Misc: Reading Club on Ostler

Posted on August 12, 2008
Filed Under Philosophy, Religion |

Just a few various short notes.

First off my copy of Blake’s third volume of Exploring Mormon Thought arrived. I gather there were a bunch of publishing problems including a large recall by the publisher due to bad bindings. Amazon still doesn’t sell it for some reason but they have a few associated buyers who have it. (I got my copy from Confettibooks although you can buy it through Amazon if you have Amazon coupons like I do.)

Oster3.jpgI’ll be reading Blake’s book over the next few weeks and offering comments as I go. I know the part I’m most interested in is his controversial exegesis of The Lecture in the Grove.

I should note that I’ve enjoyed having Blake as an interlocutor. Those familiar with both of us over the years probably recognize that the level of actual theological and ontological disagreement isn’t as wide as it sometimes seems. I’m skeptical about Hartshorne styled process thought but I fully confess I have a hard time making heads or tails out of it. I think our bigger issue is over the role of intuitions and common beliefs in terms of ontological arguments. That’s epistemology but has some important consequences I think. For one I simply privilege the place of scientific discovery much higher. (Especially things such as the curvature of space in GR and Evolution - both of which have important theological implications)

Anyway, I hope any others with copies of Blake’s book will join along in our discussions. Perhaps making posts at their own blogs. It would be fun to do a full reading club and see how differently we react to the relevant sections.

On other matters I’ll continue with my Davidson readings. Sorry I’ve fallen somewhat behind.

Comments

9 Responses to “Misc: Reading Club on Ostler”

I actually just ordered Blake’s third volume yesterday from the FAIR bookstore. Do you know if the recall was on all the books Kofford published, or just some?

I am most interested in Blake’s analysis of Israelite belief(s) concerning God and the divine council, though almost every other subject in the book strikes me as very interesting as well. Hopefully I will get the book in time to join your reading club!

I would like to join the reading club, if possible. Also, if this route is chosen, it might be nice to have a reading schedule. Thanks.

I had the impression that it was all of them which is partially why availability has been so bad. I mean the first run came out at the SMPT conference but I had to leave while they were just going for sale to pick up my kids. I’ve been trying to order them ever since unsuccessfully. I know at the FAIR bookstore they had a bunch but I couldn’t tell you which run it was from. I know the guys at Confettibooks were only able to get it to me this weekend despite ordering it some time ago. They just got their shipment so if you have questions you might want to drop them a call.

Aurelius, a schedule would be nice. However from past experience most reading clubs get delayed (if not outright dropped as happened with the Ricoeur Reading Club at LDS Herm. Looking at my reading club for the first volume I was reasonably consistent but going by an other reading club I had it started off strong and then few continued. (I’ve had several)

I always like the reading clubs since people get more out of it. Let’s see how much interest there is before I start and if there are people who want to join in but don’t yet have a copy of the book.

All: Greg Kofford has a new bindery for the book and the binding problems have been resolved. Greg Kofford Books is willing to replace any of the first printing with a new copy at no cost. The new binding is a very good. Copies of vol. 3 are now available.

Thanks for the kind comments Clark. I agree that we are often much closer than our dialog tends to suggest. You privilege science (and physics in particular) much more than I do. I take it with a grain a salt. Are any of the physical theories from just 100 years ago still accepted? We know that GTR and quantum mechanics are inconsistent and there is going to be a major paradigm shift at some point if we can ever figure it out. I believe that we are much too full of ourselves and our confidence in our scientific way of parsing the world.

Blake, pretty much all physical theory outside of some biology has remained constant. Even QM and GR were less an overthrow of Newtonian mechanics than finding a realm where they don’t hold. i.e. it was a question of universality. But most physics done today is Newtonian.

But your distrust of science is a huge epistemological difference and, I think, unfortunate.

Well, I’ve already read the book and will happily comment where I can. I especially enjoyed the first half which dealt with the ancient Near East.

I have not gotten a copy yet. I hoped to get one at the FAIR conference, but I could only attend on Thursday and they did not have them by the time I had to leave.

I will order one today and would love to follow along with any discussion here.

For what it is worth, I have been reading a book about Quantum Mechanics for really dumb people, and the next time Clark talks about “GUTs” I will know what he means. :)

Ok, my copy has arrived; but since the fall semester is starting soon for me, I will probably try to get a head start this week!

Best wishes,

TYD

I’ll be out of town for a week in San Francisco starting next Thursday. But that may actually open up more time for me. (Hotels and all) I’ll bring my copy with me and take notes.

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