Week 1 - July 17, 2014
How is your reading going? Have you started? Have you gotten bogged down in detail already? Reading Pensees is not easy. Pascal's thoughts are presented without context; it is a rare look into a brilliant man's notepad. With some of his thoughts, we can see why he's thinking them. But with others, we can only guess what was really on his mind at the time. Each thought is fairly simple, yet we do not readily see it's meaning as a part of a whole. We trust that it will all make sense, that by reading them we'll develop a perspective on Pascal's thinking.
There's one thought of Pascal's that helpfully illustrates the challenge of perspective and the contrast between unity and diversity of thought.
Pense #115
Penguin, p. 18 (III.65)
Classic, p. 36
"Diversity. Theology is a science, but at the same time how many sciences? A man is a substance, but if you dissect him, what is he? Head, heart, stomach, veins, each vein, each bit of vein, blood, each humour of blood?
A town or landscape from afar off is a town and a landscape, but as one approaches it becomes houses, trees, tiles, leaves, grass, ants, ants' legs, and so on ad infinitum. All that is comprehended in the word landscape.'"
Reflection Questions:
- How does this thought about diversity apply to Pascal's collection of diverse thoughts? Does it give you perspective for reading them (perspective that might make reading Pascal more enjoyable or simply possible)?
- How might this thought connect with the Christian life? What connections to do you see with the way the one church is described as a body with many diverse members/parts in Romans 12 (v 3-8) or 1 Corinthians 12?
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