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In die Skriflig
On-line version ISSN 2305-0853
Print version ISSN 1018-6441
In Skriflig (Online) vol.47 n.1 Pretoria Jan. 2013
Between tradition and renewal: Some considerations about the use of tradition in reformed theology
Tussen tradisie en vernuwing: Enkele oorwegings in verband met die gebruik van tradisie in die gereformeerde teologie
Willem van VlastuinI, II
IJonathan Edwards Centre, Benelux at Vrije Universiteit, Netherlands
IIJonathan Edwards Centre, University of the Free State, South Africa
In the theology and practice of the Christian church a tension between tradition and renewal exists. This essay focuses on this tension to provide a first step of methodological reflection to deal with it. Firstly, this tension is illustrated from the reformed perspective of sola scriptura that led to criticism of the tradition on the one hand, whilst understanding the reformed movement as part of the tradition on the other hand. A danger of unqualified sola scriptura is subjectivity. Subsequently, the importance of tradition is elaborated from the perspective of the church as the body of Christ across all ages. This implies that Christians should study and love the traditional theology because of the fundamental unity of the church that transcends cultural diversity. Rejecting tradition will cut the church from its historical and spiritual roots. Thirdly, this raises the question whether the church is imprisoned by tradition, as well as the problem of the relation between tradition and renewal. In response, it is argued that the doctrine of incarnation guarantees openness to history. With the help of the philosophical and Christian view on structural contingency, the belief that tradition is principally open to renewal is defended. Some examples are given as illustrations of how classic theological concepts can be reframed in our postmodern context. The last part of this essay concludes with the insight of Cyprian that only the conveyed tradition can be renewed, implying that renewal is in essence not a new theology, but a new application of apostolic theology.
Hierdie artikel fokus op die spanning tussen tradisie en vernuwing in die praktyk van die Christelike kerk. Eerstens word die probleem vanuit die reformatoriese perspektief van die sola scriptura geïllustreer, wat aan die een kant tot kritiek op die tradisie gelei het, maar terselfdertyd word die reformatoriese beweging as deel van die tradisie verstaan. Die gevaar van 'n ongekwalifiseerde handhawing van die sola scriptura-oortuiging is subjektiwiteit. Vervolgens word die belangrikheid van die tradisie uitgebrei vanuit die perspektief van die kerk as liggaam van Christus oor alle eeue. Dit impliseer dat Christene tradisionele teologie behoort te bestudeer, omdat die fundamentele eenheid van die kerk kulturele diversiteit oorkom. Die verwerping van die tradisie sal gevolglik die kerk van sy geestelike wortels afsny. Derdens bring dit die vraag na vore of die kerk deur tradisie gevange gehou word. In hierdie verband wys die artikel daarop dat die leer van die inkarnasie openheid ten opsigte van die geskiedenis waarborg. Met behulp van die Christelike siening van strukturele gebeurlikheid, word die oortuiging dat die tradisie prinsipieel vir vernuwing oop is, verdedig. 'n Paar voorbeelde word gegee om te illustreer hoe klassieke teologiese konsepte in ons postmoderne tyd benut kan word. Die artikel sluit af met 'n verwysing na die insig van Siprianus, naamlik dat net die oorgelewerde tradisie vernuwe kan word. Dit impliseer dat vernuwing essensieel nie 'n nuwe teologie is nie, maar 'n nuwe toepassing van die klassieke teologie.
The Dutch professor, Graafland (2001:53), complained that the traditional scholastic forms of the confession were a blockade for the understanding of the Bible. This complaint indicates that in Christian practice or theology the power of traditions can function as a hindrance for biblical renewal. Traditionalism can become an anti-Christian attitude as the history of apartheid in South Africa, in which theological arguments were used to justify unrighteous structures, has shown. It is also conceivable that conservative people underestimate the real value of the great Christian tradition in absolutising certain minor aspects of tradition.
On the other hand, Christians stress sola scriptura in such a way that they do not have any respect for traditions and seek the essence of Christianity in renewal. They are oversensitive for the maintaining of traditional theology on the one hand, but on the other hand they are open for every concept of renewal and they accept these concepts in an uncritical way. It is conceivable, especially in our era of individualism that Christians are not conscious of the tradition to which they belong so that the great riches of the Christian tradition are neglected, denied and unemployed.
These extreme positions regarding traditions cause tension between Christians. These positions cannot simply be placed against each other as if the traditionalist is the real Christian, or the other way around. A concept to deal with these questions in the tradition of theological understanding is developed in this article.
In developing this concept, I will elaborate on the use of tradition. Firstly, I will problematise the use of tradition from the perspective of reformed theology. Secondly, I will delve into the theological justification of the use of tradition. Thirdly, I will investigate how tradition can be a catalyst for renewal.
The problem of tradition in reformation
It is a striking phenomenon that reformed theologians discuss the possibilities of the use of tradition in contemporary theology,1 because Sola Scripture belonged to the essence of the reformation to understand itself as a movement that went back to a real, biblical and sober Christianity, which could be found in the early church.
The ideal of going back to the original Christian faith implied a new return to the Scriptures (cf. Jn 5:39). Melanchthon (1521:W 6-8) made it explicitly clear in his Loci Communes that his theological work was not meant to lead students away from the Scriptures in dark and difficult disputes, but as a stimulus for reading the Scriptures. We find the same in the foreword of Calvin's Institutes (1559:2-3)2 in which he explained that his theological work was intended to give directions for the understanding of the Word of God.
This direct appeal to the Word of God in the reformation movement can be traced back to the experience of the power of the Word in the life of Martin Luther. Against the church of the Middle Ages, the monk of Wittenberg was fully convinced that the authority of the Word could not be equalled by the authority of the church. The background of this assurance was the distinction between the Creator and his creatures, which guaranteed that the Word of the God was of another quality than inventions of human beings (WA 18:620-630).3
This movement back to the Scriptures implied a concentration and also a reduction of the theological themes under discussion. The distrust of speculative theological disputes lead to a concentration on soteriological themes (Lohse 1995:48-49, 53). Melanchthon (1521:O 3) criticised Johannes Damascenus because of his excessive philosophising and Petrus Lombardus, because he valued human opinions above the Word of God. Publicly, he (Melanchthon ibid:O 9, 13) asked what scholastic theologians have achieved through many centuries in disputing the natures of Christ and the essence of the incarnation. In contrast to this inanibus vocabulis [chatter, empty words], he (Melanchthon ibid:O 13) formulated the knowledge of Christ's benefits as the underlying principle in theology, practically worked out (Melanchthon ibid:O 4, 12) in themes such as sin, law, grace, faith, love and hope.
The same attitude is recognisable in Calvin's works. In his commentary on Jeremiah 23:24 (CR LXVI:232), he rejects speculative reasoning about the ubiquity of God, because the aim of Scripture is to teach what is profitable for piety.4 This is only one example. It became characteristic for the reformation (CR XXXIV:457-534) to purify Christianity from all excessive theological baggage in cults and doctrines and to return to the doctrines and practices of the early church, which was apparently judged as a pure church.5
According to the consciousness of the reformers, the concept of renovatio was a threat to the Christian faith. Although there was a difference between Luther and Calvin, a suspicious and reserved attitude towards theological tradition was commonplace. The discovery of the fresh streams of the Scripture stood in a relation of tension with tradition.
Despite this critical attitude towards speculative theology and his explicit desire to return to the doctrines of the early church, Calvin had made use of several insights of the scholastic tradition. The rejection of the scholastic tradition was not a general rejection, but it concerned specifically a rejection of the school of Sorbonne (Muller 2000:39-61),6 characterised by Calvin (Inst. 3.15.7) as the 'mother of all errors'. The criticism concerning this school does not imply, however, that the reformer dismissed scholastic theology as such. In his way of reasoning, Calvin sometimes uses a scholastic style instead of an oratory style. In Calvin's oeuvre (CR LXXXIII:163; Inst. 1.16.9, 2.12.1) there are several examples in which he refers to the distinctions of the scholastics in a positive way. In the doctrine of God and the trinity there was continuity with the church of the Middle Ages.
This insight clarifies the point that Scripture and tradition were interrelated at the time of the reformation. Although the reformation is well-known for the formal principle of sola scriptura, the practice of Calvin is an indication that an appeal to the Scriptures could not be isolated from being part of the theological tradition.
In contemporary theology there are several reasons to reconsider the principle of sola scriptura. In this context, one should consider the problem of subjectivism in the appeal to Scripture. Bavinck (2003:I, 583) has already acknowledged that 'the reformation - deliberately and freely - took its position in the religious subject, in the faith of the Christian, in the testimony of the Holy Spirit'.7 The authority of the Scripture ultimately rested on a subjective conviction (Van den Belt 2008:276).
This interpretation of Bavinck is an indication of his post-Kantian point of view. Although the question can be posed whether the theology of the reformation can be analysed from the schematic principle of object and subject, Bavinck is just in his interpretation that in modern and postmodern culture the appeal to the testimony of the Spirit can be used arbitrarily, which necessitates a more nuanced approach towards sola scriptura.
Other developments in modern times also problematised the direct appeal to Scripture. Firstly, Die Krise des Schriftprinzips [the crisis of the principle of the Scripture] between the reformation and the 21st century increased the problematic character of the appeal to Scripture (Pannenberg 1979).8 Secondly, the acknowledgement of the historic character of Scripture, which means that Scripture itself participated in a process of tradition, underlined the complexity of the relationship between Bible and tradition.9 What we have in Scripture is the result of a process of many centuries in which there was an interaction between debate, witness, contradiction and call. Thirdly, in modernity the presupposition of a universal foundationalism reigned in which an appeal to common rationalistic principles could be made. Many times the appeal to Scripture was understood as such a rationalistic principle. In postmodern culture this foundationalistic appeal is wavering (Van den Toren 2011:11-12), which problematises the appeal to Scripture. On the one hand, this development in postmodern culture leads to a re-evaluation of tradition, but on the other hand traditional truth is understood in a relativistic and pluralistic perspective. This most recent development in postmodern culture leads to relativism and scepticism concerning truth. Bavinck has already pointed this problem out. As a counterbalance to extreme subjectivism and as a formal correction to Calvin, Bavinck (2003:I, 564, 585)10 underlined that Christian theology is intimately bound up with the church. He stressed the pedagogical value of the church for faith, however, without completely incorporating the community in the witness of the church, so that the principal order remained personal faith, and then church.
These problems concerning the direct personal appeal to Scripture, the worth of tradition and the danger of subjectivism, illustrate the tension between the personal testimony of the Spirit in acknowledging the authority of Scripture on the one hand and the esteem of tradition on the other. This tension emphasises that the use of theological tradition is complex and calls for a nuanced understanding of the usefulness of tradition and a theological justification to which we turn in the next paragraph.
The theological justification of the use of tradition
Rowan Williams (2005) has developed a concept that deals with the foregoing questions. In his book, Why study the past? The quest for the historical church Williams elaborates on the unity of the church in every era, expressed in the concept of the body of Christ (cf. 1 Cor 12:12-31). The body of Christ is the work of God, without denying that the church exists in a human form. Belonging to the body of Christ implies that history is interpreted from the perspective of the death and the resurrection of Christ.11
Christians in the Early Church refused to share in the public cults of the empire, because they understood themselves as members of the kingdom of Christ (Williams 2005:ch. 2). The later debates about the nature of Christ are to be interpreted in relation to the church's identity in Christ. Because an earthly Saviour could not guarantee the citizenship of the heavenly kingdom, believers of that age were convinced of a Saviour outside of creation. Only in this way could the martyrs of the past be justified, and therefore the church of that time was eager to confess the deity of Christ.
Williams (2005:ch. 3) outlines the history of the reformation in describing how the body of Christ did not really function in the church of the Middle Ages because of the division between clergy and laity. In addition, the upsurge of the cities, lawyers and rulers undermined the absolute character of the public church in the Middle Ages. Luther's proclamation of God's free grace of justification underlined that the structures of the church did not correspond with God's deeds, because the church had become too much of a worldly human institution. All these developments made the reformation, above all, a revival of the identity of the church as the body of Christ (cf. Van 't Spijker 1986:120, 133).12
However, the question remains as to whether the former archbishop of Canterbury has done justice to the self-awareness of the reformers who understood their conflict with the church of the Middle Ages also as a conflict concerning the authority of the Scriptures and the soteriological theme of justification by faith. Nevertheless, the theologoumenon of the body of Christ is an important eschatological and transcendental reality (cf. Ro 6:5; Eph 2:6). From the perspective of the New Testament, the work of the Spirit is focused on individual faith, but this is not the starting point in theology (cf. Van der Kooi 2008:111-112). Understanding the individual faith as starting point in theology would bring an anthropocentric shift in the theocentric character of the New Testament. Thinking from a Trinitarian perspective brings with it an acknowledgement of the leading of the Spirit in the community of the church over and above his leading in the lives of individuals, and a consciousness of the suprapersonal character of the community of saints.
Strikingly enough, although the reformers were in their context focused on the relativisation of the massive understanding of the church as the body of Christ, this understanding of the church was not absent in their theology.13 If they had understood their theology in an individualistic way, they should have pleaded for congregationalism and they could not have resisted Anabaptism.
Searching for the secret of this resistance to individualism, the notion of unio mystica [mystical union] can be mentioned. Especially for Calvin, the theological use of this notion was an important principle in his theology in which the union with believers of all times was included, although he did not mention it explicitly.14 In the concept of unio mystica, Calvin had the theological tool to thematise tradition, whilst his practice of using the appeal to tradition shows that he had an implicit consciousness of the union with the church in all ages and the importance of tradition. Due to the misuse of, and overemphasis on tradition, he did not explore it in his own theology, however. Therefore, the present use of the notion of unio mystica to thematise tradition can be seen as a retrieval of a reformed understanding of reality.
This union with Christ implies a participation in the transcendent reality in Christ (the belief that God is in a certain way present and recognisable in the historical body of Christ) and the expectation that union with the historical body of Christ implies sharing in God's reality and revelation - resisting immanent explanations of Christian doctrine. One other far-reaching conclusion can be made. Thinking and theologising from the perspective of the body of Christ implies that Christianity is not understood as a part of history, but history is understood as an aspect of Christianity (Williams 2005:ch. 6-7). Understanding history from the perspective of Christ also implies a distinction between history in general, the history of salvation and the history of the church in particular (cf. Van 't Spijker 1986:189).
The implication of this understanding of the reality in Christ means that people in the history of the church are not only people from a foreign country with old-fashioned ideas and that the survival of Christianity therefore is only possible if old theological concepts are abandoned. Therefore, this understanding corrects the proud idea that believers from the 21st century know more than believers from former times as well as the idea that contemporary culture is more important for Christian theology than the body of Christ of all generations (Webster 2007:590). It also modifies the opinion that the suppressed voices were the only authentic voices in the past (Williams 2005:28). Another implication is the opinion that sound and useful contemporary theology does not need more than a recovery of an error in the past, for example nominalism or Enlightenment, as if there existed a pure Christian past (Webster ibid:596-597).
Without identifying ourselves unreservedly with the church of former times and not being sensitive for the peculiarity of the past, we can acknowledge the union with the catholic body of Christ and the necessity of this union in understanding God's revelation (cf. Van de Beek 2012:68-96). For centuries Christians have possessed the knowledge of God in Christ, they have thought about eternity, creation, redemption, the eschaton and the future, and they have experienced the struggle with sin and unbelief. This means that their thoughts are not less than our insights, but that in communion with the saints throughout time is comprehended the breadth and length, and depth and height and known the love of Christ (Eph 3:18-19).15
This means that Christian theology does not start de novo, but in the consciousness that the best and cumulative wisdom of ages is found in the church (Ac 2:42; 1 Tm 6:20; 2 Tm 3:14). Therefore, it is a great disadvantage for the church today to isolate itself from the forefathers. Isolating the present church from the past church would be the same as saying: 'What do I have to do with my grandfather?' To understand oneself it is necessary to understand that traditional faith belongs to our present identity.
This insight characterises reformed tradition. When Voetius justified his frequent use of citations, he explained that he did not want to teach new and unusual things, but: '[w]ith the great theologians, I declare that I judge a road that is much walked on, a safe road'.16 In the 19th century, Groen van Prinsterer (1848:76, 81) spoke about the 'historical faith'. He did not mean to divide the content of faith into a historical part and a saving part, but to express that the church shares in the faith of the foregoing generations. He (Groen van Prinsterer ibid:30, 48) understood the church as a personality with one soul to believe and one mouth to speak, so that he interpreted the development of the confessed faith as an organic progress in which it was inconceivable not to confirm the historical faith.
In the 20th century, C.S. Lewis (1996) argued in favour of the great worth of tradition. To widen our own limited outlook, we should prefer old books to new books, because in reading new books, we do not look beyond our own age. By reading old books, we can learn from the past and possibly correct errors in our own understanding. To illustrate his high esteem of the past, he (Lewis 1953:121-122) used the example of a map to describe Christian theology. The map is based on the experiences of multitudes of believers in many ages. Although the landscape of the Christian life is more than the map, without using the map we do not come to such a deep understanding of the landscape as with the use of a map.
These examples teach us that the Scriptures are given to the church in all ages and that interpreting the Scriptures should happen in dialogue with this church. The self-awareness of the church as a community across the centuries has a fourfold function. Firstly, it saves the church from revolutionary developments. In particular, the approach of Groen van Prinsterer reminds us that the church should not develop whilst breaking the tradition.17 Sensitiveness for traditional theology will help theology to develop in a sound way and to remain a catholic spirit in which the whole of truth functions.18 Secondly, the metaphor of Lewis shows that sensitiveness for traditional theology lifts up the church above the narrow view of its own time and gives a broader perspective to come to an understanding of faith. It is a blessing for the church in the present time that it does not have to discover all things, but that it stands on the shoulders of giants in history. Thirdly, the consciousness of the historic aspect of Christ's church is a comfort in times when and in cultures where Christian faith is diminishing. It strengthens believers' faith that they are not alone in their estimation of Christ. Fourthly, the historic consciousness of the Christian faith will enable the church to maintain an independent attitude in a culture in which renewal and new insights in science, technology and politics are esteemed as the guarantee of truth and success.
Tradition as a catalyst for renewal
The above-mentioned conclusion that tradition is a necessary aspect of the body of Christ may leave the impression that the church can only repeat tradition, preserve tradition and, as it were, be imprisoned by tradition (Van 't Spijker 1986:186). It is understandable that the recognition of the worth of tradition has often led to the practical implication that every theological renewal is withstood, that people study tradition to confirm their own position and that different movements claim to be the continuation of the same tradition, especially when the status quo is taken as the starting point in church and tradition without taking into account the conditions of the theological formulations.
This observation necessitates a further analysis of the character of tradition from the perspective of the theologoumenon of the body of Christ. It is important to notice that the approach of tradition from the perspective of the incarnation of Christ opens up a previously closed world. The eschatological and transcendental aspects of the incarnation of Christ imply that believers are not enclosed within the borders of human history or knowledge, but that God has revealed himself from outside and that believers have access to this knowledge beyond their human understanding (1 Cor 2:6-16).
This approach is fundamental and has far-reaching consequences. On the one hand, this approach implies a breakthrough in the Kantian concept, because, since Kant, it has been problematic to speak in an academic way about the transcendent reality of God. The effect of the separation between the transcendent and the immanent terrestrial reality is that speaking about God and about revelation is problematic, with the result that believers and theologians tend to think from a closed worldview and exalt the rational subject to the status of the epistemologically and metaphysically foundational (Webster 2007:589).
On the other hand, the approach of tradition from the perspective of the incarnation of Christ implies the openness of history in Christ and the contingent character of this history. Johannes Duns Scotus has clarified that this contingence - in contrast with classic Greek thinking - is not incidental, but structural.19 It is significant that this revolution in understanding history happened in the Christian tradition. Interpreting history from the perspective of God's creative work in the incarnation of Christ puts history in a completely different perspective.
The implications of this concept of interpreting history are profound (Mackay 1997:347-380). Whilst science presupposes general laws and repeatable events, the concept of an open history criticises the deterministic tendencies in this worldview, because this concept has room for unique events and can justify them. The great success of science has influenced modern culture and has made an appeal to the transcendent reality and unique events to be deemed suspicious. A closed worldview does not have any openness for the transforming of this creation into the new creation. These facts underline the necessity of an adequate concept of history. The contemporary developments in quantum mechanics point in the same direction and weaken the deterministic understanding of a world that is enclosed in itself.
Another further implication of this concept of historical contingency is that speaking about God's acts should not necessarily imply a deterministic understanding of history. For God, as the grandmaster chess player of history, it would have been possible to lead the development of history in another channel.20 This is also true for the development of Christian tradition. If we think of the development of theology in tradition as a line, the development could not have been different and the church today is responsible to continue the straight line of tradition. Thinking from the contingent perspective implies that history is not understood as a line, but as a line in a plane area. In the plane area of history, God has drawn a line, but God had the ability to draw that line through another place, or to draw it in another direction today.
The contingent character of history implies the unique character of every moment in history, especially in the history of the church as the body of Christ - the greatest factor in history and the greatest factor determining history. This insight is revolutionary within the self-understanding of the Christian tradition. During the reformation, Luther and Calvin could - although they understood the reformation as the working of the Word - too easily claim tota noster [completely ours] with Augustine, because they did not discount that the past and the present have their own historical context and are answers to specific unrepeatable situations (Mackay 2000:52). Therefore, the past cannot be copied without transcription errors. Or to use another metaphor: whilst sheep can be cloned, the past cannot be cloned. The consciousness of the dynamic character of the past is an antidote to the idea that tradition is a fossil.
The dynamic character of theological tradition also leads to the understanding that every time and context adds a link to the chain, so that theology continues and develops without thinking in terms of revolution or modernisation. Theological retrieval does not mean striving for the repetition of history, but does require sensitivity that in different situations different aspects are relevant and the different aspects get a different application. Studying historical theology in the context of its culture and context opens the possibility that -whilst hearing the voices of the past - old theological debates get a fresh application and are reframed in the present (Todd Billings 2011:2).
In specific historic circumstances, the depth and relevance of certain doctrines is clearly and convincingly proven. Theologians of retrieval (Todd Billings 2011:4-5) are conscious that theologians of an earlier period have possibilities that exceed the possibilities in the present. That makes the conversation with former theologians necessary and helpful. Historical distance can be helpful to distinguish between the message of the Bible and the influence of the old culture. Reading the Bible with premodern theologians will sharpen our own mind for presuppositions then and now. So an interpretatio continua [continuous interpretation] of Scripture develops.
We read the Scriptures not only with Christians of former cultures, but also in fellowship with Christians in other cultures in our own time. In our individualistic western society, we tend not to be sensitive for kinship structures in Scripture (cf. 2 Sm 24:17; Dn 9:5). The communion of saints with Christians in Africa will help us to be sensitive for these aspects and, in this way, come to a deeper understanding of the Word of God.
Perhaps a metaphor is helpful to understand the use of tradition for understanding Scripture for contemporary theology (cf. Van den Toren 2011:45). If we should understand historic doctrine as the foundation of the building of church and theology, going back to the tradition would imply the demolition of the historic building of the church and the rebuilding of it again and again. The metaphor of reading a book is more convenient. When we start reading a book, we have our own concept about a certain idea. Reading the book is done in a critical way. Perhaps we do not accept the complete presentation, but we accept certain insights and give them a place in our own understanding of reality. In this way, we read the understandings of Scripture of the communion of saints. Where they differ, our interest is awakened, we test our own understanding and we apply new insights in our own understanding.
John Webster (2007) gave several examples of such new understandings of Scripture in the historic church. Well-known is the revival of Trinitarian theology. Whilst in many decennia Trinitarian theology was judged as a speculative aspect in Christian theology, in the last decennia the retrieval of Trinitarian theology is sometimes observed in such a way that several authors judge it to be the cornerstone in theology.
Also, the doctrines of the church and the creation are reconsidered. Luther's doctrine of the bondage of the will and the theology of the cross has many fresh applications in contemporary culture and theology. We can imagine that in postmodern culture, with an openness for a higher spiritual world, a reconsideration of angelology is relevant. In reformed theology, the theological concept of unio mystica is an example of the relocation of a traditional theme. Although Calvin already had the sensitiveness for a broader application of this theologoumenon, in his doctrine of the Lord's Supper for example, the working out of this doctrine remained limited.21
It is conceivable that the renewal of the concept of mystical union with Christ can be made useful for several other novel applications. Whilst Irenaeus used this concept against the Gnostic tendency to deny the goodness of creation, Calvin used this concept to do justice to the transcendence of God in the context of humanism (Canlis 2010:21-22). Perhaps Canlis's (ibid:45-50, 159-160) central discovery of Calvin's use of unio mystica in speaking about ascending with Christ to heaven may be explored in our context to come to a deeper understanding of the transcendent character of Christ's kingdom, on the one hand, and to develop a fresh theology of spirituality in the many contemporary questions on the other hand.22
Todd Billings (2011:15-34) has shown how the concept of the unio cum Christo [spiritual union with Christ] can be explored in several other theological themes, for example to withstand deistic views of God, to understand God's accommodation in his revelation and in our communion with the incomprehensible God (Todd Billings ibid:63-94), as well as to be sensitive for the problem of social justice in this world (Todd Billings ibid:95-122). These examples are illustrations of how classic theological concepts can be reframed in the present cultural and ecclesiological context.
The examples of Tod Billings indicate that a theological concept can have sociological applications and effects. We can carry this insight further. It is a striking fact from the history of the church that the Great Awakening was one of the instruments in the abolition of slavery. During the Great Awakening (Marsden 2003:258), Black slaves and White people were united in the Lord's Supper in the congregation of Northampton during the ministry of Jonathan Edwards. In this spiritual revival there was a new understanding of the equality of the different races. This insight had a great political, cultural and sociological effect until the present day so that we cannot even imagine thinking as our forefathers did before the Great Awakening. This is only one example how living the eschatological life affords the possibility to criticise existing institutions and to transform them. We can imagine that the Christian insight of the equality of the races and other theological concepts can have fresh applications for society today.
One question remains, namely the relation between tradition and renewal, because it is not enough to state that the integrity of Christ implies, on the one hand, a traditionalism that is not against renewal and, on the other hand, a renewal that is not against tradition. Cyprian (1844-1864:1129) provided a direction: Nihil innovetur nise quod traditum est [nothing shall be renewed except what is transmitted in tradition]. This rule implies the denial of an unqualified traditionalism and an unqualified 'renewalism', because in a different context the repetition of tradition can appear to be a lie - every context asks for a fresh application of tradition. This brings us to the conclusion that neither tradition nor renewal can be an aim in itself, but that sound theological renewal does not consist in new theology, but in a fresh application of the apostolic and catholic truth.
This article leads to the following conclusions: Firstly, whilst the principle of sola scriptura can never be relativised, it has shown that the opposite of this principle is the weakness of a subjective appeal to Scripture. At the time of the reformation, this problem was not explicitly solved. Secondly, the concept of the church as the body of Christ in all ages appears to be a remedy against subjectivism and it reminds the church of the present day to remain faithful to the faith of the church and to study to get a thorough knowledge and understanding of the Christian tradition. Thirdly, it appears that the best and cumulative wisdom of many ages opens up storehouses of wisdom for new applications and fresh answers in times of crisis, as well as functions as a catalyst for renewal in times of transition.23
These conclusions imply a qualified relationship between tradition and renewal: every theological renewal implies the catholic truth. Not all problems are solved with this conclusion. Several questions remain, such as the boundary of tradition and the integrity of renewal, but this concept can help the church to reflect upon and to be conscious of the relationship with tradition.
Competing interests
The author declares that he has no financial or personal relationship(s) that may have inappropriately influenced him in writing this article.
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Helm, P., 2004, John Calvin's ideas, Oxford University Press, Oxford. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/0199255695.001.0001 [ Links ]
Horton, M., 2007, Covenant and salvation: Union with Christ, Westminster John Knox, Louisville. [ Links ]
Irenaeus, 1844-1864, Adversus Haeresus, in J-P. Migne (ed.), MPG 7, Patrologia Graeca, Garnier. [=AH] [ Links ]
Janse, W., 2008, 'Calvin's Eucharistic Theology: Three dogma-historical observations', in H.J. Selderhuis (ed.), Calvinus sacrarum literarum interpres, pp. 37-69, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen. (Reformed Historical Theology series). [ Links ]
Lewis, C.S., 1953, Mere Christianity, Geoffrey Bles, London. [ Links ]
Lewis, C.S., 1996, 'Introduction', in St. Athanasius, On the Incarnation: De Incarnatione VerbiDei, pp. 3-12, St. Vladimir's Seminary Press, New York. [ Links ]
Lohse, B., 1995, Luthers Theologie in ihrer historischen Entwicklung und in ihrem systematischen Zusammenhang, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen. [ Links ]
Luther, M., 1883-1997, D. Martin Luthers Werke: kritische Gesamtausgabe (Weimarer Ausgabe), Hermann Böhlau, Weimar. [=WA] [ Links ]
Mackay, E., 1997, Geschiedenis bij de bron. Een onderzoek naar de verhouding van christelijk geloof en historische werkelijkheid in geschiedwetenschap, wijsbegeerte en theologie, Merweboek, Sliedrecht. [ Links ]
Mackay, E., 2000, Gedenkstenen in de Jordaan. Opstellen over geschiedenis, traditie en cultuur, Groen, Heerenveen. [ Links ]
Marsden, G.M., 2003, Jonathan Edwards: A life, Yale University Press, New Haven. [ Links ]
Meijering, E.P., 1985, Die Hellenisierung des Christentums im Urteil Adolf von Harnacks, North Holland Publishing Company, Amsterdam/Oxford/New York. PMCid:PMC2713910 [ Links ]
Melanchthon, Ph., 1521, 'Loci Communes', Corpus Reformatorum, vol. XXI. [ Links ]
Muller, R.A., 1993, Post-Reformation Dogmatics 2: Holy Scripture. The cognitive foundation of theology, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids. [ Links ]
Muller, R.A. (ed.), 2000, 'Scholasticism in Calvin: A question of relation and disjunction', in The unaccommodated Calvin. Studies in the foundation of a theological tradition, pp. 39-61, Oxford University Press, New York/Oxford. [ Links ]
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Rothen, B., 1990, Die Klarheit der Schrift. Martin Luther: die wiederentdeckten Grundlagen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen. [ Links ]
Schaff, P. (ed.), 1996, 'Athanasian Creed', The Creeds of Christendom, 6th edn., vol. II, pp. 66-71, Baker Academic, Grand Rapids. [ Links ]
Steinmetz, D.C., 1995, Calvin in Context, Oxford University Press, New York/Oxford. [ Links ]
Steinmetz, D.C., 1999, 'The scholastic Calvin', in C.R. Trueman & R.S. Clark (eds.), Protestant Scholasticism. Essays in Reassessment, pp. 16-30, Paternoster Press, Carlisle. [ Links ]
Todd Billings, J., 2005, 'United to God through Christ: Assessing Calvin on the question of deification', in Harvard Theological Journal 98(3), 315-334. [ Links ]
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Willem van Vlastuin
Jachtlaan 18, 8091 BM Wezep, Netherlands
Email: email@example.com
Received: 24 July 2012
Accepted: 25 June 2013
Published: 29 Aug. 2013
1. The 8th Conference of Protestant Theological Faculties from Central and Eastern Europe and the Netherlands at Debrecen in 2012 thematised tradition. Cf. with regard to the problem of tradition Van den Brink and Van der Kooi (2012:76-78, 172-173, 360-362) and Van de Beek (2012:195-198, 270).
2. For quotations from Calvin's works, I have included references to the Latin edition of his works, Joannis Calvini opera quae supersunt Omnia (hereafter referred to as CR). For quotations from the Institutes, I will refer directly to the definitive version of this work.
3. Luther develops his thoughts about the value of God's Word in the conflict with Erasmus. For references to Luther's works, I make use of the Weimarer Ausgabe, (hereafter referred to as WA).
4. Compare Calvin's criticism of philosophers in Inst. 1.15.6-7.
5. In Supplex exhortation ad invictissimum caesarem carolum quintum et illustrissimos principes alisque ordines (CR XXXIV:457-534) reference is made on a number of occasions to better times of the church of Christ (pp. 458, 473, 476, 492, etc.). Van der Kooi (1999:19-20) recognises the protestant principle of reduction in the search for the essence of biblical history and the distinction between Jesus and Paul. The approach of Von Harnack (Meijering 1985) is an illustration of leaving all additions and returning to the life of Jesus.
6. Compare Steinmetz (1995:40-52; 1999) and Helm (2004:1-10).
7. Compare Van der Kooi (2008).
8. The historical-critical approach of the Bible can be criticised, but that is outside the scope of this essay.
9. 1 Corinthians 11:23 is an example that Paul teaches what he received in the way of tradition. Irenaeus (AH 3.6.1) wrote: 'Apostolic tradition exists in the church and is a permanent feature among us. It is found in the Scriptures written by the apostles.' See also Van der Kooi (2006:191-196). Van den Belt (2007:359-360) underlines that the Spirit leads the process of the tradition of Scripture.
10. Compare Van den Belt (2008:266, 281-283, 312).
11. Williams does not elaborate on the question whether the church is the body of the incarnated Christ or the glorified Christ - the first can lead (Van 't Spijker 1981:170171) to a deification of the human nature of the church.
12. The mystical aspect of the church in Calvin does not imply the denial of history. The church was suprahistorical and historical at the same time (Van 't Spijker 1986:93-94).
13. Luther underlined the interpretation of Scripture in the communion of saints (Rothen 1990:79). For the reformed tradition, see Muller (1993:471-487) and Zwiep (2012:231). The fact that Calvin wrote about the church from the perspective of 'The External Means' in the fourth volume of his Institutes, illustrates that the value of the church was more implicit than explicit.
14. Compare for the 'revival' about Calvin and the unio mystica, amongst others, Todd Billings (2005; 2008; 2011), Canlis (2010) and Horton (2007).
15. Van den Belt (2011) indicates that catholicity coheres with the quality of Christianity.
16. 'Cum magnis theologis protestor, me viam tritam viam tutam existimare' (Diatriba de coelo beatorum, Gorinchem 1665; De Niet 2002:i, vii).
17. I attended a lecture of Alister McGrath once in which he maintained that Calvinistic ecclesiology offers a dynamic for starting new churches, because this ecclesiology starts from the preaching of the Word and the ministry of the sacraments. According to his interpretation, the plurality of churches in Protestantism is implied in Calvinistic ecclesiology. For me, this is a very creative use of the Calvinistic tradition, lacking an understanding of the consciousness for the historic body of Christ in this tradition. In 2004, a part of the Nederlandse Hervormde Kerk did not enter the new Protestantse Kerk in Nederland, because they understood the denial of eternal predestination in The Leuenberg Agreement (GEKE-CPCE-CEPE 1973:3, 24-25) as a break with the reformed tradition.
18. This aspect of catholicity was most stressed in the early church (AH I.10.3). Article 2 in the Athanasian Creed (Schaff 1996) states that people who do not keep the truth complete and integral are lost. Vincent of Lerinum (PL 50:640) defined catholic as that which is always believed by everyone. The Heidelberg Catechism (Q. 54) went one step further by confessing that the Christian church existed from the beginning of the world in union of true faith.
19. For Duns Scotus's concept of 'synchronic freedom', see Vos (1981; 2006) and Vos et al. (1994). Mackay (2000:29-34) applies these insights to the philosophy of history.
20. Calvin (Inst. 1.17.1) gives an example that heavy adversities in the lives of believers will not bring distrust in the faithfulness of God, because he is above history.
21. Inst. 3.15.5 offers an example of a broader use of the communicatio cum Christo. The union with Christ (Janse 2008) was also used for understanding and explaining the Lord's Supper,
22. This approach is related to the plead of De Bruijne (2012) to underline to contrast between the kingdom of God and the earthly realm in the attitude of Christians towards politics.
23. Bartlett (1993:181) underlined that the ministry has to look to 'our fathers and mothers in the Faith, finding in those older traditions the resources we need for our own time'.


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How Can You Get The Family Health Information?
That do you switch to to see relatives health matters? If your little one awakens in the center of the night time and is not feeling well where do you turn? In case your pain or discomfort has not gone soon after days, organization a scheduled appointment to determine the physician, or would you just hope it'll disappear alone? Which are the distinction between your child or small child crying for attention and crying because of illness? If you do not know where one can get relevant and accurate health information, how can you tell you are not suffering unnecessarily, or ignoring serious signs and symptoms?
Has somebody been identified as having a disease or condition you don't know anything about? Possibly it isn't the type of factor that you would like others to understand about, so asking around may not be possible. Where are you able to obtain the accurate and clear to see important information rapidly?
Should you choose know where to consider your loved ones health information, how accurate and true could it be? Are you currently utilizing an old book handed lower using your family for generations? Would you ask somebody with tenuous medical understanding or experience? How about online? The web implies that information could be acquired within minutes, but it is not necessarily accurate or relevant, especially where health is worried. There will always be scare tales sites, or sites that contains the opinions of individuals without any medical training. Even putting your signs and symptoms right into a more reliable site can lead to believe you could possess a existence threatening illness.
Should you choose make use of a reliable source for the health and medical information, how frequently could it be updated? If it's not updated regularly, or else you are counting on a magazine from in the past, then prevention and coverings might have altered dramatically. You would not expect a 20 years old map to be accurate, kind you depend on the 20 years old medical book?
What happens the most recent remedies are for common family conditions? Have things altered during the last couple of years? If you are unsure, you will need a way to find out, to be able to ensure that you are supplying accurate health information for the family once they require it most.
There might have been significant advances in drugs, surgical treatments along with other technology lately which will affect you. What are the new treatments readily available for any existing conditions you and your family might have. How about bronchial asthma, hay fever, or allergic reactions? You might like to keep on the top associated with a new treating problems that you and your family might have.
Diet and workout advice is essential for individuals searching to guide an energetic and healthy existence. Possibly you are unsure where you'll get advice from if you wish to find a new sport or pastime, or start a workout regime.

subset: commoncrawl


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Spike Keyboard Protective Case for iPhone Now On Kickstarter
The guys at SoloMatrix actually put out three variations of the Spike. The Spike1, Spike 2 and Spike 3.
Spike¹ is a combination keyboard and protective case that can be easily and securely installed in a matter of seconds. You can effortlessly rotate the bottom section of the case with the keyboard, to the back or the front of the iPhone, for storing in either typing or full-screen mode. We've also hinged the keyboard, so you'll always have quick access to the full-screen even when typing.
This model is priced in the same range as the majority of ordinary iPhone cases. This means that even for many users that don't feel they need a keyboard, it is so affordable that it's tough to pass up. And once they try it, they'll soon realize the advantages of real tactile keys even though they feel they are proficient typing on the touchscreen.
Spike² is our premium version keyboard and case combination. It differs from Spike¹ in user convenience features and overall appearance. Its industrial-strength case not only protects your iPhone, but incorporates a unique and specially-designed asymmetrical 360 degree hinge. This hinge enables you to quickly toggle the keyboard on and off the screen for full-screen access while you are typing. In addition, it also allows you to fold and stow the keyboard in a flush pocket in the rear of the case when you've finished typing and return to the full touchscreen to run all those apps that you will probably never use more than once or twice. At a touch of your fingers, it can instantly be brought to the front to bang out a quick text message, email, or even type your first novel comfortably! And to make sure you are always in style, it features a beautiful, brushed metal accent band around the perimeter of the case.
Our Limited Edition Spike³ is for those of you that appreciate the very best. Similar in design to Spike², but with an all-aluminum, antenna-neutral case including the TypeSmart keyboard that is easily stowed out of the way when not needed. We are CNC machining these right here in the USA from aerospace grade aluminum and anodizing them in at least two great colors, Neutron Gray and KickStarter Green, we anticipate a couple more anodized colors to come. To make it truly personal for you or someone special, we'll custom engrave up to 30 letters on the back of the case.
For more information on the different pledges and their production keydates, head over to their Kickstarter page here.


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Every libertarian has a pet peeve, and mine is paternalism. Yes, I am deeply disturbed by the wars, police militarization, Obama's pursuit of whistleblowers, regulations which make it illegal to do math without a license, and many other freedom-snuffing things. But the kind of stuff that gets me most riled up are laws to protect people from themselves.
It is impossible to have a discussion of these laws without referring to the following passage from John Stuart Mill's influential work On liberty. The sentence in bold from the excerpt below is usually called the harm principle and is a cornerstone of libertarianism.
The object of this Essay is to assert one very simple principle … That the only purpose for which power can be rightfully exercised over any member of a civilized community, against his will, is to prevent harm to others. His own good, either physical or moral, is not sufficient warrant. He cannot rightfully be compelled to do or forbear because it will be better for him to do so, because it will make him happier, because, in the opinion of others, to do so would be wise, or even right… The only part of the conduct of anyone, for which he is amenable to society, is that which concerns others. In the part which merely concerns himself, his independence is, of right, absolute. Over himself, over his own body and mind, the individual is sovereign.
I suspect that many liberal-progressive types agree with the harm principle on some level. So they often tend to justify paternalistic laws not on paternalistic grounds but on the grounds of limiting negative externalities. For instance, in their support for motorcycle helmet laws, their argument might echo that of the Massachusetts high court, which in 1972 (when it affirmed that a motorcycle helmet law was rationally related to the public welfare) declared:
From the moment of injury, society picks the person up off the highway; delivers him to a municipal hospital and municipal doctors; provides him with unemployment compensation if, after recovery, he cannot replace his lost job; and, if the injury causes disability, may assume the responsibility for his and his family's continued subsistence. We do not understand a state of mind that permits plaintiff to think that only he himself is concerned.
In other words, your decision to ride un-helmeted harms other people, and so society can rightfully coerce you to wear a helmet.
The word "harm", of course, needs to be interpreted narrowly in order that the harm principle be meaningful. A harsh word hurts. Breakups hurt. Abandoning your wife and going off with someone else may cause intense emotional harm. Everytime I buy something from X and not from his competitor Y, I am harming Y and favoring X. All these activities are legal, and should be. Only kinds of harm that directly violate others' rights (by causing violence upon them, or depriving them of their life, liberty, or property) should enter into the calculus.
Still, it is clear that if society is forced to pay extra because of someone's recklessness, it is indeed a harm inflicted by the reckless individual upon the other members of society; who then might be justified in their intervention. This is what the high court affirmed in its ruling. In doing so, however, the court committed an elementary (but common) mistake; the failure to consider the alternative. The pertinent questions — when considering whether there should be a helmet mandate — are the following:
- Does a person who rides unhelmeted cause a negative externality greater than one who wears a helmet?
- Can any such negative externality be removed (i.e. internalized) without resorting to a helmet mandate?
Let us tackle the first question first. It is almost an article of faith among many that the unsafe and the unhealthy incur higher health costs. However, a recent study by Dutch researchers found that smokers and the obese typically cost less to society than the average person, the reason being that they die younger. It is likely that similar conclusions hold for several other activities that the safety brigade frowns upon. There is no doubt that a typical mountaineer or a base jumper spends much less over his lifetime on health and hospital costs than your average grandpa. So even if one lives in a jurisdiction where health costs are socialized, the argument that these people cost more to society, and hence their unhealthy/unsafe activites should be restricted, is specious.
The data on motorcycle helmets is more ambiguous. Some studies have found that riding unhelmeted reduces health costs per person (for the same reason as above, namely untimely death). Others have found a slight increase. For instance a 1996 NHTSA study showed average inpatient hospital charges for unhelmeted motorcyclists in crashes were 8 percent higher than for helmeted riders ($15,578 compared with $14,377). Now, that's a small difference, and it is worth noting that the study only considered motorcyclists who were actually admitted to a hospital. When those who die on the spot are included, it is quite possible that riding unhelmeted actually reduces costs to society. There is also evidence that helmet mandates make little difference to insurance premiums. Currently there are 30 American states where there is no universal helmet law for motorcyclists. There are 20 states where such a law does exist. The health insurance premiums across these states show almost no correlation with helmet laws. None of this is to say that it is good to be reckless or unhealthy, merely that the claim that by doing so you cost extra to society is often not true.
For the sake of argument, however, let us assume that there is indeed a significant negative externality associated with the act of not wearing a helmet. I would argue that this does not justify a mandate. What it does justify are steps to internalize this externality. How can this be done? By making sure that those who ride helmetless pay for the consequences. Here's a proposal: Every motorcyclist who does not wear a helmet should be forced to either a) carry adequate insurance, or b) have proof of sufficient personal funds, or c) pay a certain amount of money annually into a common pool that would pay for any accident related costs not covered by their insurance; the amount would be empirically adjusted to ensure that unhelmeted motorcyclists, as a group, are cost-neutral for the taxpayer with relation to their helmeted counterparts, or d) sign a waiver that no part of their health or other costs reasonably attributable to their decision to not wear a helmet can be charged to the taxpayer. Furthermore, insurance companies, if they wish, should be allowed to charge an extra premium on helmetless riders.
People often go bonkers saying that they do not care to pay for risky decisions taken by others. Well, they don't need to! Switzerland, the country I currently live in, has the right attitude about some of these things. The Swiss mountains are beautiful but many of the activities people love to do here (hiking, skiing, mountaineering, sledging, climbing, paragliding, base-jumping and so on) carry inherent risks. They do not ban any of these things here or mandate protective gear (a recent straw poll on a Verbier ski-slope found almost everyone, including the helmeted, opposed to compulsory ski-helmets) or even skimp on the protections. In fact, every time someone is in trouble and calls for help so that he can be airlifted out, a helicopter comes in swiftly for the rescue. What they do later, however, is to make an airlifted person pay the bill. Unless, of course, the person is already a patron of REGA, which one can do by paying a measly sum of 30 francs. Most avid adventurers choose to do so, and this small fee (which is basically an insurance premium) covers any heli-rescues they may need to avail of. So if you happen to need an airlift, and you aren't a REGA patron, you pay for your rescue to the last cent. If you are a patron, you don't pay anything. Externality internalized.
The proposal on internalizing public costs due to helmetlessness that I briefly sketched above is similar in spirit. I really don't see how anyone committed to the harm principle can reject such a proposal and continue to defend helmet mandates. Yet, I know from experience that many will. I think the reason is that many of those arguing for mandates on grounds of externalities haven't really thought carefully about externalities, nor do they really care. As evidenced above, the externalities related to motorcycle helmets, whether positive or negative, are most certainly negligible as a fraction of total costs; no one will notice any real difference in taxes or insurance premiums whatever the helmet law. There are all kinds of legal activities that people regularly do that create far, far, larger externalities, or involve much bigger risks. Then there's the fact that the people who call loudly for helmet laws (whether it be motorcycling, cycling or skiing) only do so when someone tragically dies, but they barely notice it if someone is injured and requires expensive long-term care. Yet it is the former that actually saves the taxpayer money. When these same people resort to the specious "externality" argument while debating their helmet laws, I want to scream at them: "Stop arguing in bad faith."
In fact, the act of riding a motorcycle itself is highly risky; whether or not one wears a helmet makes a difference in only a small number of cases (if a motorcyclist gets into a serious crash, a helmet will rarely save him). Yet very few people would support actually banning motorcycles. If one only cared about externalities and costs to the taxpayer, one should support regulations and counteracting measures roughly in proportion to the size of the externalities. In reality, the regulations reflect the size of the moral disapproval. It is stupid to ride without a helmet. It is such a completely unnecessary risk. Riding helmetless or not wearing a seatbelt is incredibly foolish. There should be a federal law stopping all these. Period.
The true reason behind paternalism (whatever the purported reason) is the desire of people to impose their values on others. Quite simply, paternalists ignore that different people have different values. Like all nannies, they think they know best. They decide what risks are acceptable and what risks are unnecessary. They fail to see that maximizing health is not the same as maximizing happiness. To some people, the joy of riding down a hill, unencumbered by a helmet, unweighed by laws, feeling the wind in your face and hair, is indeed worth the risk of severe injury or death. Besides, there is an inherent value to freedom. As Jacob Sullum put it, when it comes to how people feel about their lives, they may well prefer to make their own bad choices rather than have better ones imposed on them.
Most people has a deep seated urge to control others and bring them to the "right" path. It is important to be able to recognize this urge as the greatest evil. Libertarians oppose laws that mandate helmets or seatbelts, and those that prohibit drug use, prostitution, raw milk sales and the infinitely many other things the unwashed masses are supposed to keep away from. Yes, we personally may not indulge in or encourage most of these behaviors. But we recognize our decision to do so for what it is, an exercise of our own values and cost-benefit analyses, which may not match those of others.
The group was driving south on Route 11 in Lafayette around 1:30 p.m., headed toward Lake Como, just south of the Finger Lakes. It was a nice day, but they were there to make a point.
In the group was Philip Contos, from Parish, NY, and he was 55 years old. They were participating in a helmet protest ride initiated by ABATE, an organisation that opposes mandatory helmet laws. A beautiful day it was, but Philip's bootlaces got stuck in a chain. The biker looked down to inspect the problem, looked up and saw traffic slowing and slammed on the brakes. The bike fishtailed, and he was ejected. He hit the ground with a crunch and he died on the spot.
He died on the spot. What did he die for? Was it to preserve his freedom to be an idiot, a rebel, a reckless individual? Perhaps he would have survived if he was wearing a helmet. But then again, if there was no law in New York that mandated helmets, he would not be out protesting that day, that beautiful day, and maybe his shoelaces would have not stuck in the chain…. His brother, Richard Contos, said Philip would do it again, if he could. "He would have wanted it that way. … He protested everything." So, who was this man who protested everything?
I never met Philip Contos, but I feel joined to him.
He died defending the freedom to be himself, to be free of moral busybodies telling him how to lead his life. I would probably wear a helmet if I did ride a motorcycle, but if I were in New York that makes it illegal to ride without one, I'd probably be joining Contos in his protest.
Helmets make one safer. But safety is just one thing among many. We do not have to live life in a way that maximizes safety. We have the right to make whatever trade-offs we wish in our personal decisions. He died defending this sacred right.


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Welcome to the CRG Discussion Forum!Forum registration problems: Make sure you enter your email correctly and you check your spam box first. *Then* email KurtS2@gmail for help.Classified ads are not allowed on the forum.
Far out! I guess we have found a change in the actual manufacturing from the AIM inadvertently here as I know my set-up is definitely original.Steve
There is a yenko.net member with a 68 RS/Z that was unrestored and did have the original grille in 1990. Lives in CT... I have pics of the car before it was restored and it had the horizontal silver bars in the grille. I just sent him an email with a link to the thread.


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"Leadership is communicating people's worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves."
~ Stephen R. Covey
What is The Leader in Me?
The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District has embraced and implemented The Leader in Me approach in developing a culture of leadership in all of our schools based on The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® by Stephen Covey.
Founded on internationally recognized and universal principles, The Leader in Me model emphasizes skills parents, teachers, and business leaders want and students need to be successful in an ever-changing society – skills of accountability, adaptability, initiative, self-direction, responsibility, problem solving, communication and teamwork – and they are taught and developed in our students.
Developing a culture of leadership in our schools is about inspiring children to be leaders of their own lives; it helps them identify their own unique talents and abilities and encourages them to make a positive difference in the world.
The Leader in Me is not a program or a curriculum. It is an integrated approach to leadership development that will help our District fulfill its mission to prepare each of our students for success in high school, college and career.
Our Leader in Me Journey
The Fallbrook Union Elementary School District has already embarked on this exciting journey to inspire greatness in all of our students. FUESD has accomplished the following:
Integrated a common language and leadership development approach based on the 7 Habits in every classroom in the District
- Implemented "Lighthouse Leadership Teams" in every school to further develop and implement The Leader in Me Approach throughout the District.
- Provided training for over 600 staff members and PTA leadership teams in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People® by Stephen Covey.
- Completed Implementation Training for all district employees.
- Provided a Leader in Me coach from FranklinCovey to support long term implementation
- Obtained long-term support from the Panda Cares Foundation to sustain The Leader in Me implementation for years to come.
We Invite You To...
- Visit The Leader in Me website http://www.theleaderinme.org/
- Read The Leader in Me, 2nd Edition, by Dr. Stephen R. Covey.
- Ask your child about the 7 Habits.
- Visit the Fallbrook Public Library to check out The 7 Habits of Happy Kids by Sean Covey and read it to your kids.
Talk with a member of your child's school PTA Executive Board about it.
- Visit the Sean Covey website for 7 Habits games and activities for kids: http://www.seancovey.com/kids.html
- Print out the 7 Habits Tree
- Begin with the End in Mind (Habit #2): Set a goal, track progress and celebrate!Read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families by Dr. Stephen Covey.
- Model the 7 Habits in your family.
- Attend an upcoming 7 Habits of Highly Effective Families training taught by one of our school Lighthouse Leaders.
What are the 7 Habits?
Habit One: Be Proactive
- I have a "Can Do" attitude.
- I choose my actions, attitudes and moods. I don't blame others. I do the right thing without being asked, even if nobody is looking.
Habit Two: Begin with the End in Mind
- I plan ahead and set goals.
- I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Habit Three: Put First Things First
- I spend my time on things that are most important.
- This means I say no to things I should not do.
- I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am organized.
Habit Four: Think Win-Win
- I want everyone to be a success. I don't have to put others down to get what I want. It makes me happy to see other people happy. I like to do nice things for others. When a conflict arrives, I help brainstorm a solution. We all can win!
Habit Five: Seek First To Listen, Then to Be Understood
- I listen to other people's ideas and feelings. I try to see things from their viewpoints.
- I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas.
Habit Six: Synergize
- I value other people's strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different from me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people's ideas to solve problems. I know that "two heads are better than one". I am a better person when I let other people into my life and work.
Habit Seven: Sharpen the Saw
- I take care of my body by eating right, exercising, and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places.


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In between everything else I came up with a Crux port for Recorder, the wonderful little CD and DVD burning program that some fellow Archers have been fawning over these days. And with good reason: It's fast, it's light and it doesn't require a mess of garbage just to burn a CD. It's perfect.
Here's a port against the 1.2.7 version, so you can build it in Crux.
# Description: A simple GTK+ disc burner. # URL: http://code.google.com/p/recorder # Maintainer: Alex Ciurana # Depends on: pygtk, cdrkit, dvd+rw-tools name=recorder version=1.2.7 release=1 source=(http://recorder.googlecode.com/files/$name-$version.tar.bz2) build () { cd $name-$version make DESTDIR=$PKG PREFIX=/usr install }
I molded that from the Arch PKGBUILD in AUR, so it might not be picture-perfect. I'll update it if it doesn't quite work right. (In case you hadn't noticed, I don't bother actually "maintaining" a Crux repository. I just copy them back out of the blog and change the version number, if it's needed. You can do the same.)


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Local Entrepreneur Named SUNY Canton Distinguished Alumnus
A successful entrepreneur who has had a profound impact on the Akwesasne-St. Regis Mohawk Reservation and SUNY Canton is the recipient of the College's 2011 Distinguished Alumnus award.
Guilford 'Gil' White, class of 1968, will receive the prestigious honor at SUNY Canton's President's Gala on Thursday, May 19.
"Gil's leadership has benefited both the Akwesasne-St. Regis Mohawk Reservation and the SUNY Canton community," College President Joseph L. Kennedy said. "He had the foresight to see the potential for education and economic growth on the Reservation and took the necessary steps to ensure a higher quality of life in his community. We are proud to honor him with this award as a small token of our appreciation for his continued work on the Reservation and with the College."
White graduated from Massena Central High School in 1956 and was an ironworker on the St. Lawrence Seaway as well as Washington, D.C. and Boston. In 1966, he came to SUNY Canton where he pursued a degree in Construction Technology. While attending the College, he worked during vacations and helped build what is today's campus.
After graduating from SUNY Canton, he earned his bachelor's degree from Utica College of Syracuse University in Construction Management and went on to work with the International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental, and Reinforcing Ironworkers Union in Washington, D.C. White was chosen to create and administer a new program assisting local unions and contractors across the United States in the implementation of Equal Employment Opportunity programs.
He returned to the Akwesasne-St. Regis Mohawk Reservation in 1983 after realizing the significant economic potential high stakes bingo could have on the community. He and his partners operated the Mohawk Bingo Palace until 1995 when he diversified his business to real property and development holdings and construction projects. His efforts helped bring Class 3 Casino Gaming to the Reservation.
In addition to his entrepreneurial endeavors, Mr. White and his family published a nationally-recognized Native People's newspaper called the People's Voice.
"Gil White is a true leader in his community and SUNY Canton's community," said Vice President for Advancement David M. Gerlach. "He joined the Foundation Board of Directors in 2010 and he is most deserving of our Distinguished Alumnus Award."
After joining the Board, White established a scholarship in memory of Professor Ross C. Hudson, who inspired him to continue his education and prepare him for a successful career.
White is known for his devotion to causes which he is passionate about and serves the greater community as a member of the Massena Rotary Club. "Gil is a believer in the Rotary's motto, 'Service Above Self,' said John A. Murray, a fellow member. "He is generous in sharing his time, talent and treasures with others and has always been supportive of community and international projects. He is an exemplary community member and SUNY Canton alumnus."
Media inquiries should be directed to Gregory Kie, Media Relations Coordinator, or call 315/386-7528.
Tags: Akwesasne St. Regis Mohawk Reservation, David Gerlach, Distinguished Alumni Award, Gil White, President's Gala


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Climate: What You Need to Know
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
Bill McKibben's new book is a passionate appeal from a writer who has dedicated his efforts to warning of the risks posed by human-driven climate change. It describes the challenges we face—whether from effects on the environment that are already occurring, or from those that will occur due to the greenhouse gases we have already emitted and are likely to emit in the coming decades—if we do not act to curb emissions. But while McKibben insists on the importance of strong action to reduce those risks, he struggles to find grounds for optimism and often tilts toward a pessimism that has characterized recent works by other environmentalists, such as James Lovelock.
The title, Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, sums up McKibben's main theme: we have now altered the climate to such an extent that the planet as we knew it no longer exists, and it should have a new name, Eaarth. The idea that we should find a way of acknowledging the fundamental impact that humans have had on the earth is not new. Paul Crutzen, who shared the Nobel Prize for chemistry in 1995 for showing how chlorofluorocarbons, then common in aerosols, caused the hole in the ozone layer, suggested ten years ago that the current geological epoch should be called the "anthropocene" in order to "emphasize the central role of mankind in geology and ecology."
In 2007, McKibben launched "350 .org," a group that advocates the need to stabilize concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere at 350 parts per million, and thus stay as close as we can to the levels occurring over the last few thousand years during which we created our civilizations. That is compared with the preindustrialization concentration of about 280 parts per million. The trouble is that the current concentration is about 385 parts per million, according to the US government's Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center. And when other greenhouse gases, such as methane, are taken into account, the overall level is about 435 parts per million of carbon-dioxide-equivalent. For this reason, many of the policies for controlling climate change that have been proposed so far focus on stabilization at 450 parts per million of carbon-dioxide- equivalent as being the best we can do to limit the great risks from climate change.
We are likely to exceed that level within the next decade but, with strong action, concentrations of greenhouse gases could peak in this decade and, over a long period of time with continued strong action, return to 450 parts per million or below. But if we carry on with something like "business as usual," we may reach concentrations by the end of the century that would imply a significant chance, perhaps as high as 50 percent, of a rise in global temperature of 5˚C…
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As chaos in the Middle East continues, President Obama and GOP presidential hopeful Mitt Romney are each trying to project strength on national security. NBCs Peter Alexander reports.
After two political conventions and heading into the post-Labor Day sprint, President Barack Obama leads Republican nominee Mitt Romney in the key battlegrounds of Florida, Ohio and Virginia, according to new NBC News/Wall Street Journal/Marist polls of each of these three states.
Click for poll results: Virginia | Ohio | Florida (pdfs)
In both Florida and Virginia, Obama is ahead of Romney by five points among likely voters (including those leaning toward a particular candidate), 49 percent to 44 percent.
In Ohio, the president's lead is seven points, 50 percent to 43 percent.
Ed Andrieski / AP
President Barack Obama waves after speaking at a campaign rally in Golden, Colo., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012.
Among a larger pool of registered voters, Obama's advantage over Romney slightly increases to 7 points in Virginia, 8 in Florida and 9 in Ohio.
"You'd rather be in Obama's shoes than Romney's in these three critical states," Lee Miringoff, director of the Marist College Institute for Public Opinion, says of the poll results.
First Thoughts: A tricky situation
But he adds that Obama's leads are not "insurmountable," especially as the two candidates prepare for their first presidential debate on Oct. 3 in Colorado.
Charles Dharapak / AP
Mitt Romney embraces women wearing traditional Vietnamese "ao dai" dresses as he campaigns at Van Dyck Park in Fairfax, Va., Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012.
These states – all of which Obama carried in 2008 but which George W. Bush won in 2004 – represent three of the most crucial battlegrounds in the 2012 presidential election. And according to NBC's electoral map, Romney likely needs to capture at least two of these states, if not all three, to secure the 270 electoral votes necessary to win the presidency.
By comparison, Obama can reach 270 by winning just one or two of these battlegrounds – on top of the other states already considered to be in his column.
(Obama also has an additional path to victory without any of these three states if he wins the toss-up contests of Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, and Wisconsin.)
What's particularly striking about these polls, Miringoff observes, is how most voters in these battleground states have already made up their minds, with just 5 to 6 percent saying they're undecided, and with more than 80 percent signaling that they strongly support their candidate.
"Those who are thinking of voting have pretty much picked sides," he says.
The Romney campaign is on defense, facing criticism from within the Republican Party, and from President Barack Obama that the GOP presidential nominee politicized a foreign policy crisis. Romney campaign adviser Vin Weber discuses.
Economy vs. foreign policy
In Florida and Virginia, Obama and Romney are essentially tied among likely voters on the question of which candidate would do a better job handling the economy, although Obama has a four-point advantage on this question in Ohio.
But when it comes to handling foreign policy, the incumbent Democratic president enjoys a double-digit lead over his Republican challenger.
Also in the polls, Obama's job-approval ratings – 50 percent in Ohio and 49 percent in Florida and Virginia – exactly match his ballot position against Romney in these states.
And in each of these three battlegrounds, a majority of likely voters say the country is on the wrong track, while more than 40 percent believe that it's headed in the right direction.
Jason Reed / Reuters
First lady Michelle Obama visits with young children in after-school care at the Rappahannock Area YMCA in Spotsylvania, Va., on Sept. 13, 2012.
Looking at the Senate races
The polls also measure the key U.S. Senate contests in these three states, all of which could determine the balance of power in that chamber.
First Read: Michelle Obama echoes convention testimony in solo campaign stop
In Florida, incumbent Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson leads Republican challenger Connie Mack among likely voters by double digits, 51 percent to 37 percent.
In Ohio, incumbent Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown is ahead of GOP challenger Josh Mandel by seven points, 49 percent to 42 percent.
And in Virginia, Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican George Allen are tied at 46 percent each.
The NBC/WSJ/Marist polls of Florida, Ohio and Virginia were conducted from Sept. 9-11 of nearly 1,000 likely voters in each state (about 30 percent by cell phone), and they have a margin of error of plus-minus 3.1 percentage points.
The former Republican Florida governor explains his support for President Barack Obama but says he's not ready to declare himself a Democrat just yet.
A likely voter is determined based on interest in the upcoming election, the chance of voting, and prior participation in past elections.
More than 1,300 registered voters were surveyed in each of the three states, and the margin of error for those voters is plus-minus 2.7 percentage points.


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PETA takes issue with Rays 'touch tank' | News
St. Petersburg, Florida -- A popular feature at Tropicana Field, the cownose ray "touch tank" is under attack again by PETA after Detroit Tigers' third baseman Miguel Cabrera hit a home run ball into it on June 30.
The animal rights group says the incident shows the danger having the tank in the outfield poses to the stingrays inside it and is urging Senior Vice President John P. Higgins to close it.
"The rays held captive at Tropicana Field not only were traumatically taken from their vast home waters but also are subject to harassment, loud crowds, and even baseballs capable of seriously injuring them," said PETA Foundation Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement Delcianna Winders said in a release to the media Wednesday. "When it comes to compassion, the Rays are batting .000."
PETA announced it sent Higgins a letter urging the Rays organization to return the animals to the ocean. So far, the Rays have not commented on PETA's request.
We have attached a copy of the letter below:
Dear Mr. Higgins,
I am writing on behalf of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and its more than 3 million members and supporters, including more than 100,000 who live in Florida, to ask again that you please remove Tropicana Field's reckless and cruel "touch tank," where animals are confined to a small enclosure, subjected to constant reverberations from crowds, poked and prodded by up to 50 unfamiliar people at a time, and left unprotected from potential abuse. Your tank has the additional danger of being in a baseball stadium, where a ray could easily be injured or killed by an errant ball. Cruelty-to-animals charges could well result if and when a ball hits and injures or kills one of the rays. And as recent events have demonstrated, that threat is all too real.
When PETA previously contacted you, we expressed concerns about both the tank itself and complaints about how your team was offering to give $5,000 to charity for any home runs hit into the tank. You claimed to be unaware of any such offer (although references to it remain on your website in at least four places) but declined to remove the tank to protect the rays inside. At least two balls have been hit into the tank, despite your assurances that this was nearly impossible.
Because rays require such specific conditions in order to live safely and comfortably, a "touch tank" is not anything to be proud of: 41 of 43 rays died in the Calgary Zoo's touch tank, and 18 of 19 died at California's Fresno Chaffee Zoo. Nineteen of 34 rays died in the Brookfield Zoo, and 11 of 18 died in the Smithsonian Institution's National Zoological Park. Please do not let the Rays sentence their namesake to the same fate.
The Rays can make a genuine commitment to wildlife by working in conjunction with the Florida Aquarium to rehabilitate and return all the rays to their rightful wild home. May we hear that you will get the process underway? It would raise a cheer in the wildlife protection community and generate very good press. I can be reached at 202-309-4697 or email@example.com. Thank you for your time and attention.
Yours truly,
Delcianna Winders, Esq.
Director of Captive Animal Law Enforcement
PETA Foundation
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Before modern medicine, caring for someone medically in the home was quite common, and hospitalization was rare. Today, with a growing trend toward reduced hospital stays, home healthcare is gaining in popularity. While caregivers of the past were generally family members or friends, home healthcare today usually consists of a professional healthcare team working toward a common goal.
Today home healthcare may be considered for patients who are:
Home healthcare is not a choice for everyone. Generally, the patient receiving care or treatment at home must be well enough to be cared for in the home setting.
Many types of medical and social home healthcare services are available and may include:
A patient may receive 1 of these services or a combination of several services.
Various agencies and other companies provide home healthcare, including:
Vidant Health can connect you to health care professionals to help you understand your condition and guide you through the treatment process. Let's chat.


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Ever wanted to travel through time, become a master at martial arts, eat soup and own a primate, a castle and a starship? Then this is your game! Wiki-Based-RPG is an open source, text based game, with somewhat experimental gameplay. The server writes a story - based on key words which the game gets from Wikipedia (or any other wiki, if you modify the code a little). Between every two story sections, the heroes (the players) are allowed to reply by saying something, doing something or using something from their inventory. No two stories are alike, but all stories are guaranteed to be crazy! At the end, you can export the story directly to .html and show your friends, post it, or send them to me so I can post them here!
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France: 2 journalists killed in northern Mali were shot to death
|CTVnews 03 Nov 2013 at 15:06
PARIS -- Two veteran French journalists kidnapped and killed in northern Mali were shot to death, French authorities said Sunday, as questions emerged about how the gunmen managed to carry out the attack near a town where both French troops and U.N. forces are based.
The slayings of Ghislaine Dupont, 51, and Claude Verlon, 58, shocked France and underscored how insecure parts of northern Mali remain months after a French-led military intervention against al-Qaida and other extremists.
The new details, shared by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius after a meeting of key ministers with French President Francois Hollande, failed to clarify who was behind the killings and why the pair was targeted.
He said the two were shot multiple times and their bodies found near the vehicle that whisked them away. Earlier, four Malian officials, including the head of the armed forces in Kidal said the journalists throats had been slit.
Their bodies were flown to the Malian capital of Bamako on Sunday, and were to be returned to France on Monday.
The Radio France Internationale journalists were kidnapped Saturday after interviewing a Tuareg rebel leader in Kidal. The northern town is under de facto rebel control despite the presence of French and U.N. troops.
French troops, alerted to the kidnappings, set up checkpoints, sent out patrols and called in helicopters to search for the journalists, French military spokesman Col. Gilles Jaron said.
But a patrol arrived too late, finding the abandoned vehicle east of the town and the bodies nearby. The French troops, some 200 of whom are based at the Kidal airport, had earlier found no trace of the fleeing vehicle.
Fabius said the bodies were found some 12 kilometres (8 miles) outside Kidal and "several meters" from the vehicle. RFI chief Marie-Christine Saragosse said they were found 80 metres (87 feet) from the kidnappers vehicle.
The killings were "odious, abject and revolting," Fabius said. He said one journalist had been hit with three bullets, the other two -- but that the car, whose doors were locked, showed no impact from bullets.
Cecile Megie, RFI s executive editor, said the two journalists had been seized by a group that spirited them away in a beige pickup truck.
"The site showed no trace of fighting, gunfire. It was an execution," Megie said.
Despite January s French-led intervention and a presidential election since, much of Mali, especially the vast north, remains in turmoil.
Suspicion as to who was behind the killings grew as bits of information trickled out.
Both Tuareg separatists of the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, known as the NMLA, and al-Qaida-linked fighters operate in the area.
The NMLA rebels launched their latest rebellion in 2012. Those rebels were later chased out by al-Qaida s fighters in the region but have returned to prominence in Kidal in recent months.
Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb has kidnapped Westerners, but it tends not to kill them but rather to hold them for ransom as a means of bankrolling its operations.
The killings came four days after France rejoiced at the liberation of four other citizens, who had been kidnapped in neighbouring Niger three years ago and were found in northwest Mali.
"The killers are those we are fighting, that is, the terrorist groups who refuse democracy and refuse elections," Fabius said.
Mali is to hold a parliamentary vote later this month. The journalists had travelled to Kidal to report for a special program on Mali ahead of the voting.
Saragosse, who heads France 24 TV along with RFI, was travelling to Bamako on Sunday to accompany the return of the bodies.
She said the slain journalists had been accompanied from Bamako to Kidal, some 1,500 kilometres (930 miles) north, by U.N. troops who have been present since the end of the French intervention.
The pair -- both long-time RFI employees familiar with challenging terrain -- were taken to the town hall, "the safest place," said Saragosse, who also met with Hollande Sunday.
It was not immediately clear whether the U.N. troops were in the vicinity at the time of the kidnapping.
The French military spokesman confirmed reports that French forces in Mali had refused to take the journalists to Kidal for security and "operational reasons."
A U.N. spokesman said its troops had not noticed the vehicle used in the kidnapping in any of the seven checkpoints in and around the city manned by them.
"These seven checkpoints are at major transit locations and the vehicle of the kidnappers was not noticed at any of these checkpoints," said Olivier Salgado, spokesman for the U.N. mission in Mali.
He added: "You need to put this in the context of the desert. This is a place with dunes. They must have used a non-official road or path."
Lt. Col. Oumar Sy, a Malian officer stationed in Kidal and involved in the investigation, said that all signs point to the NMLA.
"We are in a town that is in the de facto hands of the NMLA," Sy said. "We learn these poor people are taken in front of the house of an NMLA leader. No one lifts a finger to help them. What conclusion would you come to?"