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Doubt, Faith, and Certainty
Anthony C. Thiselton
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Doubt, Faith, and Certainty
Anthony C. Thiselton
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Doubt, faith, certainty. In this book celebrated theologian Anthony Thiselton provides clarity on these complicated, long-misunderstood theological concepts and the practical pastoral problems they raise for Christians. He reminds us that doubt is not always bad, faith can have different meanings in different circumstances, and certainty is fragile. Drawing on his expertise in the fields of exegesis and hermeneutics, biblical studies, and the history of Christian thought, Thiselton works his way through the labyrinth of past definitions while offering better, more nuanced theological understandings of these three interrelated concepts. The result is a book that speaks profoundly to some of our deepest existential concerns.
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Théologie chrétienneCHAPTER 1
The Various Meanings of Doubt, Faith, and Certainty
The Various Meanings of Doubt
The different meanings and significances of doubt constitute an immensely practical and potentially liberating pastoral and intellectual issue. It is a practical disaster that in popular thought some view all doubt as a sign of weakness and lack of faith; while others, by contrast, extol doubt as always a sign of mature, sophisticated reflection.
In popular Christian thought many regard doubt simply as lack of faith or lack of trust in God. Those who admit to having doubts are often accused of confusion, irresolution, hesitancy, skepticism, reluctance to take a stand, or endless postponement of bold commitment. Even worse, some regard doubters as disobedient, distrustful, faithless, vacillating, and wavering.
John Suk produced a remarkable and moving book entitled Not Sure: A Pastorâs Journey from Faith to Doubt. He explains: âDoubt has turned me back to theology and Scripture with attention to detail that I havenât known since studying for seminary exams. Doubt reveals texts I used to skip over because they were obtuse, difficult, or didnât easily fit the picture I expected to see. . . . Doubt is like a new set of glasses: you see more.â1 But he also considers the other side of the coin. He writes that doubt âalso hurts. . . . Doubt has also put enormous stress on my marriage. . . . How difficult it is to reconsider [comfortable faith] . . . for something new and uncertain.â2
Examples occur in the Bible of both interpretations of doubt, in different circumstances. Jesus certainly laments a divided self. When Peter walked to him over the waves but began to sink when he doubted, Jesus said to him: âYou of little faith, why did you doubt [ti edistasas]?â (Matt. 14:31 NIV). The same word is used latter in Matthew: âThey worshiped him; but some doubtedâ (28:17 NIV). The Greek distazĆ means âto waver, have two minds, be double-minded.â James warns us against double-mindedness, using the Greek word diakrinomenos (âone who doubtsâ) in 1:6 and dipsychos (âdouble-mindedâ) in 4:8. Luke uses dialogismos (âdoubtingâ) in Luke 24:38. Luke and Paul use aporeĆ (Luke 24:4; Gal. 4:20) to denote âperplexity, confusion, or being at a loss.â3
On the other side, popular thought often neglects the entirely positive meanings of the term âdoubt.â A person who never admits any doubt about anything may rightly be regarded as heartless, insensitive, overconfident, or arrogant. Doubt about oneâs convictions constitutes the beginning of self-criticism, correction, discovery, and more mature insight. We need not subscribe to his entire philosophy to see the point of Sir William Hamiltonâs telling aphorism: âWe doubt in order that we may believe.â4 Where belief is exposed to be mere opinion or prejudice, doubt may provide a path to authentic belief. In politics an overconfident government may rush headlong with premature decisions without due reflection.
In philosophy Socrates remains the classic case for encouraging doubt as the first step toward knowledge, or toward distinguishing authentic belief from mere opinion. Some regard the doubts of Thomas the apostle as leading toward a more firmly founded faith. In modern times Gregory Boyd attacks the avoidance of all doubt concerning the Christian faith, especially in a Pentecostal context: âThis certainty-seeking concept of faith is causing a great deal of harm to the church today.â5 He explains: âI once assumed a personâs faith is as strong as that person is certain. And, accordingly, I assumed that doubt is the enemy of faith. That is . . . how Christians generally talk.â6
Admittedly in the biblical writings the actual word âdoubtâ occurs more frequently with negative implications than positive ones. Nevertheless much of the Bible enjoins humility and the limits of knowledge. Moreover the Bible often provides examples of the need for critical reflection. The Old Testament uses áž„ĂźdĂą (âto test with hard questionsâ; 1 Kings 10:1; 2 Chron. 9:1), dÄraĆĄ (âto questionâ; 2 Chron. 31:9), or ÊŸÄmar lĂŽ (âto think or to say to oneself â; Esth. 6:6). Like the Hebrew áž„ÄĆĄab (âto reckonâ; Ps. 119:59), all four of these Hebrew terms suggest a period of careful and critical thought before plunging into premature conclusions.7 The Piel form of the verb áž„ÄĆĄab suggests a human capacity to view issues self-critically.8
The New Testament also commends âthinkingâ in the sense of reflecting critically on options. Jesus asks Peter: âWhat do you think [dokeĆ], Simon?â (Matt. 17:25 NIV). The verb dokeĆ forbids glib or premature answers. Thus after a parable, Jesus asks: âWhat do you think?â (18:12 NIV). The verb dokeĆ occurs sixty-two times in the New Testament. In Classical Greek it initiates the reflection that distinguishes reality or truth from mere opinion or appearance (e.g., Parmenides 28B.8.50â51, and frequently in Plato).
Ian Ramsey argues that some degree of doubt can deliver us from seeming to be âcertainâ about every possible aspect of religion. He argues: âThe desire to be sure in religion leads, it will be said, to prejudice, bigotry, and fanaticism.â9 An orthodox Christian believer who is not skeptical about the core values of Christian faith, Ramsey also insists that if we think that anything at all remains beyond doubt, this might constitute symptoms of arrogance or bumptiousness. He cites Joseph Butler (1692â1752) and F. D. Maurice (1805â72) as admitting to certain doubts about such doctrines as universal final destiny.
Doubt, then, can function either negatively as a term that stands in contrast to trust, faith, or wholeheartedness; or positively as a term to denote self-criticism, humility, and careful reflection. Often only attention to the context of the word âdoubtâ will indicate the sense in which it is to be understood. I note this in connection with faith and certainty as well. Philosophers and those who specialize in linguistics often use the term âpolymorphousâ to denote those words that vary their meaning in accordance with their context. This linguistic phenomenon is more widespread than we might at first imagine.
Linguistic philosophers Friedrich Waismann and Ludwig Wittgenstein provide an abundance of illustrations from everyday language. Waismann selects the word âto tryâ as a significant example that we can all readily understand. On a sleepless night we may âtryâ to get to sleep. But the meaning of âtryâ here is quite different from when we âtryâ to lift a heavy weight, or âtryâ to play the piano better, or âtryâ to free ourselves from bonds. âTo try,â he observes, âis used in many different and differently related ways.â10
Wittgenstein also provides a number of examples. Perhaps âplaying a gameâ constitutes the most well known. What playing consists in depends on whether the context is that of card games, board games, athletics, quizzes, and so on. In contrast to expounding the genuinely polymorphous nature of many words, Wittgenstein rightly comments on the root cause of their neglect: âOur craving for generality . . . our pre-occupation with the method of science . . . leads the philosopher into complete darkness. . . . Instead of âcraving for generality,â I could also have said âthe contemptuous attitude towards the particular case.â â11 Some concepts are partly polymorphous. Wittgenstein calls these âconcepts with blurred edges.â12
Philosophical linguist William Alston makes a similar point about the vagueness of many words. He selects the everyday example of being middle aged, to which I refer later. Alston explains: âA term is said to be vague if there are cases in which there is no definite answer as to whether the term applies.â13 Thus some people seem middle aged before they reach forty, while many argue that 45â65 seems to offer a more respectable definition. We cannot legislate for a universal definition. Alston concludes: âWe need vague terms for situations like this,â that is, in politics, demography, and diplomacy.14
Paul Tillich provides one example in which doubt would have a necessary place. He insists on the need to search for God beyond the âgodâ of an inadequate or distorted concept, picture, or understanding. He comments that some may imagine that they are rejecting God when âit is not he whom we reject and forget, but . . . rather some distorted picture of him.â15 At a popular level this could be a God of mistaken or inadequate elementary Sunday School instruction. At a more sophisticated level, Tillich declares: âThe god whom we can easily bear, a god from whom we do not have to hide, a god whom we do not hate in moments . . . is not God at all.â16 Dietrich Bonhoeffer voices broadly similar concerns. Doubt may sometimes lead to a revised concept of God. He writes: âI either know about the God I seek from my own experience. . . . Or I know about him based on his revelation of his own Word. Either I determine the place in which I will find God, or I allow God to determine the place where he will be found.â17 Bonhoeffer explains further that to find âthe God who in some way corresponds to me . . . fits in with my natureâ is a false path: âGod is not agreeable to me at all . . . does not fit so well with me. That place is the place of the cr...