Losing Our Minds

            I know more recently I have reflected upon my thoughts about the lacking of intellectualism throughout mainstream Christianity, this might be some closing thoughts for the time being. Much of this reflects the points mentioned in the book I have been lazily reading, and thus have stretched it out far longer than I intended it to. I had to finish the chapters concerning this topic before I spelled it all out.

            I think it is fairly easy to notice that the contemporary style of church is growing in popularity far faster than the traditional style. I am one who prefers a full band, drums and all to be present with the worship leading. In addition to the modernized music the casual attire is another glaring sign, it is not taboo to wear shorts and a t-shirt to church anymore. The concept of "Sunday's best" is all but a concept except in few denominations that I see still exercise such fashion. I'm not one to say whose right or wrong, I think such issues of instruments in the band, attire, and style are preferential. It all matters in what the teaching are; is it a non-biblical self-help session growing our imaginations about a divine genie in the sky? Is it a hell fire and brimstone style that wishes us to scare us into submission? I have seen examples that go both ways too far and to the detriment of the Church (remember church is the organized group, while Church is the body of believers).

            Perhaps the most difficult part about truthfully practicing biblical faith is finding the right balance with all the sinners involved in the process. Sometimes we need to have the kind of zeal that Fred Phelps is so infamous for, except about something that is actually true about God. While other times I think it is best to be meek and humble. How do we reconcile narrow gates with becoming a slave to win them? While it might be theologically true and honest to stand on soap box telling the passersby to repent, does it model a biblical example that Christ showed us? At the same time, just hanging around our secular friends without ever presenting them the Gospel is no better. We must live in such a way that people can see a difference in our life. While at times it is encouraging, I hope my life is bold enough in faith that no one ever has to ask me “what do you believe?”

            So going back to the topic of this conglomeration of thoughts, I have my moments that I pity the old church. The 1600's style of church was liturgical in ways most people can only read about now. The emphasis of the personal God is rather new as far as the practicing of faith goes. Based on the historical analysis that I recently read it was pointed out that such emotion driven faith is a development of the Great Awakenings, the first in the 1730's and the second one in the 1800's, the emotionalism was much more present in the Second Great Awakening. It is common knowledge that it was the pilgrims that started to settle in what is now the United States in the 1600's it is not so common knowledge what kind of faith they practiced upon arrival. The First Great Awakening was especially focused on the hell fire brimstone method of evangelism. This is when such famous works as Sinners In the Hands of an Angry God" were more typical. In contrast, the Second Great Awakening marked the beginning of the revivalist movement.

            It is important to know ones’ roots, those from New England were of the Lutheran, Presbyterian denominations while middle colonies such as Jamestown were closer to the Baptist, Episcopal affiliation. For easier reference I will just go with North vs. South. From the North there was little distinction between the Church and the community. The teachings were that of ordered educated men standing in a pulpit and reading, often it was simply scripture with the occasional personal notes added. The style of preaching that broke down the barriers between the people and the pulpit were some of the signatures of the Great Awakenings. While I treasure such adaptations in the way the Gospel is preached and taught I recently pondered, "When did we pull away from intellectualism?" Remember that Yale, Princeton and many of the Ivy League schools started out to train ministers. If you doubt me, schools having such mottos as "In Thy light shall we see the light", "Laws without morals are useless" or "Truth" seems to point to their roots and original purpose. How did these institutions of intellect and faith get so far from the faith that drove their founding?

            The Second Great Awakening originated in the South; whereas preachers would live much like the disciples going place to place preaching to whomever would hear them. While such introduction of introducing faith as a heart issue greatly popularized faith it started a differentiation between our thought lives. The faith practiced prior to the Great Awakenings was strongly linked with the intellectual fields of science. Be it Galileo, Mendeleyev, or Newton they were all devoted and often driven in their scientific study by their Christian faith. There was no diversion between faith and science, much of early science was established by the church. Nancy Pearcy phrases such mental division as the “upper story”; being topics of science, politics, what we mostly call facts verses the lower story; which is our relationships, faith and philosophy. So what happened?

            It appears to me somewhat of a throwing-the-baby-out-with-the-bathwater occurred, during the Second Great Awakening. While the Gospel was popularized and swept the nation it was emphasized on the personal level of faith verses the Northern style which is exemplified in such works as The Scarlet Letter. That's when people caught in sin would be publicly chastised, punished, and or worse. The sense of loving one another was embodied as tough love if love at all. I am grateful that faith is taught as something that is of the heart, but strongly dissatisfied with the common limits of faith from being more than feelings and emotions. I was wondering what happened in our culture that we got so far from our critical thinking and common sense, and I am looking right into our own history as a Christian nation. During the Second Great Awakening and for decades following, the emphasis towards theology, reason and philosophy was ignored or discarded. In an effort to get away from the judgmental liturgical method of worship and become relevant to the masses the message was simplified and in some ways watered down.

            In my own desire to point fingers to who watered down our faith that it is so difficult for so many to know how to think critically and faithfully I have found the finger pointing at ourselves. It seems the cost of focusing so intently on the faith of Christianity; the Truth of Christianity has been blurred. We live in a society that claims to be 90% Christian, and yet looking at our social issues they seem to be problems that plague a worldly culture not one focused on Christ. I mentioned this in Born Again or Christian, but it is worth returning to.

            Where does that leave us now? The anti-Christian sentiment fueled by “rationality has been growing, from the Blasphemy Challenge of the Rational Responders or any number of the proud atheist movement. They stand on their soap boxes with pride claiming as Nietzsche did "God is dead" and there are few Christians that can engage them in the spiritual warfare they are bringing in us. I wonder where are all the Daniels, Hananiahs, Mishaels, and Azariahs? They mastered the Babylonian way of life, knowledge and culture yet did not become subjects of it. They remained faithful in their life while relevant and eternally effective as ministers and apologetics. I hope I can do the same and recruit some others to join me.