'The Cosmic Christ' - written by Fr Gresham Kirkby
The 'Cosmic Christ' is the doctrine that the second person of the Trinity was the instrument of creation and the directing force of human history, expecially, but not exclusively, in Israel. This is brought out in St John's prologue (John 1:1-18) and in Colossians and Hebrews.
ARCIC Report on Our Lady - review by Fr Gresham Kirkby (Nov 2005)
Since I don’t agree with either the report or the critique, if I didn’t believe something different, I would be inclined to agree with someone on ‘Question Time’ recently that ‘Religion is past its sell-by date’!
- The Synod. This is the Parliament of the C of E. In the supposed interests of democracy lay people have in recent years formed a Third House, the other two being bishops and clergy. In practice only the well-to-do and leisured lay people have the time to spare, so the House of Laity inevitably tends to be elderly and ‘conservative’. The three houses vote separately on domestic issues, and on matters of ‘church order’ the clergy have been accused of ‘dragging their feet’, but it is probably true that on social issues (and especially the Bomb) the clergy are more progressive than the bishops and the laity.
- The Report. A major criticism is the lack of theological content (Theology is ‘God-Talk’). Chapter 6 is entitled, ‘Wider theological and ethical considerations’. On page 105 we are told that ‘Christian ethical reflection takes the secular profoundly seriously, seeing it as both the setting for and material of Christian obedience’. This in fact is the theological basis of the Report, but Mrs Thatcher would probably concur with some reservations, maybe – and the Bishop of London certainly would. It goes on to refer to what it calls “an alternative Christian tradition”, which maintains that concern for the world’s life and its affairs is a distraction from the primary task of Christians. The Kingdom which is to be sought is “not of this world”; it can only properly be pursued once all concern for this world has been set aside. For an exposition of this view it refers to E.R.Norman, ‘Christianity of the World Order’ (Oxford 1979 p85). Still on the same page it suggests that “this understanding of the nature of Christainity draws some support from parts of the New Testament ….. it is likely that Jesus and his immediate followers expected that the world would soon pass away and that the coming of the Kingdom of God would bring about an entirely new order.” What this means is not explained, and the biblical reference given does not bear out what it is presumed to mean. The Report in fact evades the fundamental question, What is Christianity all about? In a manner not entirely convincing it falls back on its ethical position, which in fact any good humanist might take. The purpose of this paper is to suggest that had the Report seriously questioned the theology of E.R.Norman – which in a vague, untheological way underlies the thinking of most English people – it might have discovered a more robust outlook, at once biblical and world affirming.
- The Debate. It is generally agreed that the Archbishop of York (Blanch) made the most theological speech – but what theology! He maintained that Christians ought to view the prospect of “the end of the world” joyfully, and nuclear destruction could be the way it would happen. (The Bishop of London was anxious to delay “the end” as long as possible). (Some years ago the late Archbishop Fisher made a similar pronouncement to that of Blanch; Archbishop Ramsey on being asked to comment said flatly, “heresy”.) Clearly much depends on what is meant by “the end of the world”. It is important to note that it enshrined a double ambiguity. What is meant by “end”? Is it destruction or completion? And what is meant by “world”? Is it earth, or society as it is organised?
- Some theological considerations. The Gospels derive from a Semitic background, in which there is a way of looking at the relationship of “this world” and the things of this world to the world to come quite foreign to our way of thinking. The Jews of the time of Christ thought of history as consisting of six ‘ages’, to be followed by a seventh, ‘God’s Age’, when justice and peace would be established on earth. The idea of the Millenium lies behind the New Testament writings; the of the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ as the ‘land beyond the sky’ is quite unbiblical. By the 2nd century and originally semitic religion was transplanted to Gentile soil, through the medium of the Greek language. Inevitably there was a loss of the Jewish understanding, for which neither Constantine nor Augustine is to blame. For nigh on a thousand years Western Christianity had to get by with a Latin Bible (the Vulgate). From this the earliest English translations were made; and subsequent words and phrases have influenced subsequent thinking. The King James’ Bible (the Authorised Version) did not drop down from heaven in 1611, as many seem to think. Though a translation from the Greek and literary masterpiece it incorrect and misleading in many respects. There are two words* both translated as world (also in J.B.) – neuter of which means earth ( ). One is Kosmer which means ‘the World order’ (almost, ‘the system’) and this in spite of E.R.Norman indicates the true meaning of ‘My Kingdom (or Kingship) is not of this world’. The other is aeon, ‘age’ or ‘era’, hence ‘the end of the age’. All this was quite clear in the Revised Version of 1881-85, the work of a band of highly competent Greek and Hebrew scholars. The contrast in the Gospels is between ‘this age’ and the ‘Age to come’. It would be an over-simplification to see this as the end of capitalism and the dawn of socialism, but such would be nearer the meaning than the theological nonsense uttered by some bishops, apparently endorsed by the members of Synod, and not seriously challenged by those responsible for the Report.
*There is another word, ‘OIKOMEN’, which means the inhabitable world – practically the Roman Empire.
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Below is written out a short booklet entitled 'The Christian Religion' produced by Pax House, 33 Victoria Street, Westminster SW1. (date -?1940's). It is a sort of catechism. It has a subtitle of:- 'A Summary for Confirmation Candidates and Others'. It belonged to Fr Gresham. He gave it me at some point. He has written some comments in the margins.
I have copied the booklet out below. I have also copied out Fr Gresham's comments, which I have given in bold type, within brackets.
(This is '1939' Religion, good in parts but with three defects. (1) It does not start with the Gospel - the Good News of the Kingdom of God. (2) It tends to read temporal ideas into eternity. (3) It tends to judicial and legalistic thinking.)
1. GOD'S PLAN (What Faith is - what God reveals; whole hearted.)
In the Apostles' Creed we say:
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