Thanks for writing this, Dr. Hollon. I appreciated when you said: “Truth and beauty and goodness precede us, so that our part is to apprehend, appreciate, and conform ourselves to what we receive.” One of the sad consequences of “re-enchantment” efforts is that it makes the world sound dull, lifeless, and disordered, and some magician has to come around to turn lead into gold. What you’re saying here sounds like the world hasn’t lost its order and wisdom, and our “orders” are a reflection of God’s good order. Malcolm Guite says our work is to un-disenchant ourselves so we can see the wisdom of God’s order and respond to it properly again.
This is a remarkable tapestry you reveal here. It is very encouraging to read this as an Anglican of a younger generation. A couple of things connect with what I have been mulling over in recent years. The call to Holy Orders as ambitious in a sense reminds me of how so many of the greatest Church Fathers of the Fourth Century left the most elite secular careers to take up ministry: Ambrose was a provincial Governor from a very well-connected family, Augustine was a professional rhetorician, Augustine's friends who influenced his conversion were previously members of the Caesar's household, the Cappadocian Fathers all had elite Imperial careers waiting for them. These men dropped it all, sold properties and estates, and embraced a certain level of poverty because of the transforming power of Jesus, Paul, and, interestingly in many cases, Athahasius's presentation of Antony the Great (Confessions, Bk VIII).
Thanks for writing this, Dr. Hollon. I appreciated when you said: “Truth and beauty and goodness precede us, so that our part is to apprehend, appreciate, and conform ourselves to what we receive.” One of the sad consequences of “re-enchantment” efforts is that it makes the world sound dull, lifeless, and disordered, and some magician has to come around to turn lead into gold. What you’re saying here sounds like the world hasn’t lost its order and wisdom, and our “orders” are a reflection of God’s good order. Malcolm Guite says our work is to un-disenchant ourselves so we can see the wisdom of God’s order and respond to it properly again.
Thanks for this, Bryce - do you know where Guite writes that?
In an interview with Justin Brierley:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kHr3WQ5BR6E&pp=ygUcanVzdGluIGJyaWVybHkgbWFsY29sbSBndWl0ZQ%3D%3D
In “the weight of glory,” Lewis calls our failure of apprehension “ evil enchantment.”
The bad spell of the White Witch!
This is a remarkable tapestry you reveal here. It is very encouraging to read this as an Anglican of a younger generation. A couple of things connect with what I have been mulling over in recent years. The call to Holy Orders as ambitious in a sense reminds me of how so many of the greatest Church Fathers of the Fourth Century left the most elite secular careers to take up ministry: Ambrose was a provincial Governor from a very well-connected family, Augustine was a professional rhetorician, Augustine's friends who influenced his conversion were previously members of the Caesar's household, the Cappadocian Fathers all had elite Imperial careers waiting for them. These men dropped it all, sold properties and estates, and embraced a certain level of poverty because of the transforming power of Jesus, Paul, and, interestingly in many cases, Athahasius's presentation of Antony the Great (Confessions, Bk VIII).
All great connections - thank you!
Bryan, thanks for weaving together these pieces written over the centuries into one symphony about holy orders.
John
Thank you for reaching out, John, and for the encouragement.