Urantia Book Commentary and Articles

Quest for Spiritual Culture:
An Exploration of the Urantian Paradigm of Spirituality

David Kantor's IC99 Plenary Address
University of British Columbia, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

Contents:
Exploring the Urantian Paradigm of Spirituality
Recovering from the Lucifer Rebellion
Mortal Support of Seraphic Ministry
(For additional background, see also, "Exactly How do Seraphim Work?")

When we gather together like this, it seems appropriate that we consider the state of our planet and ask what we, as bearers of an epochal revelation, are doing about it. The Urantia Book describes a paradigm of spirituality which is fundamental to the social development of normal worlds. We're going to explore that paradigm this morning. We'll look at how the Lucifer rebellion has retarded its implementation on our world; and we'll look at how the seraphic planetary government is mobilized in support of it. The result should be a very practical understanding of how we each can support this paradigm, and thus participate cooperatively in the transformative tasks of the fifth epoch.

Religionists often view entanglement in the institutional affairs of government, economics, industry and civil culture as detracting from more important personal spiritual pursuits.

Medieval Christianity taught that the authority of the state and all the institutions of this world were an ordained punishment for the sin of Adam. Radical Calvinism took the position that true believers had been mandated by God to control sin by means of civil institutions. Conservative Islam seeks to place social and governing institutions under the control of the clergy.

And while good men and women of faith struggle valiantly throughout the world, trying to serve humanity as best they can, the fact remains that the world is desperately short of compelling visions by which a spiritual transformation of its institutions might even be contemplated.

We live today in a world where we are struggling to keep the basic human institutions of marriage and family intact. It is not surprising then, that we would find great confusion and difficulty in attempting to achieve meaningful personality integration at higher levels of social complexity.

It is helpful to think of "institutions" as co-ordinating mechanisms. In a world of active, creative personalities there need to be means for coordinating their activities so they may be mutually sustaining where possible and, hopefully, not mutually destructive. In today's world, the ways in which we affect each other's activities are changing rapidly. When the rate of change exceeds the rate at which coordinating institutions can adapt and remain effective, a threshold is crossed where social breakdown begins to appear.

As the world continues to flirt with this threshold, the magnitude of the potential difficulties seems overwhelming. Global ecological problems whose solutions will require an unprecedented level of international cooperation loom on the horizon. Fledgling institutions of world government, developed to prevent catastrophic wars between superpowers are finding themselves unable to prevent regional civil wars rooted in ethnic conflict. And throughout the developed world, the breakdown of that most basic and fundamental of all human institutions, the family, continues to accelerate.

There has been great success in building military, economic, and industrial systems, but a failure to advance systems which are inherently social and moral. We have utterly failed to match the astonishing accomplishments of our heads and hands with a comparable development of our hearts.

In Paper 92 we are told that, "Modern man is confronted with the task of making more readjustments of human values in one generation than have been made in two thousand years."

In Paper 99 the revelators describe our time as "psychologically unsettled", characterized by "the economic upheavals, moral crosscurrents, and sociologic rip tides of the cyclonic transitions of a scientific era."

The popular mentality is again filled with apocalyptic fears and expectations.

Historian Oswald Spengler, in his book "The Decline of the West" comments on our tendency to equate cultural crisis with apocalypse; to become so overwhelmed by the magnitude of change taking place that we lose the ability to rationally process it and end up projecting metaphysical meanings onto events we observe in the world around us. Spengler goes on to point out that "crisis" is the normal state of Western Civilization.

You may recall the story about Mahatma Ghandi's return to India after his first visit to England. He was asked by a reporter what he thought of Western civilization and he replied that -- he thought it would be a good idea.

Over the next half century, human society will undergo yet more profound changes. It will experience a radical demographic transformation, be challenged by unforseen effects of ecological neglect, experience fundamental shifts in the global balance of economic and political power, and cope with nearly continuous technological change. These transformations are inevitable -- the forces which compel them are already in place -- but what the outcome will be, no one knows.

It is such a complex system of inter-related factors that no one can reasonably predict its likely state at any point in the future. It is impossible to know whether the twenty-first century will usher in an era of human advancement and global integration, or a period of conflict, environmental degradation and human tragedy on a scale that overshadows anything which has previously occurred -- The planet is literally "quivering on the brink."

Broad social trends, such as rising levels of education, attempts to stabilize an emerging international economy, rapid increases in literacy world-wide, and the growing economic and social liberation of women, are examples of powerful forces with unknown potentials for transformative change. The information revolution with its ability to profoundly affect public opinion, is spreading globally far more quickly than did the industrial revolution. And it is clear that the majority of the social, economic and political effects of this revolution have yet to appear.

The underlying forces which determine all these trends however, are human processes driven by human decisions being made on a daily basis. We may not be able to predict the future, but we certainly are shaping it through the choices we make on a moment by moment basis.

The general consensus of opinion held by individuals who attempt to study these trends and their implications, is that the long-term social and ecological health of our planet will be determined by decisions made in the next 25 years or so -- during the lifetime of virtually every person in this room; each of us will participate in determining the outcome.

Czech President Vaclav Havel has commented that "Nothing short of a new spiritual vision of global dimensions will save human civilization."

Exploring the Urantian Paradigm of Spirituality

Most of us would be in agreement that The Urantia Book provides such a vision. But how do we go about applying the ideas in this book to the problems of our world? How do we get from ink and paper to an advancing civilization ruled by spiritual wisdom? While the revelators have generously provided us with a comprehensive overview of the cosmic context within which the present planetary struggle is taking place, the challenge of effectively applying this information lies before us today.

The Urantia Book describes religion as "the mighty lever which lifts civilization from chaos."

But we are also told that institutional religion "cannot afford inspiration and provide leadership in this impending world-wide social reconstruction." We are told that "Only the real religion of personal spiritual experience can function helpfully and creatively in the present crisis of civilization."

And it is this "real religion of personal spiritual experience" along with The Urantia Book's portrayal of the ideals of cosmic citizenship, which holds such great hope for transforming human institutions. With these concepts, The Urantia Book profiles a paradigm of spirituality unlike that of any existing religion or philosophy in the world today. It links personal spiritual development to meaningful personality integration resulting in the brotherhood of man.

The grand panorama of a personal cosmos is first laid out in the Foreword of The Urantia Book. The revelators make it clear to us that the future of the cosmos involves a discovery and exploration of the new realities which actualize when personalities interact with each other in creative ways.

As the revelation unfolds we are told something about the cosmic purpose of all this personality experience -- preparation for creative participation in the communities of personalities which comprise the mortal corps of the finality, communities of personalities who have experientially, over the long journey to Paradise, discovered, explored, and developed their potentials for working together creatively for the Father's purposes.

We are told about our ascent through the "psychic circles" which involves cosmic socialization and the realization of universe citizenship.

Social integration and spiritual growth are inseperable in the Urantia Book's paradigm of spirituality. In this paradigm, the locus of spirituality is in the relationships between personalities.

This revelation describes relationships between persons, from the Paradise Trinity down to those which we sustain with our family members, as the living realities within which the continuous discovery and exploration of an infinite cosmos takes place.

In Paper 103 a Melchizedek admonishes us to "Remember that in the religion of all ages the experience which is paramount is the feeling regarding moral values and social meanings, not the thinking regarding theologic dogmas or philosophic theories."

Just as information about the material world makes impressions on the conscious mind through the eyes and the ears during the process of looking and listening, so do spiritual values make their impressions on the superconscious mind during the process of reflective personality interaction.

In a loving, caring, "authentic" exchange with another personality the superconscious functions of mind are mobilized in a state of dynamic receptivity, open to the discovery of divine values which the immediate moment holds as potentials.

Imagine for a moment that you are engaged with another person in an effort to solve a problem. You're sincerely seeking the best possible outcome. As you engage in this discussion, you try to do your best thinking; you simultaneously attempt to be conscious of the moral and ethical values in the situation.

You try to phrase your communication in a caring and loving manner. The interaction is free from any effort to psychologically or emotionally manipulate the other. As you communicate you are trying to remain "conscious of consciousness" -- you've mobilized your best resources and while applying them you are still actively evaluating -- seeking to discern even higher values.

You may even attain a level of involvement where you actively seek to bring an understanding of the Father's will into the interaction -- you're sharing the inner life with God as you participate in this relationship.

This experience in which the personality engages in a choice-making dance with the meanings and values of the cosmos, is the living process by which we open ourselves up to spiritual guidance.

The Midwayers comment that, "Every time man makes a reflective moral choice he immediately experiences a new divine invasion of his soul."

This living process of relationship is where the fruits of the spirit appear. It is where we apply the higher levels of the golden rule. It is where we implement Jesus' great commandment. It is where Jesus' brotherhood of the kingdom is experientially discovered.

This is the paradigm of spirituality which the apostles failed to grasp!

And I ask today, "Do we get it?" Have we really gained any more understanding than the Apostles had regarding the profound implications of Jesus' teachings about the kingdom of heaven?

In Paper 170 the Midwayers comment that "...to his apostles Jesus always taught the kingdom as embracing man's personal experience in relation to his fellows on earth and to the Father in heaven." "The kingdom of heaven," said Jesus, "is a spiritual relationship between God and man."

Given this paradigm of spirituality, and the Apostle's difficulty in grasping it, appreciate the remembrance supper.

This sacrament which Jesus initiated has the potential for invoking a social context in which it is possible to experientially discover that which he was unsuccessful in communicating to his followers.

The remembrance supper is an intimate social activity. Through the employment of this sacrament we are encouraged to attempt to become conscious of our personal relationship with the Father as well as our relationships with our fellows, and to merge these into an experiential wholeness catalyzed by a shared appreciation of the Master's life.

Said the Master on the occassion of that first remembrance, "Every soul who attains the realization of this united nature of God and man shall live forever. And this bread of life which I give to all who will receive is my own living and combined nature. The Father in the Son and the Son one with the Father--that is my life-giving revelation to the world and my saving gift to all nations."

In the context of the remembrance supper our souls can experientially feel the spiritual state of personality integration which The Urantia Book indicates needs to be actualized as a cultural reality on a broad scale.

A Melchizedek refers to the remembrance supper as "... the practice of the presence of God which eventuates in the emergence of the brotherhood of man."

The Midwayers comment that by establishing this sacrament, "the Master sought to set man's reborn soul free upon the joyous wings of a new and living spiritual liberty."

This "religion of personal spiritual experience," the Urantian paradigm of spirituality, is creative participation in a progressive culture of integrated mortal-divine personality association. It contains an ideal of daily living in which every single encounter with another person is an opportunity to participate directly in the spiritual transformation of the world.

Recovering from the Lucifer Rebellion

Once we begin to appreciate the critical importance of the relationship between mortal personality and the personality of the universal Father, we can more fully appreciate how the Lucifer rebellion has affected human institutions.

Item number one in the Lucifer manifesto was a denial of the reality of the universal Father. And even today, tens of thousands of years later, there is still confusion in the world regarding whether or not this essential relationship with the Father is real, or merely a conceptual illusion.

The long-term repercussions of failing to establish a spiritual basis for social evolution may be seen when we compare the state of our institutions with those described for a normal world in a post-Adamic epoch. Failure to establish a relationship with the Father significantly reduces an individual's chances of perceiving and implementing values which transcend self-interests. And it is from such an impoverished set of values that many of our world's institutions derive their character.

Recovery from the Lucifer rebellion requires elevation of the values by which the people of our world conduct their affairs. On the level of planetary institutions and culture, the realization of full recovery is limited only by individual free-will decision making processes which choose and actualize values within the cultural milieu on a moment-by-moment basis. It's the ultimate democracy and we cast a vote each time we make a choice of values which affect a human interaction.

The trial of Timothy McVey for the Oklahoma City bombing may have settled his legal status, but the task of repairing the damage he did - emotionally, psychologically, socially, spiritually - will continue to challenge the affected individuals and community for many years to come. And so it is likely to be with the recovery from the Lucifer rebellion.

We can get an idea of how the universe authorities are dealing with this situation by observing the focus of the last three epochal revelations. Each of them has represented an attempt to re-establish a spiritual foundation on the planet from which cosmic citizenship might develop.

Machiventa Melchizedek dealt with the very basic dynamics of the relationship with God - its faith-grasp by the mortal mind.

Jesus continued the process with a revelation of the nature of the Father's personality and his love for each individual. Each of these revelations aimed at restoring the integrity of this underlying relationship between the individual and God. Jesus, with his teachings about the kingdom, also laid the groundwork for a fuller appreciation of the interpersonal nature of reality.

The Urantia Book furthers this process with its revelation that this emerging network of spiritualizing personality relationships is a vital part of the living cosmos.

The primary task of the fifth epoch seems clearly laid out before us -- fostering the development in our world of a cosmic foundation of spiritualized personality relationships. This is the essential infrastructure which must be in place before a meaningful spiritual culture can evolve.

Upon such a foundation, men and women will more easily discover those higher values of universe socialization and cosmic citizenship by which our institutions might truly be transformed.

Mortal Support of Seraphic Ministry

There are indications in the book that the number of seraphim devoted to this task is enormous. I suspect that almost everyone in this room, at one time or another, has felt a deep desire to assist our unseen friends in some small way in their task of planetary enlightenment, to support the plans they no doubt have implemented relative to this revelation.

In attempting to get a useful idea of what cooperation with the revelators and their seraphic associates involves, we can study the way in which seraphic involvement in human affairs is described in The Urantia Book. With that knowledge it should be relatively easy for us to recognize what we need to do to support and reinforce their efforts. If we could accomplish this and foster the growth of a readership in which each individual is actively seeking cooperative engagement with the program being implemented by the planetary government, we might be able to do a great deal in terms of helping "apply spiritual pressure from above" to the problems of our day.

So how do the seraphim work?

They are "mind stimulators," continually seeking to promote circle-making decisions in the mortal mind. They "operate from the outside inward, working through the social, ethical and moral environment of human beings." This network of spiritualizing interpersonal relationships is real. It forms a morontia environment in which the seraphim are able to minister to participating minds and souls.

In Paper 196 we're reminded that, "The human mind does not create real values; human experience does not yield universe insight. Concerning insight, the recognition of moral values and the discernment of spiritual meanings, all that the human mind can do is to discover, recognize, interpret, and choose."

It is the Seraphim who make spiritual values "visible" to the superconscious, as it functions in the social, ethical and moral environment of interpersonal communion.

In The Urantia Book we are encouraged to pray for values; we are told such praying indicates that religion "has evolved to that level where the human mind recognizes the reality of beneficent powers or beings who are able to enhance social values and to augment moral ideals..."

From the ministry of the Mighty Primary Supernaphim who facilitate the relationships between the diverse residents of Paradise, to the Primary Seconaphim who facilitate relationships between the Ancients of Days, the Trinity and the Creator Sons, on down to the Home Seraphim who function within the relationships between your family members, the ministry of the Infinite Spirit is continuously fostering the value-potentials inherent in personality associations.

These relationships -- our first living connections with the infinite cosmos -- are fragile, tenuous affairs which flicker back and forth from reality to unreality in accordance with the quality of values being implemented in any given interaction. This is the arena in which the seraphim labor to reinforce the faintest flickers of faith, to strengthen newly emerging souls and immediately begin integrating them with the culture of the spiritual cosmos.

At a conference like this we can actually feel this process taking place -- we feel spiritually invigorated and challenged to be our best in our friendships. New meanings and values appear in our relationships with each other on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

Consider for a moment some of the angelic orders which serve in this personal universe:

The Interpreters of Cosmic Citizenship

The Union of Souls

The Spirits of Brotherhood

The Ethical Sensitizers

The Social Architects

The Heart of Counsel

The Satisfaction of Service

The Quickeners of Morality

-- the list goes on and on. Just contemplating these names gives us a glimpse into the personal nature of the spiritual cosmos. This entire ministry of the angelic orders is focused on the spiritual enhancement of relationships between personalities.

The Master Seraphim of Planetary Supervision foster the development of human institutions by making higher values available to the mortals who participate in the work of those institutions. These seraphim minister within social groups -- the angels of the churches, the angels of the races, the angels of progress, the home seraphim. The angels of enlightenment are occupied, not only with the mental and moral training of individuals, but of small groups -- families, groups, schools, communities -- virtually any association of mortals persisting over some period of time seems to provide a context for seraphic ministry.

How do we support their work? Six quick action-points:

1. First and foremost is our personal relationship with the Father. The secret of Jesus' unparalleled religious life was his consciousness of the presence of God; and he attained it by intelligent prayer and sincere worship--unbroken communion with God. God needs to become an integral part of all our processes.

2. We support seraphic efforts by cultivating a sensitivity to the divine values they attempt to bring to our attention.

3. We support their work by courageously choosing those values to shape our relationships with others -- "by decisions, by more decisions, and by more decisions."

4. We support seraphic services when we reinforce the higher value-choices we recognize being made by our fellows -- stabilizing and affirming existing values where appropriate; recognizing and reinforcing religious living in others.

5. We lay the groundwork for enhanced seraphic action when we provide spiritually useful information. Get The Urantia Book spread around the planet. Remember the parable of the sower. Jesus said that this parable was a hint as to what messengers of the kingdom might expect in their ministry from generation to generation as time passed. Don't assume that we'll always have the remarkable global transportation and communication infrastructure which we enjoy today. Maximize all available opportunities and resources for the spread of the revelation. Don't wait for things to happen -- make them happen.

6. Be involved; participate creatively in human associations. Rededicate yourself to service in your marriage and your family, your work community and your study group. The cultural icon of the monastic saint living in contemplative bliss aloof from the cares of less enlightened folk is no longer useful. Mother Theresa, Dag Hammersjold, Vaclav Havel, countless men and women with high ideals, working in the inner city, in classrooms, in churches, struggling to revitalize our institutions -- these are the new icons of the applied spirituality of the fifth epoch. The benign virus of love is not going to invade the sentimental emotion stream of humanity unless we're out there helping to make the personality connections necessary for its transmission.

By dedicating ourselves to such a program, by choosing the highest values we can recognize in any given situation, we can serve as conduits through which the higher values of the spiritual world may be passed to the mortal world and incorporated into planetary institutions.

"True religion," a Melchizedek tells us, "is the devotion of the self to the service of meaningful and supreme values."

This vision is ennobling. Your family, the local school board on which you serve, your kid's soccer team, the youth group at your church, the working group at your office -- When you realize that these are all arenas in which the seraphim are laboring to achieve a spiritual transformation, the most commonplace tasks of daily life take on cosmic significance and become worthy of our best efforts. This is how the religion of personal spiritual experience can become "the mighty lever which lifts civilization from chaos."

Conclusion

In closing, I would like to ask you to take a deep breath, and take a moment to look around you. Impress upon your mind the image of this beautiful room and the hundreds of readers sitting around you. Recall the moments of worship, insight and love which you have experienced here -- impress these realities into your memory.

And as you serve in the years to come, when you run into difficulty or feel overwhelmed by circumstances, reflect back on this moment, a time in which you sat in assembly with a gathering of universe conscious citizens of Urantia. In your times of challenge, rest assured that many of these individuals are valiantly serving the Father's purposes in their own corners of the world, in their own sets of challenging circumstances.

Look ahead as well, to a reunion on the mansion worlds, where we can reminisce about the Urantia adventure, deepen our friendships, and perhaps be launched on the universe career in the company of cherished friends from the mortal adventure.

And as you leave here today, and see your fellows streaming out of the doors of this auditorium, appreciate the fact that they are on their way to Africa, Asia, the Pacific; to Europe, to North and South America, carrying a heightened understanding of the kingdom of heaven to be planted in the families and human associations of our world.

May God richly bless each and every one of you with unlimited opportunities to participate uin the spiritual transformation of our world.

Labels: David Kantor, Lucifer Rebellion, religion, Seraphic ministry, spirituality, The Urantia Book, Urantian

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Sunday, January 27, 2008

Safeguarding the Symbols of Urantian Faith

David Kantor
February 2001

This essay is based almost entirely upon ideas found in
theologian Paul Tillich's book, "Dynamics of Faith."

1. The Meaning of Symbol
The authors of The Urantia Book comment at 100:6.1 (p 1100) that, "Religion is not a specific function of life; rather is it a mode of living. True religion is a wholehearted devotion to some reality which the religionist deems to be of supreme value to himself and for all mankind." In his theological writing, Paul Tillich uses the term "ultimate concern" to symbolize what The Urantia Book is referring to as "wholehearted devotion."

Tillich contends that our "ultimate concern" must be expressed symbolically, because symbolic language alone is able to express the ultimate, which we can experientially know (through worship) as being far beyond word or description. This statement demands explanation in several respects. In spite of the manifold research about the meaning and function of symbols which is going on in contemporary philosophy, every writer who uses the term â€œsymbolâ€� must explain his understanding of it.

Consider the comment made by the revelators at 112:2.7 (p 1228): "As mind pursues reality to its ultimate analysis, matter vanishes to the material senses but may still remain real to mind. When spiritual insight pursues that reality which remains after the disappearance of matter and pursues it to an ultimate analysis, it vanishes to mind, but the insight of spirit can still perceive cosmic realities and supreme values of a spiritual nature. Accordingly does science give way to philosophy, while philosophy must surrender to the conclusions inherent in genuine spiritual experience. Thinking surrenders to wisdom, and wisdom is lost in enlightened and reflective worship."

The symbol may be understood as that which occupies mind as it begins to make the transit from thought to worship. In various cultures these sacred symbols may take an almost endless variety of forms from ritual dancing to passages contained in a sacred text. The symbol mediates the presence of the divine to the mortal mind, but the symbol is transcended once consciousness embraces the reality to which the symbol points.

Symbols have one characteristic in common with signs in that they point beyond themselves to something else. The red light at the street corner points to the order to stop the movements of cars at certain intervals. A red light and the stopping of cars have essentially no relation to each other, but in common usage they may be united as long as such a convention is maintained by participating persons. The same is true of letters and numbers and sometimes even of words -- they point beyond themselves to sounds and meanings. They are given this special function by convention within a nation or by international conventions, such as agreement regarding mathematical signs. Sometimes such signs are called symbols; but this is unfortunate because it makes the distinction between signs and symbols more difficult. Decisive is the fact that signs do not participate in the reality of that to which they point (stop signs), while symbols do (a mandala or the cross of Christianity). Therefore, signs can be replaced for reasons of expediency or convention, while symbols cannot. The second characteristic of the symbol then, is that it participates in that to which it points by evoking a response from deeper levels of mind, as contrasted with a sign which merely asks us to recognize a socially contrived convention.

The third characteristic of a symbol is that it opens up levels of reality which otherwise are closed for us. All arts create symbols for a level of reality which cannot be reached in any other way. Music, a painting or a poem may reveal elements of reality which cannot be approached scientifically or through logical deduction. In the creative work of art we encounter reality in a dimension which is closed for us without such works.

The symbolâ€™s fourth characteristic not only opens up dimensions and elements of reality which otherwise would remain unapproachable, but also unlocks dimensions and elements of our soul which correspond to the dimensions and elements of reality. A great play gives us not only a new vision of the human scene, but opens up hidden depths of our own being. Thus we are able to receive what the play reveals to us in reality. There are within us dimensions of which we cannot become aware except through symbols, such as those which are brought into consciousness by certain melodies and rhythms in music.

The fifth characteristic of sacred symbols is that they cannot be produced intentionally. They grow out of the individual or collective unconscious and cannot function without being accepted by the unconscious dimension of our being. Symbols which have an especially social function, as political and religious symbols, are created or at least accepted by the collective unconscious of the group in which they appear.

The sixth and last characteristic of the symbol is a consequence of the fact that symbols cannot be invented. Like living beings, they grow and they die. They grow when the situation is ripe for them, and they die when the situation changes. The symbol of the â€œkingâ€� grew in a special period of history, and it died in most parts of the world in our period. Symbols do not grow because people are longing for them, and they do not die because of scientific or practical criticism. They die because they lose the power to produce a particular response in the group in which they originally found expression.

These are the main characteristics of every symbol. Genuine symbols are created in several spheres of manâ€™s cultural creativity. We have mentioned already the artistic realm. We could add history, politics, religion and, in the case of Urantians, symbols given as a gift by revelation.

2. Religious Symbols and Spiritual Life
We have discussed the meaning of symbols generally because, as we said, manâ€™s ultimate concern must be expressed symbolically! One may ask: Why can it not be expressed directly and properly? If money, success or the nation is someoneâ€™s ultimate concern, can this not be said in a direct way without symbolic language? Is it not only in those cases in which the content of the ultimate concern is called â€œGodâ€� that we are in the realm of symbols? The answer is that anything which is a matter of unconditional concern becomes a god in the life of the person whose life is oriented toward that particular concern. If the nation is someoneâ€™s ultimate concern, the name of the nation becomes a sacred name and the nation receives divine qualities which far surpass the reality of the being and functioning of the nation. The nation then stands for and symbolizes the true ultimate for that person, but in an idolatrous way.

In this context it should be kept in mind that one's ultimate concern is, by definition, that central concern relative to which all other values and meanings of both the personal and social life are made subordinate. The extent to which one's ultimate concern is the preservation of a social role, a belief system, an ideology, or a even a community is the extent to which one's faith has become idolatrous -- simply because that which should be the transcendent nature of one's ultimate concern has become embodied in something finite.

These insights of Tillich's are expressed in The Urantia Book at 100:6.2 (p 1100) where the revelators comment that, "The accepted supreme value of the religionist may be base or even false, but it is nevertheless religious. A religion is genuine to just the extent that the value which is held to be supreme is truly a cosmic reality of genuine spiritual worth."

Economic, political or institutional success as ultimate concern is not the natural desire of Adjuster-indwelt personalities. Rather does such an ultimate concern demonstrate mortal readiness to sacrifice all other values of life for the sake of a position of power and social predominance. The anxiety about not being an economic or professional success is an idolatrous form of the anxiety about divine condemnation. Success becomes viewed as grace; lack of success, ultimate judgment. In this way concepts designating ordinary realities become idolatrous symbols of ultimate concern.

It is important to appreciate that the true ultimate transcends the realm of finite reality infinitely. Therefore, no finite reality can express it directly and properly. The language of faith is the language of symbols. God is the fundamental symbol for that which concerns us ultimately.

In the idea of God we must distinguish two elements: the element of ultimacy, which is a matter of immediate spiritual experience and not symbolic in itself, and the element which is taken from our ordinary experience and symbolically used to represent this experience in thought and conversation. The person whose ultimate concern is a sacred tree has both the ultimacy of concern and the concreteness of the tree which he uses to symbolize his relation to the ultimate. The person who glorifies Jahweh, the God of the Old Testament, has both an ultimate concern and a concrete image of what concerns him ultimately. For many Urantians, The Urantia Book itself has become such a symbol, representing an ultimate concern even for individuals who do not grasp very much of its content as well as mediating access to the divine for many who take the time to explore its conceptual landscape. But The Urantia Book can also become the focus of idolatry when values demanded by loyalty to deity are sacrificed to temporal objectives related to the book as a source of material, social and religious power.

God is the primary symbol of faith, but not the only one. All the qualities we attribute to him -- power, love, justice -- are taken from finite experiences and applied symbolically to that which is beyond finitude and infinity. If faith calls God "almighty," it uses the human experience of power in order to symbolize the content of its ultimate concern. So it is with all the other qualities and with all the actions, past, present and future, which we attribute to God. They are conceptual symbols taken from our daily experience, and not necessarily information about what God did once upon a time or will do sometime in the future. Faith is not the belief that such stories are literally true; rather is faith the acceptance of such stories as symbolic expressions of our ultimate concern in terms of divine actions.

Another group of symbols of faith are manifestations of the divine in things and events, in persons and communities, in words, documents and books. This whole realm of sacred objects is a treasure of symbols. Holy things are not holy in themselves, but holy in a human sense because they point beyond themselves to the source of all holiness, that which is of ultimate concern.

3. Symbols and Myths
The symbols of faith do not appear in isolation. They are united in "stories of the gods," which is the meaning of the Greek word "mythos" -- myth. In Greek mythology the gods are individualized figures, analogous to human personalities, sexually differentiated, descending from each other, related to each other in love and struggle, producing world and humanity, acting in time and space. They participate in human greatness and misery, in creative and destructive works. They give to man cultural and religious traditions, and defend these sacred rites. They help and threaten the human race, especially some families, tribes or nations. They appear in epiphanies and incarnations, establish sacred places, rites and persons, and thus create a cult. But they themselves are under the command and threat of a fate which is beyond everything that is. This is mythology as developed most impressively in ancient Greece. It is the world of the myth, great and strange, always changing but fundamentally the same: Man's ultimate concern symbolized in divine figures and actions. Myths are symbols of faith combined in stories about divine-human encounters.

It is interesting to note in this regard that The Urantia Book, in its presentation of a theology of interpersonal relationships, develops its mythology around the relationships between the gods and the activities repercussing in the time/space domains as a result of those interpersonal relationships. In our mythology, these relationships between the gods become archetypal elements within the minds of those mortals actively pursuing the goal of cosmic citizenship through service relationships with their fellows.

Thus the concentric circles symbol provided by the Urantia revelation is integrated with and expressive of the core content of the revelation. It is a symbol which allows us to integrate our understanding of Michael's bestowal, his universe government, and the overcontrol of the Paradise Trinity in the processes of Supremacy -- our growing relationships with each other and with God.

4. Urantian Symbols
If we accept the idea that one of the primary purposes of the fifth epochal revelation is to revitalize spiritual life and religious living on our planet, we can look at the revelation and ask, "What tools have the revelators provided in order to help us realize this purpose?" Given what we know about the mythological and symbolic content of religious expression, there are three gifts contained within the revelation which can support Urantian religion. These are:

1) The remembrance supper
2) The prayers in Paper 144
3) The concentric circles symbol

In visiting groups of readers all over North America and in a number of foreign countries, these three elements of the revelation always seem to emerge naturally in readership communities as symbolic touchstones of shared commitment to the teachings of the revelation. The remembrance supper is engaged in as a "symbolic rendezvous with Michael." The prayers in section 5 of Paper 144 are often used for liturgical purposes. The concentric circles symbol is invariably used in the form of a banner or large poster at the front of rooms in which meetings are held. It is also used in a manner similar to the fish symbol of early Christianity to guide people to places where meetings are being held -- on signposts in parking lots or along walkways.

The preservation of these religious treasures which have been given as gifts to us from the revelators are honored when we use them for the religious purposes for which they were provided. They are desecrated when used for secular purposes, such as the attempted use of the concentric circles symbol to designate commercial goods and services or a business plan.

Because of the religious nature of these symbols, the responsibility for their protection cannot lie anywhere else than with the readership -- a readership which has the choice of using these symbols to represent the realities to which they relate in the revelation, or to allow their spiritual and symbolic power to be destroyed by using them as mere commercial signs. The spiritual power of these symbolic tools with which future generations of Urantians might facilitate the appearance of a new age of religion on our world depends upon choices which each of us make in our daily lives -- choices as to how we will use and understand the sacred symbols of the fifth epochal revelation and the degree to which we are willing to tolerate their misuse.

Labels: concentric circles, David Kantor, God, myths, Paul Tillich, religious symbols, remembrance supper, spiritual life, The Urantia Book

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Thursday, January 10, 2008

How Jesus Taught

How Jesus Taught
by David Kantor

Contents of this study:
1. He received a comprehensive intellectual and spiritual education during his early life.
2. He prepared for his public ministry by engaging in personal ministry and travel.
3. Cosmic background for his career of ministry.
4. Specific techniques and approaches used by Jesus.
5. How can we particpate in Jesus' mission?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

He received a comprehensive intellectual and spiritual education during his early life

He asked questions. His parents answered his constant questions during his childhood -- "he was one continuous question mark." [123:2.3] (1358,1)

Later he continued to ask "many embarrassing questions concerning both science and religion . . ." [123:6.6] (1365,1)

He established an active prayer life. After his regular prayers he would always have "just a little talk with my Father in heaven." [123:3.6] (1360,2)

His home life was structured around an established system of parental involvement in children's education. [123:2.5] (1358,4)

He took care of plants, drew maps, studied the stars, and became fluent in three languages. [123:2.7] (1358,5)

He was exposed to many truth seekers because his family possessed a rare copy of the scriptures. [123:3.1] (1359,2)

He early learned about prudent financial management by administering the funds derived from the sale of doves. [123:4.4] (1361,4)

He later took over responsiblity for managing the family's affairs upon the death of Joseph. [126:2.2] (1388)

He received his moral and spiritual training at home, his theological and intellectual education from the Chazan at the Nazareth synagogue. [123:5.8] (1363,2)

He attended to the development of social skills. He spent a lot of time mingling with people and getting to know them. [123:5.6] (1362,7), [129:1.9] (1420,6)

He studied mathematics. [123:6.3] (1364,6)

He studied music. [123:6.5] (1364,8)

He interacted with religious leaders--the scribes and teachers in the temple.[125:4.1 through next three sections] (1381,4)

He took advanced courses in reading and was deeply involved in the intellectual and spiritual education of his younger brothers and sisters. [126:1.3] (1387,4), [126:3.3](1389,6)

He developed a variety of vocational skills. [126:1.1] (1387,2)

A good summary of the real achievements of his early education may be found at [127:6.12 through the end of the section] (1405,5 through the end of the section).

He prepared for his public ministry by engaging in personal ministry and travel
Tour of the Roman world and his personal ministry to more than 500 individuals.

[Paper 130](Page 1427) See also comments about his personal ministry during this trip. [132:4.1 through end of section] (1460, Section 4)

Caravan trip to the Caspian region and the Urmia lectures. [134:2.1 through end of section 6] (1484, Sections 2 and 3)

At Antioch, he lived for over two months, "working, observing, studying, visiting, ministering, . . . learning how man lives, how he thinks, feels and reacts to the environment of human existence." [134:7.3] (1492,4)

He spent time with God and critically evaluated his situation and opportunities. [134:7.1 through end of section] (1492, Section 7), [134:8.1 through end of section] (1492, Section 8)

Review Midwayer's comments about his perfected character, "The Acme of Religious Living." [100:7.1 through end of section] (1101, Section 7)

Cosmic background for his career of ministry

Review background of his bestowal. [120:1.1 through end of Paper 120] (1325, Section 1, through end of Paper 120)

Review the basics of the Nebadon educational system. [37:6.1 through end of section] (412,2 through end of section)

Review the basic objectives of Jesus' ministry. [140:8.18 through end of section] (1581,6 through end of section)

Review the objectives he had in training his disciples and apostles. [141:7.3 through end of section] (1593,5), also see "Four Months of Training." [137:7.1 through end of section] (1534, Section 7)

Specific techniques and approaches used by Jesus

Review Jesus' "Instructions for Teachers and Believers" -- "In teaching the gospel of the kingdom you are simply teaching friendship with God." [159:3.1 through end of section] (1765, Section 3)

His usual technique of social contact was to draw people out and into talking with him by asking questions. [132:4.2] (1460,7)

He used parables constructed around patterns and relationships in nature -- the vine and the branches, the mustard seed, the good shepherd.

He used symbols, particularly those which were associated with religious ceremonies in the minds of his hearers -- the light of the world, the living water, the bread of life.

He taught "as he passed by . . ." [171:7.1 through end of section] (1874, Section 7)

His teaching was appropriate to the context in which he found himself; he did not overteach [137:7.14] (1535,7)
Regarding overteaching, see comments about the approach used by the Prince's staff. [66:6.6] (750,1)

He built on what his listener already understood, enhancing and uplifting their ideals. See his interaction with Gadiah and the story of Jonah. [130:1.2] (1428, Section 1)

He did not attack the errors in his listener's beliefs; he was adept at enhancing the truth in scriptures or philosophies, wherever he found it. [132:0.4] (1455,4)

His teaching was "thrillingly dynamic," he "went about doing good." [141:3.6] (1590,2)

He didn't "grow weary" in his teaching; when he failed to reach the minds of all the apostles by means of one illustration, he would restate his message and attempt to use some other illustration. [141:4.3] (1590,7)

"Again and again he warned his apostles against the formulation of creeds and the establishment of traditions as a means of guiding and controlling believers..." [141:5.4] (1592,3)

First bring people into the kingdom; make sure they know God as their Father. After this it may then be appropriate to discuss matters related to the progressive advancement of the soul . [141:6.4] (1592,7)

He wasn't concerned about the association of his gospel with other teachings. When John forbade a stranger from teaching in the name of Jesus, Jesus said, "Forbid him not. . . how can you expect that all who believe this gospel will be subject to your direction?" [159:2.1] (1764, 3)

He refused to use power to manipulate situations for spiritual purposes. [136:8.8] (1521,3)

How can we participate in Jesus' mission?

By taking up his unfinished business of actualizing the kingdom of heaven in our world. Review "Christianity's Problem," and "The Future." [195:9.1 through end of Paper 195] (2082, Section 9)

Review his last words of admonition prior to departing from our world at the end of his bestowal -- ". . . you shall begin the new proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom . . . Love men with the love wherewith I have loved you and serve your fellow mortals even as I have served you . . . By the fruits of your lives impel souls to believe . . . Remember all I have taught you and the life I lived among you . . . My love overshadows you, my spirit will dwell with you, and my peace shall abide upon you . . ." [193:5.2] (2057,4)

Labels: David Kantor, Jesus, Jesus's life, mission, public ministry, teaching

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Monday, February 06, 2006

How Jesus Taught

How Jesus Taught
by David Kantor

He received a comprehensive intellectual and spiritual education
during his early life
1. He asked questions. His parents answered his constant questions
  during his childhood -- "he was one continuous question mark." [123:2.3]
  (1358,1) Later he continued to ask "many embarrassing questions
  concerning both science and religion . . ." [123:6.6]
  (1365,1)
2. He established an active prayer life. After his regular prayers
  he would always have "just a little talk with my Father in heaven."
  [123:3.6]
  (1360,2)
3. His home life was structured around an established system of
  parental involvement in children's education. [123:2.5]
  (1358,4)
4. He took care of plants, drew maps, studied the stars, and became
  fluent in three languages. [123:2.7]
  (1358,5)
5. He was exposed to many truth seekers because his family
  possessed a rare copy of the scriptures. [123:3.1]
  (1359,2)
6. He early learned about prudent financial management by
  administering the funds derived from the sale of doves. [123:4.4]
  (1361,4) He later took over responsiblity for managing the family's
  affairs upon the death of Joseph. [126:2.2]
  (1388)
7. He received his moral and spiritual training at home, his
  theological and intellectual education from the Chazan at the
  Nazareth synagogue. [123:5.8]
  (1363,2)
8. He attended to the development of social skills. He spent a lot
  of time mingling with people and getting to know them. [123:5.6]
  (1362,7), [129:1.9]
  (1420,6)
9. He studied mathematics. [123:6.3]
  (1364,6)
10. He studied music. [123:6.5]
  (1364,8)
11. He interacted with religious leaders--the scribes and teachers
  in the temple.[125:4.1
  through next three sections] (1381,4)
12. He took advanced courses in reading and was deeply involved in
  the intellectual and spiritual education of his younger brothers and
  sisters. [126:1.3]
  (1387,4), [126:3.3](1389,6)
13. He developed a variety of vocational skills. [126:1.1]
  (1387,2)
  1. A good summary of the real achievements of his early
    education may be found at [127:6.12
    through the end of the section] (1405,5 through the end of the
    section).

He prepared for his public ministry by engaging in
personal ministry and travel
1. Tour of the Roman world and his personal ministry to more than
  500 individuals. [Paper 130](Page 1427) See also comments about his
  personal ministry during this trip. [132:4.1
  through end of section] (1460, Section 4)
2. Caravan trip to the Caspian region and the Urmia lectures. [134:2.1
  through end of section 6] (1484, Sections 2 and 3)
3. At Antioch, he lived for over two months, "working, observing,
  studying, visiting, ministering, . . . learning how man lives, how
  he thinks, feels and reacts to the environment of human existence."
  [134:7.3]
  (1492,4)
4. He spent time with God and critically evaluated his situation
  and opportunities. [134:7.1
  through end of section] (1492, Section 7), [134:8.1
  through end of section] (1492, Section 8)
5. Review Midwayer's comments about his perfected character, "The
  Acme of Religious Living." [100:7.1
  through end of section] (1101, Section 7)

Cosmic background for his career of ministry
1. Review background of his bestowal. [120:1.1
  through end of Paper 120] (1325, Section 1, through end of Paper
  120)
2. Review the basics of the Nebadon educational system. [37:6.1
  through end of section] (412,2 through end of section)
3. Review the basic objectives of Jesus' ministry. [140:8.18
  through end of section] (1581,6 through end of section)
4. Review the objectives he had in training his disciples and
  apostles. [141:7.3
  through end of section] (1593,5), also see "Four Months of
  Training." [137:7.1
  through end of section] (1534, Section 7)

Specific techniques and approaches used by Jesus
1. Review Jesus' "Instructions for Teachers and Believers" -- "In
  teaching the gospel of the kingdom you are simply teaching
  friendship with God." [159:3.1
  through end of section] (1765, Section 3)
2. His usual technique of social contact was to draw people out and
  into talking with him by asking questions. [132:4.2]
  (1460,7)
3. He used parables constructed around patterns and relationships
  in nature -- the vine and the branches, the mustard seed, the good
  shepherd.
4. He used symbols, particularly those which were associated with
  religious ceremonies in the minds of his hearers -- the light of the
  world, the living water, the bread of life.
5. He taught "as he passed by . . ." [171:7.1
  through end of section] (1874, Section 7)
6. His teaching was appropriate to the context in which he found
  himself; he did not overteach [137:7.14]
  (1535,7) Regarding overteaching, see comments about the approach
  used by the Prince's staff. [66:6.6]
  (750,1)
7. He built on what his listener already understood, enhancing and
  uplifting their ideals. See his interaction with Gadiah and the
  story of Jonah. [130:1.2]
  (1428, Section 1)
8. He did not attack the errors in his listener's beliefs; he was
  adept at enhancing the truth in scriptures or philosophies, wherever
  he found it. [132:0.4]
  (1455,4)
9. His teaching was "thrillingly dynamic," he "went about doing
  good." [141:3.6]
  (1590,2)
10. He didn't "grow weary" in his teaching; when he failed to reach
  the minds of all the apostles by means of one illustration, he would
  restate his message and attempt to use some other illustration. [141:4.3]
  (1590,7)
11. "Again and again he warned his apostles against the formulation
  of creeds and the establishment of traditions as a means of guiding
  and controlling believers..." [141:5.4]
  (1592,3)
12. First bring people into the kingdom; make sure they know God as
  their Father. After this it may then be appropriate to discuss
  matters related to the progressive advancement of the soul . [141:6.4]
  (1592,7)
13. He wasn't concerned about the association of his gospel with
  other teachings. When John forbade a stranger from teaching in the
  name of Jesus, Jesus said, "Forbid him not. . . how can you expect
  that all who believe this gospel will be subject to your direction?"
  [159:2.1]
  (1764, 3)
14. He refused to use power to manipulate situations for spiritual
  purposes. [136:8.8]
  (1521,3)

How can we participate in Jesus' mission?
1. By taking up his unfinished business of actualizing the kingdom
  of heaven in our world. Review "Christianity's Problem," and "The
  Future." [195:9.1
  through end of Paper 195] (2082, Section 9)
2. Review his last words of admonition prior to departing from our
  world at the end of his bestowal -- ". . . you shall begin the new
  proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom . . . Love men with the
  love wherewith I have loved you and serve your fellow mortals even
  as I have served you . . . By the fruits of your lives impel souls
  to believe . . . Remember all I have taught you and the life I lived
  among you . . . My love overshadows you, my spirit will dwell with
  you, and my peace shall abide upon you . . ." [193:5.2]
  (2057,4)