Dynamics of Theology Faith and the Community of Beliefs.

Dynamics of Theology

Faith and the Community of Beliefs


Faith as a Public Act-- Aside from individual dimension, faith

also has a public sphere– Inevitable since truth cannot remain

“truth for me” alone– The belief in truth necessarily denies an

“absolute relativism”


Faith as a Public Act– Two things happen in the formulation of

faith into beliefs:– First, the object of faith is thematized

and clarified for individuals– Second, object of faith is rendered public

by the use of common language


Faith as a Public Act– Faith, then, is a public act. In fact,

people are born and socialized into a community of beliefs

– However, authentic religious faith goes beyond a passive acceptance or social association with beliefs

– Involves entering into, sharing and participating through active commitment


Faith as a Public Act– On a more active level, the person

ratifies his/her faith by identifying with the community

– This identity involves a commitment to shared symbols, values, ideas and beliefs

– One’s most personal faith is social: It is a public, social act implying co-responsibility with people in the community


The Social Function of Belief– Theological statements serve as one of

the social bonds that holds a community together

– Beliefs appear to be secondary or derivative; what is primary is the “clinging onto,” the cause that transcends the finite

– Commitment of faith [the infinite] can remain constant despite changing beliefs [the finite]


The Social Function of Belief– From the social perspective, things are

in some way reversed: Beliefs are in place before an individual commits to objects that faith represents

– Beliefs attempt to define the object of ultimate concern, and thus share in the ultimacy of the concern itself


The Social Function of Belief– Tampering with or changing of beliefs

that express faith of a person or community can be met by deep resistance

– While beliefs are derivative of faith, their value in the community is not diminished

– Beliefs, are not, however, the primary expressions of faith; much more basic is action


The Social Function of Belief– Beliefs are important; however, they

should never take the place of or be given the status of faith itself

– Why? Beliefs are finite, limited expressions of faith, not faith itself


A Problem: Beliefs Masquerading as Faith– Quite often, theological propositions

become themselves the object of ultimate concern

– Faith itself tends to be mistaken for holding on to beliefs

– Faith then becomes objectified, or simply a set of beliefs about reality


A Problem: Beliefs Masquerading as Faith– The result is fundamentalism and/or

creedalism– Also, faith, when collapsed into beliefs,

begins to function simply as knowledge– Beliefs become objective knowledge

about reality; and since they are held to be true, with faith assenting to them, faith becomes ordinary knowledge


A Problem: Beliefs Masquerading as Faith– Christian faith becomes objective

knowledge that Christians possess, and others don’t

– Formulas of this purported knowledge must be kept at all costs; change one and “faith” is altered

– Loss of faith in one belief is considered total infidelity


A Problem: Beliefs Masquerading as Faith– Beliefs masquerading as faith =

theologically wrong– When faith is equated to a set of beliefs,

it comes in conflict with the plurality of knowledge and social worldviews

– The result is people leaving the church, and an impoverished faith isolated from the world


Beliefs as Historically Conditioned– The premise: All theological affirmations

are historically-conditioned, and therefore relative and limited

– Region, place, culture, race and language may influence the identity of the church as manifested in the form of beliefs


Beliefs as Historically Conditioned– Historical consciousness means realizing

that everything exists in time and history, and is determined by the unique circumstances of those times and histories

– Through historical consciousness, one can appreciate the richness of Christian faith itself


Beliefs as Historically Conditioned– All beliefs and doctrines may be said to

have double relativity– Relative in relation to the ultimate object

of faith, the transcendent– Relative also to the culture in which they

are generated


Beliefs and Reason– Reason here is objective critical reason

[i.e. reflective power of the mind to ask questions, look for evidence and infer in light of data]

– Objective critical reason operates in the service of truth

– Faith and reason should be integrated; they are not in opposition


Beliefs and Reason– The dynamism of human freedom that

commits itself to an ultimate object of faith is an exercise of reason

– But the dynamism that leads to faith is more than “pure” reason

– Movement toward faith also includes preference, bias, hopes, desires, appreciation of values, etc.


Beliefs and Reason– Called implicit reasoning, this process

contributes reasons for the object of faith

– But these reasons transcend power of “pure” reason

– Ecstatic reason stands out beyond itself and all finite beings to encounter the ground of being itself


Beliefs and Reason– Reason is intrinsic to faith; faith is not

faith apart from reason– However, beliefs fashioned out of reason

are not immune from questioning of critical, objective reason

– Expressions of belief depend upon both the imagination and critical objective reasoning


Beliefs and Reason– Critical reason is often critical of some

beliefs and doctrines a community or person has

– We must always be careful, however, to dstinguish between faith and belief

– Beliefs and faith are different; beliefs can, and perhaps should, change as time passes


Beliefs and Reason– Reason is used to discard beliefs that

may not be appropriate to a given time and place

– The same critical reason applies to theology itself; its task is to construct new expressions of faith

– Interaction between beliefs and reason calls into question what is historically-relevant


Interpreting Beliefs as Expressions of Faith– Theology continually reinterprets the

beliefs of the Christian community– Beliefs change, but Christians still do

identify their faith with a community that stretches well back into the past

– Despite differences in beliefs, Christians recognize a unity of faith that transcends differences


Interpreting Beliefs as Expressions of Faith– Beliefs about the object of faith arise

from interpenetration of faith and knowledge of this world

– Knowledge of the world changes, though– What’s key in holding the Christian

community together is dialogue


Interpreting Beliefs as Expressions of Faith– Doctrinal positions from the past must

still be explained, however, as part of Christian tradition

– In the process, one can appreciate the motivation of the church to historically develop such doctrines


Interpreting Beliefs as Expressions of Faith– Beliefs as Principles of Action– Mediation of Critical Social Reason– Beliefs and the Community’s Relation to

Society

Dynamics of Theology Faith and the Community of Beliefs.

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Transcript of Dynamics of Theology Faith and the Community of Beliefs.