Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Leadership
It caught my attention right away in the beginning of the Kebra when the 'fellowship' of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit decided to create man. I was raised Catholic and know very few bible stories but I was always under the impression of one God, the creator. To me the Kebra is a document that serves to keep people within the lines of society, to live in a way that is not disruptive to the greater good, to live morally. It is very powerful to use a document as the foundation of a religion to be something that everyone within the religion will if not interpret literally, will view the document in some way in relation to their own lives. To have the introduction of the Kebra discuss a fellowship directing creation, I think is a strong message towards democracy. Although, throughout the reading God dominates in making decisions about who to punish it still includes the Son and Holy Spirit in the hierarchy of leadership. The Son and the Holy Spirit may be extensions God, or God in different forms, but to suggest that God was not the only one making decisions about how to make the world good is powerful in using this document to establish a government in accordance to the reading.
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I find your analysis here very interesting, but I thought I would let you know that this is not in contradiction with the belief of the Roman Catholic Church. I will refer you to the Catholic Encyclopedia (http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15047a.htm).
The Hebrew word used in Genesis for God Elohiem (something like that in roman characters...) is really neither singular nor plural. From what I understand it can be understood as multiple in one (used by Trinitarians to defend their doctrine, and explained by others as referring to the omnipotent nature of God).
This idea is much more visible in another instance of the first chapter of Genesis when God says, "let us make man..." (Gen. 1:26 KJV).
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