Preachers who are not Believers

Daniel Dennett is an academic philosopher whose works on Darwinism and philosophy of mind I greatly admire and largely agree with. He is also a flamboyant atheist and clearly thinks that religious belief is something modern human beings ought to discard. I have sympathy for neither of those positions.

Dennett has coauthored a report available at the Washington Post: Preacher's Who Are Not Believers". I find it very strange that Dennett describes this document as a "study." It looks to me like nothing of the kind. A study, surely, gathers evidence and draws conclusions from or at least usefully summarizes the evidence. Dennett explains in a companion piece in the WaPo that he wanted to know the answer to a question:

How many preachers actually believe what they say from the pulpit? We know that every year some clergy abandon their calling, no longer able to execute their duties with conviction... Are they the tip of an iceberg?

A large survey might answer that question, and maybe that is what will come after this "pilot study". Nothing so helpful is in this report. Instead it presents five cases of Protestant pastors who continue to serve but no longer believe in God in any traditional sense. It is very interesting reading for someone who is curious, as I am, about what such a situation might be like.

It is clear that Dennett regards these pastors as brave, or even heroic. After all, they agree with him. But it raises the obvious question: shouldn't they resign their posts? If they do not, aren't they guilty of some measure of fraud? Apparently, a lot of commenters on the report thought that honesty at least was mandatory, and many thought that the pastors should simply resign. Dennett replies:

I get the impression that most if not all of the early commentators haven't read our report. They are unanimous in favor of honesty (and apple pie), and are happy to condemn hypocrisy in the pulpit, but few of them show any sign of appreciating what terrible predicaments our good pastors are in. Resign, leave the church, find a congregation more in harmony with your creed, they urge--but apparently without having read the profiles of those they are advising.

This strikes me as a matter on which one can form an opinion without knowing the personal story of five particular pastors. Christianity is rooted in a specific belief about a specific belief. Christians hold that a man named Jesus was born in the reign of Caesar Augustus and that that man was in an altogether unique sense the incarnation of the Biblical Creator. He was crucified, dead, and buried. He in fact rose from the dead. Whosoever believes in Him will not perish but will gain eternal life. The word "belief" means, I think, not so much an opinion as an existential commitment.

There are no doubt those who think that one can reject such a commitment and still be a Christian. But I am guessing that the vast majority of practicing and believing Christians, now and for the last two thousand years, do not think so. Most congregations in almost all Churches have a reasonable expectation that, in accepting his post, a Pastor believes in the traditional sense. To continue to occupy that office without at least being honest about this matter looks like an act of fraud. Fraud is not excused by the fact that these good pastors face "terrible predicaments."

Dennett commits two sins here. One is against liberalism. He is sympathetic and compassionate, but only towards people who hold the right views. The other is against his higher calling. A philosopher may well come to think that all religious doctrine is entirely human in origin. But he has to admit that philosophy cannot answer the most essential question: why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there a world with people in it? Biblical faith does a great service to philosophy by constantly reminding those who love the latter of that first question. Respect for Biblical faith is part and parcel of genuine philosophical questioning.

A Buddhist can reject almost all of the traditional beliefs about the historical Buddha, along with reincarnation, etc., and still be a genuine practicing Buddhist. See Stephen Bachelor's Confessions of a Buddhist Atheist. A Christian church without the belief in Christ's resurrection quickly empties out to become a museum. That is a loss not just to Christians but to philosophy, which all too easily collapses into just another secular doctrine.

Comments

[Mark]

I would totally agree with the guy, Christianity is nuts if you actually believe it, but I saw the clouds take the shape of Jesus as a boy singing, clear as a marble statue, and I've never really seen anything else like that or any full-featured hallucination, so what choice do I have but to be totally rational and say, God is real, present, and all powerful? Unfortunately I am not one of the lucky ones who can "believe without seeing and understand without ears" ... my life is screwed up all the same but it is still pretty amazing to me. Most preachers, in fact, just parrot what they hear, and to hell with the apostates who go on about the "historical Jesus" watering him down as just a nice guy. http://www.uschristiandemocrats.org

[Miranda Flint]

I appreciate this defense of Christianity. Thanks!

Dennet's piece reminds me a little of the 1970s movie Catholics. Trevor Howard plays a priest who continues to shepherd the monks he lives with after losing his faith in God. Howard's character is likable, and there is something to be said for trying to meet the needs of others even when you disagree with them. On the other hand, one can't help but wonder why someone
who feels so misled would continue to mislead others. And it's hard not to think the monks might have prospered more under a leader who actually believed what he preached.

[KB]

You are welcome, Miranda. As you know, my heart is full of admiration for the Christian story. Just today I had cause to mention Les Miserable in philosophy. Again, my eyes watered a bit.

To some of us, however, God gives strange instructions. I got the same marching orders as Socrates. So far, this hasn't been quite as expensive as it was for my hero.

I can sympathize with a pastor who is questioning or has lost his faith. But it does seem to me that your story from the movie Catholics is dead spot on. Can a pastor who doesn't really believe really do the job he is paid to do? Or will his lack of confidence undermine his mission? I think the latter.

[Miranda Flint]

I remember that lecture well! It was what inspired me to actually read Les Miserables. It is now a great favorite.

[John McFarling]

I grew up going to church pretty much every Sunday and missed very few until I set out on my own. I had nothing to take with me and was lost most of my life and did not even know it.

Then with my world collapsing for the third time, my knees hit the floor in my garage and I asked God "WHY?" (as I had doen the other two times). This time was just a little bit different though, He answered me where I was. Who could ever forget the first time they found out that God is Real.
The first question I asked is why didn't that pastor, as I was growing up, lead me instead of having to find out for my self in my 40's.

Your article pretty much covered the why's and I lived the consequences of it. It is the way of this nation and only God can change her course, but who will ask Him?

[The Wolfman Soundtrack]

I would totally agree with the guy. Howard's character is likable, and there is something to be said for trying to meet the needs of others even when you disagree with them.