The Future of Faith
Page 24
creation myths, 26–28, 31
creeds absent from early church, 57, 58, 60, 77, 86, 174, 221
as apart from faith, 4, 18, 19–20, 54
bishops and heretics, 108, 179
Christian fundamentalism’s adherence to, 74, 75–76, 144, 201
codified/enforced by imperial church, 6, 7, 221
filioque and the Apostles’ Creed, 110–111
near triumph over faith, 119–121, 224
as poetry, 75
proto-creeds, 93
role in devolution of early church, 74–76, 83–84, 107
unique to Christianity, 18
See also doctrine crente (believer), 199
cross symbology, 100, 101–102
crucifixion, 50, 52, 53, 58, 79
cult of the emperor, 81, 174
cultural influences, 148–150, 158, 177, 208–211, 219–221
cultural worldview, 37–38, 116–117, 119, 174, 222
Cyprian, 97
Darby, John Nelson, 147
Das Heilige (Otto), 23
da’wa (Muslim duty), 214
de-Westernization of Christianity, 173–177, 222
democracy, 205–206, 209
devolution of early church in claims of apostolic authority, 88
in heresy/orthodoxy dichotomy, 86–88
linked to power, 83, 88
multiculturalism contributing to, 78–79, 83
presence of other religions/cults, 79–83
devolution of early church recent scholarship on, 55
role of hierarchies and creeds, 75–76, 83–84, 89–91
various explanations for, 73–75
Didascalia Apostolorum, 95
direct revelation, 93–95
dislocation, 176–177
dispensationalism, 147
diversity challenges of, 178
in contemporary church, 85, 128
in early church, 57–60, 85–86, 173–174, 184
as unavoidable, 130–131
doctrinal fundamentalists, 145–146
doctrine Assumption of the Virgin Mary, 74, 119–120
devolution of early church into, 55
doctrinal fundamentalists, 145–146
experiential elements more attractive than, 13
formulated by elite clerical caste, 5, 6
papal infallibility, 119–120
See also belief; creeds Dominicans, 114, 116
early church. See Age of Faith Easter cycle, 50–53
Eastern Orthodox Church, 74, 80, 109, 110–111
ecclesial base communities (CEBs), 172–173, 195–196, 223
Eckhart, Meister, 10–11
Einstein, Albert, 21–26, 29, 33
Eliot, Charles, 147
emerging-church movement, 218–219
emperor cult, 81, 174
empires, 71–72
“end-times” beliefs, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151
Enlightenment, 181–182
episcopa (bishop), 180
eschatology, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151
Europe, 7, 118, 173–174, 196
Eusebius, 88, 96, 105–106
evangelicals, 136–138, 199, 201
Ezekiel, 44, 92
faith
during Age of Belief, 5, 7–8
awe and mystery, 22, 23, 35, 194
vs. belief, 3–4, 26–27, 213, 219, 223
Catholic hierarchy and creed over, 98, 119–121
Christian fundamentalism’s belief over, 141, 159–160, 166, 168
common need for, 128, 129
creeds as apart from, 4, 19–20, 74
as focus of Christian life, 18
intellectualization of, 46
of Jesus, 45–47, 49
from perspective of poverty, 172, 177, 194
regaining original meaning of, 179, 181–183, 223–224
resurrected in liberation theology, 194–195
Falwell, Jerry, 133–135, 137, 146, 155
filioque (and the Son), 110–111
First Epistle of Clement, 89–91, 156
First Vatican Council, 119, 120
Franciscans, 11, 109
Frye, Northrup, 169
fundamentalism, 1–2, 14–15, 131–133, 152, 183, 223. See also Christian fundamentalism
Fundamentals, The (pamphlet series), 148, 149
Galileo, 182
geographic dislocation, 176–177
global South explosive growth of Christianity in, 173, 176–177, 184, 222
impact of recent research on, 68, 136
inspired by Spirit, 9
Kingdom of God emerging in, 136–137, 187–188, 194–196
reclaiming the Bible, 167
similarity to early church, 175, 195
spread of liberation theology in, 191
See also Latin America churches Gnosticism, 65
God direct experience of, 8, 10
existence of, 3–4, 17, 21–22, 194
promises of, 40–42
relationship to Jesus, 46, 47, 103–105
Good as News (Henson), 161–163
Gospel of Matthew, 19
gospel of prosperity, 209–210
Gospel of Thomas, 64–65, 87–88, 164–165
Grande, Rutulio, 189–190
grassroots laity groups, 172–173, 191, 195–196
Greek Biblical translation, 78–79, 157–159
Greek religion/philosophy, 82–83, 219, 221
Gutiérrez, Gustavo, 192–195
Hamlet (play; Shakespeare), 30
Hebrew Biblical translation, 157–159
Hebrew cycle, 39–41, 53
Henson, John, 161
heresy Arianism, 103–107
from within the church, 10–11
church’s violent suppression of, 6–7
heresy/orthodoxy dichotomy, 60, 64–65, 86–88, 178
heretics as innovators, 87, 197
idea unknown to early church, 57–60, 78, 86
Joachim’s Age of the Spirit, 8–9
modern-day handling of, 114, 116–117
Protestantism as, 108–109
revisionist view of, 108–109, 111
as treason, 6
Waldensians, 109–110
Herod, King, 42, 43
Hexapla, 158–159
hierarchies in contemporary Catholic Church, 116–118
deterioration of early church into, 55, 73–76, 179
direct revelation as challenge to, 93–95
early/contemporary Christianity flourishing without, 8, 19, 61, 174
emergence of, 57, 58, 89–93
empires use of, 71–72
near triumph over faith, 119–121, 224
See also apostolic succession; clerical caste Hilary of Poitiers, 107
Hinduism differing with Judeo-Christian worldview, 37–39
fundamentalists within, 223
lack of “beliefs” in, 221
reach of, 128
roots of, 56
sacred texts in, 166, 167
understanding of Jesus, 48
violence in, 130, 132
Holy Communion, 76–77, 82
Holy Spirit Catholic retraction of exclusivity over, 53
and charismatics, 6, 13, 93–94
current resurgence of belief in, 9–10
guiding the early church, 61, 77, 86
at Pentecost, 52–53
in Pentecostalism, 9, 145–146, 200–201
speaking in tongues, 52–53, 56, 200
homoousios (same substance), 105, 108
Huxley, Aldous, 213
Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, 91–95
Ikeda, Daisaku, 214
Illich, Ivan, 191, 193
imperial church amalgamation with Roman empire, 68, 72, 90
birth of, 178, 5–6
blurring essence of Christianity, 63–64, 98, 224
challenge of mystics to, 93–94
Constantine’s role in, 98, 101–102, 174, 221
domination
of European culture and politics, 7
immediately following Constantine, 107–108
marginalization of women, 55
representing one form of early Christianity, 60
subverting faith, 98
See also Age of Belief Indian churches, 222
Inquisition, 7, 109, 116, 182, 183
intellectualization of faith, 46
interfaith dialogue beyond history of violence, 129–132
colored by diverse worldviews, 128–129
current crisis in, 128
hope for intrafaith dialogue, 135–139
including fundamentalists in, 131–135, 138–139
Vatican’s Secretariat for Nonbelievers, 125–126
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, 143–146
intrafaith relations, 132, 135–139
Irenaeus of Lyons, 92–95
Isaiah, 44, 47
Islam basic posture of, 39
divisions in, 215–216
duty of concern, 214–215
potential causes of resurgence, 213–214
Qur’an, 166
radical, 2, 16, 152, 223
reach of, 80, 128
single affirmation of, 18
two-tiered belief system, 220–221
understanding of Jesus, 48
violence in, 130, 132
James, Letter of, 156
Jefferson, Thomas, 165, 205
Jesus belief in Second Coming of, 146–149, 151
as Christ, 51–52
Christian fundamentalism lacking reference to, 141, 148
crucifixion of, 50, 52, 53, 58, 79
early church relationship to, 77, 78
faith of, 45–47, 49
in Gospel of Thomas, 164
on Kingdom of God, 19, 42–45, 47, 49
in liberation theology, 194–195
relationship to God, 46–47, 103–105
relevance in other faiths, 47–48
resurrection of, 52, 160
threat to the Romans, 42–43, 48–50, 63, 69–70
Jews. See Judaism Joachim of Fiore, 8–10
Job, Book of, 159
John F. Kennedy School of Government, 134
John of Patmos, 62
John Paul II, Pope, 46, 84, 109, 110, 116, 121, 182
John XXIII, Pope, 121, 123–124
Judaism currents in contemporary, 80, 217–218
expectation of messiah, 42
fundamentalists within, 152, 223
God of, 40
Jews blamed for crucifixion, 58
land fundamentalists, 152
religion as way of life, 19
Tanakh, 156
understanding of Jesus in, 48
violence associated with, 130, 132
Judeo-Christian tradition Christmas cycle, 42–49, 53
in the early church, 53–54
Easter cycle, 50–53
Hebrew cycle, 39–41, 53
shaping worldview, 128–129, 169
Julian, Emperor, 107–108
Kennedy, Robert, 191
Keswick, 144, 145
Kierkegaard, Søren, 37
King, Karen, 65
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 191
King James Bible, 157, 160–162
Kingdom of God emerging in the global South, 136–137, 187–188, 194–196
hope sustaining medieval laity, 7–8
human longing for the, 48, 224
inspiring early church, 60, 73, 78
interfaith dialogue and, 130
Jesus on, 19, 42–45, 47, 49
in Judeo-Christian tradition, 42–45, 47, 49
living beyond the crucifixion, 53
as “Reigning of God,” 45
surviving papal infallibility, 120–121
undercut by Christian fundamentalism, 149
knowledge, beyond objective, 33–34
Koester, Helmut, 86
Küng, Hans, 114, 116
laity contemporary grassroots groups, 171–173, 191, 195–196
emergence of Muslim organizations, 214
faith of medieval church, 7–8
new voice of the, 174–175, 222, 223
power of church hierarchy over, 55, 95, 97
See also liberation theology language, 78–79, 157, 158
“last-days” beliefs, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151
Latin America churches CEBs (ecclesial base communities), 172–173, 195–196, 223
contributions to democracy,, 138, 204–207
crentes as religious majority, 199–200
organization of peasant leagues, 203–204
threats to, 208–209
See also liberation theology Left Behind series, 62, 138, 147
Lent, 50, 51
Levinas, Emmanuel, 32–34
liberation theology connection to early church, 72, 194–196
faith-as-trust in, 194–195
focus and development of, 190–191, 194
Gutiérrez’s contribution to, 192–194
possible fusion with progressive Pentecostalism, 203
Romero as champion of, 183–184, 187–190
roots in poverty, 41, 177
Life of Constantine (Eusebius), 105–106
literalization of the symbolic, 24–28
lost gospels, 88–89
Luke-Acts, 168
Luther, Martin, 73, 156, 181, 182
Machen, J. Gresham, 150
Maier, Charles S., 71–72
Mark, Gospel of, 69–70, 160
Mary, mother of Jesus, 74, 119–120, 157, 159
Maxentius, 99–100
medieval church, 7–8, 10–11, 74. See also Age of Belief
Middle East conflict, 130, 132, 147
Miles, Sara, 76–77
Miller, Donald, 202, 203, 211
missionaries, 175
Mithraism, 79–81, 174
modernists, 28, 86, 87, 144, 148–151, 201
Mother Teresa, 17
Muslim Brotherhood, 215, 216, 223
Muslims. See Islam mystery common to all worldviews, 37, 38
faith and, 35, 194
and the “other,” 31–35
of the self, 29–31, 49
of the universe, 24–28
mysticism, 13, 87, 93–94, 164, 218
myths, 26–28
Nag Hammadi codices, 64–66, 89, 164
Narcissus, 31, 34
National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), 137, 201
nature, 13–14, 22–23
Nature and the Destiny of Man, The (Niebuhr), 29
New Age groups. See spirituality
New Testament, 42, 90–92, 156, 160–161, 168
Nichiren Shoshu, 216
Niebuhr, Reinhold, 29
nonbelievers, 16–18, 28, 125, 183
noncanonical gospels, 163–165
objectivity, 33, 34
Old Testament, 39–42, 53, 59
Origen of Alexandria, 95–97, 103, 158, 177
orthodoxy, 60, 64–65, 86–88, 178, 181, 218. See also Age of Belief
“other,” 31–35, 130–131
Otto, Rudolf, 23
paganism, 51
papacy, 73, 116–120, 122–126
Paul, Apostle, 30, 42, 52, 60–61, 63, 76, 77, 86, 93–94, 97, 177
Paul and His World (Koester), 86
Paul VI, Pope, 121, 125, 189, 219
Penn Christian Fellowship, 142, 143, 146
Pentecost, 52–53
Pentecostals contribution to democracy, 204–207
differences with fundamentalists, 145–146, 199–202
distinctions between North American/Latin American, 178, 202, 206–207
emergence of progressive, 202–204
future outlook for, 210–211
Holy Spirit in, 9, 145–146, 200–201
main purpose of, 207
pitfalls of leadership style, 207–208
prosperity gospel, 209–210
rejecting creeds, 201
role
in Age of the Spirit, 200, 202, 211
speaking in tongues, 52–53, 56, 93, 200
threats to, 205, 208–210
worrisome to orthodoxy, 93–94
people’s history, 67–70, 221–222
Pius IX, Pope, 115, 118
Pius XI, Pope, 121–122
Plato, 4, 219–222
politics, 68–72, 131–132, 204–207, 223.
See also Roman empire polytheism, 81
post-Western Christianity, 173–177
poverty believers working to combat, 138, 164
faith from perspective of, 172, 177, 194, 210
Jesus’ concern for, 42, 47, 77
liberation theology roots in, 41, 177, 190, 194
lure of gospel of prosperity, 209
Muslim’s concern for the poor, 214
prayer, 3–4, 13
priestly elite. See clerical caste Prisicllian of Avila, 6–7
progressive Pentecostals, 202–204
prosperity gospel, 209–210
Protestant Reformation, 74, 156
Protestantism, 86, 108–109, 125, 156.
See also Christian fundamentalism
Ratzinger, Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI), 67, 113–114, 116–119, 121
reason, 182
recent research on early Christianity Christianity as anti-imperial movement, 57–58, 62–64, 70–72
fiction of apostolic authority, 58, 60–61, 65–67
Gospel of Thomas, 64–65, 87–88, 164–165
inspiring intrafaith dialogue, 135–136
the people’s history, 67–70
producing radical shifts, 64, 178–179
summary of three alterations, 57–58, 72
unity in diversity, 57–60
Reformation, 74, 156
religion changing nature of, 2, 14, 128, 222–223
diversity in, 130–131, 166–167
experiential elements of, 7–8, 13
resurgence of, 1–2, 80, 128
shaped by worldviews, 128–129
spirituality as distinct from, 23, 10, 11, 22
violence associated with, 129–130, 132, 170
See also interfaith dialogue “Religion and Belief” (paper; Bellah), 219
religious worldview, 37–39. See also Judeo-Christian tradition
resurrection, 52, 160
Revelation, 62, 69
Revised Standard Version, 157–158, 160
revisionism, 58
Revolve (magazine), 162–163
Riccardi, Andrea, 171
rituals, 39–40, 50, 51
Robertson, Pat, 135
Robinson, James, 87
Roman empire Christianity as anti-imperial movement, 43, 57–58, 62–64, 70–72, 81–82
Christianity as official religion, 5–6
emperor cult/pagan pantheons in, 70, 81–83
Jesus a threat to, 42–43, 48–50, 63, 69–70
persecution of Christians, 69, 70, 82, 91–92