Sir: In spite of some mildly offensive features, I found
Simon Raven's article more reassuring than wounding, and I feel some 'progressive' clerics might read it with profit. There are those who preach Christ and worship Socrates; whose aim is to turn Christ into a modest, cultivated Athenian gentleman. It is not uncommon for people today to dismiss the belief in the divinity of Christ as a Pauline accretion, but Mr Raven puts the blame where it belongs, not on Christianity but on Christ.
While retaining belief in the Gospels as a record it is surely impossible to make .an unassuming philosopher of Christ. 'I am the way, the truth, the life'—said by a philosopher, even Socrates, this would be as arrogant as Mr Raven says, but there is another possibility, Which is that Christ spoke the plain truth. A philosopher may be arrogant, but for God neither arrogance nor modesty can have mean- ing. Those who wish to make Christ into a modest, cultivated Semitic gentleman would do well to reflect on these words and decide whether they should be ascribed to misrepresentation, supreme conceit, or truth.
The Athenian detachment may be appealing, but perhaps we should be prepared to accept that our religion may involve us in a lot of dashed bad form, and thank Mr Raven for reminding us that it is more than the well-mannered abstraction which some well-meaning people imply, but some- thing more vital, more important, and possibly more vulgar.
W. Porn ,:t r
Heath House, Hampstead, London NW3
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