Perhaps: Reclaiming the Space Between Doubt and Dogmatism

by Joshua M. McNall

The Christian life requires faith. That means that believers are sometimes faced with uncertainty. But is all uncertainty bad? Theologian Joshua McNall encourages readers to reclaim the little word perhaps as a sacred space between the warring extremes of unchecked doubt and zealous dogmatism. To say perhaps on certain contested topics means exercising a hopeful imagination, asking hard questions, returning once again to Scripture, and reclaiming the place of holy speculation as we cling to a faith that stands distinct from both pervasive skepticism and abrasive certainty. In this day especially, it's time Christians learned to say perhaps.

Genres: Theology, Christian Living, Philosophy, Christian, Audiobook, Christianity, Christian Non Fiction

264 pages, Paperback

Published September 21, 2021

About the author

Joshua M. McNall (PhD, University of Manchester) is associate professor of pastoral theology, ambassador of church relations, and director of the honors program at Oklahoma Wesleyan University.

Reviews

[Simon Wiebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ein recht ausgewogenes Buch, das für sich beansprucht, einen dritten Weg zwischen Dogmatismus und Skeptizismus gefunden zu haben.

Im ersten Teil wirbt McNall dafür, Spekulation nicht als ein schambesetztes Wort anzusehen, sondern als eine wichtige Voraussetzung Theologie zu betreiben.

Teil 2 wendet sich gegen Dogmatismus, Teil 3 gegen Zweifel. Fand den zweiten Teil ehrlich gesagt etwas schwach. Hier hätte ich mir etwas mehr Ausführungen gewünscht. Positiv überrascht und inspiriert hat mich der dritte Teil. McNall wendet sich gegen die These, dass der Gegenteil von Glaube nicht Zweifel, sondern Sicherheit ist. Für ihn kann Zweifel durchaus das Gegenteil von Glaube sein. Bibelstellen wie Mk 11,22-24 (Berge-versetzendes Gebet) und Jak 1,5-8 (Weisheit wird nur durch Glaube, nicht durch Zweifel erlangt) weisen darauf hin, dass eine gewisse Sicherheit im Glauben auch mitschwingen kann.

Teil 4 habe ich nur schnell überlesen, weil mich die Testfälle zum „Practicing Perhaps“ ehrlich gesagt nicht interessiert haben.

Insgesamt ein wertvolles Buch. Der Schreibstil hat mir nur nicht gut gefallen. (Ich werde das Gefühl nicht los, dass er an vielen Stellen nur Zitate von irgendwelchen renommierten Denkerinnen/Denkern anführen will, um intellektuell klingen zu wollen 😅) Auch fand ich inhaltlich manche Ausführungen zu schwach.

[Derek DeMars · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this timely book, Joshua McNall (theology professor at Oklahoma Wesleyan University) argues that contemporary American Christianity too often polarizes people into one of two camps: either a shrill and angry dogmatism that pushes away honest questioners, or else a pervasive doubt and skepticism that refuses to accept any answers offered by traditional orthodoxy. In place of these two extremes, McNall suggests that what is needed is for more Christians to adopt a healthy intellectual humility that is willing to say "perhaps" when it comes to hard questions. Perhaps there's an answer we just haven't explored yet, so let's stop beating up people who disagree with us (or, on the "doubt" side, let's not throw out our faith entirely just because some points may not make sense to us or just because someone asked us a hard question we hadn't looked at before).

In other words, things I've already been passionately proclaiming to all and sundry, and to which I give a hearty "Amen!"

Now, while the source of McNall's burden here definitely appears to be the social and political climate of America post-Trump (he admits as much on p. 5), the focus of his thesis is not political discourse but rather theological speculation. It's a call for believers to distinguish between essential doctrines and non-essential opinions. To focus on those elements of creedal orthodoxy as opposed to matters of adiaphora. To stop making mountains out of molehills. Again, MASSIVE amen. I'm sold. Pass the collection plate.

But what kills me about enjoying a book like this is that I'm sure the majority of people who desperately need to hear its message will never read it because they're too busy obsessing over their Twitter feeds or cage-staging on Facebook. In a world of 280-characters-or-less, this is a somewhat sizeable text. And while the ideas are readily understandable, I found the writing style to be a bit.... how should I say? Overeducated? McNall is a good writer but at times it seemed like he was really overdoing it with trying to incorporate as many smart-sounding literary refences into a paragraph as he could, to the point that it distracted from what should have been a simple and clear statement of his argument. Maybe this is just a subjective criticism, but what can I say? I like my didactic prose like I like my Cabernets -- nice and dry and not overly saccharine.

Still, the overall points McNall makes are spot-on, and I appreciated the philosophical ground he covered. He did an excellent job defining what he means by "dogmatism" and "doubt," with all the necessary nuances to clarify who is and is not intended by those phrases. And his argument that we should be willing to entertain a healthy amount of theological speculation was careful and balanced, with a whole chapter devoted to listing ten guardrails on such speculative enterprises.

And in the best part of the whole book, Part Four, he gives examples of how to do such speculation -- humbly and cautiously -- with three particularly thorny theological questions: Why does God allow animal suffering? What does Romans 9 affirm about determinism and human choice? And is there any possibility for salvation after death? Those chapters alone are worth the price of the book, and I learned a great deal from them. (Though, on the Romans 9 one, I don't really think McNall needed to say "perhaps" quite so much, since he simply ends up giving the most sensible and contextual reading of the passage.)

Overall, I think this book will appeal most to those like myself, who are already on board with having a generous Christian orthodoxy that recognizes where our certainty ends and speculation begins, or also to those who are maybe leaning a bit more in the "doubt" direction in their faith, who will appreciate having someone tell them, "Yeah, you know, it's okay that you have those questions and I'm sorry that some of the more uber-fundamentalist folks have beaten up on you for asking them. That's not the way of Jesus." And I can recommend it because at the same time McNall never sacrifices historic orthodoxy for a wishy-washy, "question everything" brand of super-progressive Christianity.

He strikes the needful balance, and does so with empathy. I'll definitely be picking up more of his works.

[Grady J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be a really engaging treatment of an important but pretty controversial idea in Evangelical spaces. McNall is grounded firmly in orthodoxy and evangelism, which gives his book a dedicated audience, which some may not enjoy but I found clarifying. The book is dense enough (lots of footnotes and situated in the milieu of larger conversations of modern theology and Biblical scholarship) but quite readable for the layperson (yours truly).

McNall is a really thorough thinker and presents coherent arguments throughout. Sometimes they are a bit oblique (I didn't connect with his metaphors in the three kings chapter) but that may just my own limitations or preferences. I appreciated his inclusion of art and fiction throughout and thought his "perhaps" treatment of the three contemporary discussions in part four (pre- and post-human animal suffering, sovereignty in Romans 9, and redemption after death) timely and attuned to the needs of his readers (or maybe just me!).

Recommended!

[Joel Slater · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Deconstruction’ seems to be on many Christians’ minds at the moment, with varying results. This book is an interesting look at how fostering a ‘sanctified imagination’ can help Christians avoid both unrestrained doubt and shrill dogmatism. McNall provides guidelines (or ‘guardrails’) for our ‘sacred speculation’ while also offering a convincing critique of dogmatism. He then tackles some testy issues while demonstrating his approach.

Most interestingly, McNall advocates for the ‘re-marriage’ of fiction and theology. Putting his money where his mouth is, he then weaves a fictional narrative into his book to give emotional force to his arguments. A very interesting read!

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Advances the idea of “perhapsing” that allows for the exploration of the space between doubt and dogmatism through close reading of scripture, asking hard questions, exercising imagination, and the practice of holy speculation.

Many of us feel pulled apart by the discourse of our times. On one hand, we encounter unbending and sometimes partisan dogmatism, and on the other unbridled doubt or an outright cynicism about truth. Then there are those who find ourselves in the middle of these extremes. We believe God and yet don’t possess either the certainty or the arrogance of the dogmatists. We don’t doubt in the sense of being in two minds or are we given over to the unwillingness to believe of the hardened cynic. We have questions. We wonder if there is room to wonder or set aside the pronouncements of the certain and the cynic to look afresh at the scriptures to hear its message through the noise and to use our imagination to explore how both/and might be possible when all we’ve been presented is either/or.

Joshua McNall affirms this longing for a space between doubt and dogmatism, proposing that this is the place of “perhaps.” He contends for the recovery of what some would consider a dangerous practice, that of holy speculation, a “faith seeking imagination” that is not without boundaries but opens us to be surprised by God. “Perhaps” may function to take us from a place of questions to the embrace of an orthodox faith. It may also give us the space to not feel we need to be certain about everything, particularly some of the important but contended questions that may be considered adiaphora.

McNall observes that this was the kind of speculative imagination necessary for monotheistic Jews to embrace the possibility that Jesus, come in human flesh was God and that, somehow, the One God was also Three. He then goes on to consider other instances of “perhapsing” in scripture. He considers what I think one of the toughest parts of scripture, Genesis 22. He proposes the possibility that Abraham, caught between the fulfilled promise of a son from two people as good as dead reproductively and the command to sacrifice his son, “perhapsed” that God could even raise the dead Isaac and so did receive him back from death (cf. Hebrews 11:17, 19). He then considers three historical exemplars, Origen, Julian of Norwich, and Jonathan Edwards. I found his treatment of Edwards especially fascinating. He notes how Edwards brings together the truths that God does all for his glory with the observation of the human longing of joy and that our greatest joy is the pursuit of God and his glory. He also notes Edwards’ distinctive thinking on immaterialism, occasionalism, and continual creation as other examples of a kind of holy and disciplined speculation.

McNall then talks about “guardrails” in our “perhapsing,” recognizing speculation can go off the cliff. He offers ten principles drawn from a dialogue between theologians from Augustine to Edwards with writers like Cormac McCarthy and E. M. Forster that is so good, I will not list the ten because it will not do justice to his exposition of them. One that I appreciated was Number eight: “Seek Noncontrastive Connections.” Later, he illustrates this in wrestling with the goodness of God and the existence of animal suffering and death before the fall.

Parts Two and Three contend against both dogmatism and doubt. He names the issue of the shrillness of dogmatism, contrasting it with the dancing and weeping of real prophetic Christianity. He shows how the quest for certainty often ends up in nihilism rather than obedient trust. Against the fashionability of doubt in our culture, he names the dividedness of heart that occurs when doubt becomes a way of life. Against this, he proposes the example of Martin Luther, ascending the steps of Santa Scala to pray for his grandfather in purgatory, assailed with questions about the steps, the power of relics and the reality of purgatory. McNall writes:

“Luther’s attitude is one of obedience. The question does not lead him to depart for a weeklong bender in the Roman brothels. Nor does it correspond directly to a repudiation of church tradition. This shift would come later through his outrage at indulgences, and by reading Paul. At the moment, Luther simply walks down the stairs. He descends Santa Scala–because a willingness to walk and wait and pray is the best response to doubt” (p. 126).

In the last part of the book he offers three examples of practicing “perhaps. As noted previously, he considers the suffering and death of animals before the fall, exploring three proposals that perhaps the significance may reside in some for of self-sacrificial instinct pointing toward a greater sacrifice. Second, he considers Romans 9:22-23, that some humans are “vessels prepared for destruction.” He notes how verse 23 breaks off mid-sentence and wonders if this might be a descriptive but not determinative statement, particularly in the context of Romans 11:32 which says, “God has bound everyone over to disobedience so that he may have mercy on them all.” Then he turns to C. S. Lewis and his novel, The Great Divorce. It is a “perhaps” between rigid exclusivism and unbounded universalism. George MacDonald, who affirmed a kind of universalism is present as a character and witnesses the refusal of some of the residents of hell to believe. Yet not all turn away.

One of the distinctives of McNall’s account is his appeal to story and imagination even as he uses discursive reason. Interwoven in the chapters is the narrative of two young women, Eliza and Claire, one in the process of losing her faith and the other finding faith. It offers a narrative rendering of what “perhapsing” might be like. It also underscores a contention of McNall that the theological imagination of “perhaps” is cultivated by the reading not only of great theologians but great writers of fiction. He models this by literary references throughout and offers a specific challenge to these two types of reading in his conclusion.

Perhaps is an important word for all who teach and pastor in this divided age. McNall captures the distress of many young Christians I know who do not want to walk away from the goodness of Christ, but are disillusioned by the shrill dogmatism of so many of his followers in positions of leadership in the church. McNall cogently diagnoses the real dangers of the divided heart of disillusioned doubt. And he articulates the desperately needed third way for those of our generation, the way of perhaps that leads to an imaginative and supple orthodoxy without dogmatism that addresses the challenges of our age.

____________________________

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

[Nathan Marone]

McNall is trying to carve out a space between doubt and dogmatism.

Pros: McNall takes doubt seriously. There are some other theologians who have written about the idol of certainty. McNall concerns himself with that, but is also able to recognize that perpetual, double-minded doubt is something that the believer needs to deal with. This is good.

Main con: I'm not sure if his framing of "perhaps" really works. It applies well to people who already have strong foundational beliefs and are wrestling with how to work certain issues out, but I don't think it works well if you are really questioning the existence of God or the validity of the Christian faith.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

In my circles, I hear a lot about both doubt and dogmatism. Doubt (deconstruction) is good. Dogmatism is bad. To be honest I don't live at either end of the spectrum and haven't in a very long time. But the idea of perhaps, now that's more my style. Joshua McxNall's book suggests that this is a good place to be. Now, he is an evangelical, and thus more conservative than am I, but I get his message. it's well crafted, using biblical stories, case studies, and the story of a young woman struggling with her own faith. I think it should prove useful for those trying to find a path between the two poles.

[Joel Wentz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compelling and winsome case for "speculative" theology in the life of a Christian. I appreciated especially the use of fiction throughout, and particularly the chapter surveying figures from church history. I actually wish the first 3 sections of the book were expanded and the final section was trimmed down, but still a great read.

Full review forthcoming for Englewood Review of Books

[Jerod Starkey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bringing back a place between the land of the shrill fundamentalist and the de-constructer calls for us to reinvigorate our imaginations and approach people, scripture and conflict with humility. McNall does a great job of weaving historical lessons, some fiction and some deep looks into scripture to encourage a new posture for the Christian.

[Annelise · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was thoroughly disappointed by this book. I thought it would be more spiritual/emotional/personal, but it mostly argued out of technical historical accounts of times in church history when dogmatism failed. Very few actual Scripture references. But a great text from a purely intellectual framework.

[Rebecca Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brainy and thoughtful consideration of the valuable discipline of seeking and evaluating multiple perspectives. Not a book best appreciated as a light or quick read, so I will need to revisit it with closer attention. In a day of polarization and zealous heretic hunting, this book brings timely encouragement to leave some space for listening to others' ideas and resisting snap judgments.

[Dalene Rovenstine Fisher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A phenomenal must-read during this era of deconstruction and the "nones."

[Abere Ullrich · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written book that seeks s middle ground of humble imagination to speculate about what we cannot see within guard rails between doubt and dogmstism.

[Aimee Byrd · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful writing and faithful curiosity.

[Stuart Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book more than I expected. And I agree with the author's main point that there is lots of room in Christian theology for imaginative understandings on secondary issues - within certain rules on what's a legitimate use of our imagination.

[Richard Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent exploration of the current tendencies of people to either become religious dogmatists or faithless secularists. McNall lays out a third way of faithfulness to God through the humility of saying, "Perhaps." I wish he had expanded his thesis; his examples were the book's weakest part. However, this is a needed corrective to the polarizing forces in contemporary church and society.

[Peyton Hanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 - I really appreciate the premise of this book: that there is a space between unchecked doubt and fanatic dogmatism that we should recover. In a polarized world these islands seem to move further apart making some evangelicals feel adrift, but within theology there is still solid ground on which to sometimes say “I’m not certain….perhaps…”.

I do think that McNall’s arguments could become convoluted between all of his literary references and a lack of more concise treatment of some of the positions he was analyzing. And I certainly don’t agree theologically with McNall on probably many things (he is Wesleyan). But he is someone that makes me want to say perhaps and listen a little more. I imagine if we were to have lunch I would have many questions about his theology and thoroughly enjoy discussing them with him.