Interstellar Thinking
Linda Elder and Richard Paul’s, The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools is a 24-page mini-guide that serves as a supplement, design tool, and personal guide to ensure we are applying the right critical thinking approaches to life and learning. Critical thinking is the “analyzing and evaluating” of thinking, but with the unique overarching goal of improvement.[1] Elder and Paul describe a cultivated critical thinker as a person who questions, assesses, interprets, reasons, tests, explores, communicates, and finds solutions.[2] This small guide promotes big thinking and the author’s checklists, templates, and illustrations provide helpful tools that can be adapted for any level of analysis. This post will conduct an outside-in review that polls and polls external authors, ideas, and critical engagements to help narrow the focus on critical thinking. My goal is to “read-around” this book and use it to engage and leverage other sources, including the reader, in a process to sharpen each other’s “iron,” as I research and analyze the problem with spiritual warfare.[3]
The first personal research connection is from Arnold whose statements about spiritual warfare hit me right in the theological gut! He said, “Imperfect Christians seem to have no final answers.”[4] Citing the Apostle Paul’s principles on knowledge, Arnold concludes that as imperfect beings we are limited by our lack of “eternal glory.”[5] As such, we can only “know in part” the ultimate solution to the critical issue before us, how to improve the churches response to spiritual warfare.[6] Limited yes, but defeated, no. Nonetheless, I remain driven and inspired by the Holy Spirit to crossover the protective barriers erected by Christian establishments and press questions, seek answers, and knock persistently at the hearts and minds of people who will listen and receive the prophetic call, challenge, and command to “Put on the whole armor of God.”[7]
My second research connection, or “pedal to push,” is my unlikely breakthrough from subsonic thinking into supersonic reasoning.[8] What I am trying to say it that after processing the past few weeks I had an “Interstellar” epiphany regarding how to read, non-read, study, and add visual ethnography principles from Adler, Bayard, Rowntree, and Pink into my personal praxis. My experiential moment “between the stars” came while trying to integrate Bayard’s peripheral travel through books and libraries into an eschatological visual image from the movie Interstellar.[9] Weird right? That is what I first thought until my reflection generated an abstract understanding and personal approach to managing books within the visual ethnography context of the images from the movie. I think Pink would approve. Then, I saw it. “It” was right there in front of me, just like the attached image of Cooper in his space-time continuum learning how to engage and communicate in four dimensions through the books and library from his home on earth. This new concept about how to engage raw knowledge while remaining true to my personal convictions is exciting. Elder says, “Concepts are to us like the air we breathe.”[10]
My third research connection is to “drill deep” for the root causes underlying the poor response of the North American church to the problem of spiritual warfare. Evil, in all forms, is a key influence affecting the lack of training and equipping the church body to defend and advance God’s Kingdom under the threat of spiritual battle. As unlikely as it may seem, many scholars believe there may be some divine influence, hidden messages, and eschatological agendas within many or our science fiction books and movies, which are said to have “significant theological underpinnings.”[11] “May the force be with you” in the Star Wars series is one example of the hidden message, “God be with you” as our alter egos Luke Skywalker and Han Solo race out against the “dark side” to conquer evil with a universal power that is referred to only as “the force.”[12]
In conclusion, I admit I felt a little clumsy implementing Dr. J’s student-feedback to use more critique, less commentary, and narrow my focus on what I really want to critically engage. It takes practice to intentionally “read around” the original book. However, I think I made positive progress to draw from external peer-reviewed ideas, reflect on the authors ideas, analyze the approaches from the past six weeks, and create a new personalized approach to critical thinking about spiritual warfare. Elder says, “When we ask essential questions, we deal with what is necessary, relevant, and indispensable to a matter at hand.”[13] Therefore, my last task it to “lean into each of you” and ask for your help as my reviewers and make sure we are asking the right essential questions. In my comment section below, please tell me what your questions are, if any, about the problem with spiritual warfare. Your information will help us begin to achieve the biblical discipleship theme that “iron sharpens iron.”
Stand firm,
M. Webb
[1] Linda Elder and Richard Paul. The Miniature Guide to Critical Thinking Concepts and Tools. Kindle ed. (Tomales, CA: The Foundation for Critical Thinking, 2009) Location 29.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Jason Clark, video conference with author, October 23, 2017.
[4] Clinton E. Arnold. 3 Crucial Questions about Spiritual Warfare (Three Crucial Questions). (Baker Academic, 1997) 11.
[5] Ibid.
[6] 1 Cor. 13:12. ESV.
[7] Eph. 6:12.
[8] Clark, video conference.
[9] Pierre W. Whalon. “‘The Vast Expanse of Interstellar Space’: Alan Gregory’s Science Fiction Theology.” Anglican Theological Review 99, no. 1 (2017 2017): 90. ATLASerials, Religion Collection, EBSCOhost (accessed October 25, 2017).
[10] Linda Elder and Richard Paul. “Critical Thinking: Thinking with Concepts.” Journal of Developmental Education 24, no. 3 (2001): 42.
[11] Ibid.
[12] Whalon, Science Fiction Theology, 91.
[13] Linda Elder and Richard Paul. “Asking essential questions.” (The Foundation for Critical Thinking: 2005) 1.
About the Author
Mike
10 responses to “Interstellar Thinking”
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Nice job synthesizing all of our reading, Mike. Well done. I watched Interstellar once, on a flight, so my memory about the movie is a bit fuzzy. Can you say more about how you are learning to “engage raw knowledge while remaining true to my personal convictions,”?
My question regarding the problem of spiritual warfare is how do we wake people up to its reality? In post modern France, intellectualism reigns supreme, and Satan runs ramapant by staying “invisible.” Even Christians are skeptical about demonic activity, blinding them to the power and influences that are attacking them all the time.
I also notice that people tend to fall into one of the extremes: either total denial of the enemy or seeing a demon behind every bush. How do we help people live in the balance of these two extremes?
Jennifer,
I used “raw” knowledge in the context of an unrefined sugar beet that tastes sour before it is processed into a sweet and refined texture. Raw knowledge to me comes from many sources like Google, YouTube, blogs, popular books, conversations, and more. Our last few weeks our reading, study, and critical thinking themes have encouraged my engagement with more “outside my comfort zone” types of thinking, but always through a Biblical lens and prayer for wisdom and discernment. That relationship with the Holy Spirit keeps me centered, remaining true to my personal beliefs and convictions. I think this is where the Elder/Paul guide falls short. However, by adding the indwelling Holy Spirit factor, we can achieve critical thinking for our good and God’s glory.
Thanks for your insights into the problem of spiritual warfare. Spiritual blindness seems to be the theme with many of our sociocentric thinking problems. It is my prayer and goal to come up with a voice and vocabulary that transcends both the extremes you describe, point people to Christ, and remove the satanic scales from their eyes that causes spiritual blindness. Balance in spiritual battle can only be achieved thru Christ, in Christ, and by wearing Christ.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Hi Mike,
I appreciated your post and thought you did a great job bringing some fresh thinking to your subject. Thanks for asking for input on spiritual warfare as well. I’ll try to do your request some justice.
Karen will tell you that I am pathetic about remembering movies. So I can’t seem to remember if I’ve seen Interstellar. But I did just watch Passengers on a plane, and I found myself in tears (no big surprise there!) with the way the story was told. In essence it is a story of surrendering one’s life for another – a Christ-like metaphor, which I believe has a lot to do with spiritual warfare as well.
I’m wondering if the darkness is defeated not through coming at it in power, but in weakness and humility, as Christ also met the cross. I struggle with the militaristic imagery of the “armor of God”, and see Jesus meeting darkness not with any armor, but being stripped, beaten, and sacrificed. But He vanquished the power of the Enemy through his meekness and obedience, and rose to victory.
Anyway I bring this up to suggest, at minimum, there are multiple images possible for confronting Satanic powers. The armor of God is only one of them. I wonder in your work if you would consider exploring more than the armor metaphor in how we confront evil?
Mark,
Thanks for your comments and views on how to withstand the wiles of the devil. I will add your contributions to my research and explore the images and metaphors you are describing. Spiritual warfare means many things to Christians, and I try to let scripture interpret scripture on this matter. For me, I will use what I know works, and that is to act in obedience and faith to what Paul commands by putting on the whole armor of God.
Most Biblical references describe spiritual warfare as a battle. You are right, Christ met darkness naked, stripped, and beaten. He is God incarnate and does not need the armor, and he overcame sin and then rose from the grave. We serve an all-powerful, all knowing, everywhere God. Wearing Christ, metaphorically as six pieces of a Roman soldiers armor, imputes those attributes to us, to survive, overcome, and advance God’s Kingdom. One of the devil’s favorite past-times is trying to divide Christians over their interpretations of scripture. I pray for our combined discernment and unity as we move forward in our research questions.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike,
I think so often the struggles we have come from us taking our eyes and trust off of Jesus. Even in my context, I don’t see major battles happening as much as I see minor, insidious ones taking place. I believe the devil quietly speaks in ways that slowly moves us from our focus and doubt God’s direction and purpose in our lives.
Greg,
I agree and add that the devil is the world best expert at understanding and manipulating human behavior. While he cannot read your thoughts, he has thousands of years of practice to predict the pattern of humankind. In the past few weeks God has shown me some of the major battles, which seem to contribute to many of our cohort’s research problems.
I’m glad you are seeing the minor battles and deceptive traits of the evil one. Just like small snakes and scorpions, the small and seemingly minor schemes of the devil are the most poisonous in our lives.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike,
I was worried that as a result of your very early post your thoughts might get overlooked. I am glad to see that several others made an effort to read your blog and gain some understanding of your perspective of the Elder text.
It seems that you have made some steps toward reading more critically and yet are still able to retain your perspective regarding the spiritual forces at work in your context. I’m not exactly sure how you made the connection between critical thinking, science fiction, and spiritual warfare. I would love to try and understand that better if you could explain it to me. I may have missed something in your blog but felt a bit confused about that.
Dan,
Thanks for your comments and support. Yes, I can see how it might seem strange to connect critical thinking with science fiction. While “reading around” the Elder/Paul text and pulling in our other contributing authors from the past few weeks, I landed on Bayard’s contribution to critical thinking. I has struggled with his librarian images in the abstract until I accessed an image in my mind from Interstellar. The picture I attached, represented me trying to describe what I believe to be a 4th dimension, where we gain spiritual wisdom and discernment on a case by case basis through the Holy Spirit. This knowledge, gives me hope and faith on “how” to read, non-read, connect, and relate books, ideas, and themes not one book at a time, but multiples of books at one time. I’m still finding my way, but I can sense this change happening for me because of the way I can relate most of our authors and their reviewer’s main ideas and approaches into a lived spiritual warfare dialogue. I hope that helps, and will gladly discuss this area further with you.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
Mike, you did well to keep your focus on your research topic even while incorporating a movie and other sources including the perspective of thinking critically. I too have felt a bit clumsy as it seems my writing style is morphing a bit each week.
Do you think Elder’s text could be applied to spiritual warfare in some way? Is there sections that are more helpful (like problem solving) than others to help people apply biblical texts to spiritual warfare?
Regarding problems with spiritual warfare, I think many people in the US (like Jenn mentioned in France) are rationalists who don’t believe spiritual warfare is a real thing. I wonder how we might help people understand it’s reality without looking for demons around every corner?
Trisha,
Thanks for your comments and support on our ongoing spiritual warfare dialogue. I think, because of our study, research, and cohort review and feedback that I am learning a new lived theology language for spiritual warfare. Resisting the devil is the common theme running through every “problem” I have read about in our cohort’s annotated bibliography topic, problem, and question. “Rationalists” is a nice safe sounding word for what the Bible calls spiritual blindness. That is going to be our biggest challenge on many fronts, how to help Christians “see” clearly the threat standing right in front of them. I look forward to more discussions with you and our cohort on how we can help remove the scales causing the blindness.
After Dr. J’s comments on Virtual Reality last week, I have been inspired to research that as another possible tool and method to train and equip Christians on resisting the devil and practicing spiritual warfare. I believe I could develop an Elder type mini-guide for thinking, analyzing, and responding to spiritual warfare challenges.
Stand firm,
M. Webb
P.S. I wish my reply comments would trigger an email to you. We have to figure out a way to complete the communication loop or we loose the valuable feedback from each other!