I feel like every time I encounter John Piper's thoughts in reading or video or podcast, I end up either enamored or frustrated. I just need to vent all those thoughts a little bit ... and the beautiful thing about my blog is that you can stop reading whenever you are sick of my ranting :)
So I have had four memorable encounters with Piper:
1) During one of the bible studies for my sorority, we listened to a Piper podcast. Imagine 10 stressed out sorority girls cramped in an apartment living room listening to Piper in our sweatpants. Not super conducive to good learning. But I remember totally disliking him ... I couldn't even tell you what we listened to, but I vividly remember the bad taste he left in my mouth. He laid to waste the whole of existential thought for a reason that was beyond my comprehension ... which wasn't nearly as disconcerting to my sorority sisters as it was to me. That was encounter #1.
2) I wrote a thesis in order to graduate as a University Scholars major entitled "An Impoverished Theology: Christian Concern for the Poor in Twentieth Century America." It was an academic disaster ... please don't ever ask me to read it. But it was a good learning experience. All that to say, I encountered John Piper in the writing process because of his doctrine of 'Christian Hedonism.' My first problem with this ... I am not convinced that it is a good idea to try and baptize words like hedonism. Hedonism is sinful ... we don't try and and take words like murder or witchcraft and wrap them up in scripture and theology to make them something other than they are. Hedonism is necessarily self-centered, and to throw this term around affords a misunderstanding that breeds selfishness. Granted, Piper is getting at the idea of God-centeredness ... which is why I think it is dumb that he uses the word hedonism. So I ripped him apart in my thesis.
3) In my exploration of the notion of scriptural authority, Anson showed me a short video of Piper's about the Bible. And it was really good ... it spoke right into my questions about the difficulties that I encounter in scripture.
4) I am currently reading "Don't Waste Your Life" ... and I cannot nail down how I feel about him at all. In just the first couple pages, I found myself relating really deeply to Piper ... his affection for CS Lewis, his taste for soul-food from centuries ago, his experience of having his eyes opened to the wonders around him (I have Tolkien to thank for this is my own life), his 'wandering philosophical imagination,' his dream of becoming a doctor, his feeling of being called to ministry, his frustration with reader-oriented interpretation of scripture (another chapter of my thesis) ... we have so much in common. So I can't hate him. Especially because it is clear how deeply he loves the Lord and the Word.
So here I am ... dancing with Piper's thought. Sometimes it draws me in close, and other times whips me out in a spin that creates a dramatic distance between us. For instance, I am still intellectually fighting against his total distrust of existentialism. Perhaps it is because of my stubborn attachment to Thomas' Aquinas belief in the unity of truth ... meaning that I one should never discount any truth, for all truth comes from God. For example, Nietzsche says some pretty crazy stuff, and he also says some pretty brilliant stuff -- and I should never fear recognizing the truth he brings just because of the whole "god is dead" ditty. Piper is right that to say that Christians should never make existentialism their mantra, for that would imply a total denial of any objective, external, universal truth. But I think the idea that "you are what you worship" (something most Christians rightly buy into) is pretty darn existential. And, as a feminist, I personally have been greatly served by existential thought. And Piper refuses to acknowledge that we can reap any benefits of this philosophical movement. And I think that's dumb.
I haven't even come close to finishing the book yet ... so my ballroom-esque meetings with Piper will continue. Just needed someone to know that I was wrestling with him.
3 comments:
i miss you emily hinkle. and listening to your thoughts. reading them is close, but not quite the same.
Maybe at Christmas you can tell me more -- I'm interested hearing at greater length some of what you've mentioned here.
I generally love Piper's writing and thinking, but I can certainly appreciate what you've said. Maybe the problem was being introduced to his thought by listening to him? It just struck me that I've never heard him at all. I have a DVD of all his sermons (for use with Logos software) -- but they're all texts, not audio.
I really wish he'd come up with a different phrase than "Christian Hedonism." I don't think it even approaches capturing what he's saying. Maybe we can drink Starbucks and Diet Pepsi and come up with a better phrase to suggest to him!
I'm really impressed that even with someone you wrestle with, you are open enough to recognize "how deeply he loves the Lord and the Word." Not many people can acknowledge that in someone they disagree with (even tentatively disagree with). I think that's why I like his writing -- he calls Christians to deeper and higher thinking, praying and living than just about any other popular Christian writer I know of today.
I love you and look forward to seeing you soon -- less than two months!
D!
heyyy ehinkle. i miss you. i had dinner with kimberly and john tonight and it was lovely, but now i also wish i had dinner with you! i am selfish.
i didn't like piper either from what we listened to that one time. i remember thinking that he seemed kind of... i dunno. angry and illogical. i wasn't feeling intellectual enough to say that he was anti-existential however.
i think you're awesome.
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