The Meaning of Metanoia Praxis, Part Two
When a coach teaches a rowing crew or a basketball team how to be successful, it only makes sense for the team to begin putting the new skill into practice. (Sometimes putting a new skill into practice takes practice.) Likewise, if one receives a career promotion, continuing to do the same old job in the same old ways would be foolish. These changes are not natural (they do not occur passively). Rather, they come about because of an intentional decision to grow. The same logic can be applied to Christian living. The term praxis is a Greek term often defined as putting a theory into practice, but the full meaning is much deeper. Aristotle thought of praxis as an intentional action toward a desired end. However, the act of practicing itself could be a part of the objective. So, the idea of Christian praxis is to intentionally put Christian thought into practice, with the understanding that the act of trying to live as a Christian (as Christ) is part of what is desired. When coupled w...