The Question of Meaning: A Theological and Philosophical Orientation

"The stream of consciousness we experience within ourselves throughout our lives ties together all events of physical existence like the silken string that holds together a necklace. In its realization, man and woman will meet their journey's end, the Omega Point,..." Ultimate Pinnacle of The Human Quest Humanity Quest for Meaning: Mortals exist in a world of conflicting philosophies, religions, and views about fundamental matters of value. As a consequence, we are affected by this modern 'Tower of Babel,' wondering about the truth of our own beliefs, their objective values and common ethical ground in the arena of conflicting beliefs. Working in Canada at the turn of the century, Dr. Henry Sharman, a University of Chicago theologian and scientist, sought to unify the disciplines of science and religion in the belief that each searched for the same universal truths about reality. This feature of contextuality explains why 'The quest for meaning', has aspired to absoluteness. Biblical Quest for Meaning: Ecclesiastes, is a biblical philosophy, of the wisdom books of the Old Testament. As we wander through his eventful life, we learn that Solomon, Ecclesiastes alleged writer, searched for meaning everywhere, finding vacancy in all paths. When he surveyed his journey, he bitterly concluded that the earthly riches have not granted him enduring peace or righteousness, but instead have consumed him. Reflecting upon the journey, he realizes all of his finite efforts have produced little more than vanity. He concludes that the sum of his work will never be greater than its vacuous parts, that he must step outside of himself to find true meaning. In the book of Job the question of meaning in suffering has found its most vivid expression. Job's old friends attempted to justify to themselves the moral meaning of suffering, by convincing him of the moral justice of evil. In their eyes suffering could have one meaning, a punishment for sin, based on God's justice, that repays good with good and evil with evil. Sauter's Essay on Meaning: Gerhard Sauter comes to a conclusion, which he defends throughout his study of the explicit quest for the concept of meaning, as a recent development during the last century. Contrary to popular belief, based on OT wisdom books, he shows that the serious quest started with deconstruction of metaphysical concepts and the philosophical search for meaning of their lives, suffering as a part of the meaning of history. Sauter reconstructs his philosophical orientation in new areas. His areas are influenced by his training and expertise: theology, which recurs in recently revived hermeneutics, exploring related terrain in philosophy, of psychology, sociology and public life. He even questions what does the quest for meaning eventually means. As an Evangelical theologian, and recognized eschatologist, Sauter reinterprets the OT reference to meaning in the wisdom books, in the light of his spiritual and intellectual exploratio