New Apostolic Church Southern Germany. Theological seminar USA September Faith and doubt

Transcription

1 Theological seminar USA September 2018

2 Introduction At first glance, faith and doubt seem mutually exclusive. One tends to think that anyone who truly believes and trusts has no doubts. And anyone who has serious doubts cannot believe. But the reality of life shows that doubt belongs to faith. Slide 2

3 Doubt means seriously questioning one s own belief. Different kinds of doubt: - questioning the Christian faith on an intellectual level. - disapproving of certain aspects of faith (or of faith as a whole). - even in the heart of one s belief one can doubt: all of a sudden everything one has always believed threatens to collapse. Slide 3

4 Doubt in Catholic teaching The Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 2088) describes doubt as sin. Only those who overcome it can be described as religious people and good Christians. According to Catholic doctrine, already doubt is considered as a threat to the obedience of God required in the First Commandment. Slide 4

5 Doubt in Protestant teaching Luther called the experience of doubting in one s faith temptation. For people who experience temptation, everything is suddenly groundless and futile, they doubt in life itself. A terrible experience, because when faith gives way, something breaks away that has gone deeper than intellectual considerations ever can. Slide 5

6 Methodic doubt in philosophy René Descartes, , (French philosopher, mathematician, and scientist) is considered the founder of early modern rationalism. He coined the famous dictum Cogito ergo sum ( I think, therefore I am. ). Descartes sees the basis of all philosophising and all science, including the rational reconstruction of the concept of God, in the subject s methodic doubt. Slide 6

7 Methodic doubt in theology In more recent German-language theology and religious philosophy, a series of attempts have been made using methodic doubt in a constructive way to substantiate the source of faith. To this end, doubt is used methodically in order to uncover the indubitable fundamentum inconcussum ( unshakeable foundation ). Hereby, doubt is always used to find a foundation of faith or its rational evaluation, which itself is indubitable. Slide 7

8 Theodicy problem From a theological perspective there are good reasons for inner doubts as well as doubting tenets of faith. Only when it is possible to bring doubts about God s salvific reality to expression, can one articulate the recognition that absurd suffering should not exist without giving up belief in God. Slide 8

9 Doubt in the Bible The Creation The serpent cast doubt on the word of God: Has God indeed said, (Genesis 3: 1). The first human beings did not recognise that evil was approaching in the serpent and its questions. The serpent did not only sow doubt about God s good will, but also prompted human beings to disregard the law of God (Genesis 3: 1 6). Slide 9

10 Doubt in the Bible Job a whole book about doubt Job was struck by one blow of fate after another. He quarrelled with God. In fact, Job did not only complain to God about all his suffering, but even went so far as to curse God (Job 3: 3). He wanted to see God face to face. When God came to him in a whirlwind, that is, in a divine revelation, his doubts were dispelled and he professed: I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, but now my eye sees You. Therefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes (Job 42: 5 6). Slide 10

11 Doubt in the Bible Jesus Christ That someone comes back from the dead is unheard of. From a human perspective, doubts are understandable and, in fact, even appropriate. Think of the disciples who thought that the Easter message of the women was nonsense: And their words seemed to them like idle tales, and they did not believe them (Luke 24: 11). The Great Commission in Matthew 28: 17: When they saw Him, they worshipped Him; but some doubted. This shows a critical distance towards the Risen One as an apparition. Slide 11

12 Doubt in the Bible Peter There was a moment when Peter was seized by great doubts. He was convinced that his faith was great enough to be able to walk on water, just as Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he became afraid and began to sink. Peter cried out and called to Jesus, Lord, save me! when he threatened to drown in the waves (Matthew 14: 30). He took the hand that Jesus stretched out to him. Slide 12

13 Doubt in the Bible Thomas and doubt Our image of Thomas is defined by his doubt in the resurrection of Jesus. However, if we look at the event a little more closely doubt is only one aspect of the entire occurrence. Another aspect is that Thomas remained in the circle of the disciples despite his doubts, and did not turn his back on the Lord and the other disciples in disappointment. Slide 13

14 Doubt in the Bible: Thomas The account of the second appearance of Jesus in the circle of His disciples begins with a flashback to Jesus first appearance. Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came (John 20: 24). The disciples told Him, We have seen the Lord (John 20: 25). Thomas is therefore in the same situation as all the other people who hear the gospel later on: he has to believe in the proclamation of the Lord s resurrection. But for Thomas this was not enough. He also wanted to see: Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe (verse 25). Slide 14

15 Doubt in the Bible: Thomas He thus makes verifiability a condition of faith. Jesus carried Thomas despite his weak faith. He gave him the chance to come to faith by proving to him that He truly resurrected. He said to Thomas, Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing (verse 27). John does not mention that Thomas actually touched the Risen Jesus. This is significant because it means that the proof that Thomas originally wanted no longer mattered. The words of Jesus had made him believe. Slide 15

16 Doubt in the Bible Thomas Thomas recognises the exalted Lord and God in the Risen One and professes: My Lord and my God! (verse 28). A beatitude of Jesus rounds the impressive event off and sums it up: Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed (verse 29). Slide 16

17 Doubt in the Bible The healing of a boy possessed by a spirit A man whose son was very sick came to Jesus and asked Him for help. He was sceptical at first whether Jesus would be able to help him at all and said: if You can do anything. Jesus said to him: If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes. Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help my unbelief! (Mark 9: 23 24). Slide 17

18 in prayer In biblical tradition it becomes clear that existential doubts can also be expressed in prayer. Doubts are possible even when the existence of God has been affirmed by the fact that one is addressing God. Slide 18

19 in prayer In his despair, Job calls on God against God and says: For I know that my Redeemer lives, and He shall stand at last on the earth John 19: 25). And He was withdrawn from them about a stone s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, saying, Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done (Luke 22: 41 42). Jesus articulates the feeling of being totally abandoned by God in His last cry to God: My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me? (Mark 15: 34). Slide 19

20 in prayer In this respect, the following applies: Prayer too, is affected by doubt. It cannot and may not deny it its place of living; the faith founded by praying cannot abolish the doubts in God. Prayer is a place of truth, the hour of truth and precisely therefore not a place of unquestionable and questionless assurance. (J. Werbick, German Roman-Catholic theologian, 2001, 32). Slide 20

21 Summary Doubt belongs to faith. Doubting means asking serious questions about one s own faith. Those who do not doubt must ask themselves if they ever believed. Existential doubt can also be articulated in prayer. Doubt is possible even then when the existence of God has been affirmed by addressing God. The biblical examples illustrate that if we want to experience God s help and support in doubt, we should: turn to God especially when in doubt. stay with God in spite of doubt and not leave Him out of disappointment. Slide 21