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by Samuel Bak
OT00443B1 New Brunswick Theological Seminary
Memorial
by Samuel Bak
Question 2 (Ken and Carla)
ReplyDeleteWhat is a religion for adults? One thought that I grasp from Levinas is that education must be maintained between man and God, and that education encompasses man coming to the knowledge that he is responsible for the other, even more so obligated to the “Other.” As stated by Levinas “ The personal responsibility of man regard to man is such that God cannot annul it” (Levinas pg. 20).
Religion for adults is a religion that does not elevate a sacred, mystical being but a relgion that embraces a higher understanding that relation to the other is inherent for the believer to relate to God. " Other is not a new edition of myself;in its Otherness it is situated in adimension of height, i nthe ideal, the Divine, and through my relation to the Other, I am in touch with God."
ReplyDeleteReligion for Adults" acording to Levinas is that we realize that our relationship with the "Other" is being "in touch with God" (page 17).
ReplyDeleteAdultery Group
According to Levinas a 'religion for adults' is a journey that requires risk. He suggests the risk of atheism--not the atheism of 'bestowing piety on mythical gods', but one that requires an age or season of doubt, solitude and revolt. To ask questions and challenge the Sacred is the only path to the 'Transcendant One". It is a profound notion that a Creator rejoices when after the created has argued, contested and separated itself from the Creator and it still returns. There is true glory in God when humanity chooses to seek God after the risk has been taken; and then comes the transcendance of the human spirit that bring the created face to face with the Creator, God.
ReplyDeleteGod sees the Other and for us to be in relationship with God it is our responsibility to see the Other as God see them. It is the responsibility of the human to hear the voice, and respond. Levinas speaks of a moral conscience and divine action…leading us to wonder if these two are intertwined. When we read that and put the moral conscience together with divine action, it would lead us to what Levinas says on page 17…”To know God is to know what must be done.” (p17) It is when we know God and are in relationship with God, we become attentive and aware of the Other around us, and we know what must be done, putting our faith into action.
ReplyDeleteThe Coveting Group (Valerie and Kendra)
Levinas tells us that religion is equated with ethics. He tells us that tells us that “reciprocity is a structure founded on an original inequality. For equality to make its entry into the world, beings must be able to demand more of themselves than of the other, feel responsibilities on which the fate of humanity hangs, and in this sense pose themselves problems outside humanity.” He even takes over the apparent commands of God. If religion is to provide genuine freedom, God must be understood to be free and able to deceive, or to command a murder that we are free to choose not to commit. Levinas realizes this kind of relationship with God is difficult. On the one hand, God's true desires are hidden. And on the other hand, we must be free to show that we are strong by being able to disobey God's commands.
ReplyDeleteTitus Kim
Levinas states that is okay even desired by God that His creation struggle and wrestle with our own identity and our identity with God. However, the joy is when the creation returns to God understanding that our identity is really not separate. We are both one with God and with each other. Therefore, we should behave as God and care for the “other” as we would care for ourselves. If we truly had the “mind of Christ”, we would know what the right thing to do. However, not only would we know what to do, we would do the right thing.
ReplyDeleteWhen were are talking about relgion and Man/Woman , it can't awalys be about the stories, as important as it is. we need think also of religion/education that takes place with families and communities the bridges that allowed folks to cross and mountains the folk had the faith to climb.
ReplyDeleteReligion for adults shared the powerful notion that it is through relationship, and experience with God that brings one into fellowship with him.It does not mean that the relationship has been without doubt or periods of separation, rather it acknowledge that God is mericful, therefore we are to be merciful like him. Furthermore, "to know God is to know what must be done" because in our relationship we develop responsibility.
ReplyDelete