Stephen W. Hiemstra's Blog, page 23
February 7, 2025
El Calloso Juez
Pilato Le preguntó: ¿Qué es la verdad?
(Juan 18:38)
La verdad se presenta de muchas formas, algunas de las cuales preferimos ignorar. El Libro de Job articula tres sistemas éticos que a menudo están en conflicto:
1. Uno es bueno si obedece la ley (ley).
2. Uno es inteligente cuando comprende cómo funciona realmente el mundo (sabiduría).
3. Uno sólo puede ser justificado mediante la intervención divina (gracia).
¿Qué es entonces la verdad?
What then is truth? Pilato fue lo suficientemente inteligente como para hacer la pregunta, pero no tuvo el coraje de actuar según lo que sabía.
La Parábola del Calloso Juez
A veces los líderes hacen lo correcto por motivos equivocados, como lo ilustra Jesús en la Parabola del Calloso Juez:
¨Jesús les contó una parábola para enseñarles que ellos debían orar en todo tiempo, y no desfallecer: Había en cierta ciudad un juez que ni temía a Dios ni respetaba a hombre alguno. También había en aquella ciudad una viuda, la cual venía a él constantemente, diciendo:`Hágame usted justicia de mi adversario. Por algún tiempo el juez no quiso, pero después dijo para sí:`Aunque ni temo a Dios, ni respeto a hombre alguno, sin embargo, porque esta viuda me molesta, le haré justicia; no sea que por venir continuamente me agote la paciencia. El Señor dijo: Escuchen lo que dijo el juez injusto. ¿Y no hará Dios justicia a Sus escogidos, que claman a El día y noche? ¿Se tardará mucho en responderles? `Les digo que pronto les hará justicia. No obstante, cuando el Hijo del Hombre venga, ¿hallará fe en la tierra?” (Luke 18:1–8)
Es interesante que Jesús relacione esta historia de motivaciones en conflicto con la fe. Con demasiada frecuencia nos encontramos luchando con múltiples motivaciones. En la parábola, el juez actúa en nombre de la viuda, no porque sea lo correcto según la ley, sino porque quiere que ella deje de regañar. Es en beneficio propio, no en el de ella, lo que le impulsa a actuar.
El Dilema Ético
Las motivaciones e incluso los principios a menudo entran en tensión entre sí.
Bonhoeffer (1976, 367) cita este ejemplo:
“Un profesor pregunta a un niño delante de la clase si es cierto que su padre suele llegar borracho a casa. Es cierto, pero el niño lo niega. La pregunta del profesor le ha colocado en una situación para la que aún no está preparado. Sólo siente que lo que está ocurriendo es una intromisión injustificada en el orden de la familia y que debe oponerse a ello”
En el ejemplo de Bonhoeffer, el estudiante se presento con una dilema ética y debe decider entre los mandamientos a decir la verdad (Exodo 20:16) y a honrar tu padres (Exodo 20:12). ¿Cómo decides qué mandamiento es más importante?
De manera más general, los Diez Mandamientos proporcionan principios teológicos que describen el buen y el mal comportamiento. Es útil distinguir los principios buenos y malos de las acciones correctas e incorrectas (Johnson y Zerbi 1973, 12). En el ejemplo de Bonhoeffer, es bueno que el estudiante diga la verdad y honre a sus padres, pero está mal que el maestro plantee la pregunta sobre el comportamiento de borracho del padre (y avergonzar públicamente al estudiante) y está mal que el estudiante verifique en público.
Problema del Agente Principal
La Parábola del Calloso Juez y la historia de Bonhoeffer son ambos ejemplos de un problema del agente principal, que surge cuando un líder toma decisiones organizacionales basadas en beneficios personales más que en beneficios organizacionales. En el ejemplo de Bonhoeffer, supongamos que el profesor es un sádico que obtiene placer atormentando a sus alumnos. Al poner al alumno en aprietos para que verifique la embriaguez del padre en público, el profesor obtiene un placer sádico a riesgo de exponer la escuela a una posible demanda por parte de la familia del alumno. Al hacerlo, los intereses del profesor y los intereses de la escuela se desvían, lo que demuestra el problema del agente principal.
El acoso sexual, la pedofilia, la aceptación de sobornos y el liderazgo narcisista son manifestaciones potenciales del problema del agente principal. En el contexto posmoderno, una característica distintiva de una organización amoral es que el liderazgo persigue los problemas de los agentes principales mientras, en general, evita las fallas morales de los miembros y líderes.
En un mundo de motivaciones contradictorias e información incompleta, la ley y la sabiduría mundana son insuficientes. La intervención del Espíritu Santo sigue siendo nuestra única opción. En la Parábola del Calloso Juez, nos encontramos a un Dios que desea ser parte de nuestra vida diaria.
El Calloso Juez
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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February 4, 2025
Truby Outlines Genres
John Truby. 2022. The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works. New York: Picador.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
The logic and beats that structure genres in literature and screenplays are often mysterious. Sure, some authors make their careers writing in a particular genre, but the usual advice offered when questions come up is to figure the category out by reading five to ten books that typify it. Closer to the truth is the observation that genres often seem defined by wish-fulfillment as they scratch a particular itch, like characters who are especially clever, powerful, or attractive.
IntroductionIn his book, The Anatomy of Genres, John Truby writes: “Genres are types of stories: Detective, Love, Action, Fantasy, or Science Fiction.” (3) He then goes on to state:
“Story is a philosophy of life expressed through characters, plot, and emotion. It shows life as art. That’s why stories are the universal building blocks of religion and always have been. Story transcends specific religions, each of which is a collection of stories about how to live an ethical life.” (6)
The bold claims don’t stop here. He writes: “If human life is poetics, the knowledge we get from story is the greatest knowledge of all.” (7) Truby purpose in writing is: “to reveal to the world the deep structures of story and genre.” (8) He claims that the fourteen genres outlined in his book account for ninety-nine percent of the stories today. Those genres are: horror, action, myth, memoir, coming-of-age, science fiction, crime, comedy, western, gangster, fantasy, thriller, detective, and love (10).
Background and OrganizationJohn Trudy studied film studies and screenwriting at University of Southern California. He is an author with several books, including The Anatomy of Story: 22 Steps to Becoming a Master Storyteller.
Truby writes in fourteen chapters;
The world as storyHorror ReligionAction: SuccessMyth: The life processMemoir and coming-of-age story: Creating the self through fiction and nonfictionScience fiction: Science, society, and cultureCrime: Mortality and justiceComedy: Manners and moralsWestern: The rise and fall of civilizationGangster: The corruption of business and politicsFantasy: The art of livingDetective story and thriller: The mind and the truthLove story: The art of happinessThe future of storytelling (vii)These chapters are followed by an appendix and acknowledgments.
The World as StoryTruby sees a dialectical relationship between art and life. If art provides a lens with which to interpret life, it also shapes the life we live (20). This dialectical relationship arises because Truby sees story as instrumental in the articulation of religion (22). Truby cites three rules for storytelling:
The storytelling business is all about buying and selling genres (8).Popular stories today combine 3-4 genres (11).To rise above the crowd, the writer must transcend the primary genre (14).Truby divides cinematic history into two parts: Before and after Star Wars (13). Star Wars combined fantasy with space, science fiction, romance, coming-of-age, and cowboys in space genres. Before Star Wars, movies concentrated on a single genre, like Jaws (1975) was primarily a horror film (11).
This dichotomous view of cinematic history is interesting because life itself is seldom an articulation of any particular genre. Describing a film as multi-genre comes closer to our actual experience of life. This description also parallels the modern period’s focus on the existence of one, objective truth and postmodern period’s acceptance of truth as having multiple dimensions, depending on perception, experience, and preferences. My truth may differ from your truth, much like authors may write from different points of view (POV).
Western and Anti-WesternTruby’s comments about the western are particularly interesting. He sees the western as the American creation myth that is based on the “belief that we can reinvent ourselves at any time, over and over again.” (402) This is myth of progress. “The classic Western shows us history as linear progress, literally moving from east to west and conceptually tracking the rise of civilization from corruption towards perfection.” (407)
The cowboy tames the wilderness, making room for farmers, small towns, and civilization, then retreats to the wilderness to start the process over and over. A classic western film is Shane (1953). The anti-western arises once the frontier is finally tamed, leaving no further room for the cowboy who inevitably dies (407). The classic anti-western film is Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969).
Star Trek (1966) and Star Wars (1977) became cultural classics because they elevated the cowboy to space: The final frontier. It seems ironic that Star Wars went on to motivate the last president to tap into the cowboy motif, Ronald Regan, to adopt a Star Wars 1983 initiative (The Strategic Defense Initiative) only a few years later. Some will recall that Reagan, during his acting career, hosted a popular television series (1964-66) called Death Valley Days that featured weekly western dramas.
One of the most successful political ads ever, It’s Morning In American (1984), by Ronald Reagan focuses on this myth of progress. The theme harkens back to the American frontier and the optimism of eternal progress. Several presidents after Reagan have returned to this theme only to disappoint their followers because the frontier is no longer. Life in the anti-western means that optimism must be based on something other than the frontier.
AssessmentJohn Truby’s book, The Anatomy of Genres: How Story Forms Explain the Way the World Works, is a highly readable and encyclopedic work that explains the structure and logit of fourteen genre’s in literature and film. Anyone interested in understanding and writing fiction should find this lengthy work (710 pages) worth reading and studying.
Footnoteshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Truby. https://truby.com. http://johntrubysscreenwriting.blogspot.com.
Truby Outlines GenresAlso see:Savage: Listening & Caring Skills: Sacks: Why Stories Sell, Part 1Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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February 3, 2025
The Rock: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 3, 2025
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on The Rock. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
The Rock: Monday Monologues (podcast), February 3, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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February 2, 2025
Spirit Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Spirit of Truth,
All honor and glory, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you lay the foundations of the earth and heaven, sustain all things, and show us how to honor beauty, truth, and justice.
Forgive us for our neglect of your creation, the people around us, and your church.
Thank you for the gift of the scriptures, your presence, and the many blessings of this life.
In the power of your presence, teach us your ways that we might share them with the people around us. Be our rock in the midst of the storm.
In Jesus’ precious name, Amen.
Spirit Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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Oración de Espíritu
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
Espíritu de Verdad,
Todo el honor y la gloria, el poder y el dominio, la verdad y la justicia son tuyos, porque tú pones los cimientos de la tierra y del cielo, sostienes todas las cosas y nos muestras cómo honrar la belleza, la verdad y la justicia.
Perdónanos por nuestra negligencia hacia tu creación, las personas que nos rodean y tu iglesia.
Gracias por el regalo de las escrituras, tu presencia y las muchas bendiciones de esta vida.
En el poder de tu presencia, enséñanos tus caminos para que podamos compartirlos con las personas que nos rodean. Sé nuestra roca en medio de la tormenta.
En el precioso nombre de Jesús, Amén.
Oración de Espíritu
Also see:
El Rostro de Dios en las Parábolas
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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January 31, 2025
The Rock
I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
No one comes to the Father except through me.
(John 14:6)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
The fifth characteristic of God in Exodus 34:6 is faithful, also translated as truthful. The Hebrew word, emuth (אֱמֶֽת) translates as firmness, faithfulness, truth (BDB 601). The Greek word in the Septuagint, ἐλεήμων means “to being concerned about people in their need, merciful, sympathetic, compassionate of God” (BDAG 2487), suggesting a much narrower focus. In English, we might describe someone as being true to their word, especially when it involves cost. The idea that God himself is truth pervades the biblical witness.
The Great I Am
The divine image of God lends stability to our lives that cannot be obtained any other way. When God reveals himself to Moses in the burning bush, Moses asks God his name. God responds with an enigmatic statement: “I am who I am.” (Exod 3:14). In vernacular English, a paraphrase might be: I am the real deal—I exist: Deal with it.
Mathematics suggests that we should. Houston Smith (2001, 89) paraphrases Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem with this description:
His famous Incompleteness Theorem states that in a formal system satisfying certain precise conditions, there will always be at least one undecidable proposition—that is, a proposition such that neither it nor its negation is provable within the system (Smith 2001, 89).
God provides one assumption from outside the universes’ closed system that stabilizes the entire system. One God—one set of physical laws throughout the universe. Our reality determined by God and evident through physical law.
Known Reality
If God defines objective truth, which was the dominant value in the modern era, then postmodernism, which argues there are multiple truths (e.g. my truth, your truth), is inherently polytheistic. First century people outside of Israel believed that the gods were territorial. We might anticipate a polytheistic world to have fundamentally different physical laws in different territories. Everywhere that scientists have studied, such differing physical laws are nowhere present.
The implications of Gödel’s Incompleteness Theorem are far-reaching. In psychology, for example, we observe that faith in God serves to stabilize our psyches. The widespread prevalence of anxiety and depression that we currently see may simply be a barometer of the falling away from faith in this generation. Moreover, if the universe truly reflects God’s unity and postmodernity denies it, then we are fundamentally out of sync with reality, which cannot end well.
The Rock
This problem of being out of sync with reality is, in fact, an important takeaway from the Parable of the Two Builders found in Matthew and Luke:
“Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.” (Luke 6:47-49)
Instead of focusing on the builders here, consider the rock. The builders can either utilize the rock to guarantee stability or save a few bucks by not. The reality of the rock does not change whether they do or do not build on it.
The rock is an apt analogy today. Only this morning, I saw photographs online of coastal property being eroded by rising sea levels and apartment buildings crashing into a heap of dust in Turkey, as the earth shook. How are builders today to respond to these obvious ecological challenges?
Allegorical Truth
Jesus does not, however, tell the Parable of the Two Builders to provide construction advise; it is explicitly a simile, as the first sentence makes explicit: “Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like…” (Luke 6:47). The question in view here is about truth. The need to build with a foundation is a concrete, practical truth that parallels the spiritual truth of God. Because of God’s transcendent nature, no viable alternative to such allegorical reasoning is possible.
Faith in God in an anti-intellectual society is particularly hard because of the influence of materialism, which denies all transcendent reality. It is truly ironic to see people making use of technologies that depend heavily on thought processes and disciplines that they eschew. Faith in God is accordingly counter-cultural and has the benefit of preparing our minds for other transcendent concepts, like mathematics and science.
In this sense, the rock of our salvation breaks the ground for a foundation in science and technology in two ways. First, a disciplined lifestyle and allegorical thinking in one realm makes it easier apply the same talents in another. Second, knowing that God created the universe (and is a God of truth), we expect it to be orderly and worthy of scientific study. A materialistic, polytheist would harbor no such predilections and, as a consequence, are less likely than people of faith to populate the scientific community.
The Rock
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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La Roca
Yo soy el camino, la verdad y la vida;
nadie viene al Padre sino por Mí.
(John 14:6)
Por Stephen W. Hiemstra
La quinta característica de Dios en Éxodo 34:6 es fiel, también traducida como veraz. La palabra hebrea emuth se traduce como firmeza, fidelidad, verdad (BDB 601). La palabra griega en la Septuaginta elemon significa “preocuparse por las personas en necesidad, misericordioso, comprensivo, compasivo de Dios” (BDAG 2487). Normalmente, podríamos describir a alguien como fiel a su palabra, especialmente cuando implica costos. La idea de que Dios mismo es la verdad impregna el testimonio bíblico.
El Gran Yo Soy
La imagen divina de Dios da estabilidad a nuestras vidas que no se puede obtener de ninguna otra manera. Cuando Dios se revela a Moisés en la zarza ardiente, Moisés le pregunta a Dios su nombre. Dios responda con una declaración enigmática: “Yo soy el que soy” (Éxodo 3:14). En el vernáculo, una paráfrasis podría ser: Soy el verdadero negocio.
Las matemáticas sugieren que deberíamos hacerlo. Houston Smith (2001, 89) parafrasea el teorema de incompletitud de Gödel con esta descripción:
“Su famoso teorema de incompletitud establece que en un sistema formal que satisface ciertas condiciones precisas, siempre habrá al menos una proposición indecidible, es decir, una proposición tal que ni ella ni su negación son demostrables dentro del sistema” (Smith 2001, 89).
Dios proporciona la única suposición desde fuera del sistema cerrado de los universos que estabiliza todo el sistema. La existencia de un Dios implica que existe un conjunto de leyes físicas en todo el universo (y viceversa). Nuestra realidad está determinada por Dios y es evidente a través de la ley física.
Realidad Conocida
Si Dios define la verdad objetiva, que era el valor dominante en la era moderna, entonces el posmodernismo, que sostiene que hay múltiples verdades (por ejemplo, mi verdad, tu verdad), es inherentemente politeísta. La gente del siglo I fuera de Israel creía que los dioses eran territoriales. Podríamos anticipar que un mundo politeísta tendría leyes físicas fundamentalmente diferentes en diferentes territorios. En todos los lugares donde los científicos han estudiado, no se encuentran leyes físicas tan diferentes.
Las implicaciones del teorema de incompletitud de Gödel son de gran alcance. En psicología, por ejemplo, observamos que la fe en Dios sirve para estabilizar nuestra psiquis. La prevalencia de la ansiedad y la depresión en el período posmoderno puede ser simplemente un barómetro del alejamiento de la fe en esta generación.
La Roca
Este problema de no estar sincronizado con la realidad es, de hecho, una conclusión importante de la Parábola de los Dos Constructores que se encuentra en Mateo y Lucas:
¨Todo el que viene a mí y oye mis palabras y las pone en práctica, les mostraré a quién es semejante: es semejante a un hombre que al edificar una casa, cavó hondo y echó cimiento sobre la roca; y cuando vino una inundación, el torrente dio con fuerza contra aquella casa, pero no pudo moverla porque había sido bien construida. Pero el que ha oído y no ha hecho nada, es semejante a un hombre que edificó una casa sobre tierra, sin echar cimiento; y el torrente dio con fuerza contra ella y al instante se desplomó, y fue grande la ruina de aquella casa.¨ (Luke 6:47–49)
En lugar de centrarse en los constructores aquí, considere la roca. Los constructores pueden utilizar la roca para garantizar la estabilidad o ahorrar unos cuantos dólares al no hacerlo. La realidad de la roca no cambia si construyen o no sobre ella.
La roca es una analogía adecuada hoy en día, donde vemos videos todos los días de propiedades costeras erosionadas por el aumento del nivel del mar y edificios de apartamentos que se estrellan contra montones de polvo sacudidos por los terremotos. ¿Cómo deben responder hoy los constructores a estos obvios desafíos ecológicos?
Verdad Alegórica
Jesús, sin embargo, no cuenta la parábola de los dos constructores para dar consejos de construcción; es un símil, como lo deja explícito la primera frase:¨Todo el que viene a mí y oye mis palabras y las pone en práctica, les mostraré a quién es semejante.¨ (Lucas 6:47) La cuestión que se plantea aquí es acerca de la verdad. La necesidad de construir sobre un fundamento es una verdad concreta y práctica que es paralela a la verdad espiritual de Dios.
El argumento aquí es de menor a mayor, lo cual es necesario porque una entidad trascendente es inobservable. Un ejemplo posmoderno de trascendencia podría ser la tecnología de los teléfonos móviles, cuya función pasa desapercibida para los usuarios que no están formados en programación informática ni en ingeniería de estado sólido. En consecuencia, el teléfono móvil opera a través de procesos que trascienden la experiencia diaria.
Por lo tanto, la fe en Dios es contracultural y tiene el beneficio de preparar nuestras mentes para otros conceptos trascendentes, como las matemáticas y las ciencias, al menos de dos maneras. Primero, sabiendo que Dios creó el universo (y es un Dios de la verdad), esperamos que sea ordenado y digno de estudio científico. En segundo lugar, un estilo de vida disciplinado y un pensamiento alegórico en un ámbito hacen que sea más fácil aplicar los mismos talentos en otro campo de investigación, como la ciencia. Un politeísta materialista no albergaría tales predilecciones y, como consecuencia, sería menos probable que las personas de fe poblaran la comunidad científica.
La Roca
Also see:
Prefacio de La Guía Cristiana a la Espiritualidad
Prefacio de la Vida en Tensión
The Who Question
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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January 28, 2025
Edwards’ Famous Publication
Jonathan Edwards. 20016. The Life and Diary of David Brainerd (Orig Pub 1749). Peabody: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
Review by Stephen W. Hiemstra
In February 2008, I read a biography by John Piper which focused on the lives of three saints whose affliction bore fruit for the Lord. Having known affliction in my family life—my wife had two rounds of breast cancer, my son is a kidney transplant, and so on—this book sparked my interest. Of particular interest was the story of David Brainerd, who suffered greatly in life—losing both parents at a young age, chronically despondent, and infected with tuberculosis most of his adult life—yet persisted in ministering to the Indians of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware until his untimely death at the age of 29.
IntroductionWriting about Brainerd’s diary, Piper (2001, 131-132) writes:
“why has this book never been out of print [since 1749]? Why did John Wesley say, ‘Let every preacher read carefully over the Life of David Brainerd’? Why was it written of Henry Martyn (missionary to India and Persia) that ‘perusing the life of David Brainerd, his soul was filled with a holy emulation of that extraordinary man; and after deep consideration and fervent prayer, he was at length fixed in a resolution to imitate his example? Why did William Carey regard Edward’s Life of Brainerd as precious and holy? Why did Robert Morrison and Robert McCheyne of Scotland and John Mills of American and Fredrick Schwartz of Germany and David Livingstone of England and Andrew Murray of South Africa and Jim Elliot of twentieth-century America look upon Brainerd with a kind of awe and draw power from him as countless others?”
This biography proved irresistible to me and I ordered a copy of Edward’s The Life and Diary of David Brainerd, which became the core of my personal devotions as I entered seminary in August 2008.
Brainard’s LifeIt is easy to get caught up in Brainerd’s life story. As a third-year ministry student at Yale, Brainerd made an uncomplimentary statement about one of his tutors, a Mr. Whittelsey, saying: “He has no more grace than this chair” (28) in a private conversation, which was overheard and reported to the faculty. The faculty expelled him; the presbytery appealed his expulsion, but Yale did not back down. Concern about Brainerd’s case led the presbytery to establish a new school, which became Princeton University which later spun off Princeton Theological Seminary in 1812.
But Brainerd’s influence did not depend on Princeton, which was founded after his death. Because of his expulsion from Yale University, Brainerd could not be ordained as a pastor and he was commissioned as a missionary to the Indians, in spite of suffering from tuberculosis. His illness left him chronically weak, depressed, and frequently spitting up blood. Yet, he ministered from horseback preaching multiple times a day and even lived among the Indians enjoying a fruitful ministry to within months of his death.
What is most striking about his diary is the depth of his personal piety—he constantly praises God, contemplates scripture, fasts, and prays. For example, on Saturday February 19, 1743, he writes:
“Was exceeding infirm today, greatly troubled with pain in my head and dizziness, scarce able to sit up. However, enjoyed something of God in prayer, and performed some necessary studies. I exceedingly long to die; and yet, through divine goodness, have felt very willing to live, for two or three days past.” (72)
Brainerd actually lived another four years (1718-1747).
Life Among the IndiansBrainerd’s work among the Indians did not go unnoticed by local businessmen. On Monday, February 3, 1746, he writes about being accused of a “popish plot” for:
“[vindicating] the rights of the Indians, and complaining of the horrid practice of making the Indians drunk, and then cheating them out of their lands and other properties” (184)
He personally raised funds to hire a teacher to help the Indians learn English, which would allow them also to read the Bible for themselves. Absent this skill, they could be cheated by local businessmen and depended wholly on preaching and the teaching of catechisms (328) to learn about the Gospel.
Another technique for teaching, which is mentioned mostly in passing, is the use of what Brainerd refers to as “ejaculatory prayer” (74), which is a short prayer, like the Jesus Prayer, designed to be repeated as a form of meditation. He later cites a prayer of one of his Indian converts:
“I hearkened to know what she [an Indian woman] said, and perceived the burden of her prayer to be, Guttummaukalummeh wechaumeh kmeleh Ndah, i.e. ‘Have mercy on me, and help me to give you my heart.’” (284)
In my own ministry, I was introduced to ejaculatory prayer by a Roman Catholic Sister who encouraged psychiatric patients engaging in negative self-talk to substitute the Jesus prayer to break the despondency created by their own rumination. In Brainerd’s ministry, he used such prayers to focus his converts on Christ and to bring them to faith in spite not having access to scripture in their own language.
One of the more fascinating stories that Brainerd recounts is his visit with a local shaman among the Indians. Brainerd describes him as a devout and zealous reformer who tried to help his community resist the temptation of alcohol through a frightful costume and prodigious dancing (300-301).
AssessmentJonathan Edwards edited David Brainerd’s diary and published it two years after Brainerd died under the care of Edwards’ daughter, who later also died of tuberculosis. The diary was Edwards’ most popular publication, which seems odd because Edwards is often described as America’s most influential theologian and was better known himself for his role in the Great Awakening.
If you liked this review, you will love the diary of David Brainerd.
ReferencesPiper, John. 2001. The Hidden Smile of God: The Fruit of Affliction in the Lives of John Bunyan, William Cowper, and David Brainerd. Wheaton: Crossway Books.
Footnoteshttp://www.ptsem.edu/about/history.
“Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jesus_P...).
Edwards’ Famous PublicationAlso see:Niebuhr Examines American Christian Roots, Part 1 Friedman Brings Healing by Shifting Focus from Individuals to the Family Books, Films, and MinistryOther ways to engage online:Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.netPublisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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January 27, 2025
Dynamic Love: Monday Monologues (podcast), January 27, 2025
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
This morning I will share a prayer and reflect on Dynamic Love. After listening, please click here to take a brief listener survey (10 questions).
To listen, click on this link.
Hear the words; Walk the steps; Experience the joy!
Dynamic Love: Monday Monologues (podcast), January 27, 2025
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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January 26, 2025
Dynamic Love Prayer
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
Blessed Lord Jesus,
All glory and honor, power and dominion, truth and justice are yours, because you patiently loved us teaching us reconciliation, offering us restoration, and sheltering us as we grew to maturity.
Forgive our wandering hearts, footloose thoughts, and wanton desires. We confess that we are undeserving of your affections.
Thank you for your mercy on the cross, forgiving our sin while we were indifferent to you and those around us.
In the power of your Holy Spirit, draw us to yourself. Open our hearts, illumine our thoughts, and strengthen our hands in your service.
In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.
Dynamic Love Prayer
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/Janu_25, Signup
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