American Spirituality
At the very core of Christianity is the belief that God has revealed Himself through the pages of the Bible, or as Francis Schaeffer wrote, “He is there and He is not silent.” Christianity stands or falls on the historical accuracy and truthfulness of Scripture. Faith in the historical events of Christ’s death on the cross and the resurrection brings salvation by God’s grace to sinners. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:17, “And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins.” Thankfully, God has revealed himself through the person of Jesus Christ and in the pages of Scripture; otherwise humanity would not have known its own creator. God uses external means, such as historical events, the incarnation, the written word, preaching, the church, the supper, and baptism, to reveal Himself and to nurture faith in Him. Christianity is spiritual, but it is a spirituality that can never be divorced from the external and physical. One does not become a Christian by first looking within one’s own soul; one begins outside of one’s self with the truth of God’s objective revelation.
However, there has been a trend in the last several hundred years in America to move away from the external Word of God and look for spiritual truth inside the self. This trend is a result of the influence of German Pietism, Christian Liberalism, Christian Existentialism, and American Revivalism, along with the ever-present Gnostic tendencies. The result has been a uniquely American approach to religion and spirituality. This approach is a search for a direct inward spiritual experience through feelings and emotions. The danger of this inward subjectivity is that it marginalizes the external elements of the Christian faith, such as the Word, the church, preaching, the Lord’s Supper, and baptism. Michael Horton sarcastically writes, “Ultimately, it’s what I do alone with God that matters, not what God does for me together with his covenant people through public, earthly, material means that he has appointed.” If one’s feelings are the ultimate authority it will lead one far away from the doctrines revealed by God in Scripture. Commenting on American spirituality, an article in “Entertainment Weekly” states, “[S]eekers of the day are apt to peel away the tough theological stuff and pluck out the most dulcet elements of faith, coming up with a soothing sampler of Judeo-Christian imagery, Eastern meditation, self-help lingo, a vaguely conservative craving for ‘virtue,’ and a loopy New Age pursuit of ‘peace.’ This happy free-for-all, appealing to Baptists and stargazers alike, comes off more like Forest Gump’s ubiquitous ‘boxa chocolates’ than like any real system of belief. You never know what you’re going to get.”
This is precisely what happens when one moves away from the objective Word of God and becomes one’s own spiritual authority.
Next week we’ll examine how this spiritual trend in America has led us to “the church of Oprah.”
a pdf version of this entry is available here
However, there has been a trend in the last several hundred years in America to move away from the external Word of God and look for spiritual truth inside the self. This trend is a result of the influence of German Pietism, Christian Liberalism, Christian Existentialism, and American Revivalism, along with the ever-present Gnostic tendencies. The result has been a uniquely American approach to religion and spirituality. This approach is a search for a direct inward spiritual experience through feelings and emotions. The danger of this inward subjectivity is that it marginalizes the external elements of the Christian faith, such as the Word, the church, preaching, the Lord’s Supper, and baptism. Michael Horton sarcastically writes, “Ultimately, it’s what I do alone with God that matters, not what God does for me together with his covenant people through public, earthly, material means that he has appointed.” If one’s feelings are the ultimate authority it will lead one far away from the doctrines revealed by God in Scripture. Commenting on American spirituality, an article in “Entertainment Weekly” states, “[S]eekers of the day are apt to peel away the tough theological stuff and pluck out the most dulcet elements of faith, coming up with a soothing sampler of Judeo-Christian imagery, Eastern meditation, self-help lingo, a vaguely conservative craving for ‘virtue,’ and a loopy New Age pursuit of ‘peace.’ This happy free-for-all, appealing to Baptists and stargazers alike, comes off more like Forest Gump’s ubiquitous ‘boxa chocolates’ than like any real system of belief. You never know what you’re going to get.”
This is precisely what happens when one moves away from the objective Word of God and becomes one’s own spiritual authority.
Next week we’ll examine how this spiritual trend in America has led us to “the church of Oprah.”
a pdf version of this entry is available here
Labels: spiritual, subjectivity
posted on Friday, April 25, 2008 |
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