We continue our study of the Letter of the Apostle
Paul to Christians in Rome (“Romans”), and it may take a number of weeks.
Our next study will be a non-biblical work, as
requested by several parishioners, and it makes good sense, I think, to turn to
other writings. What is evident is that our scientisitic, literalistic culture
has confused people on how to interpret symbolic language. Scripture has many
passages that are so highly symbolic and often mythical that they confuse many
contemporary minds. Trying to interpret the symbolic language in light of the
engendering spiritual experiences is not a method familiar to most of our
parishioners, as I have seen. Hence, we shall read together a work that is less
steeped in symbolic language, or at least more explicitly attuned to the truth
of reality as we experience it. Hence, we shall study St. Anselm’s masterful
work, the Prologion (Address to God), to which Anselm gave the
explanatory title, “Faith seeking understanding.”
We will need to get an account of the approximate
number of parishioners who will attend these classes, so that I may order the
proper number of books in advance. Some of us may prefer to download texts onto
our e-readers (iPad, Kindle, Nook, and so on).
