After last class, I couldn’t help but think of the idea of true faith being illogical within the context of modern-day Evangelical Christianity.
Last class we discussed Kierkegaard’s “Is There Such Thing as a Teleological Suspension of the Ethical?” We talked about the different realms of existence. The religious realm is the highest realm; it is the realm of individual faith. Organized religion, however, falls within the realm of the ethical, because it appeals to the universal.
As we discussed in class, Abraham was able to surpass the realm of the ethical and arrive at faith because of his genuine belief in a paradox. This implies that true faith requires the belief in a paradox, because faith cannot survive on reason. Faith is belief that transcends reason; to be able to explain it logically would rob it of all meaning.
A lot of Christians, particularly the Evangelicals, have been bashed in popular culture and the media lately for their apparently blind belief in a religion that is riddled with hypocrisy and contradictions. For example, Evangelicals tout the Bible as being perfect even though all its inconsistencies suggest otherwise. Their religious practices seem like brainwashing to the outside world and their beliefs seem totally hypocritical. For example, the 2006 documentary Jesus Camp and a recent National Geographic special are both admirably even-handed but thoroughly provocative depictions of the indoctrination of young Evangelicals. (I have seen both of these in their entirety, so I am doing my best to put these clips into context.) It is interesting to note Kanon's sermon is very well recieved in spite of the fact that he presents no logical message. Jesus Camp, in particular, was met with outrage, and prompted many to combat Evangelical ideology with reason. This is a flawed argument, however, because Evangelicals are primarily concerned with their personal, emotional relationship with God, something that Kierkegaard says must take place outside the realm of reason.
If we are to accept Kierkegaard’s account of the story of Abraham, we should not be searching for a logical explanation of the Evangelical expression of faith. I said before that organized religion lies within the realm of reason. It is clear to everyone outside the Evangelical community that this is not the case within Evangelical Christianity. It seems, rather, that this religious sect is embracing Kierkegaard’s statement that “faith is a passion” on a universal scale.
What do you think? Do Evangelical Christians realize the sort of illogical sense their hypocrisy makes in relation to Kierkegaard’s interpretation of Abraham’s story? Is whether they understand that even relevant to them?
Often contradiction can be portrayed as something spiritually enlightening. THe Buddhist are famous for creating very counter-intiutive ideas to contemplate in order to reach enlightenment like "WHat is the sound of one hand clapping." Evangelicals do it too with the Triune God and the stories of Faith and even the Sermon on the Mount which describes naturally negative traits like poor or meek as being blessed. The sermons and the demands are meant to help the Christian become faithful in the most irrational sense. Evangelicals who are known for their zeal are masters at extremely spiritual (aka hypocritical) sophisms. In my opinion, Evangelicals are aware that what they believe does not make logical sense, but on the other hand they do not see that as a problem affecting the truth-value of their beliefs.
ReplyDeleteAccording to the video of Kanon the preacher, it seems as though Evangelical Christians are embracing Kierkegaard's view that "faith is a passion." However, I'm not sure that they realize their illogical sense. I feel like they might realize their hypocrisy, but they are not going to come forward and admit it (it would cause great chaos among believers). Their understanding of their own hypocrisy in relation to Kierkegaard is relevant because that calls into question the hierarchy we discussed in class of organized, universal religion being below the religious realm. If the Evangelicals are concerned with their personal relationships, shouldn't they condone young preachers and talk about organized religion in service, for the sake of individual growth toward faith outside of church?
ReplyDeleteI hope that made sense.
I think organized church lies within the realm of reason insofar as it generally operates under a universal system of rules and procedures. Evangelical Christians embrace the illogical, as evidenced by the celebration of 4-year-old Kanon, yet the churches they attend still have an order of worship that is (for the most part) followed by other Evangelical churches across the nation. It could be argued that any denomination of Christianity operates outside the bounds of reason and logic by believing all Biblical texts to be literal accounts of miracles and impossibilites. I think the argument that Kierkegaard is making is that organized religion, which may seem illogical to a non-believer, falls in a universal realm because large groups of people across the world follow the same order of worship and have the same procedures regarding particulars like baptisms and communion. Abraham agreeing to sacrifice his own son for God even violates the logic of organized religion (I feel like few level-minded Christians today would willingly kill their child), which is why the action demonstrates his individual relationship with God. Such a relationship falls in the realm of the Religious, which is above the universal realm of the Ethical.
ReplyDeleteComing from a very religious background the idea of this story being seen as illogical caught me off guard in a sense. I dont completely have a full grasp on what Kierkegaard is pointing out but from what I do get, it made me feel as if Christains are brained washed in a sense from a young age. We're told to believe that what is said in the bible is our "absolute truth" and not to question or even look into the deeper meaning. So as we get older we do become ignorant to the fact theres different sides of the story, and once we're told the opposite of what we believe we want to push that information aside as insignificant.
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