Faithing :: Essays Papers

opinioningFaith is an odd sort of virtue. In these days of televangelism, tracts, and the Christian right, unity would be tempted to identify credit with a set of beliefs, a conglomerate of sequent religious propositions that one has accepted a branch of ones mental furniture, so to speak. However, to limit ones definition of opinion to this narrow band is to do faith itself a disservice. In the fib of literature and philosophy alike, there are those who have conceived of faith sort of differently. Among these are Myles Connolly and S ren Kierkegaard in their respective works Mr. Blue and prove for Yourself What these men seek to effect is not so much a redefinition of faith as a refinement and expansion it. Principles, yes, they say precisely furthermore, actions flowing out of those principles. This type of faith is thus characterized not notwithstanding by beliefs, but also the natural actions that come from those beliefs. In this way, faith becomes something that envelo pes a persons whole being it is transmuted into a spot orientation for ones life.This type of faith, extolled by Kierkegaard, is embodied in the character of J. Blue in Myles Connollys book Mr. Blue. Blue was a rather singular person to say the least. At the very spring of the book, the narrator says the following of BlueI have not the slightest enquiry he would have been immensely happy in a poorhouse. He had no money. When by accident he happened upon some he gave it away. He worked here and there for his meals and a place to sleep. He roamed eastern united States and really did get abroad. The while he lived gloriously, and, withal, religiously. He impressed one as a sort of gay, young, and gallant monk without an Order. Or peradventure his Order was life, and the world his monastery. (15)Such a person was Blue. He had superficial interest in possessions, he was much more entranced by a bright splash of color, a marching band, or a sunset viewed off the top of a skyscraper . But above all, his profession, if he could be said to have one, was people. Blue was in love with people, his eye sparkled for them, his mind was on fire for them, his heart bled for them. Blues root word of the ultimate life project was to establish what he called the Spies of God, an unorganized assemblage of people that simply went around loving other people, people in need, poor people.