tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post113313785165054550..comments2024-03-27T17:15:37.606-04:00Comments on Triablogue: Tilting at windmills-3Ryanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17809283662428917799noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-1133199848505319482005-11-28T12:44:00.000-05:002005-11-28T12:44:00.000-05:00I have to head out of the house, so I don't have t...I have to head out of the house, so I don't have time to notify Witherington. You guys are free to do so. He is welcome to either post a reply in my combox or send me an email which I'll post as is (unedited).stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16547070544928321788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-1133176074684556262005-11-28T06:07:00.000-05:002005-11-28T06:07:00.000-05:00^^^It's not going to be me ;-p^^^<BR/><BR/>It's not going to be me ;-plycaphimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14310741279438676739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-1133175969955819362005-11-28T06:06:00.000-05:002005-11-28T06:06:00.000-05:00I'm kinda stunned to see a scholar of such calibre...I'm kinda stunned to see a scholar of such calibre bungle up so bad. But I haven't really read his book, so I don't know for sure.<BR/><BR/>And yes, somebody ought to notify Witherington- just go down to his blog and leave a comment. Can't wait to see his response =)lycaphimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14310741279438676739noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-1133164429844973972005-11-28T02:53:00.000-05:002005-11-28T02:53:00.000-05:00>>>Witherington is a very capable scholar. And he ...>>>Witherington is a very capable scholar. And he teaches at the flagship of Arminian seminaries, where he has the benefit of like-minded conversation partners such as Jerry Walls and Joel Green. If this is the best he can do, then he has rendered the cause of Calvinism a distinct service by documenting in great detail the vast inadequacy of its Arminian rival.<BR/><BR/>I had to laugh at that comment! Best...post...ever...So Steve, tell us how you <I>really</I>feel. <BR/><BR/>>>>But this is hopelessly jejune. I have before me The Oxford Handbook of Free Will. This is a hefty volume, 9.6 inches high by 6.8 inches wide, 638 pages long, with a series of heavily footnoted essays and a 40-page bibliography. The volume includes a variety of highly sophisticated essays defending soft and hard determinism—in addition to essays in favor of libertarian freewill. To my knowledge, none of the critics of libertarian freewill in this volume are Reformed, or even Christian. <BR/><BR/>The time is long overdue for Arminians like Witherington to get beyond this seat-of-the pants appeal to their pretheoretical intuitions regarding moral responsibility. Amateur night is no substitute for academic rigor.<BR/><BR/>----I'll be honest here. It seems like every few months now, another one of these tomes is published either purporting to "refute" Calvinism or promote "moderate" Calvinism or some such. This is getting tiresome. What they want to pass off is their own brand of Arminianism, period; and very few of them actually interact with our own writers. It's as if those massive volumes of Reformed theology and commentary sitting on my shelves simply do not exist. <BR/><BR/>The least they could do is be honest. These aren't "modest proposals" they are attack pieces, plain and simple, and bad ones at that. Don't criticize what I believe or teach and misrepresent it; don't dare be a scholar of supposedly high caliber and not interact with scholarship on my side of the aisle and proceed to tell me why I'm wrong and you're right. If you can't properly articulate my theology, you have no business critiquing it. It is high time for these folks to wake up and pay attention to what has actually been written and to interact with writing from their own side of the aisle, as well as ours. You're quite correct. Many times I read these books and know that the standard Arminian commentary doesn't even agree with what the author is saying. As I so often say to unbelievers, "Do you even bother to read what has been written on these subjects?"<BR/><BR/>Was his "criticism" of Arminianism any better? I understand he chose perfectionism. Yeah, that's the biggest problem with Arminianism...a handful of Wesleyans hold to it. (Rollseyes) Apparently, he lacks the ability or willingness to interact with Reformed theology and possesses a singular incapacity for self-criticism. <BR/><BR/>I sincerely hope he reads this review. I'd like to read his response.GeneMBridgeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10504383610477532374noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6789188.post-1133143057866640682005-11-27T20:57:00.000-05:002005-11-27T20:57:00.000-05:00Actually Steve, I think you're wrong on all counts...Actually Steve, I think you're wrong on all counts and your Daddy dresses funny - but let's be tolerant here can you?<BR/><BR/>On an actually serious note; how long did it take you to write that post? That's like my thesis, but longer. I'm simultaneously impressed and depressed or as Bart Simpson said, "I didn't know something good suck and blow simultaneously."S.G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09746381491495106590noreply@blogger.com