Among the many books on contemporary Christian spirituality can select those started by John Eldredge. Its aim is to help those who do not reach to discover its true nature and to establish an intimate relationship with God. But Eldredge did not typically operates rhetoric used in these types of publications. Often links to popular novels and films such as "The Chronicles of Narnia," "Lord of the Rings," "Braveheart," "The Matrix" and "Gladiator." Already the titles of his books are something that distinguishes them-"The Wild Heart," "enchanting," "The Wild Heart. Terms of the battlefield "," Wake the dead ". Here I must make note concern ing the translations. "The Wild Heart. Terms of the battlefield "is the Polish translation of" The Wild Heart. Exercise in the road "and" Wake the Dead "is the" fullness of heart. " On various grounds, that made translation of these titles is such and not another, I suspect that it played an important role Here a kind of "Christian political correctness." According to this thinking books on spirituality should not use too strong vocabulary, and certainly not by military terms. Meanwhile, Eldredge vision firmly based on Scripture is very definitely a war. As he aptly described, this world is not a world of "Seinfeld," but the world of "Saving Private Ryan." Participate in it in the war, which God gave Satan. Fighting for our hearts. Reading the "charming" or "wild heart" we have a chance to understand themselves and their place in the greatest drama. We can also understand why we ourselves or someone you know turns in your Christian life reading fiction.
To understand ourselves and what happens to us by Eldredge we look at the world differently. We should see him with his heart. ("[Let da] you enlightened the eyes of the heart" - Eph 1:18) And an indispensable aid in this story are mythical. The author himself, "Full of heart," but notes that operate such a modern understanding of the myths that identifies it with something false. This approach has its origins in the early history of the Church. When the Good News of Jesus Christ began to spread around the world have to stand in opposition to other religions, which are handling the myths as their sacred stories. The apostles and their successors wanting to give people the truth and save them for the love they had shown that "all the gods are only an illusion" (PS 96, 5). Mythologies have to give way before the Gospel. Another factor that makes believe "mythical" considered synonymous with "false" is a progressive secularization and the associated cult of reason. This in turn creates an illusion of reality, which closes us on the fundamental dimensions of our lives. Eldredge claims that myths can help us get out of this trap.
But how they can be helpful for the followers of Christ? At the beginning we have to look at them differently. Eldredge cites the definition of myth Professor Rolland Hein: "Myths are primarily stories: stories that bring us to something transcendent and eternal, (...) means by which the eternal, is expressed in time. "They refer to something very deep in our nature. Describe our longings and fears. They are trying to tell us the truth about reality. So, the myth in this sense becomes a way of looking at the world and the role of man in it. With such an approach can odkryć three eternal truths- not everything is as it seems to us, in this world a battle was fought, we are in it to play an important role. Knowing these truths opens man to the voice of God that it will lead.
At this point we can say that Eldredge is approaching in their deliberations to the philosophy of myth, which presented Inklingowie. According to these myths are not beautiful zmyśleniami, but a reflection of the eternal Truth. In imperfectly due to the frailties of human nature is said that only God is fully expressed. The whole biblical story, especially the life of Jesus of Nazareth, was according to Tolkien and his friends, the real myth. Like a man used the poetry of history, so God has made poetry. This philosophy myth has become one of the main impulses that contributed to the conversion of CS Lewis. He later used it to create "Stories Narnijskie. But its most perfect expression of creativity is JRRTolkien. Anyway, he did not intend to write any fantasy, but tried to revive the old Anglo-Saxon tradition of brutally interrupted by the invasion of William the Conqueror.
myth, so is a poetic story of a journey that every human life, of the fighting, which during the roll and the purpose of pursued. It may happen that we will focus on its outer beauty, which will lead us astray. However, while we enter into the most perfect voice to hear the Bard, which will reveal to us the divine mysteries. To paraphrase, we can say that the mythologies are służkami Gospel.
contemporary fiction which is the successor of the old stories can perform the same role. It can seduce us with his charm and for its own sake can be a bridge through which we enter into the Kingdom of Life. Selection always makes the road in the heart as a writer and reader.
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