Where Mortals Dwell by Craig Bartholomew
Where Mortals Dwell is written by Craig G. Bartholomew. (Bartholomew, 2011) I read Where Mortals Dwell as preparation for the Fresno Overture in 2017. The book is written for pilgrims in the quest for a practical and theological understanding of place. There is very little written about the Christian perspective of place and Where Mortals Dwell fills that void. I am in hopes that this book will be the inspiration for many others to dive in headlong into this study and be transformed through understanding their place in God’s wonderful blueprint.
From the foundational premise by Heidegger on p.10, “The world is the house where mortals dwell” Bartholomew crafts from biblical insights from Genesis and elsewhere a solid theology of place. A theology of place can cure the human ill of our nation today, of being atopic (inability to find place) and displaced in their own land. The author states, “As embodied creatures in imago Dei, humans are always dated and located, that is, placed.”According to the theology of place advanced in the book, like Israel, we will journey in pilgrimage and settle in land, often to experience exodus, exile, diaspora and voluntary or forced displacement.
Bartholomew inspiringly teaches the value of the contributions of the philosophers to “place” and interrogates their thinking for gleanings which can contribute to a better understanding on spatial reality. Bartholomew states, “The early church crafted its world view in the context of Greco-Roman thought and throughout the centuries the relationship between theology and philosophy has become complex but always interrelated…wonderfully we are witnessing a renewed interest in place by philosophers and theologians, but major work needs to be done.”
Where Mortals Dwell has helped and is helping me to connect more meaningfully with my faith community and also with my 20-30-year-old children who are students of the philosophers and hold a deep Christian faith.
