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The church is full of people who are seeking that which they have already found and only want to become that which they already are. And that's one of the greatest problems we have in the church.
*William Sloan Coffin. Newscope Lecture Series. July 1992. United Methodist Publishing House.
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DEFINITION
Beliefism: An overemphasis on belief; a focus on belief as a substitute for authentic experience; a set of beliefs so central as to replace compassionate love toward all persons, including those of other belief systems; religious ideology; "creedalism"; dogmatism.
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Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for. Keep on seeking, and you will find. Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you.
*Matthew 7.7, NLT
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"Keep on" is central to a vital, true Christian faith. A forward leaning is key to the expression of conscious discipleship. This leaning is an inward urge that propels us to be open, striving to go beyond ourselves in knowledge and experience. In a sense, this going beyond is a creation of a new self, a self living in a totally new "location." This is an inner pilgrimage, one far more needed than any journey to a so-called holy site of physical terrain.
James P. Carse wrote The Religious Case Against Belief. In his critique of religious belief as a potential move from the "'factor of unknowability'" and "'higher ignorance,'" Carse gives factors of the "absolutism of belief."
Carse does not limit "religious" belief only to religions. Such belief is in systems like "Nazism, Maoism, Serbian nationalism, American triumphalism." These have their rites: "Nazi ritual, Mao's little Red Book, the demarcation of sacred soil, the mission of democracy to enlighten a corrupted world." There is little difference between an American triumphalism that wants to convert those "ignorant masses" to democracy as the fundamentalist Christian who is trying to get "saved" the whole "damned and doomed" world. The mindset is the same, the program different.
Among Carse's ingredients of unhealthy religious belief is the following: [T]he clarity and restricting power of its surrounding boundaries.
One of my bright, young students, preparing for ministry in an ultraconservative, evangelical denomination, sadly spoke of his experience at his home church. He attended a Sunday School class. The teacher, at the end of the lesson, asked for comments. The student raised a question of concern. He was promptly rebuked for his inquisitiveness, essentially, being told that such open-mindedness was not appropriate. After playing some tennis with me and sharing his story, he said, "I will never again open up in church like that again."
The attitude of that Sunday School teacher exemplifies Carse's point. Rigidness in belief is a seeking of clarity at expense of integrity. The safety of surrounding boundaries, while providing security, closes one off to exploring possibilities of action and thought outside the boundaries.
This leads to a second ingredient of over-emphasis on religious belief ~ beliefism: [B]elief thrives on conflict. I have witnessed this in association with ultraconservative evangelicals for many years. I am amazed at refusal of church members in evangelical churches to live in peace among themselves. Whether it is ultraconservative "Christians" or fundamentalist "Muslims," rigid belief systems must "create" enemies to justify their own existences.
This leads to a self-contradiction beliefism constitutes. Beliefism entails appeal to a rigid set of beliefs in order to justify attitudes and actions contrary to the universal-higher principles inherent in the religious system.
We return, then, to Coffin's affirmation. Healthy religion will be constituted by two essential traits.
(1) Healthy religious faith will constitute seeking to become what one is not already.
I have found much unhealthy "Christianity" constituted by the opposite of this leaning toward what one is not yet: [P]ersons seeking to constrict the religious system to validate what one already is and protect oneself against growth.
Not long ago a pastor preached a challenging message. He preached about a core essential to align with the Spirit through communal prayer and how the church had lacked leadership within itself to set forth in that direction. The direction, though central to Christian faith, would require the church to make adjustments in priority and action, to trust the power of praying together. That is, become and do what the church had not been or been doing. This would require an alignment with what persons claim to believe and are willing to do.
Rather than the church responding together with affirmation of the challenge, the pastor got reports back of displeasure with him, and other persons speaking of how wonderful the challenge was. Again, this exemplifies a system saying it wants to thrive, yet, not one person taking up the challenge to say, "Yes, let us give this new direction a try."
Sadly, some systems, as persons, have solidified patterns not to survive, or thrive, but die. Then, we wonder why decline is inevitable. Thriving is possible only in the context of being a people willing and ready to become what it is not yet. For this to occur beliefs must be challenged and an opening to discover new options and possibilities explored together.
Yet, systems reflect the persons in the systems, as well as the systems shaping persons. A closed system validates persons being closed; closed persons validate the system remaining closed.
If a person says, "I'm going to explore being more than I have ever been, even if that means change I would not have considered before, then, a shift occurs in the whole system." Rigid belief systems, however, entail a mentality discouraging the openness to change.
(2) Healthy religious faith will constitute seeking to find what one has not found.
This corresponds with what is said above. Therefore, not much need be said on this point. Healthy faith will always have an open-endedness that explores, discovers, and seeks to grasp in experience and thought what one has not known.
Yes, Coffin is right: Beliefism is a major problem affecting the church. We have raised many professing Christians on the belief that believing the right things makes one a true Christian. We even call Christians "believers." Ironically, Jesus never put beliefs as the core element of following Him. Unhealthy belief is unhealthy, whether it is called Christian or Nazi. Beliefism is beliefism, a "religious" ideology, which is over-confident of its assertions, whether it occurs in Muslim fundamentalism or American triumphalism.
One can believe all the "right things" (translated "orthodox," or "agreeing with the majority; thus, right") and be totally un-Christian. One, also, can be called heterodox (translated: "not agreeing with the majority; thus, wrong") and be a vital, growing follower of Jesus Christ ~ a true Christian.
I have found no sure correspondence between orthodoxy and vital faith. I have often found the opposite ~ beliefism without a living of the spirtuality Jesus Christ embodied and taught His followers. This is a reason we must continue to explore a Christian spirituality, especially the current path of contemplative Christianity.
Many persons are seeking religious experience outside traditional religions. Why? There are many reasons. One ~ we have too often offered persons a heady faith of beliefs (beliefism), when what persons seek is a lively, explorative, and emerging relationship with the Sacred.
Yes, I respect tradition. I do not, however, worship tradition, neither do I assume persons of long ago were any more capable of listening to Truth than persons today. The age one lives in does not define the extent to which Spirit can and does speak. The same loving and wise holy Spirit is living in us that lived in persons long ago. So, yes, respect for tradition, but, no, not traditionalism.
Yes, I do believe that any faith loses its very identity without a core of established belief. However, around that core, and in understanding that core, we need to remain faithfully open to new ways of seeing and experiencing. Otherwise, we shall become one more social fossil set in a stratum of time.
The Church is in need of an "intellectual" repentance. What is this? Confession that at the center of much, indeed, much too much, "Christian" faith is relinquish of intellectual standards that noble religious faith demands. We have too often surrendered to a tribal, collective agreement for convenience, rather than a compelling engagement with the questions and issues faith should prepare us to face.
If Christ is the Truth, and Christ is, where is Christ? Christ is inside the boundaries of what we have been, have believed, and have experienced; also, Christ is outside the boundaries what we have been, have believed, and have experienced. If Christ is in both places, we can honor our past while leaning into the future ready for new possibilities.
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(1) Have you seen in your personal experience a growth in a healthier religious faith? Explain.
(2) What is the "factor of unknowability"? How is this "higher ignorance" essential to a balanced religious faith?
(3) How does contemplation pertain to healthy religious faith?
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*Charitable contributions would be appreciated to assist Brian in the continuance of his work of ministry. For contributions, contact Brian at barukhattah@embarqmail.com .
*Brian's book of spiritual love poetry, An Ache for Union: Oneness with God through Love, can be ordered through major booksellers, or through the Cokesbury on-line store, at www.cokesbury.com .
*Brian K. Wilcox lives in Punta Gorda, FL, and Clearwater, FL, with his wife, step-son, and two beloved dogs. Brian has an independent writing, workshop, and retreat ministry focused on Christians living as spiritual disciples of Jesus Christ in everyday life. He serves the Christ Community United Methodist Church, Punta Gorda, FL. Brian is vowed at Greenbough House of Prayer, a contemplative Christian community in South Georgia. He lives a vowed, contemplative life and inspires others to experience a more intimate relationship with God-in-Christ. Brian advocates for a spiritually-focused, experiential Christianity and renewal of the focus of the Church on addressing the deeper spiritual needs and longings of persons.
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