"Help me in my Unbelief"

I am a churchman. I believe in the church. I don’t always understand or like the church. It is not terribly efficient. It employs sometimes people that are not very likeable. It is frequently seduced by the pervading culture around it. It constantly suffers from foot in the mouth disease. On a bad day I have thought that the monies I donate to church might be better spent getting a golf membership at least if enjoyment is my pursuit. (as if God was teaching me a lesson, two years ago while playing golf alone on a Sunday afternoon I scored a hole-in-one with no witnesses ☹ ) But at the end of the day, church is home, warts, and all.

I don’t know Bob. But for some time, he was my favorite religious curmudgeon. From his many letters to my local newspaper, it was apparent Bob did not have much use for the church, or theology. In 2009 rhetorically Bob asked, “what has theology ever said that is of the smallest use to anybody?” I am sure there was a story behind his displeasure, there is always a story and I suspect there was a good chance it was justified.

As an employed theologian at the time, I did not take his rebuke personally. Fortunately, I am also pretty good with a hammer and saw so I know I am not completely useless. Of course, Bob was/is not alone in his discontent. Anti-theists Richard Dawkins (The God Delusion) and the late Christopher Hitchens (God is not Great) are just two among many popular writers who have propagated a similar if not more scholarly refrain. With enthusiasm they have argued that the sooner the religiously “persuaded” give up on the existence of a Supreme Being the better the world will be.

In response as Christians, we might be tempted to respond by pointing out the accomplishments of theologians and other godly people who have been leaders of social justice and reform. In Canada, Thomas Douglas and James Woodworth come immediately to mind. Of course, to do so leaves us vulnerable to others pointing out the atrocities done in the name of theological orthodoxy. Even the accomplished reformer John Calvin had Michael Servetus, a theologian and physician burned alive at the stake (1511) because apparently, he rejected Calvin’s idea that many souls are predestined for hell regardless of worth or merit and Servetus couldn’t correctly parse the Trinity - yikes. And we should not forget Priscillian of Avila who in the late fourth century was reportedly the first Christian martyr burned at the stake for not behaving according to the then prevailing Christian orthodox norms. Apparently, he was too “pentecostal” for the high-minded Christians of his time.[1] And never mind the damage done in more recent times, by systemic racism that historically has often been justified by the church.

We could try to take a more aesthetic route and point out the churches and the art that they have spawned which have made the world a decidedly more beautiful place to live. Several years ago, while touring through the United Kingdom I was visually impacted by the stunning stone cathedrals that punctuate the landscape. But then someone is sure to exclaim that many of these churches have more in common with mausoleums. They have preserved a heritage that is largely empty. It is a twist on the old rhyme: “here’s the church, here’s the steeple, open the doors where are all the people?” Hanging on at least one archway I think I saw the sign “Mostly Harmless.”

Now I can take comfort in the fact that Bob’s invidious remark is not entirely a slight just against theology. In a time when it seems everything is defined in terms of the marketplace, the humanities in general are all under increased scrutiny. In other words, how will the prose of an Annie Dilliard, or knowing the historical circumstances behind War of 1812 help find me a job? It is the same interrogation that I got when teaching students who wanted to know how knowing the theologian Paul Tillich’s principles in determining the New Being as process can help them lead someone to Christ. Come to think about it, Bob’s refrain might have as many converts inside the church as he does outside. Are theologians and/or churches the great quenchers of the Spirit?

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“In theology one has to keep talking, because otherwise somebody will believe your last sentence.” Douglas John Hall

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Of course, there is an irony here that can easily be missed. One’s ability to even follow this thread of thought, or to be able to voice an opinion either for or against it is contingent on a lifetime of engagement with the humanities. It is through the humanities we learn to map the complexities of life into coherent and consistent directions.

So where does this leave theology and/or the church? Would my time be better spent golfing than pursuing in my retirement a blog devoted to faith/church/the Spirit and so on.

First to my church friends who are so ready to practice church that they have no time thinking theologically, I remind them they are all practicing theology consciously or sub consciously. The choice is not between theology or no theology, it is between poor theology and good theology. But understand theology only gives the next to last word. It is an ongoing conversation that perpetually holds up the mirror of Christ and asks, “do we like what you see?” Theology is not the way, but it helps identify the way. In the words of Emeritus Professor of Theology at McGill University, “in theology one has to keep talking, because otherwise somebody will believe your last sentence.”[2]

Theology’s best work is often as a critic even when the object of its study is itself. For instance, it is not a stretch to suggest that in a market driven world the greatest challenge facing the western church today is consumerism (a subject for a future blog). The threat is toxic because much of the church has co-opted its agenda with little reflection. The theologian in this case has an important role to point out the hazards, raise red flags when necessary, and equip people with discerning spirits and minds that reflect the Spirit of Christ. Theology at its best does not tell us what to do or think, rather it hopes to spur others including myself to think, live and serve Christianly wherever we find ourselves. And that also means we take into our private and public discussions a willingness to be wrong.

And second, to the “Bob’s” I encounter if they are irritated by the work of theology which is predicated on the existence of a Supreme Being who remains involved in the matters of creation, I would remind them that we are all trying to come to terms with the fact of “us”. In other words, what gives us the capacity to articulate an argument, reason, or to believe in anything? What accounts for the mystery that animates all beings? These are among the questions of ultimate significce we all face. I understand for some there is no compelling evidence to believe in a Supreme Being. I only ask that they accept that for others like me I cannot get through a day where the worship of God is the only compelling response to the wonder of living.

As for Bob, my friend whom I have never met, your letters reminded me of the Centurion who prayed, “Lord I believe, help me in my unbelief,” only I suspect your prayer is “Lord I don’t believe help me in my belief.” – much the same prayer.[3]

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[1] Harvey Cox, The Future of Faith, (Harper Collins, 2009):6-7. [2] Douglas John Hall, Bound and Free: A Theologians Journey (Fortress Press, 2005):24. Hall further states, “Faith is not the consequence of human ratiocination. It is the human response to the revelation of the divine Presence; it is trust in the absence of clear evidence, what Paul calls, ‘sight.’ I cannot bring about faith in myself or in others any more than I can bring about love. But if I find myself or another person yearning for something like faith, it is probably that the divine Instigator of faith is already at work.” P.113. [3] Another take on this prayer is from writer Julian Barnes, “I don’t believe in God, but I miss Him” in Nothing to be Frightened of (Random House, 2009):3.