Belief in the twenty-first century
Michael Jensen’s book My God, My God explores what it means to
have faith in today’s world and he begins by charting the changes throughout
history that have influenced how society views religious belief. The
Reformation caused faith to be seen as an inward and private matter, rather
than an external one, as it had previously been viewed. While belief was and
still is viewed as a personal choice governed by human free will people are
still aware of external factors such as environment, genetics and upbringing
and their influence on an individual’s decision to have faith. This influence
is still very much present in today’s society, it is offensive to raise the subject
of religion with someone; religion is now in the same camp as discussions on
politics and money.
The philosophy of
utilitarianism, which promotes the greatest good for the greatest number, also
influences how society approaches the choice of whether or not to believe. In
today’s Western society people will often evaluate a religion on the basis of
will it ‘work’ for them rather than is it true. I have seen this happen as
people pick and choose from several different religions and New Age
philosophies in order to construct their own personal religion based on the
fact that those elements ‘work’ for them. In using the term ‘work’ Michael
Jensen is saying that people using this approach to belief evaluate it based on
the benefits it will bring them: a feeling of inner peace, a healthier
lifestyle and the opportunity to perform good works.
The book moves from an
overview of the theological, philosophical and social influences on belief in
the twenty-first century to explore poet Alfred Tennyson’s battles with his own
doubt. Tennyson’s poem ‘In Memoriam’ was a deeply personal exploration of his
grief over losing a close friend and his own doubts about having faith, and
while he never let go entirely of the concept of the existence God he never
recovered from his wavering sense of faith. This is the ‘experience’ that
Jensen goes on to discuss further, the underlying feeling that there is more to
life than meets the eye, and I think it is a feeling that is shared by many
people.
Whilst the rationalism of the
eighteenth century reduced orthodox Christianity to a set of facts, during this
same period the sermons of John Wesley and George Whitfield brought about a
revival and renewed enthusiasm in their congregations. The faith they preached
spoke to the whole person, it was not merely a set of meaningless truths, but
affected the whole self and all of an individual’s life.
It is important for us as
Christians today to be reminded of this, that ours is a faith that speaks to us
in our own situation, whatever that may be. Many reject Christianity as dull
and outdated, out of touch with the world today, but the Word of God is a
spectacular narrative that spans the centuries and still has much to teach
those who have ears to hear its message. A really helpful way is for us to
share this with others as we speak about our own faith, sharing with them how
knowing God and having faith in Him has shaped and affected our own lives.
About our contributor, Emma Little: I was born and raised in Sydney and am currently in fourth year at Moore College where I have loved being immersed in God's word for the past three and a bit years. I have also loved being a student minister at Guildford Anglican Church for the past two years. I'm a big fan of the Sydney Swans (cheer, cheer the red and the white!), and love cooking, knitting, reading and writing.