Marcelo Gleiser, a Brazilian physicist and astronomer who is currently Professor of Physics and Astronomy at Dartmouth College, won the Templeton Prize for his outstanding contributions for “affirming life’s spiritual dimension”.[1] He is an agnostic, but he isn’t hostile to religion or faith. He maintains an open mind, stating:
“Atheism is inconsistent with the scientific method….
“Atheism is a belief in non-belief. So you categorically deny something you have no evidence against.
“I’ll keep an open mind because I understand that human knowledge is limited.”[2]
In listening to Gleiser recently on a podcast[3], I was reminded of another gentleman I listened to recently. Dr. Soong Chan-Rah, an evangelical professor of church growth and evangelism at North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. On first glance, these two gentlemen might seem like odd companions in my thoughts, but together they inspire this blog piece.
Gleiser grew up in Brazil. His mother died when he was 6. He described how her death led him into a dark time in his life. He was Jewish and lived in a conservative Jewish community, but Judaism didn’t lead him out of that darkness. He says it was science.
Gleiser was drawn by the wonder of science and scientific discovery. His interest in science was sparked by the gift of an autographed photograph of Albert Einstein from his uncle. It became his “altar,” and it led him to become fascinated with the “exploration of the mysterious.” He left the darkness of his teenage years with a purposeful decision to engage the mysteries of the world and find answers.
We might be quick to label his reverence for science idolatry. He even speaks of it in religious terms, but he tempers his enthusiasm, unlike many people who have placed their trust in science. He is humble enough to make room for the possibility of God and spiritual reality.
Hearing Gleiser talk about the limits of science and possibilities of faith from “outside the fold” can be instructive. Humility is more than just a winsome quality.
Dr. Soon Chan-Rah doesn’t come from outside the fold, but he also has a perspective that was formed outside the framework of American evangelicalism. Dr. Chan-Rah didn’t tell his story in the talk I listened to, but he is obviously Asian by descent. I bring that up only because it suggests he has a perspective that isn’t colored wholly by the fabric of western civilization.
We need to hear from outside perspectives, lest we never question the assumptions we take for granted – the extra-biblical (and maybe unbiblical) influences that creep in with our culture, tradition and familiarity that go unquestioned.
I have heard Dr. Chan-Rah speak about lamentations in the Old Testament and the conspicuous lack of lamentations exhibited in American evangelical culture. He calculates that about forty percent (40%) of the Psalms might be characterized as lamentations. Whereas, only about twenty percent (20%) of the songs in modern American hymnals contain some form of lament. Those songs often go unsung in our church services. As for contemporary Christian music, we might be hard pressed to find more than five (5) songs out of the top one hundred (100) containing any form of lament.
Whether the math is exactly right, the point is clear. We don’t engage in lament in our American evangelical culture to the same degree as reflected in Scripture. Chan-Rah attributed that cultural characteristic with several things, including the sense of triumphalism that has permeated American culture. That observation is what brings me to write this blog piece. Please allow me to explain.
Continue reading “The Danger of Triumphalism in the Church”
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