EC05: pomomusings on T(t)ruth
May 19, 2005
What is Truth, truth or T(t)ruth?
One thing mentioned over and over again today during our “Truth” Learning Community was that truth is found in community. Now, I’m not sure exactly which way to run with that - is truth found? Created? Discovered? Or anything else?
My understanding of truth is that truth with a capital T, (Truth) can only be found in Jesus Christ. Truth with a lower-case t (truth) is simply any and all truth that is fully present in all of creation, including all of humanity.
Therefore, if truth resides everywhere, and truth is found/formed/discovered by community - then my question is: Who is your community? Because, I’ll guess that many people were going to simply assume that the “community” is simply a community of believers & Christians.
However, it seems to me that since we are all created in God’s image (whatever that means), we are all on the journey and sojourn after truth - the process. And, we need as many people along for the ride to see different aspects of truth and God.
Questions: Who would you consider to be a part of your “community?” and/or “Where does truth come from to begin with?
Tags: Emergent, Jesus-Christ, Theology, Truth
Posted in 
Adam Walker Cleaveland: 
May 19th, 2005 at 9:46 am
I’ll chime in and think outloud. Hopefully I’ve kept the capitalization consistent.
Truth is ultimately found in the Triune-God, or as the Triune-God. All truths, assuming they are indeed true, are windows which allow us to see Truth. Some are large, and some are small; some are transparent, and some are translucent.
Jesus Incarnate was the best and most perfect window thru which to see Truth. Even though the fullness of Truth dwelt in Jesus, the finite nature of the Incarnation necessarily limits the expression of Truth.
Community begins with the church. As the Spirit-empowered, body of Christ, the church represents the next best potential window thru which Truth can be seen. However, because all poeple have been created in the image of God, all are potential windows thru which Truth may be seen. Community must, therefore, extend beyond the church to all humanity.
Whadya think?
May 19th, 2005 at 10:24 am
I will think outloud as well. My mind goes to Acts 2:42-47 The Fellowship of Believers. Who is a part of your community? Well it should go beyond just believers, those who have everything in common(v.44). The Acts 2 church gives light to how the Truth of Christ can be lived, yet the truth of the matter is He came for the nonbelievers and the uncommon. I think there are churches, to take Bald Man’s analogy, that have become more of a wall than a window. I agree Adam, that you need as many as you can get along for the ride, including the uncommon, unbelieving, doubters of the Truth.
May 19th, 2005 at 11:45 am
I think what truth in community is referring to is that of Truth for a Christian is found in that particular community called The Church. We have a particular truth that we live out of that is unique to who we are that is different from an other community- that of other relgions, that of the State, or the world.
When we look at Truth as embodied and informed from our community we take into account the doctrines and practices that have carried, sustained and nurtured the church from the time of Jesus all the way to the present.
Since we live in a post-enlighenment society, we cannot assume that Truth within the Christian community can be The Truth for them, ie it’s not universal- but for the particular people who follow the way of Christ.
shalom,
jonathon
May 19th, 2005 at 11:52 am
ontology / epistemology.
Some things are true without us knowing they are true. Our knowledge of truth comes from our community hermeneutic, but that doesn’t alter the ontological status of an idea.
May 19th, 2005 at 12:34 pm
I would agree that Jesus is the Truth, with a capital T. Within the church, we seek after, we worship, we confess our sins to, the Truth.
I would propose that truth with a little t is God’s providence to all of creation, and is used by God to make us aware of ourselves and in the sense of physical laws, maintain some order to the universe. I take the stance that since we are made in God’s image, whatever that means, God’s truth oozes out of us and out of our culture. How we perceive that truth, interpret that truth, and communicate that truth is based on our context, both cultural and within the community within we find ourselves.
Within the church…there are truths that we idolize into Truths. I don’t want to hijack the topic…but it is in those areas that I would say that we have freedom to reinterpet truth. What we bind as a community on earth is bound in heaven. If we focused on grace and mercy as much as on being rightly aligned with some arbitrary truth, the evangelical community would have an easier time engaging the culture.
May 19th, 2005 at 4:55 pm
I guess I find this all a little bit ethereal…what is the distinction that is being made between “Truth” & “truth”?? Is it synonymous with revelation, General & Special?
I also wonder if we are all “sojourning after truth”? I feel like I know many people that don’t seem that interested in sojourning after truth! But maybe that’s just me being cynical!
May 25th, 2005 at 11:11 pm
I’ve been away for a few days, but I’ll respond since I was the first to comment. When I refer to Truth (capitol-T) I suppose I am speaking of God. I’m thinking of Christ’s declaration, “I am… the truth.” I am speaking of God’s nature and character, God’s plans and purposes, etc.
“truth” (lower case-t), then, are those things which point us to one degree or another toward Truth. To continue the metaphor I used above, truths are the windows thru which we see Truth, the scene which exists beyond.