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Andrew Bennett
Andrew Bennett serves as Dean and teaches the History of Christianity at Augustine College |
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To Weigh and Consider...A monthly reflection from Augustine College faculty and friends
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"And when you hear that we look for a kingdom, you suppose, without making any inquiry, that we speak of a human kingdom; whereas we speak of that which is with God, as appears also from the confession of their faith made by those who are charged with being Christians, though they know that death is the punishment awarded to him who so confesses. For if we looked for a human kingdom, we should also deny our Christ, that we might not be slain; and we should strive to escape detection, that we might obtain what we expect. But since our thoughts are not fixed on the present, we are not concerned when men cut us off; since also death is a debt which must at all events be paid."
- from the First Apology of Justin Martyr (c 155 AD) |
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The Christian's relationship to the world and his or her proper orientation towards the Kingdom of Heaven is revealed with great wisdom in Justin Martyr's First Apology. |
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Justin reaffirms that our identity is an eschatological one that transcends our present chronological view of time. It is an identity shaped profoundly by our looking ahead to the end of the age when that Kingdom of which we already partake will come in its fullness. While we wait expectantly as the Church how do we at the same time relate to the world in which we live, since this is our present temporal reality? How do we remain faithful and yet take an active part in our society and the political and economic structures that define it, political and economic structures that are often blind to the Christian belief in a redeemed Creation. Justin Martyr in his First Apology establishes Christians as "excellent" people who are not the opponents of the world - thus not even opponents of the Roman Empire under which they faced persecution. Indeed, Justin displays the quintessentially Christian paradox of being in the world but not of the world, of living in a fallen world that has been redeemed and proclaiming the Gospel and thereby being faithful to Christ.
In our present circumstance we as Christians should not absent ourselves from the world or from having a direct role in government or economic institutions. Such withdrawal is not what Justin Martyr advocates nor is it a position suited to Christian social teaching. While we must hold our civil leaders, Christian and non-Christian, to account and oppose them when they wilfully act against the Gospel, we must not adopt an 'us' versus 'them' attitude since to do so could lead us to be unfaithful to the promises made at baptism, in which we committed to walk in the way of the Cross and to bear witness to Christ. Our baptism is our citizenship, if you will, and our nationality is that of the Kingdom. In living in this world we must take that eschatological citizenship and through our life and witness seek to graft it more fully onto our society. We must be active witnesses in using the talents that we have been given and, with God's grace, seek to transform our world so that it might reflect more fully in its governance the blessed light of redemption. As Justin admonishes, we must not look for a human kingdom as being salvific and thereby deny Christ; rather we must have our gaze permanently set on the everlasting Kingdom and from that vantage point engage the world.
Andrew Bennett
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| Augustine College Update |
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The Roots of Modern Medicine annual Summer Conference was a success! Christian physicians came from as far as Labrador, Texas, Jamaica, and the UK to learn how early-Christian thinkers can help us understand health, wholeness, culture, and our relationship to God and others.
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We are currently preparing for our Alumni and Young-Adults Conference on Relationships, Sexuality, and the Christian Tradition taking place July 14-16. We urge you to invite young people you know to consider attending this event. After the first evening ends Edward Tingley's video presentation What's Wrong with the Title of this Conference will be available in the Media Centre and on our Youtube Channel.
- On July 16 you are invited to our 15th anniversary Banquet where we will be honouring past faculty and friends of the College. Please RSVP if you will be able to attend.
Prayer
We appreciate your support through prayer. Here are some specific ways that you can continue praying for us.
- Pray for our incoming students as they continue preparations to come to Augustine (some from distant locations);
- for the Alumni and Young-Adults Conference, that preparations will go well and that those wishing to come will be able to do so;
- for conference participants, that they will be kept safe in their travels and be encouraged by their time in Ottawa;
- and for a blessed time of rest for our faculty and staff.
Media
- MP3 recordings of both this summer's conferences will be available on our CD/DVD orders page this fall.
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