The Cross : Why have you created the Appointment of Protestant Thinking (RVPP) ?
Pastor Samuel Amédro : Starting from the intuition that it is necessary to help raise a young generation of thinkers, this idea was born out of a frustration vis-à-vis a kind of fragility, of weakness, of what can come at this time in terms of protestant theology. Theologians often think only, it is now rare to see them confront their own thinking of others, even at conferences where the words are juxtaposed, opening finally little to the debate.
→ REPORT. A “new impetus” to the gospel of the protestant Federation of France
We wanted to show that something new can come from the reflection on the gap, as theorized by the philosopher François Jullien believed that when one is asked what one believes or what one thinks, it is good to compare it to something very different, and to measure the path travelled. It is this journey, even from one thought to another which is productive.
All of the trends – lutheran-reformed, evangelical… – thinking protestant are represented at this occasion. This methodology establishes a sort of brotherhood : no one feels on top of the other. Finally, there is also a discussion on the spot, in interaction with the audience, and moments of prayer and conviviality. It is important that people also accept to play something of the spiritual order, and not only intellectual.
What is it that has chaired, this year, at the choice of the theme “The authority of the Scriptures for today : issues and perspectives “ ?
P. S. A : Within French protestantism, a serious crisis has publicly exploded at the time of the synod of the Protestant Church United to France (EPUdF) in Sète (Hérault), who paved the way [en 2015, NDLR] to the blessing of same-sex couples.
It was already a sticking point, but disagreements on the reading and interpretation of the Bible are then crystallized : “This is a decision contrary to the Scriptures, “” he must not be reading too much literal texts “, ” do I have to first question the text, or leave me question for him ? “… This is a sore subject, and it is for this reason that we wanted to work on it.
→ TO READ. “The report in the Bible is dusted among the protestants “
Is it that we still listen to today, the Bible in the world ? Is that interpret is to betray ? Until where to listen to the text, and where the master ? Through all the Churches, the subject, cleaving, opens many questions that we will address in the RVPP. If there are points of blockage – and it is necessary that there is ! – this will mean that there is a real discussion, not hiding, not what everyone thinks.
How to bounce back, at the end of this new session of debates ?
P. S. A : In view of the quality of the texts [accessibles sur le site des RVPP] we have received from the hand of pairs, we can see that there are really things to dig. Likely, so we will keep this theme in the next year, in order to explore finesse this issue.
→ TO READ. Those protestants who are rediscovering the Bible
While the two faculties of theology of Geneva, Lausanne – have joined us this year and that other – Brussels, Kinshasa – have expressed their interest to do so next year, we would like to a priori give us one more year, with new pairs that would occur and would “the no more” to deepen the topic.
At the end of the RVPP, we do no obligation as to the result : we allow ourselves the freedom to publish what we find to be good, but if it is not ripe yet, we will leave the time.
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