EYE TO EYE
Science Galileo - view of church as authority not church as community Enlightenment took empirical scientific method from muslims and separated it from faith context. Science seen as competing with, rather than complementary to, religion as a description of observed experience. Scientific theory as dogmatic faith I believe in ‘science’ (says Richard Dawkin/Lewis Wolpert) (Scientific method - throw away the results that don’t fit - experimental error) Challenge current theory & be sneered at as ‘unscientific’ rather than setting science in its historical reality of constant self-destruction and re-invention. This century’s scientific dogma reduces our life experience to ‘Relativity, Uncertainty, Indeterminacy, Chaos’ Beautiful science, but a purposeless description of existence Detachment of faith perspective from scientific visionaries Einstein’s talk of God seen as eccentricity, not intelligence Isaac Newton only known as a mathematician, not a Bible scholar ‘Modern’ Science Darwin - Evolution - Superiority of the New (the latest version is best) Modernism Rationalism Logic the only way of knowing what is worth knowing Materialism Dismissal of all spiritual content to experience Reductionism Fragmented approach to study (dissected flies don't fly) Secularism Faith in other than the above a purely private concern Public Science, Economics, Politics, Employment = ‘Facts’ Private Faith, Scripture, Religion, Morality, Values = ‘Opinion’ The Modernist Church Rationalist Cognitive, Intellectual, Bookish, Conservative Materialist Rejection of spiritual, mystical experience Reductionist Fragmentation, Analysis, Classification, Domination Commentaries by-passing essential meaning Every week 7,500 in Western Europe (230 in Scotland) leave Christianity (at present rates, Christianity non-existent in 10 years, possibly faster due to ageing population) c.f. in Africa - Every day 17,500 become Christian 60% of Christians are not “white-western” Post Modern perceptions Suspicion of large scale or universal explanations “I’ll find my own truth for myself” Distrust of claims of objectivity “I’ll trust my feelings, not your dogma” Pluralism & Relativism “Your story or mine, who cares” Mix & Match “Wisdom from many different sources” Spirituality not Religion “Worship without Church” Redefining Spirituality Answers > Questions Theology > Experience Crisis (Conversion) > Journey/Process Mind/Reason > Body/Spirit Self-contained > Open-ended Truth as propositions > Truth as relationships Ideas > People Words > Actions Redefining Christianity The Bible
Proposition > Stories Theology > Experience of God Words > Actions Ideas > People Answers > Questions
The World
Human Resource > Gift of God Physical > Spiritual Dead > Alive Sin > Blessing
People
Sinners > Sinned against Fallen > Made in God’s Image Man-in-charge > Male & Female in Partnership
Personal Sin
You are Responsible > You can be responsible Part of Gospel Content > Response to the Gospel Repent-Believe-Belong > Discipleship “Follow Jesus”
Sharing Faith
Formal > Relational Bringing God to people > God is already present From above > Being alongside Speaking > Listening Mission > Worship Church Territory > Other people’s territory Stressing difference > Expressing solidarity
Conversion
Event > Process Destination > Journey Crisis > Growth Impersonal > Personal
Church
Organisation > Organism Programmes > People Control > Service Authority > Spirituality Structures > Purpose Maintenance > Mission
God
Transcendent > Immanent Leading > Nurturing Quotes Not “you believe, then you belong” but vice versa (Gutierrez?) What you do, not what you think c.f. Prophet “don’t say that you have faith, rather that you have submitted” to God’s way of life Qur'an “Woe to those who pray and are heedless of their prayers, to those who make display and refuse charity” Anselm of Canterbury “I do not seek to understand that I may believe, but I believe that I may understand” - Unless I believe, I will not understand Henry James “Especially in the religious sphere, belief that formulas are true can never wholly take the place of personal experience” Emil Brunner “The Church took a wrong turning when it substituted the techniques of the classroom for the techniques of the community” informing/teaching, or shared learning? Dean Inge “A church which is married to the spirit of its age will be a widow in the next” following scientific/philosophic fashion rather than acting as its context Islamic community growth Questionable statistics - complex situation In fact, in one way mosques in similar situation to churches In early eighties parents said “We are losing our children - By the time they leave school they want nothing to do with us or our religion" Yet these children, now young adults would probably still define themselves as muslim - in as much as they are part of the muslim community Depends how you define muslim - cultural/commitment Cultural/communal identity or personal faith and conviction A minority defined by the majority - usually recognisable by skin colour (muslim/hindu distinction within Asian community) Births, marriages and deaths muslims Communal fasting and feastdays Self-definition as distinct from ‘Christian’ majority Definition by the ‘other’ c.f. Old Firm Christians Identity in the face of persecution and prejudice (racism plus serious media denigration - I find it extremely difficult to read any newspaper, watch any TV news or documentary, that involves anything to do with Islam or the muslims, the ignorance and bigotry is so intense. What do you think it’s like for young muslims with no real counter-arguments at their disposal) Half-truths (often worse than lies), extremes taken as normative From undisguised loathing (Kilroy) to patronising pseudo-liberalism But Islam may be disparaged but it’s rarely treated as a joke - like Christianity - so in a way the hatred is bonding, it recognises faith’s value. When you were thrown to the lions for being a Christian no one thought that it wasn’t important. Problems for muslim community reflected in Christian situation - easier to see when the general assumptions of a basic Christian context to our culture are not there. School - a secular materialist, rationalist, reductionist view of life is the context of an education system taught by professionals, paid for out of taxes, with legally compulsory attendance, and in which a few minutes a week are allotted to RME for our children’s faith and values education. Faith is supposed to be taken care of at home, by unsupported, unpaid, untrained amateurs, in competition with the full might of the leisure industries. Such education is really a complete inversion of setting understanding in a context of faith rather than the other way about. Faith must be seen to be action relevant to society if it is to regain any status in the community. The Christian message must be seen to influence politics (in Islam there is no distinction etc.) Graham Blount - The Church of Scotland has more elders than the Labour Party has members, and a bigger social welfare budget than any town outside Glasgow Yet one is considered a political irrelevance. Divide and rule of faith communities has worked to destroy them They have done this themselves. Church not about authority but community Can churches unite in recognition of Christ’s example? ACTS is a start The Name - The Church of Scotland should be dropped as a misnomer perhaps - Church in Scotland would be a more suitable umbrella Christians must be able to demonstrate that Secularism is not the only alternative to religious bigotry and warfare Muslims would welcome a resurgence of Christianity if it reflected Christ’s example (as opposed to the Crusader/Inquisition example) How about a Scottish Faith coalition? Young people have ideals as much as ever (Red Nose Day) The number of converts to Islam is often given great stress (part of the muslim ‘threat’ - ‘taking over the country'), but is not really numerically relevant to society. I have spent years working with organisations set up to deal with converts, and frankly there were not really enough to warrant an organisation. But those who do convert seem to follow certain patterns which might be of interest to christians Largest number come not through proselytisation, but through a personal friendship (usually falling in love with a muslim), seeing Islam through the example of an individual, and then perhaps through the caring friendship of family/community. Islam in life and action, not theory. A tiny minority through personal/private study/exploration, perhaps a direct connection with the Qur’an, or more usually Sufi mystical literature People rarely transfer allegiance from one faith to another - they come out of agnosticism/uncertainty, out of the empty secular/materialism of society At its heart a simplicity of understanding - no need for doctrinal allegiance A Way of Life involving a recognition of God’s existence, and accepting that our lives are set in a greater context, with meaning and purpose, and justice for our worldly actions in a life to come.