Becoming Human Part 4 - Maturing Theological Reflection

I think the issue bringing our humanity into deep interface with our faith tradition has been one that has driven many theological and religious explorations.  

Early Christian thought was shaped by platonic and neo-platonic thought.  Both of these philosophical schools are very interesting but tend to emphasize rationality and ideas but minimize the body and the importance of social context.  That is a gross generalization but please humor me.      

So what happens when a person finds that the classical, philosophical categories of theology are too abstract or intellectual?  What happens when the category of sovereignty or  

impassibility feel like wooden church ideas with little contact to everyday existence? 

a. Suck it up and keep 

affirming what feels empty and meaningless.

b. Declare their is no God and go load up on  Sartre novels.

c. Try to work out the dissonance between beliefs and experiences. 

d. Go pound a litre or two of Tiger-Tiger Ice 

Cream.

Working out the tension between theological affirmations and real life experience seems to fuel a significant amount of back breaking effort for people who love Jesus.  Though someone might feel stressed out when cracks show in their theological beliefs, it is actually a good and helpful to test belief systems.  In fact, it is imperative to both question, challenge and critique our own systems to avoid the pitfalls of legalism, violence and hypocrisy.  We also need to find a space wide enough for our faith to develop, mature and grow.  

Theologian Gene Veith expresses this journey in his book The Spirituality of the Cross.  He states, "What i needed was a spiritual framework big enough to embrace the whole range of human existence, a realistic spirituality...that is not a negation of the physical world or ordinary life, but one that transfigures them."  Yes!  Exactly!  

Once the often times painful reconciliation of experience and belief is complete, a new kind of faith is born. One that is more mature; one that does not look to others for verification; one that is compelling, fruitful and honest.  

  

Unfortunately, this is not true of all Christians or denominations.  Some seem to encourage naivety and blind adherence to doctrinal statements.  Kierkegaard teaches us that this is an immature and weak form of faith.  In fact, a great danger exists for those who refuse to address the dissonance that rings loud and clear in an atrophied faith: institutionalized Christianity. This is the worst kind of religious expression.  It is rooted in fear, ignorance and institutional maintenance rather than in grace, learning and sanctification. Instead of encouraging blind adherence we must salute those brave theologians, artists, and writers that seek to unflinchingly explore the tensions and incongruities within the Christian faith tradition. 

We may not completely agree with the new groups who have emerged as a result of these kinds of explorations.  Groups like Open Theism, Radical Orthodoxy, Post-Liberal Theology or the Emergent Movement, have no shortage of critics and naysayers but i am glad that they have the courage to believe that Christianity can be deeper, better and more informed.