Papers by Brian S McGuffin
Apollodorus begins and ends his account of a symposium with loving recollections of Socrates in d... more Apollodorus begins and ends his account of a symposium with loving recollections of Socrates in dialogue. One wonders if the eulogies in The Symposium are part of a larger eulogy of Socrates as an Icon of philosophy. Apollodorus loves Socrates and holds him up above all other men. 1 At the end of the book, we also read of the depth of Alcibiades' love for Socrates.
An essay examining Origen, Bernard of Clairvaux, and Modern interpreters on the Song of Songs 1:2a
Within some Christian traditions propositional language holds an important place in the study of ... more Within some Christian traditions propositional language holds an important place in the study of Scripture and the Scriptures application to the field of ministry. This is not surprising since the Bible tells us that Jesus is the truth (John 14:6) and we are to worship in truth (John 4:24). Biblical language, in such traditions, is discerned as right rather than wrong, as true rather than false. 1 Thus, propositional language becomes the dominant mode of engaging the biblical text and of engaging the people to which the church ministers. However, there are some elements of language within Scripture that, by their very nature, resist being reduced to proposition, to a truth claim. The most prominent one is that of metaphor. 2 Metaphors within Scripture are essential for pastors to wrestle with because they not only "structure what we perceive, how we get around in the world, and how we relate to the world" but also form how we perceive ministry and how we relate and care for other people. 3 The metaphor is not simply a trick or game of language but a constitutive force that creates or at the very least organizes reality in different ways. 4
Thesis Chapters by Brian S McGuffin
That God communicates with humanity through the Scriptures is the central claim defended in the t... more That God communicates with humanity through the Scriptures is the central claim defended in the theology of Kevin J. Vanhoozer. This thesis investigates the importance of the idea of triune communicative acts in Vanhoozer’s approach. His theology is shown to develop in response to several distinct challenges: that of postmodernity, which is critical of the transmission of meaning through texts; that of propositionalism, which dedramatizes the biblical text; and that of demythologization, which holds God’s being to be inaccessible to humans. Vanhoozer is also shown to draw on a number of positive theoretical sources, including speech-act theory, communicative action theory, and the resources of Christian doctrine itself, which is notably redeployed through what Vanhoozer terms “remythologization.” The Conclusion offers a critical evaluation of Vanhoozer’s project, making use of the work of Mark McIntosh and Nicholas Wolterstorff on the possibility of the communication of God without direct reference to the Scriptures.
Drafts by Brian S McGuffin
A Paper on Intelligent Design and Developing an Appreciation for Scientific Investigation. Parti... more A Paper on Intelligent Design and Developing an Appreciation for Scientific Investigation. Particularly examining the importance of information at various levels of investigation.
One of the challenges for any budding exegete in today's seminaries is the widespread practice of... more One of the challenges for any budding exegete in today's seminaries is the widespread practice of separating the objective content of scriptures, Jesus Christ, and the subjective power of its reception, the Holy Spirit, from a students’ interpretive endeavours. John Calvin, while not having to deal with this particular concern, had similar ones. Calvin engaged Roman Catholics, enthusiasts, and rationalists who, in their own way, undermined the knowledge of God through the scriptures by doing away with either the objective content of scripture or the subjective power of its reception. It was Calvin’s intention (in the Institutes), in part, to dethrone “the priority that [had] been given to the church, to private revelations, or to reason” and to reestablish scripture on the throne of God’s communication to us. The purpose of this paper is close to the purpose behind the Institutes providing “a sort of key by means of which readers can then find for themselves the right approach to Scripture.” This paper will make an initial examination of Calvin’s Institutes of Christian Religion, in order to discover three tumblers, three spiritual facts that must be true of an interpreter to unlock the spiritual understanding of scripture.
A reflection on my personal experience as a non-Mennonite ministering to Mennonites in rural Mani... more A reflection on my personal experience as a non-Mennonite ministering to Mennonites in rural Manitoba, Canada.
This paper will build on the substantial work of Entwistle (2015), and McMinn and Campbell (2007)... more This paper will build on the substantial work of Entwistle (2015), and McMinn and Campbell (2007) and integrate other readings where appropriate, to develop a personal philosophy of integration. I have chosen to use the term soul care, in this paper, as an umbrella term to refer to the practice of spiritual direction, spiritual formation, and integrative psychotherapy (Clinton & Ohlschlanger, 2002, p.15). The paper will investigate the integrative work of theology, psychology, and spiritual formation for soul care, making a special appeal to an evolving personal epistemology and philosophical anthropology in guiding the practice of soul care.
Short paper investigating the integration of theology and psychology.
In postmodern times, meaning becomes problematic for the reader of the Bible, as something exteri... more In postmodern times, meaning becomes problematic for the reader of the Bible, as something exterior and stable has come under attack from what Kevin J. Vanhoozer calls “Hermeneutical Non-realists.” In this group are deconstructionists, such as Derrida, neo-pragmatists like Richard Rorty, and nihilists like Nietzsche. A brief account of each follows, along with Vanhoozer's response.
This is the first chapter of my thesis.
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Papers by Brian S McGuffin
Thesis Chapters by Brian S McGuffin
Drafts by Brian S McGuffin
This is the first chapter of my thesis.
This is the first chapter of my thesis.