Become New with John Ortberg 31. Why You Need to be more Puritanical
Sep 20, 2021
A reflection on our habit of quickly dismissing people who disagree and why belonging breeds exclusion. C.S. Lewis’s Screwtape provides a lens on temptation and inner-ring desires. Discussion of how disparaging others wins social approval and keeps us from studying the culturally repugnant. A simple Five-Minute Rule practice for listening more and rushing to judgment less.
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Worldliness Drives Dismissal Of Others
- Worldliness is the human system set up in opposition to God and often shows up as exclusion and dismissing others.
- John Ortberg cites C.S. Lewis and notes modern Christianity has emphasized mammon but neglected warnings about worldly vanities and influence.
Inner Ring Temptation Is Subtle And Delayed
- C.S. Lewis (Screwtape) recommends delaying recognition that the desire to join an inner ring is a temptation.
- Screwtape warns modern Christians speak less about worldly vanities, making the inner-ring pull more insidious.
Puritanism Became A Social Password
- Marilynne Robinson observes 'Puritan' has become a shorthand insult divorced from historical reality.
- Robinson argues people use the label to signal membership in a group rather than to understand actual Puritan beliefs.
