books, beer, and wings Posted on April 21st
It seems like my wife and I have the most interesting conversations at Taco Mac. For those of you not familiar with the chain it’s a bar with a restaurant attached, with a selection of hundreds of beers, and pretty good wings. But it seems that when we sit down the theology light switch gets flipped and that’s all we really discuss the entire time.
We don’t normally argue or disagree during these conversations, but we tend to build upon each others thoughts, it’s pretty fun. Now, in the case of Saturday we did have one argument going on, in which I was completely, to say it politely, pwned.
We were discussing our reading habits, Becky, an English major, reads through fiction all the time (she’s on a Flannery O’Connor kick if you’re interested), and I spend all of my time reading non-fictions, mostly emergenty stuff. So we we’re discussing who’s form of reading presented a purer form of information and theology.
I could not, for the life of me, see how information could be garnered from a fictional book the way it is from a non-fiction. And the argument continued on for some time that way, she insisting that fiction does indeed provide a purer source of information, because you are not told what to think, you are given various perspectives and gain insight based on those. I didn’t agree with her because most of the books I read don’t tell you what to think, they just give you information on various topics and let you build your own conclusions around them.
But then it happened, in one statement my whole argument was nullified.
My viewpoint on the Bible is such that I don’t feel like it should read like a non-fiction, I feel like it’s the story of a relationship, not basic instructions before… eh you get the point.
So Becky came out with: “For someone who thinks that we can gain insight from understanding the relationship portrayed in the Bible, you sure do loathe to let that happen elsewhere.”
Game, set, match.
Thoughts? Opinions?
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I also said that if you believe that the way people communicate is through narratives (that whole narrative paradigm thing…) then reading fiction seems like it would be essential.
Commented Becky on April 21st, 2008.I liked the baseball stuff better, it didn’t make my head hurt like this stuff does. But I do agree with Becky, if you are asking?
Commented Grampa on April 21st, 2008.I am indeed asking, Grampa. And I’m sure the cubs and white sox division leading 12-6 and 11-7 starts (Respectively) aren’t making your head hurt at all.
Commented Matt on April 21st, 2008.“I spend all of my time reading non-fictions, mostly emergenty stuff”.
But isn’t “A new kind of Christian” quintessentially emergent, and fiction? Now, I’ll admit that it falls rather flat, and I’m not the first one to want to punch Neo’s lights out, and I can’t bring myself to buy the sequel, but I’m thinking that it implies that MacLaren thought that (or at least, wondered whether) your friend Becky might be onto something.
As for the bible, well hopefully it defies narrow categorization. Maybe more books should try to do the same, too.
Commented Andrew Martin on April 21st, 2008.I actually did bring that up in my conversation with Becky. Well, I brought up “The Last Word… and the Word After That” since I haven’t read “A New Kind of Christian,” (I own it… but haven’t gotten there yet). That was pre-her statement about the Bible, and I said it was fully intentioned to shed light upon the subject of Hell, and in my opinion more like a non-fiction theological book set in the framework of a fictional work. (Wow I’m good at categorizing)
Oh, and friend Becky is wife Becky.
Commented Matt on April 21st, 2008.ah. I got confused. I thought that at first, but something made me think otherwise. sorry
Commented Andrew Martin on April 21st, 2008.No worries, I’ll make sure she doesn’t send out a hit squad or anything.
Commented Matt on April 21st, 2008.