Faith and the Student
Posted on December 22nd, 2006 by catalyst into the Uncategorized categoryThe NYTimes has an intruiging opinion piece about teaching Religion to college students. The professor writes about the difficulty in teaching Students how to think about Religion.
For years, I have begun my classes by telling students that if they are not more confused and uncertain at the end of the course than they were at the beginning, I will have failed. A growing number of religiously correct students consider this challenge a direct assault on their faith. Yet the task of thinking and teaching, especially in an age of emergent fundamentalisms, is to cultivate a faith in doubt that calls into question every certainty.
Any responsible curriculum for the study of religion in the 21st century must be guided by two basic principles: first, a clear distinction between the study and the practice of religion, and second, an expansive understanding of what religion is and of the manifold roles it plays in life. The aim of critical analysis is not to pass judgment on religious beliefs and practices — though some secular dogmatists wrongly cross that line — but to examine the conditions necessary for their formation and to consider the many functions they serve.
As someone who grew up in a Christian School and was never encouraged to question my Faith, I think he's right here. Questioning something only serves to make your beliefs stronger. You can tell the Christians who just spit back what they've been taught, from the Christians who have geniune questions and know what they believe. I prefer the latter.
RSS feed for posts
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:08 am
I have two points, which I will try to keep brief.
First, I think many in the Church–especially leadership–have a hard time not always having an answer. I think in addition to 1 Peter 3:15, the rationale behind this is “if Jesus is the answer and I’ve got Jesus, then I must have the answer.” This is a particularly difficult principle to negotiate when you’re asking or being asked the “whys” of the kingdom. Why does God allow helpless kids to die from cancer? Why do certain terrible people seem to have better lives than certain good people? Why do some people have an unwanted same-sex attraction? The bottom line is that there are things we don’t know the answer to, and neither should we pretend that we do.
My second point is going to make me sound like an alarmist, and I don’t think that I am, but I have done a significant amount of study on the topic and I believe what I’m about to say is correct. There is a concerted effort today–especially in educational circles–to undermine the notion of absolute truth. It’s postmodern relativism (two plus two only equals four if I think it does) and circumstantialism (two plus two only equals four in certain circumstances).
I’m curious about what anyone else has to say about these two points.
December 22nd, 2006 at 11:40 am
I agree that religions–one’s own and the world’s other major religions–should be studied. Knowing WHAT you believe is only valuable if you know WHY you believe it. I can’t tell you how many PBC-ers and CBC-ers that were my friends had absolutely no idea why they believed what they did (except that their parents/pastors/teachers said “because I said so,” which doesn’t hold up in the “heat” of the moment or battle, and doesn’t enable authentic, intelligent dialogue with people who think differently. The near absence of critical thinking about faith and Christianity and true intellectualism is one of my biggest issues with CBC/MFI/the IC.
I agree with many of the religion professor’s points, with the exception that the “task of thinking and teaching…is to cultivate a faith in doubt that calls into question every certainty.” As an educator and parent, I find this statement frightening. Cultivating a faith in doubt? What the hell kind of sense does that make? While I value critical thinking and analysis, I don’t see that cultivating a faith in doubt as the primary task of thinking and teaching. Good grief.
Bloggy, you’re right that a safe generalization about American public education is that it is anti-absolute truth. In the scheme of things, I suppose that’s new, but it’s been going on for at least 20-25 years. Think about all the revisionism in history, as a prime example. Nearly every subject is taught from a particular world view; it always has been, but now that the dominant world view is increasingly more liberal (whether as the chicken or egg to the rise of fundamentalism), most school subjects are taught from that lense. I believe in the public education system, but not as the source of core or moral values or faith for our children. Parents are the source for that. The pattern of parents wanting to abdicate that responsibility to the public school system is one of the major problems, for our kids, for our society, for our families and for the public school system; it was never intended to do that but too many people expect it to, even demand it to, and then are outraged when it doesn’t promote the values that parents want their kids to have. Much to be said about that, so I’ll get off my soap-box for now.
Matrix
December 22nd, 2006 at 12:23 pm
I agree unequivocally!!! However, I believe more profoundly that truth has been trivilized by naturalism- which has promoted the ubiquitous tenets of radical postmodernism. Thus, truth has become no more than ones opinion….
I am a realist, meaning that a statement or belief is true if and only if it corresponds with reality. Subjectivism is a belief that no statement is objectively true or false. Whatever a person believes to be true is true for that person. We must ask if this belief is true….If it is not true, then we shud disregard it; if it is true, then it contradicts itself…..And according to the rules of logic a contradiction is necessarily false. Again if subjectivism is true, how can we know that it is true if it cannot be tested…..In other words, if subjectivism is true for some and not true for others, how can we ask whether subjectivism itself is true…… So then truth has become severly incoherent because of the very claims of subjectivism….For example, if I believe that santa clause is true and others do not believe that santa clause is true, what do we do?!!
December 22nd, 2006 at 1:44 pm
Keep all the presents to ourselves, of course!
Joking aside, that is what a lot of fundamentalists do to those who are not believers in Sant - er, Jesus. We’d rather contradict others and horde the benefits to ourselves rather than display the love of God in a tangible way.
Cowboy, for someone who is a self-proclaimed realist, I find it ironic that you would denouce subjectivism yet still maintain that the Bible is infallible even though that premise cannot be tested. (Sorry for dragging up an old argument, but I couldn’t resist. It’s my way of getting even for having to read words like ‘’unequivocally” and “ubiquitous”.)
December 22nd, 2006 at 4:16 pm
I have been told that I have fallen away from Christianity by many friends and family. Apparently I have back slidden (I don’t think that is a word except in religios circles) and rejected all that I was taught. I have been labeled merely due to my questioning of my beliefs and those of the church. My indoctrination started in the Southern Baptist church which progressed to a non-denominational church that actually had songs on an “overhead” screen instead of hymnals. Later this was not contemporary enough, so we moved on to a very progressive church, Bible Temple. While each church had its own idiosyncrasies, all held true to the fundamentals of Christianity. By the time I had graduated from TCHS, I had become a “master” of biblical theology (in my own mind, of course – I was a teenager) and my faith would never be shaken. But as I grew older and travelled the world a bit, I noticed that all was not as black and white as I had been led to believe. I went through a questioning phase that was riddled with questions that are normally summarily dismissed by the “pillars” of our faith. Questions such as; “Why does the bible not mention dinosaurs?, or “Would the Aztecs go to hell? They didn’t know about Jesus or even the OT methods of salvation, but they did realize there was a god and worshipped him in their own way. The verse that states “no one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6), leaves little room for exception, but this is not consistent with a merciful God.” When these questions were asked of the great leaders, I would get some “pat” answer like “We can ask God when we see him” or “Don’t let your questions dispel your faith.” Others that were less educated would try and say that Aztecs would go to heaven because they had faith, but then if that is the case the bible would be wrong or at least not the complete manual on salvation. To which I would usually get dumbfounded looks and often a rebuke of trying to lead the sheep astray.
So here I am today still with many questions and considering “should I have faith in a religion that does not have all the answers at best, and at worst, is riddled with contradictions. I have a great problem with people who pluck an old testament verse from the bible to substantiate a modern belief, but disregard more “cultural” verses in the same chapter. If we are truly under grace and God truly wants us to be with him, I don’t think the methodology for salvation would be that convoluted.
I have done extensive research on the origin of the bible today, including Christian and secular references and I am concerned that we put so much faith into a book that has been so “handled” by man – each with an agenda in their own time period. Has religion just become a way of controlling a population. Is there anything real besides the pursuit of truth towards our own personal enlightenment? I know that sounds “new agey” but I think there is some validity to it. I think I am closer to God now than I have ever been and I rarely go to church. I think I am on the cusp of greater understanding of theology than has ever been taught to me in my 8 years of Christian schools or 30+ years of Sunday School (that would be ACTION for you old BT’ers).
So bottom line, should we question our faith – definitely. It is the question, “is there more” that drives us to a closer and more real relationship with God. It is that question that drove us to salvation initially, why should it not be the same question that drives us to greater understanding and enlightenment. (awfully new age, I know) If you follow without questioning, you are in good company. Just one piece of advice – don’t drink the kool-aid.
December 22nd, 2006 at 5:03 pm
cowboy said:
December 22nd, 2006 at 12:23 pm
…”I am a realist, meaning that a statement or belief is true if and only if it corresponds with reality.”
Correspond this, I believe your posts are boring and lack humor.
December 23rd, 2006 at 5:54 am
catalyst said:
I agree with you and the prof, Mark C. Taylor. My faith wasn’t really my faith until I was willing to research and question the theology and doctrines I was raised into.
As a conservative Christian freshman at a public university in ‘94, I thought it would be fun to take a philosophy course on the ‘Old’ testament and hear what the Godless, secular university said. At that time, most of my bible knowledge came from sunday school classes and a few “apologetics” classes, so it was quite shocking to hear that the Bible was NOT dictated by God (’Word of God, written through his prophets hands’). For example, it was surprising to discover that Genesis is a collection of three different sources probably originating in three different religious oral traditions.
Like the prof in the NYTimes article, the instructor of my course received quite a bit of flack from the other Christians in the class. In hindsight, the course was not overtly controversial. It simply skimmed the major academic views and theories about the Hebrew Bible’s origins. Unfortunately, I don’t believe the young European teacher who taught the course was prepared for the onslaught of questions and even subtle personal attacks. He even reluctantly agreed to discuss his personal religious view outside of class since several Christian students continually asked what his faith was.
While I won’t blame this course for my departure from Christian fundamentalism to more progressive/liberal theology, it certainly is responsible for opening the door.
December 23rd, 2006 at 6:36 am
Bloggy McBlogster said:
Utlimately, leaders of any faith have to admit that they can’t prove the faith and that there are simply mysteries of the faith. No one hires an educated, experienced, and accredited leader just to hear, “It’s a mystery of the faith.” So, ministers have to develop some intelligent way of explaining-away the difficult life questions — the “whys”. Often these explanations turn into a type of religious relativism like, “Christianity does explain this better than any other faith.”, yet ultimately rely on blind faith. Catholicism has a long record of institutionalizing answers to the “whys” which is probably explains helps explain how the notion of purgatory was developed.
I think I hear what you’re saying about absolute truth. I think there is an genuine hesistancy among academics to proclaim absolute truths because history is full of prior absolute truths being disproven. However, I think there is also a less genuine and more self-serving reason for academics to undermine the notion of absolute truth. While I’m far from the academic field, I suspect that the fashion in academia is to push the boundaries and to be controversial. After all, no one sells books or makes a name for themselves by proclaiming, “the sky is blue”.
December 23rd, 2006 at 10:00 am
Knowing WHY you believe WHAT you believe is a really good idea.
It’s very difficult to argue effectively if you don’t.
January 2nd, 2007 at 10:23 am
People who “always have to have an answer” can be classified as having an ‘addictive’ personality. Lots of our churches are run by people like this.
Witness Ted for instance, or even PF, who by his own public testimony, had a problem with heroin in the past. Addicts have a need to be ‘in control’, and this leads to seeing God as being in ‘Complete Control’. (I wish I had a dime for every time I’ve heard that) It took me over three years to break out of that thought pattern. I now see the Father as the New Testament shows Him. James 1:17, Matt 19:17, 1John 1:5. If terrible things happen the the world, I no longer conclude that “God allowed” it to happen. The devil has power in the world, LK 4:6, 1 John 5:19, we also have free will and a rebellious flesh to exercise it. We are the evil ones, according to Jesus (LK 11:13). Once I repented for thinking that God somehow allowed evil to occur so He could use it for good(Augustinian doctrine) I found a joy in His presence that I had never experienced before. I will warn you, however, that this is not a popular subject to bring up….expect strong reactions!
January 2nd, 2007 at 10:39 am
True wisdom is knowing that you do NOT have all the answers.
January 3rd, 2007 at 12:34 pm
As a former “pastor,” and “teacher,” at PBC, I know soooo well the addictive “need” to “know” the answer to all questions of faith and practice.
I just knew that if I didn’t have a solid answer to every enquiring student’s question, regarding the mysteries of life, I would become irrelevant and probably removed from the PBC staff. I was probably wrong about that notion, and it was probably just reflective of my own addictive personality, but it was something I deeply wrestled with.
I will never forget being invited to speak at a counseling center for abused women. I walked into the room, sat among perhaps 15 women, some of whom were gripping their teddie bears, others just sat looking at me with some vague expression of “what brand of male abuser will you turn out to be?” It was awesomely intimidating.
When it came time for the meeting to begin the lead counselor said, “The women have assembled a set of questions they’d like for you to address biblically.” I thought to myself, “Hmmm, this shouldn’t be too tough. After all these aren’t theologians here…” Whew was I ever wrong.
A couple of questions came and went with no major disruptions, but it turns out they were just “warm up questions.” Like a bolt of lightning out of nowhere the following question came forth, and predictably so, “Where was God when my abuser was abusing me, and when I cried out to Him to make it stop why didn’t He stop it?”
I took a deep breath, looked into the bleeding eyes of wounded hearts, and proceeded to make an absolute fool of myself, trying to describe, in theological tones, the place of the Fall, the result of sin in the world, and the goodness of God inspite of their abuse. It was like a wind of fury blew through the room. You’d have thought I told them God had inspired their abusers to abuse them. My answer was completely useless. I sputtered out a few more attempts to bring sense to their pain, and finally I turned to the Catholic priest sitting next to me, who was also invited to address these issues.
I wish you could have been there. He paused for an uncomfortably long time, looked deeply into their hearts, sighed, and then, with tears in his eyes said, “I’m so sorry for your pain, and I really don’t know the answer to your question. Pain is just so confusing, and I think you have every right to ask this hard question. I believe there is an answer, but honestly I’ve never heard one that didn’t end up trivializing your pain. I won’t do that to you tonight.”
You could have heard a pin drop. It was like something had swept into the room and sucked up all the air. I almost passed out under the strain of the agony of their hearts. They totally accepted his answer. One started rocking back and forth, while sucking her thumb, another hugged her teddie bear all the tighter, and most began weeping. Somehow, in that brief moment I think more healing took place than a million well crafted answers could have accomplished. They could just tell this priest meant what he said, and somehow his honesty and compassion commuted onto God, and a little flicker of renewed trust lept into the hearts of these terribly abused women.
Sooo, the older I’ve grown, the more I am filled with unanswered questions, and yet, even though I’d love to have the answers, somehow it has created a brokenness in my spirit like that which David describes in Psalm 131
2 Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, Like a weaned child with his mother; Like a weaned child is my soul within me.
I often find myself falling back into addictive tendencies to “have to have an answer” for every perplexing question, but it is soooo fun these days, living outside the IC, to not “have” to have an answer for everything.
January 3rd, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Tom,
Thanks for that story! It took me back a few years to when I had the
priviledge of sitting in Theo Johnson’s living room. He was the one who first told me that God was not in ‘complete control’ of everything. Man, did
my eyes bug out at that! But his stories about abused people who would never trust a God who allowed such things made me think. Like I said, it took me three years or more before I got ahold of it.
I love reading your posts, keep up the good work.
January 3rd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
whatHEsaid,
Theo has had a profoundly positive effect on many people’s lives…
The balancing of God’s sovereignty and man’s will, is never going to be mentally an easy leap. Scripture declares both, and while it seems like a logical impossibility, here’s a word I often used to explain it - antinomy.
The dictionary definition is: A contradiction between principles or conclusions that seem equally necessary and reasonable; a paradox.
Inother words, two equally opposing yet true axioms.
It is best for us to acknowledge both are true, but to suspend our personal demand to understand it. I’ve concluded our minds have been given divine limitations on comprehension of such lofty matters. For some, throughout history, this has been enough to drive them from their faith. For some reason, for me, it has driven me to conclude “He’s God, and I don’t have to be able to fully comprehend Him to trust Him.”
Rom 11:33 Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways!
January 3rd, 2007 at 11:42 pm
I love this statement.
January 4th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
Theo’s website is an excellent resource for anyone wanting to know Jesus better. www.healingtouchministries.org
His books are great learning tools, and sold at the cost it takes to produce them. There is also free training to download.
Check him out! You won’t be sorry.
January 4th, 2007 at 8:06 pm
Now repeat after me:
I… DON’T… KNOW.
Feels good, now, doesn’t it!
January 5th, 2007 at 11:36 am
That sentence is right up there with “I’m sorry” as the most difficult for human beings to utter.