It is the conventional wisdom in church circles that the critical approach to scripture, that is, applying the techniques of the so-called Higher Criticism to the Bible, destroys faith and drives people away from the church. Although the critical approach to the Bible has been the norm in mainline seminaries for a century or more, very few laypeople in the churches know anything about it because seminary graduates have not taught it to their parishioners. As a result most laypeople have a simplistic understanding of the Bible and of the Christian faith, even in the formerly mainline denominations. Yet my experience tells me that this conventional church wisdom is simply wrong.
For the past couple of years or so I have led a lectionary Bible study at Merrill Gardens, the retirement community in Monroe, WA. We moved the study from Monroe Congregational UCC to Merrill Gardens when three of the church members who participated moved to that retirement facility. The weekly study continues, but the church members for whom we moved it no longer participate due to death, advanced age, or illness. The people attending it now are residents of Merrill Gardens with little or no other connection with Monroe Congregational UCC. They are all in their eighties at least. They come from diverse backgrounds. One is from Germany and of unspecified religious background. One (the most faithful attendee) is a Southern Baptist. One is an ELCA Lutheran. The religious experience of the others remains unknown.
Every week they hear the critical approach to the Bible from me. They hear about the cultural and historical setting of the lectionary texts. They learn the contradictions in the Bible. They learn that the Bible contains a great many points of view and theologies and does not tell a single, unified, consistent story. They learn that in many of its verses the Bible reflects an ancient world view that we do not share. They hear stories described as myths. They hear of truths that are not factual. They hear other religious traditions described as containing truth rather than of Christianity as the only truth. They get introduced to some of the linguistic niceties and ambiguities in the Biblical texts. They hear the word "God" defined as a symbol that points beyond itself to a transcendent spiritual dimension of reality that it can never adequately define. They hear religion defined as a system of symbols and myths through which we find our connection with that transcendent spiritual reality. And it is clear that all of this is entirely new to them. No one has ever shared this information with them before.
According to the conventional wisdom that approach should have driven them away from the group. It hasn't. The group has grown significantly lately. True, one person dropped out because she considers Monroe Congregational UCC too "open minded". But the people who come are captivated by the new (to them) approach they are learning. They can't tell me often enough how they enjoy and appreciate the group and me. These elderly folks are sponges for knowledge, knowledge they had no inkling even existed. These are not a new generation of Christians that we might expect to be more open to the critical approach. They have been Christians for decades. They are the people pastors and preachers have been afraid to introduce to the critical approach; yet they can't get enough of it. It excites them. It inspires them. They love it.
There are of course people who the critical approach will drive away from the church. That's not necessarily a bad thing. There are lots of churches out there still purveying the simplistic, factual approach to Christianity. But the churches formerly known as mainline are in desperate need of revival. The critical approach has revived Monroe Congregational UCC. It is finding an eager reception among the retirees at Merrill Gardens. It can revive the church if we will just get over the idea that the people can't handle it. They can. They do. I've seen it. Thanks be to God.
For the past couple of years or so I have led a lectionary Bible study at Merrill Gardens, the retirement community in Monroe, WA. We moved the study from Monroe Congregational UCC to Merrill Gardens when three of the church members who participated moved to that retirement facility. The weekly study continues, but the church members for whom we moved it no longer participate due to death, advanced age, or illness. The people attending it now are residents of Merrill Gardens with little or no other connection with Monroe Congregational UCC. They are all in their eighties at least. They come from diverse backgrounds. One is from Germany and of unspecified religious background. One (the most faithful attendee) is a Southern Baptist. One is an ELCA Lutheran. The religious experience of the others remains unknown.
Every week they hear the critical approach to the Bible from me. They hear about the cultural and historical setting of the lectionary texts. They learn the contradictions in the Bible. They learn that the Bible contains a great many points of view and theologies and does not tell a single, unified, consistent story. They learn that in many of its verses the Bible reflects an ancient world view that we do not share. They hear stories described as myths. They hear of truths that are not factual. They hear other religious traditions described as containing truth rather than of Christianity as the only truth. They get introduced to some of the linguistic niceties and ambiguities in the Biblical texts. They hear the word "God" defined as a symbol that points beyond itself to a transcendent spiritual dimension of reality that it can never adequately define. They hear religion defined as a system of symbols and myths through which we find our connection with that transcendent spiritual reality. And it is clear that all of this is entirely new to them. No one has ever shared this information with them before.
According to the conventional wisdom that approach should have driven them away from the group. It hasn't. The group has grown significantly lately. True, one person dropped out because she considers Monroe Congregational UCC too "open minded". But the people who come are captivated by the new (to them) approach they are learning. They can't tell me often enough how they enjoy and appreciate the group and me. These elderly folks are sponges for knowledge, knowledge they had no inkling even existed. These are not a new generation of Christians that we might expect to be more open to the critical approach. They have been Christians for decades. They are the people pastors and preachers have been afraid to introduce to the critical approach; yet they can't get enough of it. It excites them. It inspires them. They love it.
There are of course people who the critical approach will drive away from the church. That's not necessarily a bad thing. There are lots of churches out there still purveying the simplistic, factual approach to Christianity. But the churches formerly known as mainline are in desperate need of revival. The critical approach has revived Monroe Congregational UCC. It is finding an eager reception among the retirees at Merrill Gardens. It can revive the church if we will just get over the idea that the people can't handle it. They can. They do. I've seen it. Thanks be to God.
How often fear dictates our choices -- in the church and out?
ReplyDeleteFear is a good thing when it keeps you from making a bad choice....like not entering the yard of a home where the resident dog is snarling. But how often is there really a snarling dog?
Like the old saying goes, though: it makes a good servant, but a poor master