Friday, November 25, 2011
Oral Tradition vs. Written Documents
I am aware of "the mandate" under which instructors work and I certainly would not want to criticize any seminary. These days when there is such a decline of vocations or callings it is sufficient that there are still seminaries and programs to train people for the religious life. I think I remember reading in Jaroslav Pelikan's "History and Development of Christian Doctrine" that on 2nd century bishop (whose name will come to mind eventually) actually DOUBTED the wisdom of WRITTEN documents in the same way that Socrates doubted, in the sense that the author is not present to defend, explain, guide as a living tradition, and hence the document becomes subject to the caution of II Peter ( is it 3:16) "Paul has said some things which are difficult to understand and those weak in understanding, lacking a proper foundation, twist and distort such verses to their own destruction as they do many other scriptural passages." AHA... Bishop Iranaeus was the bishop who questioned the dangers of written tradition. Even today among the conservative Greek Orthodox, monastacism is transmitted as a way of life in a community rather than academically with courses in "Monasticism 101" with essays and multiple choice exams.
