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Why Believe?
C. Sephen Evans has written a pointed and personal book directed to those who want to have faith but whose thinking has been obscured by the static of prevailing philosophies, illuminating the attraction and reasonableness of Christianity.
168 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1996
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October 23, 2010
From the author's preface:
"I am under no illusion that religious faith is usually or even ever the result of intellectual argument alone. The roots of faith lie much deeper. Still, the sense that Christian faith is simply unacceptable to a person with an intellect who cares about the truth can be a powerful barrier to faith. This book is an attempt to remove that barrier. I believe it may be helpful for those who are truly concerned about what life means are are willing to examine or reexamine deeply held assumptions and attitudes." (p. x)
Indeed, the roots of faith lie much deeper than intellectual argument alone. In a recent unpacking of memorabilia from my childhood, I saw just how deeply run my own roots. My wife was shocked by how many things--books, art projects, colored-in forms--from my earliest childhood involved Jesus. That name, that person was central to my upbringing, and so it is not surprising that at least a part of me has been devoted to him, in one way or another, for my entire life. As an adolescent, though, I began to have problems with the intellectually bankrupt fundamentalism of my family and church; science in particular posed many problems. My questions and doubts were tantamount to heresy in contrast to a faith which (seemingly) involved checking one's brain at the church door. My life as a "seeker" commenced.
Now back to the book. Evans presents various arguments that point to God, particularly to the God of Christian revelation. The mystery of creation with its seemingly designed intricacies, the mystery of why human beings sense a moral "oughtness" in things, and the mystery of personhood, all provide tantalizing hints that there may be something to life beyond the absurdity of monkeys talking in a howling void. At no point are these suggestive mysteries taken to be incontrovertible proofs, which Evans argues is a strength and not a weakness, because these suggestive mysteries are in line with the Christian belief that God does not compel faith. Evans also briefly, and without illusions that his take is exhaustive, discusses the very difficult topic of theodicy--if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then why does the world suck? I did not find his arguments for theism very compelling (I tend toward panentheism, my self, if I have to give it a name) but I do appreciate the nuance with which he approached these topics.
Evans then goes on to explain the evidence in support of Christian claims about miracles, about the divine inspiration of the Bible, about the status of Jesus as Son of God, and about the uniqueness of Christianity. As with his earlier arguments about the mysteries pointing to God, these arguments were also less than compelling in many cases; they were also clear illustrations of how many Christian doctrines, while not making sense in light of one set of assumptions (i.e., secular humanist), are entirely consistent with the whole edifice of Christian thinking. I did not come away from this book believing that the Bible is inerrant or that Christianity is "the only true way." I do see, thanks to Evans, that Christianity (even of the literalist variety) isn't as "irrational" as it might first appear.
For me, though, the most important aspect of this book was its final chapter on making a commitment. The essence of Christianity isn't philosophical argumentation, intellectual rigor, or solitary contemplation. Christianity is a practice, and a communal one at that. According to Evans, instead of allowing doubts and questions to keep one out of this community of practice, parties (i.e., ME) who are drawn to the Christian message--and more importantly, to the person of Jesus--should begin to "try it out" and commit themselves to a deeper exploration of the lived message that is Christianity. That is what this book helped me to do. It helped me to take the plunge, to make a commitment to the local Mennonite Church, and to Jesus. I may never end up "believing" in many of the things that Evans thinks are essential to being a Christian, but thanks to his book (in part), I can test them out in a loving community.
"I am under no illusion that religious faith is usually or even ever the result of intellectual argument alone. The roots of faith lie much deeper. Still, the sense that Christian faith is simply unacceptable to a person with an intellect who cares about the truth can be a powerful barrier to faith. This book is an attempt to remove that barrier. I believe it may be helpful for those who are truly concerned about what life means are are willing to examine or reexamine deeply held assumptions and attitudes." (p. x)
Indeed, the roots of faith lie much deeper than intellectual argument alone. In a recent unpacking of memorabilia from my childhood, I saw just how deeply run my own roots. My wife was shocked by how many things--books, art projects, colored-in forms--from my earliest childhood involved Jesus. That name, that person was central to my upbringing, and so it is not surprising that at least a part of me has been devoted to him, in one way or another, for my entire life. As an adolescent, though, I began to have problems with the intellectually bankrupt fundamentalism of my family and church; science in particular posed many problems. My questions and doubts were tantamount to heresy in contrast to a faith which (seemingly) involved checking one's brain at the church door. My life as a "seeker" commenced.
Now back to the book. Evans presents various arguments that point to God, particularly to the God of Christian revelation. The mystery of creation with its seemingly designed intricacies, the mystery of why human beings sense a moral "oughtness" in things, and the mystery of personhood, all provide tantalizing hints that there may be something to life beyond the absurdity of monkeys talking in a howling void. At no point are these suggestive mysteries taken to be incontrovertible proofs, which Evans argues is a strength and not a weakness, because these suggestive mysteries are in line with the Christian belief that God does not compel faith. Evans also briefly, and without illusions that his take is exhaustive, discusses the very difficult topic of theodicy--if God is all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good, then why does the world suck? I did not find his arguments for theism very compelling (I tend toward panentheism, my self, if I have to give it a name) but I do appreciate the nuance with which he approached these topics.
Evans then goes on to explain the evidence in support of Christian claims about miracles, about the divine inspiration of the Bible, about the status of Jesus as Son of God, and about the uniqueness of Christianity. As with his earlier arguments about the mysteries pointing to God, these arguments were also less than compelling in many cases; they were also clear illustrations of how many Christian doctrines, while not making sense in light of one set of assumptions (i.e., secular humanist), are entirely consistent with the whole edifice of Christian thinking. I did not come away from this book believing that the Bible is inerrant or that Christianity is "the only true way." I do see, thanks to Evans, that Christianity (even of the literalist variety) isn't as "irrational" as it might first appear.
For me, though, the most important aspect of this book was its final chapter on making a commitment. The essence of Christianity isn't philosophical argumentation, intellectual rigor, or solitary contemplation. Christianity is a practice, and a communal one at that. According to Evans, instead of allowing doubts and questions to keep one out of this community of practice, parties (i.e., ME) who are drawn to the Christian message--and more importantly, to the person of Jesus--should begin to "try it out" and commit themselves to a deeper exploration of the lived message that is Christianity. That is what this book helped me to do. It helped me to take the plunge, to make a commitment to the local Mennonite Church, and to Jesus. I may never end up "believing" in many of the things that Evans thinks are essential to being a Christian, but thanks to his book (in part), I can test them out in a loving community.
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