How to Be a Life-Long Learner -- Part 1

When exposed to interpretations of familiar Bible passages, which challenge our current beliefs, we can very easily respond in one of three unhelpful ways. These follow comments are based on Dr. Craig Allert's "Introduction to Christian Theology".

1. The Knee-Jerk reaction. I would prefer to call it the "throw the baby out with the bathwater" reaction. Upon hearing an interpretation of Scripture that contradicts what we've believed and/or been taught, we jump to the conclusion that we've been deceived and thus everything we've been taught or believed is wrong. In essence, we want to throw out everything. For example, perhaps we've been taught and believed that women's role in the church is limited. However, now we are learning that the main passages used to support that belief/practice (1 Tim 2; 1 Cor 14) are contextually/culturally limited and thus do not apply to women's role today. This does not mean that everything else we've been taught and believed is incorrect. This reaction is lazy-minded, impatient and undiscerning.

2. The Disengagement reaction. I like to call this the "see and hear no evil" reaction. We hear something that we've been taught and believed might be incorrect or inadequate. Rather than consider it, we just shut our minds to it. We tune out and refuse to engage. We're called to do our own study and discuss what we think with others in our local church family. Rather, we ignore it all and make excuses for why we can't (really "won't") engage in the process. The "see and hear no evil" response is fear motivated and/or it is spiritually lazy.

3. The Counter Attack reaction. This reactions is based on the idea that "the best offence is a great defence." Instead of humbling considering what is being presented to us, and challenges us, we sharpen our arguments, look for the support of others who also want to counter attack and we engage, not in respectful discussion, but in firming up our long-held belief and making statements that undermine the new thoughts and even might attack the integrity of the one who is trying to rock our world. We might even label the new teaching and teachers with one or more of the following words: heresy, heretic, liberal, progressive, false, etc. But such a reaction is unfair, disrespectful and potentially divisive.

So, if these reactions are not helpful to us and/or to our spiritual family, then what reaction would be helpful? It's called engagement, where we listen, study, reflect and engage in honest, humble, respectful discussion. In the end, we may hold to what we've previously been taught and believed, or maybe, just maybe, we might actually learn something we actually didn't know. Perhaps, in the process, no matter where we land, we will have learned some things we didn't know and gain a better, overall understanding of the Bible and a greater appreciation for the beliefs of those with whom we may, in the end, we might disagree.

As Dr. Allert writes, "But, the fact is, Christianity is much larger than our own local faith communities, our own denominations, and our own western Protestant tradition." Life in Christ is about being a "mathetes". The Greek word (μαθητής) means, "a learner, pupil, apprentice, follower, disciple." Let's determine to humbly acknowledge that we haven't arrived theologically or spiritually. There is still so much to learn, so much room for growth in our understanding of God and his will for our lives and our church.

Challenge: Be a Life-Long Learner...
I've been a Christian for almost 42 years. I graduated from an intense biblical studies program in the first two years of my new spiritual life and I have been studying the Bible on my own, discussing it with other Christians and "sitting at the feet" of many and various Bible scholars, ever since. I've learned to read the New Testament in Greek; I am growing in my ability to translate from Hebrew and Aramaic into English. Yet, I have learned, and continue to learn so much about God and his revealed will. Rather than lose my faith, I have grown in my faith. My faith is sharper and clearer and more focused than it ever has been. I am committed to continue to be a learner until I am incapable of learning any longer.

Holding the Tension of "Opposites" re: the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament

When I started out to deepen my understanding of the overall context in which both Judaism and Christianity arose and developed, I had to deal with questions regarding the historicity of the Old Testament. For the first two-thirds of my Christian life, I was either ignorant of, or conveniently avoided, the inconsistencies, diversity and examples of myth that were pointed out by those critical of the Hebrew Bible's historicity. 

In defence, I labelled all such critics as "minimalists." I dared not read any of their observations and conclusions lest I take the first step onto the slippery slope of their postmodern ideology. I believed that "all scripture is God-breathed" and thus I believed it had to be inerrant – i.e., devoid of all error, inconsistency and contradiction. I was, by self-identification, a "maximalist" and spent many years defending the historical, scientific, moral and ethical perfection of all Scripture, Hebrew Bible and New Testament. Yet, there were things that were troubling to me, questions I could not answer, even from my modernist perspective. For most of those, I blindly accepted the assurances of conservative evangelical scholars that there were ways to reconcile all perceived inconsistencies and contradictions. In my ministry, I passed on to my hearers the pat answers proposed by maximalist scholars, without personally examining the veracity of their conclusions. 

However, I chose to pursue further education at a secular institution – in Classics at UBC –  which allowed me to take various elective courses within my department (Classical, Near Eastern & Religious Studies). These studies forced me to deal with both minimalist and maximalist scholars as they critiqued or defended the historical and scientific accuracy of the the Hebrew Bible. It was during those undergraduate years that I came to realize that I had buried my own doubts, questions, and concerns that were raised not on postmodern scholarship, but on my own reading and study of Jewish and Christian Scripture. 

Throughout my undergrad years in Classics and my graduate years in Religious Studies I received scholarly mentorship from professors of various stripes in our department, including Drs. Sara Milstein, Gregg Gardner, Lyn Rae, Robert Cousland, Thomas Schneider, Kurtis Peters, Shelley Reid and Franco De Angelis. Contrary to popular conservative evangelical perspective, none of these professors ever tried to undermine my personal faith, but rather they encouraged and helped me to be as objective as possible in all my studies, writings and presentations.

Late in my graduate studies a friend – a young minister in our conservative Christian congregation – introduced me to the work of Dr. Peter Enns. As I read his books, and listened to the podcasts in which he and his cohost, Jared Byas, interviewed various Jewish and Christian scholars, I began to be able to put words to the doubts, questions and concerns, which previously I had difficulty articulating. 

From my own studies and through reading and reflecting on the work of various biblical scholars, I have come to some understandings about the Hebrew Bible that make sense to me because they fit with the facts – the facts about when and how the books of the Hebrew Bible came to be in their "final" form – the form that has been preserved for us in the Masoretic text. Recently, Dr. Enns recently wrote a brief article, "5 Modern Insights About the Old Testament That Aren't Going Anywhere" (www.peteenns.com). Though he elaborates on each only briefly, I couldn't agree more with his key points.

1. The Old Testament is an ancient Near Eastern phenomenon. Thus it "cannot be treated in isolation from its environment." It is not a 21st century North American creation and cannot be read and understood as if it were.

2. "Myth" is an inescapable category for describing portions of the Old Testament. "Myth" does not equal false, but rather myths are stories used to communicate truths, as their authors understood them. 

3. Israelites did not write their history "objectively." As Enns states, "That doesn't mean the Old Testament is 'devoid of history'...[but that it] gives us something very different than what we might call 'history' today."

4. The Old Testament does not contain one systematic and consistent body of "truth" but various, even conflicting, perspectives. One place this is clearly seen is when one honestly compares Samuel–Kings to Chronicles, where numerous so-called "historical facts" are in direct contradiction.

5. The Old Testament "evolved" over time until it came to its final expression. Most OT books probably came into their final form during the post-exilic era, even though many had initial and early editions as early as the 8th century BCE and, perhaps for a few, even earlier.

For me, these realizations, had (and still have) me re-evaluating my understanding of "inspiration" (i.e., God-breathed). I am holding in tension that in some way(s) the texts of the Old Testament are indeed God-breathed, while at the same time, they contain human perspectives, world views, and theology. Surprisingly to many, this has not weakened my faith, but rather focused it. I no longer have to spend one minute trying to defend the indefensible, but rather my goal in studying the Hebrew Bible is to seek a better understanding of its people, its message(s) and Yahweh, of whom it speaks. I now find in its revelation a God who wants to have an honest relationship with us based on a faith that often has doubts, questions, concerns and even complaints. Holding the divine aspect of the Scriptures in tension with its human contribution has given me even greater motivation to explore, to question and to revel in the mystery that is Yahweh.

Holding the Tension of Opposites

I've been striving for an 'authentic faith' for most of my life. However, since 2003 - a year that is meaningful to many of my readers - I've been doing so in a very conscious, deliberate and determined way. And the result has been very freeing.

In my striving, the key practice that has allowed me to keep (and even strengthen) my faith and yet, at the same time, acknowledge, challenge and critically examine the fundamentals of my faith, is referred to, by mental health professionals, as "holding the tension" (see quotes below).

One quick example is that I have learned how to hold to the belief that the Bible, as we have it, is "the word of God" while at the same time I acknowledge, challenge and critically examine the inconsistencies, contradictions and inaccuracies exposed by an unbiased reading of the Biblical text.

In other words, I've come to a place where I've accepted that much which has to do with my faith does not require an immediate "either/or" decision. I can hold to my beliefs while critically examining the questions and concerns that I'd buried in a locked room in my mind for many years.

I hope, over the next few weeks, to write more about the specific issues that I am "holding in tension" and how that practice has helped me to understand and focus my faith.

"Holding the Tension" Quotes:

"By learning to hold the tension of the opposites, we stretch and grow bigger. There is more space for seemingly opposite ideas, feelings and behaviours to peacefully coexist. We become less rigid and more flexible, less judgmental and more tolerant, less fearful and more loving." (www.psychologytoday.com, June 25, 2018).

"Out of tension flows a creative discussion and differences of opinion that force us to re-evaluate our viewpoints and emphases to ensure that we’re thinking biblically and effectively." (www.pastors.com; Sept. 25, 2011)

"We all must struggle over the moral and ethical issues, and the feelings of those we care about, but in the final analysis, we only have this life to live (in this body and this personality). Many people have a tendency to shove this struggle underground and deny its existence. This only causes further suffering. Rather, we need to embrace the opposites and hold the tension until our way becomes clear. Don’t move away from it, move towards it." (www.psychotherapyinsights.ca)