| The first excerpt represents the element of Air. It speaks of mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from The Varieties of Religious Experience by William James: and one does not see how the answer to them can decide offhand
the still further question: of what use should such a volume,
with its manner of coming into existence so defined, be to us as
a guide to life and a revelation? To answer this other question
we must have already in our mind some sort of a general theory as
to what the peculiarities in a thing should be which give it
value for purposes of revelation; and this theory itself would be
what I just called a spiritual judgment. Combining it with our
existential judgment, we might indeed deduce another spiritual
judgment as to the Bible's worth. Thus if our theory of
revelation-value were to affirm that any book, to possess it,
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The second excerpt represents the element of Fire. It speaks of emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from The Symposium by Xenophon: that is heavenly, purer and holier in type. And you may well
conjecture, it is the earthly goddess, the common Aphrodite, who sends
forth the bodily loves; while from her that is named of heaven,
Ourania, proceed those loves which feed upon the soul, on friendship
and on noble deeds. It is by this latter, Callias, that you are held
in bonds, if I mistake not, Love divine.[22] This I infer as well from
the fair and noble character of your friend, as from the fact that you
invite his father to share your life and intercourse.[23] Since no
part of these is hidden from the father by the fair and noble lover.
[19] For Aphrodite Ourania and Pandemos see Plat. "Symp." 180.
[20] Lit. "that is believed to be the same." See Cic. "De N. D." iii.
The Symposium |
