I simply cannot overstate how important and influential both Peter Rollins’ books (here and here) have been in terms of my thought and theology.
That being said, I’ve had this post (I love the subtitle by the way, “The good news of forsaking heaven and embracing worldliness”) from his blog sitting in my Google Reader starred items for a while now. I finally got around to reading it today.
While I wholeheartedly sympathize and agree with the political and “green” interpretations of the film, I think Rollins’ interpretation deserves attention. Here are a few quotes.
“Once the film has shown us how this first (“heavenly”) attempt at salvation and fulfilment has failed it charts humanities return to Earth and, more than this, of humanities return to the earth itself, to the ground, the soil. Here, as humans slowly turn from their reliance on technology and desire for instant gratification, they begin to experience joy and wonder again. This is symbolised in their desire to return to growing food rather than instantly getting it in the form of an artificially flavoured smoothy (as they did before).”
“Here, in a Derridian fashion, the obstacle is the very opening to that which it blocks. By returning to the very thing that they thought was the obstacle to their fulfilment they indirectly find fulfilment (a fulfilment without fulfilment, an impossible fulfilment). While their previous direct attempt to find fulfilment (to make it present in its fullness) led to nothing but a type of living death.”
“So what do we learn? Perhaps we are reminded of the old Christian insight that heaven is the impossible that we indirectly glimpse only when we renounce it and put ourselves to the task of utterly offering ourselves to the world.”
I think the last one is my favorite. My selections don’t do it justice though, you should read it in its entirety.
Though I haven’t read much of his work, I find this line of thought to be very similar to N.T. Wright’s latest thinking.
What do you think? Thoughts?
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I think he understands that heaven is not our place but the new earth, as Wright would offer.
His book How Not To Speak Of God is very short but brilliant.
jonathan - that’s what i got from it too. and, if that’s what wright has to offer then i’m definitely bumping stuff like surprised by hope to the top of my list. as i understand it our task (or part of it at least) is to join in and participate in what god is already doing, that is the process of re-creation and the unfolding narrative of “making all things new.”
i absolutely loved both how not to speak of god and the fidelity of betrayal. i read both of them a few months ago and i’m still chewing on that stuff. i was thrilled when pete announced he’s got at least two more books on the way to finish out his thought.