Culture-Made-Self

A few weeks back I posted an article from a book about worldviews.

The book is Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change by Paul G. Hiebert. As I said in the last article about the book, it started out slow but it picked up. Here is another interesting nugget. During the Enlightenment some of the leading philosophers made a concerted effort to substitute the word "self" for the word "soul." Now, that may not seem like much, but think about it, what are the connotations of the word "soul" compared to "self."

It also isn't a stretch to see how the word switch helped to promote individualization, further push God out of the realm of possibility of impact, and make the focus of one's life (to use the phrase we have inherited from the word switch) self-improvement. I find this to be profound. I realize that I am often alone on this, but I find it fascinating how we as a culture and society can take our current outlook, culture, situation, view of knowledge, idea of morals and see them as permanent; existing in a vacuum even. Then, turn around and apply them to what has happened in the past without blinking an eye.

What would it be like today if the popular view of the human was that it is equally physical and spiritual? What would our world look like if the concept of self-help never dawned?

Let the riding begin

The snow, for the most part, is behind us and it is time to get out on the bike. I have been enjoying getting out. The Gun Show begins in a just a few short weeks so you better polish up those cannons you call legs and get ready to ride under the pain-bow.

Ron and I got out for a hilly ride this past Saturday. We drastically overestimated how warm it was going to be in the morning but after a few hours it became very pleasant. We hit both the Southern and Northern Kettles giving us just over 6,200 feet of climbing in just under 85 miles according to the garmin. Not too shabby for this area!

And since I had promised some pictures of Ray's to readers in far off lands many moons ago, I took some last Wednesday. Here you go!

expert skills section

part of the street park and expert jump line

pump track

half of the Sport skills section

street park with jump line in the distance

Single Windchimes

While I was reading a book, as I sometimes do, I ran across an interesting statement. The statement is, "Modernity defines justice as living within the law, not as living in harmony with others." It comes from a book called Transforming Worldviews: An Anthropological Understanding of How People Change by Paul G. Hiebert.

It's a real page turner {read sarcastic}. Well, actually about half way through it is starting to get interesting. It's just that the first half reads like an overloaded anthropology textbook. The author was writing a rather good synopsis of modernity and its effects when I came across this statement and it gave me pause.

Read the statement again. Is this a 'well, duh' statement? Or do you disagree. Think about what you know about modern thought and culture (in case you are unaware, you live in one), is this outcome the desired goal? Is culture going more this way or turning from it? I'd love to hear your thoughts.

Also, I have again recently been harangued about spelling errors, missing words (especially negatives), and grammar flaws in my writing. The truth of the matter is that spell check has gobbled up my ability to spell correctly and my brain corrects grammar mistakes faster then I talk. So, there is no real hope of me ever doing much better.

If I knew I would be writing this much as an adult I would have paid more attention in high school. Okay, that last part is probably a lie. Seriously people, I can barely talk intelligibly, why would writing be any different?

Grab some Beano and come on down!

The Chili Cook-Off! is this Saturday night. Arrive around 6:30pm, plan to eat about 7pm. You don't need to bring anything to come, but the more chili the more better. This one tends to be one where the men's cooking shines, much like the Meatball Cook-Off!

It is taking place at some friends' place so I'm not putting the address up, shoot me an email if you want to know where it is: marc.engelhardt@gmail dot com.