Comments on: “But who versus? Who are we doing it versus?” http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/ Sat, 20 Mar 2010 18:37:26 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Sometimes We’re Wrong | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-9280 Sometimes We’re Wrong | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Wed, 10 Jun 2009 15:55:44 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-9280 [...] of which is to say that you should read William Brafford on political traditions, which remains one of my favorite posts from the League to this day: I use [...] [...] of which is to say that you should read William Brafford on political traditions, which remains one of my favorite posts from the League to this day: I use [...]

]]> By: Tradition in the modern United States. | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-5738 Tradition in the modern United States. | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Mon, 27 Apr 2009 01:01:17 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-5738 [...] (Note: I also talked about what I mean when I talk about “tradition” in this post.) [...] [...] (Note: I also talked about what I mean when I talk about “tradition” in this post.) [...]

]]> By: a quote for saturday | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-5716 a quote for saturday | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Sun, 26 Apr 2009 00:10:23 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-5716 [...] Brafford, in his brilliant debut here at the League, wrote: I find myself caught between traditions, and I often wish I could commit [...] [...] Brafford, in his brilliant debut here at the League, wrote: I find myself caught between traditions, and I often wish I could commit [...]

]]> By: Who I’m Versus « Upturned Earth http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-5112 Who I’m Versus « Upturned Earth Sun, 19 Apr 2009 17:26:29 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-5112 [...] I’m stealing William Brafford’s introductory motif from The [...] [...] I’m stealing William Brafford’s introductory motif from The [...]

]]> By: Faith and modernity | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-4500 Faith and modernity | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Thu, 09 Apr 2009 17:06:12 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-4500 [...] Brafford wrote the other day: I find myself caught between traditions, and I often wish I could commit to one. In short, I find [...] [...] Brafford wrote the other day: I find myself caught between traditions, and I often wish I could commit to one. In short, I find [...]

]]> By: The Limits of Secularization | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-4198 The Limits of Secularization | The League of Ordinary Gentlemen Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:31:18 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-4198 [...] and fragmentation of groups within a society, tradition can help sustain common culture.  And a living tradition can adopt and then preserve change in a way that the empty shell of secularization [...] [...] and fragmentation of groups within a society, tradition can help sustain common culture.  And a living tradition can adopt and then preserve change in a way that the empty shell of secularization [...]

]]> By: Who Are We Doing it Versus? « The Marginspace http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-3993 Who Are We Doing it Versus? « The Marginspace Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:06:49 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-3993 [...] In Uncategorized on April 1, 2009 at 6:06 pm This was an interesting passage by William Brafford on his blog at The League of Ordinary Gentlemen, the most beautiful looking blog I’ve seen in a while.  I chopped it up a little to broaden [...] [...] In Uncategorized on April 1, 2009 at 6:06 pm This was an interesting passage by William Brafford on his blog at The League of Ordinary Gentlemen, the most beautiful looking blog I’ve seen in a while.  I chopped it up a little to broaden [...]

]]> By: William Brafford http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-3901 William Brafford Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:59:23 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-3901 I'm sure other commentors will disagree with me here, but I have to say that, although faith can be and often is used to avoid facing difficulties and contradictions in one's way of thinking, my reading of theology has me convinced that the faithful have just as often grappled deeply and subtly with the moral, philosophical, interpretive, and plainly theological weaknesses of their predecessors. Most of the theologians we remember, we remember because they resolved or redescribed an extant problem in such a way that progress was made towards its resolution. John of Damascus, Anselm, Aquinas, Newman, Barth: these men were not ideologues. You can think the revelation from which they claimed to take their bearings was utterly (even transparently) false, but the practice of reasoning from that revelation (and, I would argue, still is) a living tradition. I'm sure other commentors will disagree with me here, but I have to say that, although faith can be and often is used to avoid facing difficulties and contradictions in one's way of thinking, my reading of theology has me convinced that the faithful have just as often grappled deeply and subtly with the moral, philosophical, interpretive, and plainly theological weaknesses of their predecessors. Most of the theologians we remember, we remember because they resolved or redescribed an extant problem in such a way that progress was made towards its resolution. John of Damascus, Anselm, Aquinas, Newman, Barth: these men were not ideologues. You can think the revelation from which they claimed to take their bearings was utterly (even transparently) false, but the practice of reasoning from that revelation (and, I would argue, still is) a living tradition.

]]> By: Tradition, Traditionalism, and Marriage « Upturned Earth http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-3900 Tradition, Traditionalism, and Marriage « Upturned Earth Tue, 31 Mar 2009 14:22:43 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-3900 [...] is to say, as has been said quite well in recent days, that a tradition, as opposed to a mere ideology, is never something that is static, [...] [...] is to say, as has been said quite well in recent days, that a tradition, as opposed to a mere ideology, is never something that is static, [...]

]]> By: Kyle_M http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/2009/03/but-who-versus/#comment-3897 Kyle_M Tue, 31 Mar 2009 09:38:06 +0000 http://www.ordinary-gentlemen.com/?p=2089#comment-3897 Thanks for reading my rather complimentary semi-related response. In thinking about your post, I wonder if ideology represents a sort of permanent vacation from the uncomfortable winter of our own cognitive dissonance. If that is the case, I wonder (and ask), if the role of ideology, pejoratively used in a political sense, is meaningfully different from the role of faith, more benignly used in a spiritual/religious sense? Thanks for reading my rather complimentary semi-related response.

In thinking about your post, I wonder if ideology represents a sort of permanent vacation from the uncomfortable winter of our own cognitive dissonance. If that is the case, I wonder (and ask), if the role of ideology, pejoratively used in a political sense, is meaningfully different from the role of faith, more benignly used in a spiritual/religious sense?

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