In modern American Protestant Christianity it seems the most important factor in whether or not you are saved is if you have "faith". Faith in Jesus as your personal lord and savior, faith in God, faith that the bible is truth- the list could continue. What is meant by "faith" in this use of the word is often just a synonym for "belief". So, when a lot of Christians say they have faith, they are talking all about the things they believe. This is a big part of Willard's argument in the intro and 1st chapter of his book: that the big goal in a lot of churches today is just to initiate believers, not train disciples. And when you try to tell believers that God wants them to be disciples, they start to look at you suspiciously (what Willard describes as the "bait and switch"- see Corey's blogs below for a good synopsis of the intro and chapter 1 of "The Great Omission").
Part of this misunderstanding stems from the narrow meaning of the word faith accepted by many Christians (I can speak from experience, since that is the meaning of faith I started out with). Marcus Borg addresses this issue of the meaning of faith in his book "The Heart of Christianity" (p 27-37). He describes the four meanings of faith as understood by Christians throughout our 2000 year history. Just as love is understood to have many levels of meaning (I love my Ipod but I love my wife) the meaning of faith is best understood as a multi-layered word and an understanding of faith that includes this multifaceted meaning leads more naturally to a life of discipleship.
The meaning of faith commonly understood today is one of Assensus (Latin), or faith as belief. Borg describes this as "a propositional understanding," whereby to have faith in this sense is to "[give] one's mental assent to a proposition, as believing that a claim or statement is true." Borg points out that the importance of this meaning stems from two historical developments. First, the Protestant Reformation, during which time the splintering of the church led to differing beliefs between the denominations and the emphasis on believing the "right beliefs". And second, the birth of the Scientific Method's emphasis on observable facts during the Enlightenment, which has further led to the modern practice of Christians having to mentally assent to a set of beliefs in opposition to "scientific" facts (but I'll save the Truth/Fact blog for another time- maybe someone else can do it- hint,hint). There is nothing wrong with this understanding of faith, but it should not be taken as the sole meaning.
The second meaning Borg describes is that of fiducia: "a radical trust in God". Not "trusting in the truth of a set of statements about God," but rather by entrusting our worries in the care of God. Borg contrasts fiducia with anxiety: "we can measure our degree of faith as trust by the amount of anxiety in our lives." (he also mentions that he uses this example not to give us something else to chastise ourselves about, but because if we learn to live in this "radical trust" it can have a transformative effect that will allow us to spend our time, not worrying, but experiencing life as God meant us to [hint- think discipleship].
The third meaning of faith in God, fidelitas, means "a radical centering in God"; "faithfulness to our relationship in God"; and "loyalty, allegiance the commitment of the self at the deepest level, the commitment of the heart". Again Borg distinguishes that this does not mean "faithfulness to statements about God, whether biblical, credal, or doctrinal...." but "to the God to whom the bible and creeds and doctrines point.". And the opposite of this would be adultery or idolatry- when we center or lives on something other than God. Borg also draws a parallel between the "radical centering in God" of fidelitas with the two greatest commandments: "you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your mind and with all your strength...[and] you shall love your neighbor as yourself.". If we follow these commandments we are living faithfully.
Similarly, Willard describes disciples as those who, "intent upon becoming Christ-like and so dwelling in his "faith and practice", systematically and progressively [rearranges their] affairs to that end.". So a true life of faithfulness, centering one's life in God, is of the same meaning as being a disciple, rearranging one's life to be more Christ like and to live in his way (loving God and your neighbor).
Finally, the fourth meaning of faith is Visio, or vision: how we see reality. Borg describes three common ways of viewing life. One way is to view life as "hostile and threatening," a view which leads to fear, defensiveness, paranoia, an emphasis on self preservation and a tendency to build walls around ourselves, rather than open up to the strangers, the poor, the widows, etc. Some Christians even view God in this way if they see him as a vindictive God who is out to punish and condemn to Hell.
A second way to view reality is as "indifferent.". This is the modern secular view that you live however you want to live, doing whatever makes you happy within the bounds of societal norms... And then you die. It seems to me that the conjunction of a belief that Christianity is just belief in a few main ideas and a vision in the secular American dream has done more harm to the church in this country than homosexuality, abortion and Muslims (three of the things that seem to worry many conservatives- not to say that I condone abortion).
The third way of seeing reality, and the way that best fosters a life of faith, faithfulness, and discipleship, is to see it as "life giving and nourishing.". God is good and gracious, and life is not simply a trial we must endure before we die and go to heaven, but God wants us to live a full, enriched life "in radical trust...[free from] the anxiety, self-preoccupation and the concern to protect the self...[with] the ability to love and to be present to the moment...[generating] a 'willingness to spend and be spent' for the sake of a vision that goes beyond ourselves." (see also "waking the dead" by Eldredge).
It seems then that training disciples involves teaching a fuller understanding of faith. In hearing the verse "we are saved by our faith alone", if our understanding of faith is limited only to assensus, the "cost of discipleship" may seem, as Willard noted, more than we signed up for, or rather like a super Christianity, a premium level that you have to pay more for when in fact, most people settle for the "free trial version". But if we as the Church teach that faith means more than simply believing in X,Y and Z and that faith is a life of trust and faithfulness in God and a vision in the Kingdom of God on earth, we will be doing more to train disciples, rather than simply initiating members to our churches.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 5, 2010
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