On being an heretic

Now that many of my views on formal Western theological positions can only be described as heretical, I made a quick survey of Christian heresy to see what kind of company I am now keeping.  The results were completely comforting, even encouraging. While I don't consider myself the intellectual equal of any of those I'm about to mention, it's nice to know that, in some very important areas, they agree with me.  All the examples below were either anathematized, repudiated or excommunicated, some to be later re-admitted and even re-excommunicated, all against the background of early church power struggles and politics. In fact, the whole of early church history must have been a much more vigorous and vital place to do one's thinking. A bit like the Anglican church of late, perhaps.

Origen, one of the greatest of the early church fathers by almost every standard of reckoning, had his views on the actual status of Christ anathematized after his death.  Eusebius, another great luminary, held decidedly unorthodox views that subordinated Jesus to a lesser position in the godhead. For this he was excommunicated. Clement of Alexandria quoted widely from non-canonical gospels, so must be regarded as suspect. And other rebels, such as Arius and Pelagius, were not only excommunicated, but gave their names to their own particular heresies.  And the daddy of them all, St. Augustine, toyed with the idea of re-incarnation as a perfectly logical conclusion deduced from the eternal nature of the soul.

So I'm glad to associate with great men who have got it wrong before me.  Long may the great tradition of getting it wrong continue. In fact, the ones who got it right don't seem to get much of a mention. After all, to live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong. Right?

Strange Disciple

This is Strange Disciple from my collection My Mother is an Old Elephant. It's inspired by a marginal note I found in in the gospel of Luke in an old KJV bible. The note related to the story of the man who was casting out demons in the Lord's name and was rebuked by the disciples because he wasn't one of them. That was years back, and now I don't know exactly where I found it. 

It reminds me of one of my favourite quotations from the late Henri Nouwen, the Catholic priest, writer and social activist, who said:

"When the imitation of Christ does not mean to live a life like Christ, but to live your life as authentically as Christ lived his, then there are many ways and forms in which a man can be a Christian."

Enjoy!

Strange Disciple

Held no creed
believed in what he could believe
bending like a flaxen reed.
Blessing where blessing lacked
healed heavy souls and broken-backed.
Never knew the master’s gaze,
fought with his men
who thought they had the rights back then
not recognising whom they praised.
Spent his long days doing good
caring, mending, defending
putting heart in heartless places
winning some,
losing more
never keeping score.
Now buried with a single stone
by half-men from among the tombs
who knew a saint by smell alone
and waited for the carnival to leave
then carved his name
and beat their breast
full men at their very best.

Who was that man, he’d often thought
who threw the fire that he had caught?