Is Certainty Bad?
Responding to Jason's post " Is there any place for Mystery?" I think there is a very strong reaction to dead orthodoxy. I grew up with a strong dislike for Churches that claimed to be orthodox, but had no life. As a descendent of the Pietists, my battle cry would be "Life, not doctrine!" Unfortunately this overshoots the mark. It should no more be "Life, not doctrine" than "Doctrine, not life." Life AND doctrine should go hand in hand. Truth AND love. Right-thinking and zeal for Christ! These things must be in equal portions. Paul tells Timothy, "Watch your life and doctrine closely." How important did he consider this attention to both aspects? "Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." As Jason points out, in studying carefully all that God has said, we should be careful not to overestimate our knowledge of Him. It is the idea that our minds can contain and explain