>Dean Scott: Well Radner could be a German-they obfuscate more than any other theological 'class' I know of. Even the dear Benedict 16 has this tendency. I sometimes think my Pomeranian ancestry is the reason I used to do this somewhat in class to the annoyance (albeit the attention) of the student body! Blessings. GDVW+ Fr Wiebe+ > > I suspect that it was Ephraim Radner who wrote this > tortured bit of prose. > > http://anglicancommunioninstitute.com/content/view/87/1 > > He sounds a mite less hopeful than he did in 2004 when > his "Hope Among the Fragments" was published. In Part > I of that book he argues "the Virtue of Staying Put." > > Five years ago, some of our brothers wondered aloud > whether it was better for the orthodox to stay in TEC > and work for reform or to come out and build anew. > That was before the Titanic entered its final plunge > into the depths. Now it appears there will be few > conservatives remaining to sing "Nearer my God to > Thee." > > I like some of the points that Radner makes in his > books, but I have to wonder if anyone other than > scholars read his offerings. > > Ernest Hemingway said that he found it difficult to > write more than 250 words a day. As I read one of > Radner's more opaque chapters, I thought of writing > styles and of Hemingway's saying. I proceded to count > just 3 of Radner's convoluted sentences and found that > the sentences averaged 90 words. In just 3 sentences > he passed Heminway's daily output. > > "Hope Among the fragments has 234 pages. If we > subtract from that number 14 title pages, introduction > and otherwise shortened pages, we come up with 220 > pages with 39 lines to the page and an average of 11 > words to the line. Give or take a few, the sum total > of words is 94,000. Radner refers to the tragedy of > Sept 11, 2001 in the book. Assuming that he began > work on the book sometime after 911, and completed it > in early 2004, he likely spent less than two years in > the writing. > > Doing the math, it appears he was clipping along at a > faster rate than Hemingway, with much more involved > plot lines and words and concepts that were > considerably more weighty. Radner is the master of > packing polysyllabic words into a phrase. > > His voice should have been heard. His 11th hour plea > in the Anglican Institute Article should be taken to > heart by the leaders of the Anglican Communion and the > TEC. > > The problem is, few will hack their way through the > dense growth of verbiage. It is doubtful that there > are many in his intended audience who have "ears to > hear" his message. > > There may have been, or may still may be "Hope Among > the Fragments". However, a translator is needed. > > Charles+ > > "-------------------------------- > > > > --- "The Rev GDVWiebe SSC.,PhD" <gdvw@...> > wrote: > >> > >> > Brothers+ >> > Sounds like an essay I read aeons ago in a volume >> on Victorian >> England-and look what happened. I suspect that in >> another few years we >> will look back and ask why we did (collectively that >> is) not have a bit >> more faith in what we are about. Then it was >> Tractarian-Oxford-Anglo >> Catholicism. Today it is FIFUK. Blessings. GDVW+ >> (Please pray for >> Randall Davis dying of Stage 4 cancer). >> >>"========================== >> >> > Near the end of a lengthy article the principals >> of the Anglican Communion Institute ruminate about> > the end of the Anglican Communion. >> > > http://anglicancommunioninstitute.com/content/view/87/1 >> > Charles+ > > -- > To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: > faithandlife-unsubscribe@... > ----------------------------------------- Celebrate the Easter/Lent Season with Catholic Online! http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/