A Ride to the Train Station

Two days later, Tad's stay is town is over. Nort has offered him a ride to the train station. Casual friends at seminary, they have only recently met a couple times after years of being out of contact. Their conversation continues about China, anthropology, theology, and love.

Hi, Nort! Thanks for the ride.

No problem, Tad! It is on my way to work. I just wanted to thank you again for your visit. I have enjoyed our talks!

Me, too! We should keep it going. You have my email and whenever you are in Washington, by all means come stay with me. I have an extra guest room.

Sure, thanks. No plans now but I do get down there occasionally.

We have talked a lot about "love". It is such an important subject! It is central to Christian practice and faith. I also believe it is the Holy Grail anthropologists are looking for when they investigate "culture," the glue that holds premodern societies together. I mentioned earlier how kinship is managed empathy. Christianity is in the same business also of managing empathy. Am I right about that?

I suppose so, if you want to be reductive. One first has to tap into or orient oneself towards the source of love, which is God. It requires belief and commitment. That is why I do not have much hope in science to save us with its skeptical stance.

Yes, that is the rub. In order to get there, we need to believe, which is not a scientific predisposition! When you begin to believe, social scientists think you lose objectivity, the ability to measure and determine cause and effect.

Yes, but didn't that go out with the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle? To love one has to be a subject in both its meanings as agent and object. There is no other way! Modern life has tried to ignore and deny the relevance of our so-called irrational feelings, to our detriment. Without knowing and owning our feelings we become easily manipulated by the powers that be. At worst we become terrorized!

To express and communicate feelings requires some order, some stability. That is why we have the Law, that is why we have kinship, with all its rules. It is also why China is obsessed with maintaining order to the detriment of indivdiual human rights.

You could make that argument. The church is very much in the business of trying to restore our feelings, our love for one another. Anyway, here's the train station. As I have said, I have enjoyed all this. Thanks for making the effort to meet up again after all these years!

Its been my pleasure, Nort. Let's continue this conversation. There is a lot we can say about love from the anthropological and theological perspectives, and also the personal! Let's email!

Definitely! Take care, Tad!

Thanks for the lift!