Beneficence: Revisionism--Areopagus Revisited

July 26, 2004

Revisionism--Areopagus Revisited

I jumped from thinking about new cultural spaces to reflect on the conversations I had at the Chicago Giving Conference. Chris Corrigan, whom I had the pleasure of meeting there, is discussing some of these issues at Parking Lot by way of his reading of Lewis Hyde's The Gift.

It's such a pleasure to follow these conversations as they are emerging from distinct cultural spaces, none of which look quite like the space in which I live most of my days--and to find that the gift of forbearance is among the greatest we can offer. My effort--and it is at some moments an act of will--to forbear prejudice simply because someone comes from a different cultural space than my own allows me to reap the gift of their words and wisdom. As well as to hope that my boldness in speaking from my own identity might also be a form of gift into the conversation of mankind.

I began these reflections some time ago by thinking aloud about Milton and the Areopagus. It's interesting now to revise my consideration of the use of "Areopagus." The original Areopagus itself was the "hill of Ares," the place in Athens where the tribunal met on matters of justice. Milton's Areopagitica, of course, was a plea to the English parliament forbear the regulation of printing as well as a sturdy defense of truth's ability to hold its own in the court of public opinion.

The Areopagus, then, represents justice, especially of the aristocratic sort.

To achieve the virtue of beneficence, we have to turn the virtue--the strict justice--of the Areopagus on its head, as Milton argued, and as did the Apostle Paul in speaking on Mars Hill (Acts 17):

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. 24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 33 So Paul departed from among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

For the Christian, beneficence emerges from a cultural space in which charity is made possible only through him who "giveth to all life, and breath, and all things." It is rooted in grace and stands apart from strict justice, the demands of which no man can uphold.

So, it's not the Areopagus itself we seek but the antidote to it. For Paul, the life-gift of the God Who Became Known contra the idolatry of Athens. For Milton, forbearance of over-reaching justice/judgment in order that a space of utmost civil liberty might emerge.

Milton reminds us that there will be dissent and division:

For this is not the liberty which wee can hope, that no grievance ever should arise in the Commonwealth, that let no man in this World expect...

But he continues to paint for us a model of civil and charitable discourse:

but when complaints are freely heard, deeply consider'd, and speedily reform'd, then is the utmost bound of civil liberty attain'd, that wise men looke for.

Anyone seeking liberty beyond this must cast his eyes to the Hill of Golgotha rather than to the Hill of Mars.

July 26, 2004 in Beneficence | Permalink