The Bible, Wisdom and Human Nature
the extension of the above imagery (Matt. 7:15, wolves in sheep’s clothing). In utilising shepherd imagery in the way He does, Jesus personalises the Old Testament expectation of God becoming Israel’s Shepherd in the future (Isa. 40:11; Jer. 31:10; Ezek. 34:11–16). Different imagery is used elsewhere in John’s Gospel to convey the same principle of health (wholeness) in relationship to Christ. For example, John 6:32–40 (true bread from heaven), 15:1 (the true vine) – the former we need to internalise (eat); the latter we need to ensure we are a part of (connected to). So in 14:6–7 Jesus can claim to be ‘the way and the truth and the life’.134 The varied and extensive use of the above kind of imagery offers a clear principle that health or wholeness is firmly linked to a God relationship, and so endorses Hughes’ Christ-centred emphasis. This most clearly applies to those in covenant relationship – in the Old Testament, the nation of Israel; in the New Testament, Christians. The issue therefore arises as to how those outside such a covenant experience health. In the context of the Waverley Model, the specific question arises: Does this Christ-centred model apply to those who are not Christians? Can the Waverley Model offer any accounts as to why in general terms non-Christians can live healthy and productive lives?
Repentance and wisdom Niebuhr provides a helpful framework for discussing the issues of salvific and common wisdom. The perspectives utilised in answering the questions being posed will have significant overlap with the views discussed in Chapter 1 (see ‘Relating Theology and Psychology ’), where four differing views as to the relationship between special and common revelation were discussed. As a general starting point and summary of a perspective for which this book argues, Niebuhr’s comments are helpful: ‘The Christian life moves between the poles of God in Christ as known through faith and the Bible and God in nature as known through reason in culture.’135 The culturally embedded human production of knowledge via reason, science etc is coincident with faith and so forms part of its referent, ie the two means of knowing (faith and science) correlate to some degree and so cannot be seen as totally exclusive or absolute alternatives. An understanding 94
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