glorycloud's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father I am now down in the lower level looking at my book collection. Carol went to bed to sleep this afternoon. I thought about taking a nap, but I am not in the mood to close my eyes and go into a state of unconsciousness. So here I sit down in the lower level talking to my Self. I do enjoy talking to others outside of my Self. I mainly talk to either Carol my wife or our pet dog Rudy. I suppose I am a loner. Here is a quote from the book "The Double Flame". This afternoon I told a woman I like reading "The Double Flame" because of the language-the prose--- "The "Symposium" also contains ideas that would shock us if it were not for the fact that we read them at a certain historical distance. For example, when Diotima describes the rungs of the ladder, she says that a lover begins by loving only one beautiful body, but that it is absurd not to recognize that other bodies are beautiful, absurd not to love them all. It is clear that Diotima is speaking of something very different from what we call love. For us fidelity is one of the conditions of the love relationship. Diotima seems to know nothing of fidelity, and it never even occurs to her to give thought to the feelings of the man or woman we love: she sees the beloved as a mere step on the ascent toward contemplation. In reality, we love for Plato is not strictly speaking a relationship; it is a solitary adventure. Reading certain passages of the "Symposium", it is impossible not to think, despite the sublimity of the concepts, of a philosophical Don Juan. The difference is that the course taken by the Seducer of Seville leads downward and ends in hell, whereas that of the Platonic lover culminates in the contemplation of the Idea. Don Juan is subversive, inspired more by false pride and the temptation to defy God than by the love of women. This is the reverse image of Plato's eros." pg. 49,50 Octavio Paz Since it is a Saturday I should be reading something spiritual "the Platonic lover culminates in the contemplation of the Idea". I put down here yesterday the book I just bought titled "Union With Christ: In Scripture, History, And Theology" by Robert Letham. Maybe I should focus on this book this weekend. I did receive yesterday a new book published by Reformation Heritage Books titled "Glory Veiled And Unveiled: A Heart-Searching Look at Christ's Parables" by Gerald M. Bilkes who is professor of New Testament and biblical theology at Puritan Reformed Theological Seminary, Grand Rapids. Carol told me she wanted to read Bilkes new book on the Parables of Jesus. I told Carol to compare Bilkes book with a book titled "The Parables of Jesus" by Joachim Jeremias. I recommended to my wife to read N. T. Wright's book "Jesus And The Victory Of God"on the Parables of Jesus. I failed to mention to my wife to read this book on the Parables of Jesus "Jesus And The Kingdom Of God" by G. R. Beasley-Murray. Carol told me that Gerald M. Bilkes wrote his book on the Parables of Jesus for simple Christians. I complained to her that Bilkes had no footnotes in his book or an extensive bibliography. I told Carol I am sure Bilkes interpreted the Parables of Jesus from a Dutch Puritan Theological perspective/spirituality. Which is fine with me. Everybody interprets the Bible from some theological perspective. We all have been tainted by our culture or some philosophical system. I personally like to know what the Historical Jesus was declaring in his Parables to his original audience/the Jewish people. Well I suppose I will close to drift into the evening hours. Tomorrow is a Sunday. Carol invited her brother Calvin over for Sunday dinner tomorrow afternoon. We need to keep our eyes on the heavenly prize. "[34] All these things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables; and without a parable spake he not unto them: 3:33 p.m. - 2012-02-18 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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