Expert: Marilyn - 10/18/2005

Question
I really do not know if this is the correct place to ask this question but if you can not answer this can you perhaps suggest where I can find help.

I am doing a critical book review for my 1st year theology class. The book is by Dorothee Solle, who is a Feminist theologian. The book is Creative Disobedience. In it she refers to the "phantasy of Christ" here is a quote

" Obedience in the sense of maintaining an established order was not sufficient for Jesus. He expected us to engage in changing the world---and it was to this end that he has set free our phantasy."

She uses this word phantasy several times in connection to Jesus.

I can not figure out what she is referring to, or what she means. I have checked dictionary and it is almost like Fantasy, but that does not help much.

I have tried to email my prof but she is not available.

I am not asking some one to do my homework, I am trying to understand, so I can do my homework.

Thank you for your time, any help and suggestions would be greatly appreciated.


Steve

Answer
Hello Steve;

Thank you for your kind rating and your understanding that I had to give an answer based on the information you gave me.  Sometimes questioners get irritated when I can't divine things they didn't tell me.  I'm glad your professor explained the problem and that little bit of information you shared about the author being German and the word being mistranslated makes me feel a lot better about the author and the book.  

Hope you have a great semester.

Thanks again,

Marilyn

Hello Steve;

I haven't read anything by this author and I don't think I want to, but in college you don't always get to pick what you read.  Guard your heart and your eye and ear gates.  The Bible is the first and last authority.  Simply reading the Gospels gives a pretty clear picture of what kind of man Jesus was.  (A person can read the Gospel of Mark in one sitting, that will clear your head, I'd think.)

But to answer your question.  "Phantasy" is an archaic spelling of "fantasy" (I feel kind of hesitant about a modern author, I'm assuming this is a modern author since you said she was a feminist, who uses archaic spelling in a serious work--that is a non-fiction work.  It's like she's trying to throw you, trying to make herself look smart and you look dumb.  Or her definition of the word isn't from the dictionary and she's so smart and clever while you, less intelligent and visionary person, just have to discern what she's talking about from her super intelligent writing.)  

The usual definition of fantasy is "fiction" or a particular type of fiction that frequently involves dragons and warlocks, etc. Another definition is "imagination unrestricted by reality."  That definition might help you in your quest to get through this person's book.  (Forgive me, but if I had put "pompous" in front of person in the previous sentence, would it have been incorrect?)

As a person who was once a first year college student, remember:  God is bigger than anything you or I can imagine.  Even the biggest, most awesome image you can conceive of who God is and what He's like, is too small.  Therefore, if anyone ever begins to make you feel that God is smaller than you thought; if you ever think you've got God figured out; if you ever think you've got the Christian walk figured out--you're being deceived.  Back up and get a refreshing from Him and don't go down that path again, it leads to small faith, small hope and small dreams.  I don't think you want to go there.  I don't.

On one hand I don't think this answer was much help to you.  But on the other hand, if you're writing a critical review (critical meaning:  "characterized by careful evaluation and judgment"), you are supposed to be stating your opinion. If you can't figure out what the heck she means by "phantasy" from the context of her text, then her writing is bad and you should criticize her for it.  I would counter balance pointing out this bit of bad writing with a discussion about something good you discovered (hopefuly you discovered something good).  

If you have a feminist professor--which I'm guessing you probably do from what you're told me here--she might not like you picking on one of her favorite authors.  If you feel she won't tolerate you having a different opinion from hers, then you have to walk a fine line of giving her what she wants to hear and not being a liar, that is untrue to your real opinion.  This will be a fine challenge for you.  

I'm willing to help if you need me further on this.

Sincerely,

Marilyn

P.S.  When I was in college I pretended I thought Woody Allen movies were funny because all the smart people seemed to think he was so witty, etc..  I didn't actually think they were funny, I thought they were horrible.  (Lots of intellectual types act like they think Woody Allen movies are funny, but some of them are probably lying.)  Don't be like me and think because some professor is the authority, your opinion is stupid—-no, chances are his or her opinion is stupid, it's not you.