die Gefallenen: Positives Christentum

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Positives Christentum

I thought I would take a small break from my work with Syriac Orthodox project and make a comment about a letter I just got from Poland.

There is this group in Poland researching the subject of “Positive Christianity” who are evidently following the blog. So to make things a bit easier I thought a quick posting might suffice (this way you don’t have to send anyone to see the material as your letter suggests).

To answer your questions about Otto von Hemrick’s notes and any mention of “Positive Christianity” there appears to be some dialogue between von Hemrick and a few committees with the Reichskirche.

Most of the communications seems to be queries on the translations of the text and how they interrelate to the doctrines of “Positive Christianity”. I do suspect based on the letters between the two that von Hemrick made known part of the translations to these committees (like the translations dealing with the Giants and Bent Cross People). Unfortunately, it seems that von Hemrick was reluctant to say the die Gefallenen should be used a canon text for the movement.

According to one letter he writes-

Während ich sicherlich zustimmen mit der Position des Ausschusses, ich kann nicht mit allen guten bewussten sagen die Matrize Gefallenen würden in Abstimmung mit den Mietern des Reichskirche sein. Es ist mir klar, dass ein Großteil dieser Text wird in den alten jüdischen Traditionen und Auffassungen von gefallenen Engeln verwurzelt und ist daher nicht mit den Hauptmietern kompatibel. Selbst die Abschnitte, die sich mit dem Christus offenbar werden, die eine jüdische Verbindung. Es wäre Heterodoxie, auch darauf hin, dass dieser Text wäre eine Überlegung wert sein.

Translation reads-


“While I most certainly agree with the position of the Committee, I cannot with all good conscious say the die Gefallenen would be in agreement with the tenants of the Reichskirche. It is clear to me that much of this text is rooted in the ancient Jewish traditions and understandings of fallen angels and is therefore not compatible with the core tenants. Even the sections dealing with the Christ clearly are showing a Jewish connection. It would heterodoxy to even suggest that this text would be worthy of consideration.”