03-26-2018, 04:41 AM
"To this day, almost nobody in academia takes seriously the notion that God built ANE feudalism as His choice."
Christian academia never will. Inasmuch as they do examine ANE feudalism, it's merely as a historical anomaly, a curiosity when viewed through the lens of God's ultimate system of human enlightenment, Western Rationalism, where all debate is basically built on the foundation of Aristotle's Rhetoric. I used to enjoy watching Apologist vs Atheist debates such as;
"DEBATOMANIA IV!!!! Dr John Lennox takes on Richard Dawkins! A No Holds Barred Polite Conversation!"
At some point, during one of these debates it occurred to me "wait a minute, nobody's changing their mind. The little Irish dude has his feet chained to cinder blocks and is hanging by his fingertips before they even start!" There is no possibility of proof within a system that denies mysticism to begin with. Additionally, there is no possibility of debate, frank discussion or even a casual chat on living a heart-led life with a person who cannot envision anything above the human mind and their own self interest. When I find myself in that position, I back off and change the subject, if possible onto something we can agree on.
There is available online, translations of cuneiform tablets, which one can read as source material and insight into ANE, everything from the profound to the mundane. There is not a single book out there, that I'm aware of, that attempts to paint a portrait of life in the ANE from the perspective of one who actually lived in it.
I did find one helpful book called "A course in Biblical Mysticism" by a guy named Ed Hurst, who according to my sources, is the captain of a tramp steamer currently plying trade in Micronesia*, now this book was above my brain grade but, somewhere on my third consecutive reading, the low wattage bulb in my head got a little brighter as it hit me "whoa...this is like a guide to what I've been trying to do". The best part was knowing I was no longer alone.
Our ultimate source of truth on ANE feudalism is, Scripture itself. Reading God's word, prayerfully through the heart will open up a whole new world for anyone who checks their mind at the door, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide in all Truth, the person of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
*I cannot vouch as to veracity of this tidbit of information but, the source also said he is restoring a 1962 Zagreb Kommisar, a Hungarian car which according to the Hungarian Peoples Collective for the Manufacture of Automobile Type Vehicles 1962 manual had an amazing fuel economy of 20 hectares on a thimble of kerosene.
PS. I confess, I confess, I'm the source, I'm ripping off Clive Cussler, oh Lord please why do I write such twaddle. See rule one.
PPS. Rule One. Do not take yourself too seriously.
Christian academia never will. Inasmuch as they do examine ANE feudalism, it's merely as a historical anomaly, a curiosity when viewed through the lens of God's ultimate system of human enlightenment, Western Rationalism, where all debate is basically built on the foundation of Aristotle's Rhetoric. I used to enjoy watching Apologist vs Atheist debates such as;
"DEBATOMANIA IV!!!! Dr John Lennox takes on Richard Dawkins! A No Holds Barred Polite Conversation!"
At some point, during one of these debates it occurred to me "wait a minute, nobody's changing their mind. The little Irish dude has his feet chained to cinder blocks and is hanging by his fingertips before they even start!" There is no possibility of proof within a system that denies mysticism to begin with. Additionally, there is no possibility of debate, frank discussion or even a casual chat on living a heart-led life with a person who cannot envision anything above the human mind and their own self interest. When I find myself in that position, I back off and change the subject, if possible onto something we can agree on.
There is available online, translations of cuneiform tablets, which one can read as source material and insight into ANE, everything from the profound to the mundane. There is not a single book out there, that I'm aware of, that attempts to paint a portrait of life in the ANE from the perspective of one who actually lived in it.
I did find one helpful book called "A course in Biblical Mysticism" by a guy named Ed Hurst, who according to my sources, is the captain of a tramp steamer currently plying trade in Micronesia*, now this book was above my brain grade but, somewhere on my third consecutive reading, the low wattage bulb in my head got a little brighter as it hit me "whoa...this is like a guide to what I've been trying to do". The best part was knowing I was no longer alone.
Our ultimate source of truth on ANE feudalism is, Scripture itself. Reading God's word, prayerfully through the heart will open up a whole new world for anyone who checks their mind at the door, allowing the Holy Spirit to guide in all Truth, the person of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen.
*I cannot vouch as to veracity of this tidbit of information but, the source also said he is restoring a 1962 Zagreb Kommisar, a Hungarian car which according to the Hungarian Peoples Collective for the Manufacture of Automobile Type Vehicles 1962 manual had an amazing fuel economy of 20 hectares on a thimble of kerosene.
PS. I confess, I confess, I'm the source, I'm ripping off Clive Cussler, oh Lord please why do I write such twaddle. See rule one.
PPS. Rule One. Do not take yourself too seriously.