I discovered a statement by B. F. Westcott (1825–1901: an English churchman and theologian, serving as Bishop of Durham from 1890 until his death) that added more glue to my Beyond Theism direction as well as putting a hole in the pantheism concept. One rock, two stones if you will. In a work he published in 1883 (that would be 124 years ago), entitled, The Epistles Of St. John, he took on the Abba Father message of Jesus and proclaimed the following.
“Jesus’s revelation that God is Father of ALL men from the Son, to the sons, definitely distinguishes the Christian doctrine of God from Pantheism and Theism”. How so?
As against Pantheism, it shows that God is greater than and distinct from the world (can you say transcendence?).
As against Theism, it shows God entering into a living fellowship with men, as taking humanity into personal union with Himself (can you say radical immanence?).
It just may be my “illumination” (from Westcott), but the fact that Jesus brings the message that God is Abba Father to ALL - not just the disciples, nor just to Christians, but to ALL (God Is Love- Hell Is Not). And since I started with a quote, let me end with one that I pray you can meditate on and take to heart.
This one is by John Frederick Denison Maurice (1805 - 1872 :an English theologian), who said, “The truth is that ALL men are in Christ: the tragedy is that men will not OWN the TRUTH.”
May you!
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