Nielsen’s Nook

Nielsen’s Nook
Nielsen’s Nook
Contemplative, reflective, and irenic we pray.
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What is the relationship of form to content?

Will Nielsen
February 1st, 2007
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My wife has been reading Richard Muller on Calvin and his relationship to the Scholastic traditions, both the Medieval Scholastics (e.g., Thomas Aquinas, Duns Scotus) and the later Protestant Scholastics (e.g., Francis Turretin). Consequently, I have been learning a lot from her as she shares with me her insights and we get to discuss. For those who would like a more in depth treatment of Muller’s thesis, please visit my wife’s blog: Per Caritatem.

What I wanted to do here on my blog was ask a question regarding the relationship of form to substance in another way by sharing with you a little video that Mike and Rachel Vendsel shared with us. While it is very funny, it presents the question at hand in a creative way, I think. So watch the video (1:05) and then ask yourself, does the form in which the content of Mary Poppins is being presented to me change the substance of the film? What kinds of affects does form have on substance? Do spoofs like this film help us to answer this question or does this frame the question in a way that is flawed?

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