Nate Kerr on the radio
While Nate Kerr was in Sydney a few weeks ago, he was interviewed for an ABC radio programme on the future of the church. It's an excellent, theologically substantive interview – you can listen to it here.
When I played the interview at home, my little two-year-old boy said gleefully, "It's Nate!" And then he added, with a frown of frustration: "But I want to touch Nate." I'm sure you'll feel the same way.
I was a bit annoyed by this to tell truth. I loved his book. But the interview started with a 'the problem with the church is...' thingy. And the answer to that question in the US is massively different to the answer to that question in Australia.
Thanks, excellent!
Ben Meyers, It appears that your son is sorting out some basic phenomenology. That is,
Nate was "in the room in a particular way" but "not in the room in a particular way" as well. A good sign, your son's perceptions, that is. I hope that at this point he wants to touch all the theologians he knows. The day may well come when this will not be so. Nonetheless, I hope he'll be charitable toward those he does not want to touch.
DWLindeman NYC area
Good point, DWL. When some theologians come on the radio, you think: "I can't touch them; but, God help me, I can still hear them!"
Thanks for the link, Ben. A propos to Michael's comment above, my trip down under was an incredible experience as regards learning something of what's going on with the church theologically and politically in Australia, and its differences with relation to the US context (and this interview, in hindsight, was a significant event for me in this regard).
But I cannot fail to mention one thing: The jazz clubs in Surry Hills are amazing!
Hi Nate. As I said, I loved your book, and I have been recommending it to our undergrads here at Moore College. One of em actually seemed to get and wrote a great essay on apocalyptic and history as a result! Sorry not to have met you on your recent trip.
I'll have to listen to the rest of the interview. I guess I was cynical about the interviewer and where he was coming from and the points he was trying to score about 'the church' (whatever that is).
Actually, perhaps that is my main point: talk about 'the church' is always fraught because what we actually have is a 'the churches'... 'the church' is (unless you are Roman Catholic of course!) a theological and not a historical entity... right?
Well done Nate!
Post a Comment