The set up:
So today my friend David Korff posted a link on the Theology of the Body “phenomenon” (for those unfamiliar with TotB, it is Pope John Paul II’s work concerning sexuality and the human body). The premise of the article was that people seem to believe this is a new thing when, in fact, it is simply a rehashing of what the Catholic Church has always taught. Now, as I sat there after reading the article, I thought to myself “That’s rather silly. If you actually read the whole thing, JP2 makes it explicitly clear that he’s just expounding on Paul VI’s Humanae Vitae, which was in and of itself just a re-presentation of the Church’s teaching to explicitly address some modern issues.”
Now before you explain to me how not everyone has the time to read such dense material, or the mental endurance to wade through and still comprehend such dense material, or has sustained enough blunt force trauma to the head to enjoy such dense material, I would like to say that I know. However, this brings us to my main point: It doesn’t matter. One should know the foundation on which the teachings of one’s faith are built. To do anything less is to construct a house upon sand.
The premise:
Now, this is not to simply say that a Christian should know their Bible, a Jew their Torah, or a Muslim their Quran, but they should also have an understanding of where that book came from (and I don’t just mean God). To put our faith in a book, we must know how that book came to be, whether from a Church council, a Synod, or a Prophet (and preferably where that group/person came from as well).
My biggest qualm is with those (adults) who, when asked why they believe what they believe, will say it is because they trust the person who told them, or it feels right. While trust is a wonderful thing, and feelings can be a powerful tool of guidance, by those standards, I should currently belong to about 20 religions (mostly due to the former reasoning). I have heard, and sadly don’t recall where, that one of the most beautiful things of the Catholic faith is that someone with no education can grasp its core, while at the same time one may spend a lifetime plumbing the depths of its meaning. I do believe this was someone referring to the middle ages, speaking on the ability of faith to stretch from the lowest peasants to the most learned scholars, while being the same and still drawing all of them in completely. However, the peasants of that time period were likely to have a challenge to their faith come from only one major source: their own concupiscence. This single source they were given many ways of combating in regular religious instruction. Today, an assault on one’s faith may come from any of a multitude of sources, and, for most people, regular religious instruction is still only targeted to protect us from that same single source (if that).
The directive:
Therefore, it has become increasingly necessary for those who wish to remain strong in their faith to either completely block out the influences of the world around them (either by insular communities or blind denial), or educate themselves in order to be able to combat such forces. Else they are likely to find their faith broken down in short order by the caustic barrages of today’s world. While I am Catholic, I would encourage anyone of any faith to seek a better understanding of their faith, that they may better come to know the Truth. I am not saying to treat your religion as wrong until proven right, but if you are to assume that a given teaching is right, try to stop it from being simply an assumption and learn the reason behind it. Even if you may not know the answer when someone asks you to explain the Magisterium to them, or why they can’t receive the Eucharist in a Catholic church even though they’re Christian, too, or what the implications of the "anathema doctrine" (no salvation outside the Church) are, you can still stand up for the deposit of faith you trust to have the answer to those questions.
My fear:
What worries me most is the prevalence of faith without knowledge found in the world today. Some people still call it religion; others have made up a new category and labeled it generally “spirituality”. By either name it still ends up the same. I see good seed being scattered on rocks. The faith springs, vibrant and alive, but is unable to survive when buffeted by the wind and the rain of the world’s criticisms because it has no roots, no depth.
The close:
This is not to say that one cannot live a faith filled life with little intellectual investment in one’s faith, it is just very unlikely to happen. Furthermore, to do so dramatically decreases the chance that you will be able to inspire others to the Truth that you have found which is either disingenuous or cruel, as one who truly believes they have found the Truth will wish to share it with everyone that they care about, that they too may know.
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The span from the lowest of uneducated peasants to the highest of scholars is an interesting one. I believe your premise is not as universal as we would like to think. That is, the post assumes a largely Western environment. There is a cultural Catholicism that exists outside of the Euro-american world that would, I believe, bear a much greater resemblance to the faith of the Middle Ages.
ReplyDeleteThere has been an interesting discussion, introduced to me by the blogger over at The Medieval Mind
Of course, since we are working and living in the Western world, and since blogging is a particularly American thing to do, this post is excellent for its audience, and I like the arguments you make.
Doh! Broken links. The blog is Sancta Sanctis, and the particular entry is The Medieval Mind.
ReplyDelete(Sorry about the delay, I wanted to think on your comments a bit, and then when I tried to respond this morning, I found my internet at work dislikes letting me stay logged in long enough to post comments myself.)
ReplyDeleteIn response I would say that the medieval mind post is referring to something obtainable through an insular community, which is an effective defense so long as the community remains, but as the community is broken down (usually at the edges from those who experience most other cultures/communities, then gradually fall away) then the entire community becomes vulnerable unless the boarders are shored up with the appropriate defenses.
I will admit, I was speaking specifically to our oh-so-'enllightened' Euro-american culture, as that is where I face the problem every day; but in an ever more interconnected world it becomes harder and harder to secure one's self in an insular community because our world is losing a sense of boarders entirely. This seems to me what has happened in much of Europe, where this 'medieval mindset' was the approach to religion and the rapidity with which it has decayed to secularism is a frightening portent to the rest of the world. Therefore, while my argument is not immediately as relevant to the rest of the world, I fear it soon will be.