University
One Brookings Drive/St. Louis, MO, USA 63130/(314) 935-4018
Home: 7222 Colgate Ave./St. Louis, MO 63130/(314) 726-5649
cwconrad@artsci.wustl.edu OR cconrad@yancey.main.nc.us
WWW: http://www.artsci.wustl.edu/~cwconrad/
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