Sacrificing Our Humanity

What is it that makes us human? We are rational animals. Something critically important about being human is having a body. Everything we know comes to us through our senses. We can think - we are rational - but the content of those thoughts cannot be separated from our physical experience. No matter how hard you try, your thoughts are always going to connected with images from your sense experience (traditionally called 'phantasms').

The digital world is flat, malleable and transient. It is flat because it does not have the contours of our sense experience. Everything is experienced through button presses and lights on a screen. There is little physical difference between pressing some buttons on your keyboard and pressing another set of buttons. It is flat because it doesn't have the physical associations of the world of our senses. In fact, it only really engages two senses: sight and hearing.

The digital world is malleable. Because it is just light sources and button presses, it can be whatever we want it to be. Music does not require the reverberations of air waves or strings, it just requires a button press and some wires. It happens the same way you (digitally) write a letter to someone you love. You craft the digital experience to suit you.

It is transient. It comes and goes. You can, once again, use a button to turn it off or turn it on. You can use your will to do this. You don't need to engage with the will of anyone else. You just decide for yourself when things can start and when they end.

Because we spend so much time in the digital world, this is how we start to see reality. Yet this is not how the world really is. The world is not flat, malleable or transient. The world has more to it than sight and sound - it has things which require physical contact such as touch, smell and taste. Reality is solid, it doesn't move out your way just because you want it do. It has height and depth and width and length - things the digital world can only mimic through images. Reality is not malleable, it cannot be whatever you want it to be. If you don't treat it as it is, you will have some uncomfortable run-ins with the things that do.

We are rational animals. We need to engage our minds and the digital world is often a world of nothing but mind. But we are animals too. Self-moving bodies which work in a certain way and interact with other bodies.

As digital things become more and more embedded in our lifestyles, we need to be on guard against sacrificing our humanity for the goods which digital tools can achieve. Because they are flat, malleable and transient, they are especially suited to fast deployment, communication and change. Yet the rules of the digital world are not the rules of the physical world. If we forget this, and start treating other people and ourselves as malleable things which can be rearranged, rewritten, or even turned off simply at will and without consequence, we are going to have more and more of these uncomfortable run-ins with real things.

The false gods of the digital and technological world will encourage us to kill ourselves for the apparent goods of digital technology. We must not give in to them, but as much as we adopt digital technologies we must also resist the encroachment of digital technologies into the most human parts of our lives. Unless you really need to get something done efficiently, digital tools are not going to make something better. We need to live lives which match the reality of our bodies, and not try to make the reality of our bodies fit with the speed of the digital world. We need to get away from the screen as the centre of our lives and remember that your body is the centre of your life.

Only by doing this often, intentionally, and in varied ways can we avoid sacrificing our humanity to something that doesn't deserve it.

Relations in God

One question summary

Real relations are those which are based on quantity or action. Since there is generation in God (the perfect procession of the intellect (and will)), that is a kind of action. Therefore, there are real relations in God.

Question breakdown

I'm doing my best on this one, but relations are tricky.

Are there real relations in God?

Relations can be ideal or real. This is because things can be ordered to one another in reality (one thing being related to another in terms of size and place or in terms of action) or in the mind (when connections are drawn between things which aren't really there but can be made in the mind). For example, 'animal' is a category only in the mind, yet a man can be related to 'animal' by the mind.

Yet since procession is a kind of action, and we know that there is procession in God, then there must be a real relation in God.

Is this relation the same as God's essence?

In creatures accidents are possessed by creatures, yet when this accident is applied to God (for example, wisdom) they are ascribed to him substantially due to his simplicity. Therefore the relations are the same as God's essence in reality, yet in our mind they refer to something else.

Can there be more than one relation in God?

There must be as many relations as there is real opposition. Yet there is real opposition between the Father and the Son and the Father and the Spirit. Therefore there is more than one relation in God.

Are Paternity, Filiation, Procession and Spiration the only relations in God?

Yes, because relations are only based on quantity or action, and there are only two actions in God. These are the processions of the intellect and the will, or the Word and Love. Each of these processions causes two opposite relations, which are:

• Paternity is the procession of the Word.
• Filiation is the Word proceeding.
• Procession is the procession of Love.
• Spiration is Love proceeding.

Read the entire article here. I recommend you do, as I am sure I have butchered it!

The Martyrdom of Polycarp

A few things stand out from Polycarp's martyrdom.

Do not seek martyrdom

Two individuals are contrasted. Polycarp, who doesn't seek martyrdom and yet dies nobly, and Quintus, who does seek martyrdom but then turns away in critical moment. About Quintus, it says in chapter 4 that:

Now one named Quintus, a Phrygian, who was but lately come from Phrygia, when he saw the wild beasts, became afraid. This was the man who forced himself and some others to come forward voluntarily [for trial]. Him the proconsul, after many entreaties, persuaded to swear and to offer sacrifice. Wherefore, brethren, we do not commend those who give themselves up [to suffering], seeing the Gospel does not teach so to do.

Yet later Polycarp, when he hears that he is being sought to be forced to renounce his Christian faith, leaves to avoid being caught.

But the most admirable Polycarp, when he first heard [that he was sought for], was in no measure disturbed, but resolved to continue in the city. However, in deference to the wish of many, he was persuaded to leave it. He departed, therefore, to a country house not far distant from the city.

Although he is later caught, he does not seek it for himself.

Seek prayer

Although Polycarp doesn't seek to be martyred, he does seek prayer. When he first leaves the city, he continues in prayer for all he knows.

There he stayed with a few [friends], engaged in nothing else night and day than praying for all men, and for the Churches throughout the world, according to his usual custom.

Polycarp is comprehensive in his prayers, doing nothing else than praying for all the people he knows. He even does this when he is finally caught, as in chapter 6 and 7:

Immediately then, in that very hour, he ordered that something to eat and drink should be set before them, as much indeed as they cared for, while he besought them to allow him an hour to pray without disturbance.

Now, as soon as he had ceased praying, having made mention of all that had at any time come in contact with him, both small and great, illustrious and obscure, as well as the whole Catholic Church throughout the world.

Further, Polycarp prays during his actual execution, with a beautiful and again comprehensive prayer:

O Lord God Almighty, the Father of thy beloved and blessed Son Jesus Christ, by whom we have received the knowledge of Thee, the God of angels and powers, and of every creature, and of the whole race of the righteous who live before thee, I give Thee thanks that Thou hast counted me, worthy of this day and this hour, that I should have a part in the number of Thy martyrs, in the cup456 of thy Christ, to the resurrection of eternal life, both of soul and body, through the incorruption [imparted] by the Holy Ghost. Among whom may I be accepted this day before Thee as a fat and acceptable sacrifice, according as Thou, the ever-truthful God, hast foreordained, hast revealed beforehand to me, and now hast fulfilled. Wherefore also I praise Thee for all things, I bless Thee, I glorify Thee, along with the everlasting and heavenly Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, with whom, to Thee, and the Holy Ghost, be glory both now and to all coming ages. Amen.”

Early attestation of Saint's days

We also see early evidence of the establishment of the celebration of the life of a martyr on the day of their death. As we read in chapter 18:

Accordingly, we afterwards took up his bones, as being more precious than the most exquisite jewels, and more purified than gold, and deposited them in a fitting place, whither, being gathered together, as opportunity is allowed us, with joy and rejoicing, the Lord shall grant us to celebrate the anniversary of his martyrdom, both in memory of those who have already finished their course, and for the exercising and preparation of those yet to walk in their steps.

Yet the two reasons given for these days are not to pray for the intercession of the saint or martyr. It is to:

1. Remember their life and celebrate it.
2. Encourage and prepare those who remain to follow their footsteps.

This is reflected much more in the Collects for the saint's days which we find in the Book of Common Prayer and the Anglican church than in the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox church. Yet it is also evidence against a too strict puritanism which would do away with anything which appears to be held in common with Rome. We need to see a Reformed Catholic church. This is one of the reasons I often turn to the Book of Common Prayer and Richard Hooker as a model of ecclesiological thinking.

Polycarp's epistle to the Philippians

Background

Polycarp was apparently a disciple of John the Apostle, and knew Ignatius of Antioch. He may even have been the 'angel of the church in Smyrna' which is referred to in Revelation. I read two documents in the ANF, his epistle to the Philippians and the account of his martyrdom. These are included in Eusebius's ecclesiastical history.

Elders

Polycarp titles his letter 'Polycarp, and the presbyters with him.' This provides evidence for a group of elders who are leading the church in Smyrna. This could be interpreted in a number of ways:

1. Polycarp is the bishop of Smyrna, and the presbyters with him are those under him who lead individual churches or parishes. (Episcopalianism)
2. There are many individual churches in Smyrna, each led by a presbyter. Polycarp is the individual writing the letter, but the letter is endorsed by all the presbyters. (Presbyterianism)
3. There is one church which is led by a group of presbyters (shared eldership, Baptist?).

We can't say from this one letter which.

The New Testament

This letter is full of quotations from the New Testament. I won't present them all because there are a handful on every page - I'd end up just presenting the New Testament! However it is noteworthy how quickly the writings of the Apostles became accepted as either Scripture or at least worthy of continued reading and referencing. Presumably the church is Philippi knew what Polycarp was referencing, so they already have widespread acceptance.