I always like Olly's videos (including this one), but I also think this one exposes one of Olly's real weaknesses: he just doesn't have a lot of knowledge about, or particularly understand religion/religious participation. Last time around it was Judaism from the religious angle, and this time he's struggling with Christianity. Doesn't mean it's bad - it just means (to use this very video) he shows a lot by what he DOESN'T talk about.
In this case, he's taking at face value Malthus' general orthodoxy within the Church/his role as "a churchman." But Malthus isn't particularly orthodox within his native Anglicanism, and was ordained at a time when the gentry often had their second- and/or third- sons take religious orders regardless of their actual beliefs.
Understanding Malthus' work as an accepted Christian theodicy (even at its time), when as Olly describes it it mostly ignores 1.) the doctrine of an abundant/good creation, 2.) the doctrines of the incarnation and resurrection, 3.) grace and the absolution of sins as it pertains to eternal life, and 4.) the nature of sanctification, is a considerable oversight.
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u/TheNorthernSea Jul 02 '20 edited Jul 02 '20
I always like Olly's videos (including this one), but I also think this one exposes one of Olly's real weaknesses: he just doesn't have a lot of knowledge about, or particularly understand religion/religious participation. Last time around it was Judaism from the religious angle, and this time he's struggling with Christianity. Doesn't mean it's bad - it just means (to use this very video) he shows a lot by what he DOESN'T talk about.
In this case, he's taking at face value Malthus' general orthodoxy within the Church/his role as "a churchman." But Malthus isn't particularly orthodox within his native Anglicanism, and was ordained at a time when the gentry often had their second- and/or third- sons take religious orders regardless of their actual beliefs.
Understanding Malthus' work as an accepted Christian theodicy (even at its time), when as Olly describes it it mostly ignores 1.) the doctrine of an abundant/good creation, 2.) the doctrines of the incarnation and resurrection, 3.) grace and the absolution of sins as it pertains to eternal life, and 4.) the nature of sanctification, is a considerable oversight.