There really was no such thing as "Biblical witness", and Saint Jesus of Galilee was never ever in any sense a Christian - as this essay on the fabricated origins and institutional political purposes of the "New" Testament points out:
http://www.dabase.org/up-5-1.htm
This too:
http://www.aboutadidam.org/articles/secret_identity
Then of course there is this site which introduces a profound form of the necessary eco sensitive spirituality if Earthkind is going to survive: http://sacredcamelgardens.com/trees/main.php

Plus this sobering description of what Western "culture" in both its secular and so called religious forms is really all about:
http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/Aletheon/ontranscendingtheinsubordinatemind.html

Plus this essay on the authors exquisite sensitivity to everything that arises within his field of vision, and of everything altogether
http://www.beezone.com/AdiDa/touch.htm

Sells

Good point. Yes, God acts as son and spirit. The question is whether and how that action is made evident. The liberation theologians argue that Jesus IS realised eschatology – God’s kingdom becoming manifest in this life. Boff says eschatology is a process that begins in time and ends in eternity.

I know you place great store in Barth’s work, and he is undoubtedly a giant of 20th century theology, but his insistence that knowledge of God is impossible without divine self-revelation seems to me to lead necessarily to the position that there can be no clear connection between the human condition and the divine; or at least, one that can only be discerned through occult knowledge. Hence Barth is forced to reject or at least qualify large chunks of mainstream church thinking about creation.

Daffy

Even if your theories of the origins of the bible are correct, and I do not accept they are, one could still speak of “biblical witness”. The origins and intents of its authors are known to be diverse, but the book(s) we have today communicates certain things about the nature of God. In my view, one of those things is that the existence of people and the world are in some way bound up with God’s activity. You are free to reject my interpretation, or the authority or coherence of the bible, but even atheists cheerfully engage in discussions about what the bible says and what it means.

Dear Rhian,

<<In my view, one of those things is that the existence of people and the world are in some way bound up with God’s activity.>>

How else? Nothing is conceivable without God.

<<but the book(s) we have today communicates certain things about the nature of God.>>

The books we have do communicate people's experiences of God, which is especially valuable to others with similar experiences. It is however meaningless to speak of the "nature of God", because God is not subject to nature (which I think all of us here would agree).

<<You are free to reject my interpretation, or the authority or coherence of the bible, but even atheists cheerfully engage in discussions about what the bible says and what it means.>>

Trying to understand what the bible means is but mental gymnastics, which no wonder even atheists enjoy. What matters at the end of the day is whether and how the bible transforms the lives of people to bring them closer to God.

As per your discussion with Peter, I feel excluded as I feel most of us here are. You two seem to be speaking in some secret code which only Christian Theologians can understand. Sadly Peter will only respond to those who speak his language.

Dear Yuyutsu

Thank you for your comments– yes, “nature of God” was clumsy language, you make a good point.

I hope you don’t feel excluded by my language, as I enjoy your contributions to these forums. Theology like many disciplines has its own terms which often sound daunting but are often just shorthand for ideas which most people could grasp; and I admit my own grasp of it is pretty partial and rudimentary (still studying!).

I usually have an intense dislike of jargon and am embarrassed to be caught out. I’ll try to write better in future!

Yuyutsu/quote..<<..You two seem..to/be speaking..in some/secret code which..only Christian-Theologians..can understand...Sadly Peter will only..respond/to..those who..speak his.language.>>

yu..its not so much..secret/code..as short/hand
short-cut/thinking.

i will/try to explain..as no-one else..seems to want to
although..without..your asking..them specifiably..im only guesing

rhian/quote..<<..Good point...>>

responding/to sells/point..<<..However,..how does God act..In the world?..Is it not by/his two hands,..the Son..and the Spirit?>>

the short-hand..means..the son=jesus
the wholy spirit=the mediator..between/god/men[ie jesus]

sells..<<..We tend to forget..the trinitarian nature of God>>
see the catholholic..assume..the three are all different aspects..of the same being[jesus]..god become flesh.

which leads to absurdities..such as mary/mother of god
when god ALWAYS WAS..god[E][energy..][energy CAnT BE CREATED..nor destroyed]

<<..when we talk of how..He[jesus/jesus/jesus]..acts
in the world..and revert to an undiffertiated monotheism.>>

i think thats how the duel-minded..make the 3 faces of jesus
back..into..being just the one god

im only guessing
but no..other christian..seems to want to try..better
[but jesus himself..says..he isnt..the wholy spirit.,.so one of them'..jesus'..must be the father/the other the sun..and as for mother/well lets just call..her god

[its well known..that the father..gives the mother
life..that the..mother maketh..into'..the son]

so god=mum
the wholly spirit=dad
and the sun..being half man../first born/son
assumes the..mediating role..between/flesh/spirit..of the holy spirit

thus when..rjian/says..<<.Yes,..God acts as son and spirit.>>

he means[in the trinity]..
[god]..the father..acts..as son..*and..inter mediating/spirit..[i think]

jesus..himself has been explaining..
the role..of the holy mediator..[but i..thought/he was it]..

it may be a third person/thing[ie god/christ/church]

see the..sells=see/church
see church=see jesus/
see jesus=see/god

in the past..the church..was..the way..to..KNOW/jesus
and jesus/works..was..the way/to the fat*her

so this leads us back/to rhian/words..[whom i love]

<<..The question is..whether and how..that action is made evident.>>

thats actually..two..but whether isnt disputed
thus the only real rhetorical..becomes..HOW..was..[that?]..action/made evident?

is revealed..in/expanding on..the short hand

god/made the world..[by works]
jesus..re-made the world..[into work]
the church..remade..the world..and preserved the word.

rhian..<<.The liberation theologians..argue that Jesus IS realised eschatology –....>>..MEANING..<<..God’s kingdom becoming manifest in this life.>>

escapology..meaning..that part..of christs/church
..living/theology..concerning/death/judgment..and destiny
[ie re-birth/grace/eternity]

<<Boff says eschatology..is a process
that begins in time and ends in eternity.>>

meaning..death..begins..in..time/space
we then pass into..the aether realms..and
eventually get reborn..[born again]..into eternal/heaven..

or..something/like that

but..the/church..has/become..too..EXCLUSIVE/neutral..
the pope..expands..the new vision..

IMPORTANT*new/just-in*
http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/27/world/europe/in-major-document-pope-francis-present-his-vision.html

http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/26/21623507-pope-francis-attacks-tyranny-of-unfettered-capitalism-idolatry-of-money&

http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/pope-attacks-tyranny-of-markets-urges-renewal-in-key-document/article15600441/

http://www.google.com.au/url?q=http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2013/11/26/pope-seeks-advice-papal-power-reforms&sa=U&

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=pope&prmd=ivnsuz&source=univ&tbm=nws&tbo=u&sa=X&

extracted from

http://forum.onlineopinion.com.au/thread.asp?discussion=6040#177111

to..identify*..its position
by..HOW MUCH IT..IS NOT THERE.

Actually,..this does/not mean ANYTHING...It is like..negative-numbers..in that/the concept..can be/used theoretically,..but..it has NO application..practically.

example/It is true..that if you put three/apples..on the table..and then took them AWAY, .that..the three apples..are NOT THERE...

*But it/is NOT true..that the table..is now MINUS/three apples.

If there..is NOTHING..on the table,
it does..NOT matter/what WAS there..in terms of amount.

The..“nothing”..is/neither greater/nor
less..because of what..is ABSENT.

That is why..“all”..and..“nothing”..are dichotomous,
WITHOUT..a reference/point..merely..A Ranging..between/nothing..and all.

This is/perfectly..clear in/maximal test performance/and for EXACTLY..the reason you emphasize..that..You cannot interpret
the number..of..AT ALL,..[unless* you assume..either MAXIMAL motivation..or its/COMPLETE ABSENCE.]

Only..in..[by]..these two conditions..can you validly/COMPARE responses,..and..*you MUST assume the former,..because/if the LATTER is true,..the subject..WILL NOT..*DO ANYTHING.

Given..mans/VARIABLE motivation's..he WILL/do something,
but..you CANNOT..grasp/nor..UNDERSTAND..WHAT IT IS...let/alone..the success/point.

The RESULTS/of tests..are evaluated/relatively,[with/other/test-results]..of..lineal..or abstracted/knowledge..ASSUMING maximal motivation...

*But..this is because..we are dealing/with rateable/measurable/ABILITIES,..where degree of..progress/away..from/nuthin..thus any/development..over/nothing..IS meaningful.

This does-NOT mean..that what/which/how/when..regarding..ability
is used..FOR..is..then..necessarily either..determinedly..limited OR divided.

But one/thing is certain.
Abilities are..only..POTENTIALS..for learning,..and you..then
will need/apply.. motivational/..to..the application..of them/as-to WHAT..YOU WANT TO LEARN...by them;\.

Learning is EFFORT,..and effort MEANS will.

You will notice..that we have/used the
term..“abilities”.as a plural.. which is correct.

This is because abilities..*began with/the ego,.which..first
perceived..them as a..POTENT(*IAL FOR..higher/reward/achieving/EXCELLING.

This is how..the ego STILL...needs
perceives them..and..AB-uses them...[we dont loose our ego[only control/it..for civil-discourse.]

It..does NOT want/to teach everyone..all it has learned,
because that would DEFEAT..*its purpose in learning.[implied/survival-advantage].

Therefore,..it does/not REALLY..*learn at all.
The Holy Spirit..teaches YOU..to use..*what the/ego has made
to TEACH..the opposite..of what the ego..has LEARNED.

The KIND of/learning..is as irrelevant/as is
the particular ability..which was applied/TO..the learning.

You could not/have..a better example..of/this..[the/Holy Spirit’s unified purpose]..than..as relived..in/this course...

The Holy Spirit has/taken..very diversified areas..of YOUR/OWN.past learning,..and..*has applied them*.to..a UNIFIED curriculum.

The fact..that this/was..NOT..the ego’s..*reason/for learning..is totally irrelevant...*YOU..FREELY..made the effort..to learn,..
and the Holy Spirit/has..a/unified goal..for ALL effort.

He;..ADAPTS/the ego’s potentials...for excelling/self
to potentials..*for/EQUALIZING...[other]

revealing..gods great gifts
[and..the..ego/s..great-grifts]

This makes..them USELESS..for the ego’s purpose,
but..the..extreme/example..is VERY useful for tHis.

jesus/trinity..IT ALL=WE ARE GOD*