S1E13 Flesh and Spirit
Dancing is an apt metaphor for the connection between the transcendent and the immanent, the eternal and the temporal, and the spirituality of embodiment. Photo by simbiothy.
What is it to be "spiritual"? How does this differ from magic and religion, and where does mysticism fit in? This week, we address the connection between the infinite source of all existence, and the importance of embodiment for that eternal reality to be expressed. We discuss our visit to some Voodoo spots in New Orleans. Stacie shares a bit from our translation of Tao Te Ching chapter 1. We address three listener questions that all relate to the connection between spirit and flesh, including questions about the connection between the human and divine natures of Jesus, the connection between grace and a new logic of life, and whether Christians ought to consider practices like meditation.
“You can be present for folks when they don’t feel the Presence. ”
Here’s how we are using three terms this episode (there are of course other legitimate ways of using these terms):
Magic: folk practices that try and harness the spiritual world for an individual’s or group.
Mysticism: an awareness and appreciation of the interconnection of the spiritual and physical, and reception of the blessings of that reality.
Religion: institutional attempts to dispense the power of the infinite. We are well aware that folks like Jonathan Z Smith, Ninian Smart, and Stephen Prothero all rightly note that “religion” has many facets and no one essential definition.
We only touch briefly on Voodoo and Voodoo practitioners’ appeal to Orishas. We also realize that, despite our characterization of magic, we recognize that there are ways in which people use this term more in terms of spiritual wisdom and principles, and we do not intend in any way to ignore or dismiss that definition, which we may address in a future episode. We also know of the discussion in occult thought of “Magick” which is neither parlor trick magic nor slavish exchange with petty deities. We might cover that too in the future. For now, we’re trying to position our approach to what we think is a healthy and helpful spirituality/mysticism.
Note that we are in no way trying to be syncretistic when we bring the Tao Te Ching alongside Christian theological themes. Rather, we seek to help people clearly understand both Christian teaching and Lao Tzu’s philosophy by using comparisons. There are, however, important similarities that will inevitably turn up.
We mention Amy Frykholm Rapture Culture, who was interviewed on this old ViW podcast.
Here’s chapter one of the Tao Te Ching the @taosurfers translation we’re working on. (For exclusive weekly translations and brief reflections like this, become a Pattern tipper.)
1.
The Tao set forth as dogma
is not the everlasting Tao.
Words cannot contain
the infinite Word.
The nameless reality is the source
of the heavens and the earth.
The cosmos we can name
gives birth to every living thing.
Now, if you release resentment
and longing,
you can breathe deep,
resting in the sublime.
Yet, through desire,
the material world arises
and begins to dance.
Though the sublime and the dance
have different names,
they share a common source.
Grasping this mystery of mysteries
opens the door to deep understanding.
Related to Lao Tzu’s concept of the cosmos, Jeff mentions the framework of the Genesis creation account in chapter 1. Here’s a chart of that:
This is based on Walter R. Roehrs, “The Creation Account of Genesis: Guidelines for an Interpretation,” Concordia Theological Monthly. 36 (1965). 320.
The closing song is superb and is by Scott Brabson; it’s called “Sivvy.”