Sunday, May 22, 2011

How ought/must/can one pursue theology? From where you are.

This question has several important answers, all of which help me to see more clearly, all of which strengthen my hand, all of which help me to be more faithful.

Tonight's answer:  You can only pursue theology from where you are.  [Tonight's answer is dedicated to Shane Goodwin.]

Perfectionism

I am tempted to write blogs by sketching them out in a MSWord document first, then editing, letting it sit, polishing, rewriting, then finally posting after it's perfect.  Writing immediately onto the blog puts one in danger of mistakes.  Even my edit-as-you-go mode does not catch all mistakes, especially the mistakes of tone and nuance.

Perfectionism is one of the temptations that will appear in other essays, but it also deserves a place of its own.  "Write nothing until you know everything about the topic, then write with perfect clarity, balance, precision, and thoroughness."  That's the voice that keeps one from writing at all.