Join us for a discussion of Norman Wirzba's book This Sacred Life: Humanity’s Place in a Wounded World. On March 27, we’ll be discussing chapter 4. Here are some questions to frame our reading and discussion:

1. Wirzba writes near the beginning of Chapter 4 that the world is not mute from a scriptural point of view, but is “saturated with resonant sound.” In what ways does he believe this “sound” is expressed, and how are these sounds related to the idea of “harmonia mundi”? How did the shift in post-Enlightenment science from a “perceptual” to an “instrumental” approach show a loss of faith in harmonia mundi? (90-95)

2. What are the similarities and differences in the meaning of “Logos,” when looked at from both Christian and secular perspectives? (95-100) What evaluations does Wirzba make of seeing the Earth as a “container” and a “globe,” as forms of logos? What logos does he offer as preferable to both, and why does he believe it is preferable? (100-109)

3. Wirzba writes that “meshwork” thinking challenges us to see the world not mainly as a collection of nouns, but of verbs. What do you think he means by this, and how is it related to his comment on pg. 119 that “things are their relations”? Can you think of some examples of how our public institutions – governmental, business, educational, religious, and others – could be transformed if we collectively adopted meshwork thinking? (109-122)

Join us for the conversation led by Steve Knight and Father Beddingfield. Join us in person or through Zoom at at https://zoom.us/j/8753617165 (for the password, type the numerals for eighteen ninety-nine, two thousand nineteen. No comma or space.)

Books can be bought from your favorite vender or downloaded online. The church has ordered some copies which also may be purchased.