Still Running Off at the Keyboard

RELIGION TAUGHT IN PUBLIC SCHOOL

A reader sent in a link to what appears to be the website of David Sedivy, a history teacher at Highlands Ranch High School, 9375 South Cresthill Lane, Highlands Ranch, Colorado. It is dedicated to the Enlightenment. Down at the bottom of the website is an indiction that this is to be used in coursework for his history classes. The title of the essay at the website is:

Theories on Jesus and Christianity: Borg vs Hick
By David Sedivy

In the essay you will find this opinion expressed:

A package understanding of Christianity as consisting of a set of doctrinal beliefs, a code of behavior, and an understanding of the bible as God's word telling us what to believe and how to live. Tied to that was the understanding of believing that Christianity and Jesus were the only way of salvation. It is this image, I believe that has caused many Christians to struggle with or even turn away from their faith. Hick states that this Nicene definition of God-the-Son is only one way of conceptualizing the lordship of Jesus, and that in the new age of world ecumenism which we are entering it is proper for Christians to become conscious of both the optional and mythological character of this traditional language.

If you go to the website, you will see that Sedivy goes on to deny the truth of the Gospels. You will discover that Jesus' life "vibrated" to the divine life, though he probably was not God. You can read that "The real historical Jesus may be released from the stained-glass windows of Christian piety and may once more become a source of inspiration and example to the world." In other words, Hick, speaking with Sedivy's voice, wants to rob the Christians of Jesus Christ, and give Him to the world at large as some sort of magical historical figure who acted with God's power by "vibrating" in synch with Him.

Sedivy sums up this essay by stating

It is the acceptance of the movement toward world ecumenism and the authors' urges to learn from the visions, experiences and thoughts of the other great religious traditions that has aided me in developing my sense of faith to a higher level of comfort and understanding. As a Christian who believes in pluralism, Hick and Borg have given me answers to questions that previously served as stumbling blocks to what I thought I should believe as a Christian. I have learned that believing in Jesus does not mean that I must believe doctrines about him or live in fear of my doubts. Rather, I can trust my own intelligence and strive to keep building a strong relationship with my image of the spirit of Jesus.

This is history? No, this is revisionist Christianity. Why is it being taught in a high school history class in what appears to be a public school in Colorado?

There is another essay in Sedivy's website titled "Historical Jesus" in which Sedivy indicates that Marcus Borg is a member of the Jesus Seminar. This essay deals with the beliefs of the authors of "Jesus Under Fire." It discusses the refutation of Hicks, Borg and the Jesus Seminar, but according to Sedivy

though they raise some interesting questions worthy of discussion, I feel they fall short of soundly proving their arguments. In other words, they did not change my mind. They only offer alternatives that resort back to traditional Christian teachings and in some cases reveal a sense of hysterical orthodox paranoia.

In this essay he talks about "bigoted narrowness and rigid exclusivism" of the position that claims Jesus is the only way to acquire eternity.

Sedivy does not provide bibliographical information on the books he uses in these two essays. In fact he does not even so much as put "Jesus Under Fire"--presumably the title of a book from which he takes his arguments--in quotation marks. He does indicate at the end of the article that the bibliography can be had by emailing him.

Are his students studying the books in question here, making it unnecessary for him to cite more than the authors and presumably the title? It seems to be one of many possibilities.

His "Site Contents" webpage indicates there are many essays in his website. The two I have cited above are linked in the right-hand column under "Ancient Rome" and under "The Enlightenment".