"Prior to Constantine…Christians believed that God was active in the church, but they had to have faith that God was active in the world, since the world was beating the hell out of 'em. After Constantine Christians had to have faith that God was active in the church, because they now knew that God was active in the world, running the world through Caesar.
Or another way to put it, before Constantine it took courage to be a Christian, after Constantine it took courage to be a pagan."
Stanley Hauerwas - Prof. Duke
"During the Seventh Crusade, led by St. Louis, Yves le Breton reported how he once encountered an old woman who wandered down the street with a dish full of fire in her right hand and a bowl full of water in her left hand. Asked why she carried the two bowls, she answered that with the fire she would burn up Paradise until nothing remained of it, and with the water she would put out the fires of Hell until nothing remained of them: 'Because I want no one to do good in order to receive the reward of Paradise, or from fear of Hell; but solely out of love for God.'"
Slavoj Zizek, "Defenders of the Faith" (NY Times, March 12, 2006)
"I'm not gonna miss what's probably the social event of the season."
"You hate people!"
"But I love gatherings. Isn't it ironic?"
--Clerks
"Jesus' new community is a contrast society, out of synch with the 'normal' order of the world." Richard Hays, Moral Vision of the New Testament
"Evangelicalism is a many-sided conglomeration of related religious movements that are shaped both by the market and by a commitment to the Bible as interpreted according to a variety of Protestant traditions. The market driven character of these movements makes them prone to the temptation of the powers of whatever is popular in culture." George Marsden, "The Sword of the Lord"
We are "aliens and strangers in the world" 1 Peter 2:11
on the day that Dennis Brown's
habbits caught up with him
school children sang in choirs
and out behind the Chinese resturants
guys were jumping into dumpsters
and the stench was overbearing
but they were past the point of caring
on the day my habits catch up with me
i'll be down among the jumpers
--Mountain Goats, "Song For Dennis Brown"