When we consider that the Christian faith has survived two thousand
years of change, despite being subjected to numerous cultural, historical,
philosophical and theological challenges we can not help but be
somewhat impressed. It is not surprising that Christians who are
aware of these challenges should raise questions concerning the
development of their belief system. H. M. Kuitert, a well-known
writer, broadcaster, and Dutch Reform Christian, attempts to answer
his own as well as the questions of others in his book, I Have
My Doubts-How to Become a Christian Without Being
a Fundamentalist. As Kuitert himself explains, there is need
for a response when 'the Christian faith [is] in the supermarket
and, moreover, on special offer' (xii). When Christians are confused
by a multiplicity of faith concepts, reconstructions and updatings,
leading to the collapse of any unified notion of what Christianity
is, it is no wonder that so many feel uncertain about their own
faith. A possible solution to their anxiety is to embrace fundamentalism.
But for many, this alternative is even more fearful and unacceptable
than their own confusion. Though it is especially for those Christians
who are unwilling to either lose their faith or accept fundamentalist
traps that Kuitert believes that his methodology would be equally
valuable for the members of any other tradition-ISKCON included-facing
a similar plight.
As he explains, his offering is neither a highly emotional individual
expression, nor an apology, nor complete dogmatics. Rather, he lays
out in an easy style (a) what he believes, (b) why, (c) and what
is to be done with it. Since this is not a systematic theology that
requires abstract and precise language, his tone is conversational-
as he says, 'just talking'. This in no way makes his work any less
well reasoned or tightly structured. His method is to raise questions-and
he raises all the questions that could possibly be asked-and selectively
investigate possible responses. He avoids none of the central Christian
tenets: the transcendence of God, the importance of Christ, the
Church, prayer, commandments and authority of the Bible. In fact,
he structures his book on the Apostles' Creed, affirming its commitments,
not as a fundamentalist, but in the liberal tradition.
He makes clear his liberal persuasions in the book's first section.
He objects to any doctrinal system that claims a total view of God-an
attitude that makes pluralism impossible. For different religious
traditions to accept each other as equals, they must agree that
they are creations of man, not God. Genuine dialogue will be thwarted
if any party appeals to revelation-an appeal that automatically
excludes non-believers. The source of religious truth is not the
supernatural; human experience makes it capable of improvement.
A tradition of faith is appropriated from past generations and bequeathed
to those of the future. One must distinguish faith from belief;
the latter being fallible, and thus relative to time, place and
circumstance. For a tradition to remain vital, it must constantly
reinterpret-find appropriate metaphors-for the beliefs that it has
inherited.
Having laid the foundation for the liberal rationale, Kuitert applies
his views to the primary subject of God. He traces the Christian
knowledge of faith and God through its Jewish and Greek roots, to
its ultimate origin in the human inborn need to explain existence
and be devoted to something higher. Humans attribute to God absolute
qualities, which they possess relatively. The Christian God was
sketched as someone who could be called upon personally, someone
who wants us back. Here, the transparent metaphor of patriarchy
betrays a male-centred culture, as other metaphors presuppose a
pre-industrial world. Another metaphor that seems time-bound is
to address God as king or master before whom we are subjects or
slaves. Kuitert emphasises that we must find metaphors appropriate
to our own times and needs which still preserve God's special place
in our lives.
Kuitert attempts to sort out the relationship between God the Creator,
humanity and the world. His intention is to help us resolve the
tensions that arise when modernity confronts tradition. Tradition
tells us that God was originally pleased with creation, yet there
is more evil in the world today than ever before. Is man habitually
sinful or is God the source of evil? The historical sequence of
creation, fall and redemption, as provided by tradition is no longer
a meaningful solution. Instead, the historical sequence of evolution
not only provides an alternative to creation; it demonstrates that
sin is not hereditary. Then should God be blamed? Kuitert rejects
various 'rescue' attempts such as Marcian and Deism, among others.
Nor is he entirely satisfied with Luther's solution: God does evil
but does not really mean it. Kuitert's answer is to have God share
the blame with humans. Something bad can also come from God. But
human freedom requires that we assume responsibility for the consequences
of our selfishness because it is anxiety that leads us to sin, all
of which is due to our forgetfulness of God.
Human nature, a 'nature' that no longer accords with ancient Israel
or Aquinas' twelfth-century morality, must be understood in the
context of our own times. Man may be made in the image of God, but
that image does not mean identical appearance. Nor is Jesus and
his life a normative model. Our equality with God may be best understood
in terms of a common task: we are stewards on behalf of a providential
God whose purpose we cannot always know, but whose true face can
be seen in the words and acts of Jesus Christ. We encounter God
by engagement in this world-an engagement that is often painful,
yet is part of the providential order of a God who will ultimately
welcome and embrace us. Though there may be terrible evil in the
world, salvation will not be found by attempting to find shelter
inside the Church, for God is encountered in the ordinary life outside.
Kuitert focuses next on the central role of Jesus Christ, a topic
that raises various questions. Though these questions have plagued
Christianity from the very beginning, freeing themselves from literalism
allows liberals like Kuitert to find solutions consistent with modernity.
The identity of Jesus has been especially enigmatic, lending itself
to many explanations. How can a human being be God at the same time?
The Gnostic doctrine of the Prince in disguise reduced Jesus to
the mere clothing of God. The orthodox doctrine of two natures-one
person in whom divine and human natures are united-was meant to
counter the Gnostics. And the doctrine of the Trinity was meant
to show that God personally suffered for us. But neither doctrine
was acceptable to the Jews or Muslims who insisted on an absolute
monotheism. Both doctrines rest on the christological presupposition
that Jesus is no ordinary messiah-he is the other face of God the
Creator. Or, as Kuitert explains, Jesus is 'occupied' by God.
Such a Christology depends upon the Resurrection. But this raises
yet another question: did the Resurrection factually take place?
Kuitert tackles the question culturally. For the narrators of Jesus'
time who believed in miracles, it was possible. But because it defies
the laws of nature, as we now understand them, it no longer fits
our sense of reality. In any case, it could not mean bodily resurrection.
Nor is the Ascension to be understood literally as Jesus sitting
at the right hand of God. God does not have a right hand, Kuitert
explains, nor does Jesus sit anywhere in the universe. Ascension
is a metaphor for position of power, while resurrection, far from
being a corporeal resuscitation, is a recreation. Jesus is the first
sample-a model to show us how, when dying, we will be taken out
of time if we are reconciled with God. Redemption both from our
sins and the guilt that alienated us from God is achieved by the
'substitution' of Jesus, the sacrificial lamb, for the sinner. Reconciliation
means a new life-a new person is born. There is no hell where sinners
are tormented eternally. And what of election? 'Utter nonsense',
Kuitert says. Determinism and fatalism are not true Christian concepts.
Predestination was Calvin's misunderstanding. We are held accountable
for our life, especially for how we treat humanity, and the final
judgment is entrusted to Jesus Christ.
The Church has been the traditional mediator between the believer
and God and has also regulated relationships between believers.
Its has often proved disappointing, as Kuitert indicates: 'Jesus
meant the kingdom of God, and what came? The Church' (179). Kuitert
is concerned with understanding the Church's role and how it may
exercise regulation without exerting force. That the Church is the
dwelling place of God, hence infallible, is an article of faith.
How a person sees their role or how they identify themselves often
reflects their view of the Church: 1) I am different / the
Church is the kingdom of God on earth; 2) I am saved / the
Church is Noah's ark; 3) a mystical union with Christ / the
Church is the body of Christ; 4) I am one of God's elect;
5) a soldier of Christ; 6) a pilgrim passing through
the world; 7) a pioneer turning the earth into the kingdom
of God.
Kuitert acknowledges the Church's importance in providing doctrine,
continuity, place, community-even grace. What he insists is that
its position be free of power and pretension, and that its leaders
maintain their members' loyalty by freedom, not force. Most of all,
he insists that 'the Church is there for the world, not "before",
but for' (190). This complements his belief that God is encountered
in the ordinary affairs of daily life. He would wish that the walls
that separate the Church from the world be broken and that the notion
of salvation only for those inside be abandoned. His advice to missionaries
reflects openness and humility: mission should be done with respect
for the missioned while relating it to oneself. Pluralism without
requires pluralism within so the Church must encourage diversity
(which will avoid splintering) by demanding loyalty rather than
obedience.
Rituals, especially those which are elevated to sacraments, are
one way a faith tradition ensures continuity. Kuitert appreciates
the value of rituals so long as they still have meaning. Unfortunately,
many no longer fulfill their original purpose-no longer speak to
the people, bind them together or create a sense of obligation.
Kuitert emphasises a recurring theme that these rituals were born
out of a different time when the religious community was alienated
and not a part of this world. Symbols like the cross are all that
are left of the sacraments and they too have lost their value. The
telling request of a girl asking for a chain with a cross on it-'
"No, I mean one with a little man"'-proves his point (133).
Sacraments, Kuitert reminds us, are not 'natural' objects of experience,
but artificially constructed encounters. It is best to find God
in life rather than in sacraments which exclude all but insiders.
Clearly for Kuitert the Church is not synonymous with the kingdom
of God. To the question, 'Where is heaven?' Kuitert responds, 'No
where'. It is beyond whatever we can call a place. Therefore we
must start to build our eternal home here by 'this-world
asceticism'. Not by making the world 'churchly', but by taking the
earth seriously. Then is the kingdom of God a utopia ('u' = 'not';
'topia' = 'place'; hence, 'no place')? Is it something that does
not exist now but will in the future? Kuitert tells us to put such
worries aside. Before a New World can come there must be new persons,
persons cleansed of sins. The gracious gift of remission of our
sins and guilt will be demonstrated by our care for others. When
our present life ends we can exchange our body for a life in God.
And here Kuitert shows his deep faith in tradition: we must believe
that God is faithful to eternity, who offers us eternal friendship
in a New World as a new person, beyond the horizon of time.
That God is someone like us, someone who notices us. Otherwise
why do we pray? But is prayer really effective? Many feel it is
a form of magic, a wasted effort, boring, selfish and a burden to
God, or requires our certainty and enough time-both of which we
lack. Kuitert believes prayer is a way of saying, 'Help!' It is
an act of humility, arising when there is need. It is we who are
helped, not God. Nor is it meant to influence God-it is like 'knocking
on the door of someone who already knows' (246). When we pray silently,
God talks. Disciplined prayer produces a disciplined life.
Morality is also necessary for a Christian life, but it is not
necessary for salvation. But the problem with moral codes, like
all else we have inherited from our grandparents, is that they no
longer suit us. Kuitert considers whether there are any fixed moral
points on which we can pin our actions. Calvin distinguished ceremonial,
civil and moral commandments. The last as summed up briefly in the
Ten Commandments, are good for all times. While Kuitert appreciates
that the Ten Commandments were formulated in a timeless way, he
believes they are historically and culturally determined. Though
based on the knowledge of good and evil that is self-evident, they
are man-made, often changing, even crumbling. In their appeal to
scripture they demand obedience for fear of reprisals rather than
fostering insight. Kuitert appreciates Christianity's offer of love
as a balance for moral commandments. Morality is a means of finding
God's will, but is never equal to God's will, for that would be
slavery.
Though he does not view the Bible as infallible, Kuitert pays it
profound respect. As the oldest form of the Christian 'puzzle-picture'
of God, he believes the Bible to be the most mistreated and misused
book in our culture. Rather than adhering to a doctrine of inspiration,
he prefers a view that does not bind the Bible but leaves it free
to be interpreted by every reader or listener. It 'contains what
Israel thought of God and what the evangelists and apostles-by way
of addition-thought about Jesus. No more and no less' (284). As
such, it is not meant to prescribe what we must think, but to provide
food for thought.
Kuitert has intentionally saved a specific discussion of the Bible
for last for good reason. Though his book is full of the Bible,
he has not appealed to its authority to prove any of his points.
For a person so well versed in the history of doctrine and dispute,
to present his case entirely through the voice of commonsense speaks
more than volumes of proof texting. This, after all, helps to establish
one of his fundamental themes: faith is what we experience personally,
not second hand. Personal experience, broadened to include society
and tradition, is thus the final court of appeal.
Kuitert's faith is impressive, for it withstands the test of his
endless questioning. His questions are not only his own but are
asked on behalf of more traditionally orthodox Christians as well
as those now alienated. No stone is left unturned. He asks questions
inherent in the tradition itself, questions which have arisen due
to changes of culture and context, and questions stemming from the
confusion caused by practices which no longer make sense. His abiding
faith allows him to interrogate the tradition with the belief that
by doing so it will permit us to go forward, though all doubts may
not finally be removed.
Kuitert seems to have succeeded in forging a middle path between
conservatism and liberalism. It is not surprising, therefore, that
his book after coming out in 1992 was on the Dutch bestseller list
for thirty-six weeks, and number one for no fewer than fifteen!
He takes the contents of the tradition quite seriously-maintaining
the reality and transcendence of God and the centrality and normativeness
of Christ-the great affirmations of the gospels. But he is against
any institutions that tell us what to believe as they enslave Christianity
in a legalism of beliefs. Each of us has to make choices, not based
on what authorities tell us, but on the various interpretations
that ring true in our daily lives. To hold on to beliefs that don't
work is sheer stubbornness, superstition, ignorance. Though we may
not have absolute faith or morality or righteousness, God's graciousness
can carry us forward.
Kuitert's unassuming tone conceals an intricate pattern of well-reasoned
arguments as much as it reveals his genuine concern for Christ's
mission. He succeeds not only in reaching a wide Christian audience,
but even members of other traditions like myself, find his tone
appealing. His doubts, after all, are those of a believer. Though
they may be expressed in Christian terms, his questions and answers
have certain universality, which provide insight into how it is
possible to be loyal to one's tradition while subjecting it to intense
scrutiny.
Who can deny, for example, that scripture requires further explanation?
Why else are there so many commentaries? Whether the truth descends
by special revelation or is arrived at by the ascending process
of general revelation may, of course, be debated. Undoubtedly, any
tradition claiming privileged access to the truth will have difficulty
seeing itself as an equal partner in dialogue with others. This
is why Kuitert sees the need to level the field by applying ground
rules all can follow. Traditions that are more authority dependent
are more resistant to change than those that are experientially
based. They are likely to seclude themselves from the world of change,
believing that God is encountered within the church more easily
than outside. This view does not take the world nearly as seriously
as Kuitert would wish. For such persons, the world and this life
are seen as but a means to serve an other-worldly end. Such a view
gives little importance to historical progress and it may see societal
changes in terms of moral regress. The social models described in
scripture are taken as normative and any differences are evaluated
negatively. This causes a tradition to become still more insular
as a means of ensuring the fidelity of its members.
A literal reading of scripture would insist that models of God
are not man-made creations made relative by a particular culture
or time. Such a reading would also assign objective reality to heaven
and hell- places beyond our ordinary perception. These views find
little resonance with Kuitert, though he would not deny that they
are still meaningful to many. In fact, it is these very views which
have made him doubt so much. Without freely questioning, there is
little likelihood he could have preserved his faith. What makes
his solutions attractive to those even more conservative than himself
is his affirmation of the bedrock of Christian faith. All but the
most hard-core fundamentalists should acknowledge this and recognise
his efforts as part of the broader Christian mission. He has lessened
his own doubts and the doubts of numerous others; for many, Kuitert's
evangelical liberalism rings true.
Author: David Gordon White
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press Ltd., London,
1996
ISBN: 0-226-89497-5 (cloth)
The Alchemical Body excavates and centres within its Indian
context the lost tradition of the medieval Siddhas. Working
from a body of previously unexplored alchemical sources,
David Gordon White demonstrates for the first time that
the medieval disciplines of Hindu alchemy and hatha-yoga
were practised by the same people, and that they can only
be understood when viewed together. White opens the
way to a new and more comprehensive understanding of medieval
Indian mysticism, within the broader context of South Asian
Hinduism, Jainism and Islam.
Themes and
Issues in Hinduism
(A volume in the World Religions:
Themes and Issues series)
edited by Paul Bowen
Publisher: Cassel (London and Washington)
First published 1998
ISBN 0-304-33850-8 hardback
ISBN 0-304-33851-6 paperback
This book offers useful insights into the complex and internally
diverse realm of Hinduism. It is intended to acquaint the
reader with themes and issues that, while of relevance to
all religious traditions and systems, contribute to an understanding
of the abstract nature of Hinduism as a whole. Beginning
with Hindu religious understandings of the human condition,
the chapters are arranged so as to form a thematic survey
and overview of Hindu religious beliefs and practices. The
themes of morality and ethics, the role of women in Hinduism,
the Hindu religious construction of nature, and issues such
as mythology, the status of texts, forms of worship, and
sacred time and place can be systematically considered;
or, alternatively, focus can fall upon those topics that
are of particular personal interest. Readers should find
this book a wide-ranging and balanced introduction to Hinduism's
inner diversity.
Written for students of comparative religion and the general
reader, and drawing on the chapters originally edited by
Jean Holm and John Bowker in the Themes in Religious Studies
series, the volumes in World Religions: Themes and Issues
explore core themes from the perspective of the particular
religious tradition under study.
Tantric Visions
of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas
Author: David Kinsley
Publisher: University of California Press Ltd., London,
1997
ISBN: 0-52020498-0 (cloth)
ISBN: 0-520-20499-9 (pbk)
What is one to make of a group of goddesses that includes
a goddess who cuts her own head off, a goddess who sits
on a corpse while pulling the tongue of a demon, or a goddess
who prefers sex with corpses? Tantric Visions of the Divine
Feminine deals with a group of ten Hindu Mahavidyas, who
embody habits, attributes or identities usually considered
repulsive or socially subversive. It is within the
context of tantric worship that devotees seek to identify
themselves with these forbidding goddesses. The Mahavidyas
seem to function as 'awakeners' - symbols that help to project
one's consciousness beyond the socially acceptable or predictable.
Kinsley not only describes the eccentric qualities of each
of these goddesses but seeks to interpret the Mahavidyas
as a group and to explain their importance for understanding
Tantra and the Hindu tradition.
Hinduism for Our
Times
Author: Arvind Sharma
Publisher: Oxford University Press, New Delhi, 1996
ISBN: 0-195-63749-6
No religion ever remains static: it affects and is in turn
affected by material reality. It is the creative tension
embodied in this dynamic which makes the world of religion,
rich with possibilities.
This book examines the contours of this creative tension
in the context of Hinduism in our own times. For Hinduism,
a religion of unknown antiquity is also, in several ways,
surprisingly modern. Hinduism for Our Times is an attempt
to raise this dimension of Hinduism to an unprecedented
level of self-awareness. Thus the choices that Hindus
must make in the context of modernisation and globalisation
become conscious as opposed to random choices, choices which
will place Hinduism at the cutting edge of the contemporary
world instead of consigning it to the periphery. This
book will appeal to all those interested in giving religion
a modern agenda.
A Hare Krishna
at Southern Methodist University
Author: Tamala Krsna Goswami
Publisher: Pundits Press, Dallas
ISBN 0-9643485-2-7
A Hare Krishna at Southern Methodist University is a collection
of award-winning essays mapping the convergence of East
and West by Hare Krsna leader Tamala Krsna Goswami. Readers
are invited to enter the world of a unique spiritual pioneer,
who in reality is the seeker in all of us.
