in the News
In re: (I love that, it looks scholarly and intelligent but isn't; it only means "in regard to" or "in respect of") +Time comments a few days ago about a Nicene Creed essay by Alexis G Hoen. Probing, I've been able to identify the writer tentatively, finding info online, and, on Academia.edu, further essays, one "On God and Christianity," which I've scanned and saved but've not yet read, and several essays that may have been written for medical journals, one that surfaced from Academia.edu this morning, "Intramural Fibroma of the Heart," so the man is truly a high intellectual..
The only Google result is Alexis G Hoen, MD, an internist whose address is Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angelos, and I'm thinking he may be the writer, a physician with an interest in theology. He does seem to be a Christian member of a denomination that's required him to stand and say the Nicene Creed every Sunday and he clearly doesn't like it, else it wouldn't likely seem so personal to him.
Nobody's interested in this, only me, but who cares: I've looked back through Hoen's Nicene Creed essay for hints, clues, the same way I was taught at seminary to be alert for clues in Bible study, regarding a writing's author, identity, dating, situation in life, occasion for writing, intended audience, theology, unity of a piece or combination, &c; and so far, a couple of things have jumped out at me.
One, Hoen mentions the Episcopalian Church, which proves that Hoen is/was not an Episcopalian. We are the Episcopal Church, and we are Episcopalians. There is no such thing as the Episcopalian Church, nor are we Episcopals, so a dead giveaway. Not just semantics or a thin line to us, it's a dead giveaway.
For example, my years as parish priest having needy travelers knock at my door asking for financial or other help, I always knew, and so do all other Episcopal priests, that I was looking at a bald-faced liar when s/he assured me, "I'm a lifelong Episcopal," as though that would get more sympathy. Another man who especially stood out as a second-class liar was one who told me that he had worked for the Episcopal Archdiocese of St Louis: in the Episcopal Church, there is no such thing as an archdiocese. In my years as a parish priest I found that being told unnecessary lies moderated my inclination to be generous.
At any event, a second clue is Hoen's listing of religions using the word "Mohammedan" for Muslim or Islam. "Mohammedan" is an archaic (and potentially offensive) term and using it suggests that Hoen is not a contemporary scholar or writer.
Hoen knows a lot and reasons sensibly, but does not self-identify, did not date the essays or state, as a term paper or masters thesis or article for a professional journal would, why and for whom the papers were written. So other than judging by the writings themselves, there's no way to tell Hoen's qualifications, which is frustrating, and he's just writing what he thinks and believes, not the firm, assertive, even argumentative slant of a theologian or Bible scholar. I may agree with Hoen, but I couldn't care less what he thinks or believes, I'm looking for a case, not an opinion.
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Coming into the New Year saw my sometime, now and then cleanup of my email inbox, deleting over twelve thousand unopened, and of course they're piling back in,
Southwest offering airmiles
McCarthy not electable
PDF by Alexis Hoen
Israel determinedly heading into chaos of hatred
Bed Bath & Beyond
The Fresh Market
Damar Hamlin critical (Lord, have mercy)
Abortion [FDA authorizes mifepristone to be available at certified local pharmacies w/prescription. Walgreens and CVS to be certified]
Paul Gigot, WSJ
Meditation with Richard Rohr
Lovepop
Wordsmith, today, "topos"
The New Yorker
Vessel Schedule
Reader's Digest
Covid-19
Teenage pilot makes emergency landing near two-lane highway in California. [He is 18, has been a licensed pilot four months, did a masterful work of calmly landing the plane with no power].
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What do I think? Pantokrator acknowledges that we know right from wrong and frees us to make our own choices, hoping we will live godly. In our Heilsgeschichte with the Creator we have not done well at all. I wonder how intelligent Beings in other solar systems, galaxies, and universes are doing.
Pouring, driving, heavy rain, tornado watch today. Should be clear tomorrow for our trip to Pensacola. I get to see my brother.
RSF&PTL
T