At Mass a bit ago I leaned over to M and asked: “When did this new hermeneutic happen? When did inclusion vs. exclusion become the chief means for interpreting Jesus’ healing miracles–and most other narratives in the Bible–even when it does considerable violence to the text itself?”
I was reminded by this by a number of bloggers’ links to a new review of +Spong’s latest publication where he seems (by their reports) to be quite heavy-handed with this approach. Yes, inclusion is part of the Christian message–but it’s not the whole message. Not by a long shot.
I’m sorry that this was inflicted on you too.
I think Archbishop Williams was correct in moving toward “welcome” or I would rather say hospitality, he just didn’t make it a decentering term for all of is in light of Christ the center. Hospitality mutually challenges one another, girds one another on in the things of GOd, upbuilds one another.
Inclusion and Exclusion, though I understand why these have become a new hermeneutic, are actually not radical enough. They presuppose some set of persons in the community as the center, rather than Christ, and in light of the Community: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are all welcomed and challenged to renew our minds.
somebody tell our priest.
John Robinson to George Regas to everyone else.
Sorry, that’s my silly explanation.
Now, now, we mustn’t practice exclusion against those who ritually invoke inclusion.