Some notes in the summer of '07

I'm listening to Celibidache's Munich Philharmonic recording of Beethoven's 3rd symphony as a start to my classical music listening as armour and weapon against all the negative and garbage influences coming at me from media and elsewhere. Why not? It's powerful. And available. And it works, just like reading Homer or any other powerful influence in words.

I also think of the third force created when you realize that conscious efforts now effect all people in your circle of living time. Or just even lightly connected to your circle of time. Definitely your family and ancestral tree.

Even an influence like Thucydides (getting back to influences). You may not think it's practical to read Thucydides more than once just to know it, but a person who makes that influence a part of them will be unusual in a positive and strong way.

I was reading a review recently of Turretin's Institutes of Elenctic Theology. In it the reviewer chose to focus on criticism in Turretin's day (and our day, all eras) of theology as being too theoretical and not practical enough. He then pointed out Turretin addressed this in his work saying theology needed to be both about knowledge and about practice. He was describing the Work teaching of Knowledge + Being = Understanding. 'Being' being practical doing.

In other words, Turretin, the 17th century Genevan theologian, Calvinist, was wise on that subject; and Calvinist doctrine just as the Bible itself is wise on that subject. This is the connection I keep harping on between not only the Work and Christianity but specifically the Work and Calvinism.

Here's the link to that review:

http://www.monergism.com/institutes_elenctic_theology_turretin.php

If you read the review you'll see clearly, and, really, surprisingly clearly, what I am saying.