Belief, by Francis S. Collins

February 24 Discussion

Question 1.  Keith Ward introduces us to the difficult task of defining religion…where, as he aptly states, “almost anything goes.”  Along with the “Jedi Knight” response of numerous Brits, American culture has produced its own proud assortment of offshoot religions.  Can you name some of the more notorious examples?  Ward cites Edward Herbert’s five innate elements of a religion at the bottom of page 126.  What, in your opinion, constitutes a “religion?”  Why are these of value to you?

Question 2.  Ward writes that, “For the unbeliever, this whole religious quest must be based on an illusion.  The trouble is that the illusion does not seem to be fading away...firmly rooted in human nature.”  Objections to religion involve scientific, psychological, and social rationalizations.  How does each of these function as an opportunity to dismiss or avoid the greater mystery of the divine?

Question 3.   Lindsley invites us down a path of discourse few of us have ever traveled.  “If there are no absolutes, then we cannot say anything really is evil or, for that matter, good.  The problem is, we know better.”  As C.S. Lewis points out, “If there is a real evil, then we must have a fixed standard of good by which we judge it to be evil.  This absolute standard of goodness suggests a God who is himself this absolute, infinite standard.”  Aside from religious our faith-based instruction, when did you become aware of the real presence of evil?  Under what circumstances did you experience this evil and to what did you ascribe its origins?

Question 4.  Lindsley continues with Arthur Leff’s assertion, “that there is no normative system of ethics based in anything other than the bare assertion of human will.  The common cultural move will not work because of what he called ‘the grand sez who.’”  He then raises the question, “Under what circumstances can someone propose an ethical statement that withstands the cosmic ‘Says who?’”  He also adds, “If law cannot be in God…then the only possible alternative is to say that the law is in us – one of us, some of us, all of us.”  First, where do we see such paradigms in operation around the world today?  Second, what are the implications of such mindsets, who believe like Leff, “There is no such thing as an unchallengeable evaluative system”?

Question 5.  From there, Lindsley says, “If someone is not yet willing to admit that evil exists, perhaps that person could be gently moved toward the logical conclusion of his or her false assumptions.”  How well has that worked in the hallowed halls of Congress?!  Citing the viewpoints of Rorty, morality boils down to “sentiment”…meaning individual preferences and tastes.  But whose…and on what basis?  As for us…who makes these decisions on our behalf today?  What are the boundaries of your own personal sense of morality and how do you define them?

Question 6.  Finally, Lindsley points out the weaknesses of New Age beliefs: “This leads to the conclusion that matter, time, and space, and the distinctions between true and false, good and evil, are illusory as well.”  His mention of Neopaganism is just downright creepy…so let’s just move on. 

“Which is true or good?” he asks.  The answer to that question takes us right back where we started: the existence of evil.  The Christian faith and others have built entire theological doctrinal systems upon this fundamental belief.  In the end, each of must decide…for all spirituality is deeply personal.  How has this assigned reading either challenged or broadened your perspective on the scope of evil?  Where do you still have questions or uncertainty, as we all do?

Belief...by Francis S. Collins

February 17 Discussion

Question 1.  Dorothy Sayers invites us to re-think our reading and interpretation of the scriptural narrative through different lenses.  She seeks to engage our imaginations by reading a bit between the lines.  She notes “it was Cyrus and Ahasuerus who prodded me into the belated conviction that history was all of a piece, and that the Bible was part of it.”  She confronts certain Bible critics for their “very leisurely mental growth”…ouch!  What is she getting at in this critique? 

Question 2.  In her “Memoirs of Jesus Christ,” Sayers goes after “the journalese jargon to which we have grown accustomed!”  The “root of the trouble is to be found…in the collapse of dogma.”  She then gives us “Prophet’s Smile,” and “The Persona Dei: The Image of Truth,” as further invitations to imagine the “real” nature and behavior of Jesus and God…the latter piece being profoundly insightful and moving.  How did you receive her argument and how does it channel our focus on reading Scripture?  How does “The Persona Dei” further illustrate our sin and God’s redemptive action in Christ? 

Question 3.  John Stott begins with the fundamental question, “Why should Christians use their minds?”  He answers by siding with Paul, who says, “Our war is not fought with weapons of flesh…”  Stott adds, “This is a battle of ideas, God’s truth overthrowing the lies of men.  Do we believe in the power of the truth?”  Do you agree with Stott?  If so, what is the relationship between ideas and truth?

Question 4.  Stott directs our nature as humans as related to the divine image.  What separates us from other creatures with brains is our ability to “understand.”  This capacity is naturally delayed in the teenage years, but eventually blossoms (but not for all).  So, what exactly do we “understand” about ourselves and God?  Why is there such diversity of thought on this subject?

Question 5.  David Trueblood begins with a discussion on the means of verification…not real exciting, I know.  But it gets better when he asserts, “In many areas of experience there is no such thing as rigorous proof and we have to content ourselves with what is called the weight of evidence.”  What do you consider to be the “weight of evidence” for Christianity?  What specific “evidence” matters most to you and why does it carry such weight?

Question 6.  Trueblood then claims that a new quality of life should be publicly observable.  In regards to religious experience, how is this most commonly demonstrated?  How is your faith “publicly observable?”  What specifically might others notice in you that would provide “evidence” of your Christian faith?  What such evidence do you see in those at your table with you this morning?

Belief...by Francis S. Collins

February 10 Discussion – Os Guinness & Madeleine L’Engle

Question 1.  Os Guinness…let’s go with OG for short.  (Kind of sounds like a caveman, doesn’t it?)  OG launches this essay with a chilling narration of Primo Levi’s tragic life and eventual demise.  We are immediately captivated and saddened by the end result of temporary survival, followed by ultimate self-destruction.  Describe the initial impact this story had on you as you read it.  In what ways could you identify with Levi as he struggled to bear the burden of “witnessing” to others?  How do you differ from Levi in matters of faith as a buoy or raft from which to cling on the turbulent high seas of life?

Question 2.  The myth of Sisyphus (p. 75) offers a powerful and poignant lens through which to portray our individual struggles to persevere and persist.  Both in relationships and vocation, we find ourselves pushing multiple stones uphill…only to repeat the process again and again.  What have some of those “stones” been in your life?  Why did you continue to push them?  What was at stake for you?

Question 3.  OG suggests the alternative to such a fate:  “It is that truth, like meaning as a whole, is not for us to create, but for us to discover.”  What we discover, he suggests, is that truth is grounded and anchored in God’s own reality and truthfulness.  Forget pragmatism, subjectivism, and relativism…which can only be partial and provisional.  What are the limitations and weaknesses of each of these?  Why are they so compelling? What are you “discovering” about the world, yourself, and God that illuminate greater truth and meaning?

Question 4.  “Without truth we are all vulnerable to manipulation.”  OG goes on to expose the gruesome and disgusting details of the manipulative life of Picasso.   OG’s subsequent discussion of freedom, particularly as misconstrued and abused in America, depicts a sobering analysis of denial and self-deceit with regard to liberty (p. 84-86).  As you review these statements again, which of them hits the target most directly?  What is your emerging picture of freedom and truth?

Question 5.  Madeleine L’Engle…let’s go with ME for short.  (Yes, it’s all about ME, folks!)  ME perpetuates this discussion by stating that truth is both frightening and demanding.  Literalism often confuses truth and fact.  She elaborates on the value and necessity of story to convey truth.  She labels literalism as a terrible crippler: tending to let us off the hook…and the cross!  Why are mere facts rendered impotent against the superior depth and power of stories?  

I would venture to say that stories convey a greater meaning and mystery that flow out of our intricate relationships with God and one another.  Stories move us out of the isolation of mere facts and into the broader community of stories and shared observations.  Facts alone – and our dubious interpretations and use of them – can often limit our understanding and growth.  Facts and mystery do not sit kindly at the same table.  As such, faith invites us into the greater mystery of both the natural and the divine…thus allowing questions, not answers, to be the conduit or pathway to revelation and truth.  Describe your position and movement along this continuum between reliance on fact and faith.  What is contributing most to your growth?

Question 6.  Finally, ME acknowledges that we have become “vocabulary-deprived.”  No argument there!  Reasons abound for this, yet the situation worsens in this country.  How can we, the church, address this dilemma via our stories and our Christian witness?  Are we free to lift up and wrestle openly with life’s ultimate questions…comfortable then to trust in the One who is the Answer?

Belief, by Francis S. Collins

January 27 Discussion Questions

Question 1:  Anselm is no doubt the only person to ever repeatedly use the term: “that-than-which-a-greater-cannot-be-thought.”  It just rolls off the tongue so smoothly, doesn’t it?  And he’s not referring to Michael Jordan…although that would be close.  Assuming you absorbed this line of reasoning without lapsing into a semi-coma, what do you make of this case for God’s existence?  Would Anselm’s circular argument provide any assurance or clarity for contemporary discussions on this topic?  Why are language & meaning – particularly theological – so difficult to transpose from one generation to another?  How do we bridge such gaps?

Question 2:  Aquinas offers five “proofs” for God’s existence.  Each of these is limited by abstract thought…providing little in the way of concrete, contextual demonstrations. (Aren’t you glad I don’t preach this way?)   Look at each proof again and imagine potential examples in our time…good luck! 

In “The Simplicity of God,” Aquinas explains what God is not, namely: God is not corporeal; not composed of matter and form; not in any genus; nor can there be any accident in God.  “God is, therefore, wholly simple…”  While it’s doubtful that any of these are in question today, can you imagine the mindset of the common person back in Aquinas’ day...along with healthy doses of superstition and a general lack of education that permeated that time and culture?  Even so, such an academic style of writing would have been accessible only to a select few.  Just for fun, let’s attempt the same task, but in our language.  Briefly complete these two sentences: 

God is not _________? 

God is _________?  Explain your responses.

Question 3:  John Locke carries on this discussion of God’s existence from a slightly different angle.  On page 55, he concludes, “There is no truth more evident than that something must be from eternity.”    His second conclusion is the distinction between cogitative and incogitative beings…material and immaterial.  Where have these distinctions surfaced in contemporary theological, philosophical, and scientific discussions of late?  How might we transpose such fundamental ideological components into a more coherent schema for current existential interpretations?  How do we explain our origins now?

Question 4:  In his first section, “Foundations,” Pascal claims that “we know the truth not only through our reason but also through our heart.”  Contemplation of the whole of nature is essential.  He takes great pains to lay out this process and to cite the shortcomings of those who disregard or are careless with the task of contemplation…even (gasp) philosophers!  Hubris aside, what are the common limitations we tend to experience in our efforts to examine the inward and outward dimensions of our perceived world?  How has your sense of humility before God been shaped by such contemplation of the heart?

In his second section, “Of the Need of Seeking Truth,” Pascal states that all of us seek happiness and that this is the motive of our every action.  So far, so good…until he, too, lapses into an archaic style of prose seemingly confined to endless circular reasoning.  (This caused me to nod off more than once…Uffda!)  What to do with such “pure reasoning?”  From what I can gather here (and I do so with less than optimal confidence), Pascal invites us to consider not only the existence, but also the nature of the infinite…including God.  His best line (p.64) is, “But by faith we know his existence, by glory we shall know his nature.” 

From this point on, the discussion quickly dissolves into verbose speculation of dubious relevance and interest.  Whatever he meant to say, I’m pretty sure it was an encouragement of sorts to embrace faith in God.  Where does that leave us, the readers?  Perhaps our subsequent discussion is best focused on the question, “What is the difference between acknowledging the existence of something/someone and knowing its very nature?"  In other words, what is involved in discovering the true nature of something and how does that lead to a deeper relationship…especially with God?  What avenues, then, are available to us to further promote and enhance such journeys of faith?

Belief...by Fancis S. Collins

January 20 Discussion Questions: Plato & Augustine

OK, this is not Plato’s best stuff…not by a long shot.  This form of dialogue resembles a courtroom cross-examination where Plato functions as the prosecuting attorney.  Such dialogue seems designed to arrive at a pre-determined conclusion. 

Question 1:  What do you find helpful about such a style of dialogue?  Is “reason” best demonstrated/achieved by such means?

Question 2:  For me, things began to pick up speed on page 26 with Timaeus and Socrates.  Which of these many short discussions gained your interest or confirmed your perspectives?

Question 3:  What insights do we gain into this period of history & thought?  Did “reason” achieve any indisputable results? 

Question 4:  What are the greatest attributes of pure reason?  What are its limitations in regard to faith?

Personally, I enjoyed this next dialogue much more than the previous one with Plato.  Augustine’s partner is feistier and well-reasoned…for example, “Get on to the next point!”

Question 5:  On page 39, Augustine notes that, “Only the supreme good will bring the real happiness that we all deserve.  Certainly we all wish to be happy.  So in the same way we all wish to be wise, because no one is happy without wisdom.”  So…if we all seek happiness, and no one is happy without wisdom, then why the frightening scarcity of wisdom so prevalent in today’s society (e.g., the Judge Judy show)?

Question 6:  Augustine fails to cite the influence of sin and evil here as roadblocks to happiness and wisdom.  Therefore, genuine wisdom comes not from within (reason), but from without (the Holy Spirit).  How then does the God-given gift of wisdom fulfill our individual capacity to gain and implement wisdom in our daily affairs?

Question 7:  Finally, on page 43, Augustine connects perceptions of God’s existence through both faith and intellect.  Give examples of how they have deepened your appreciation of God’s activity in your life.  Where are you experiencing growth in each of these?

Belief...by Francis S. Collins

Jan. 13 Discussion Questions: N. T. Wright

Question 1:  What were your earliest experiences with injustice?  What created an awareness that something wasn’t quite right?

Question 2:  Justice has always been elusive.  What mix of circumstances contributes to that disparity today?  How is that mix both similar and unique when compared to previous generations?

Question 3:  Where do you witness injustice most prevalently today?  Give several examples, if possible.

Question 4:  Review Wright’s three basic explanations on pages 8-9.  Which of these do you relate to most? 

Question 5:  Wright introduces the concept of the “hidden spring” as a metaphor for the suppression of spirituality in the world, especially in Western culture.  Where did this suppression or denial of spirituality occur in your childhood years…either in family or community?  Please describe the generational period and circumstances surrounding that religious/political environment.

Question 6:  How does Wright’s metaphor of the “hidden spring” play out here in Rockford today?  What is our current religious and political environment?  How is it similar or different from times past?  Where have you seen this dynamic tension at work?

Question 7:  What role has technology, the internet, and media played in the diversity of style and substance of church life and spirituality today…e.g., the rapid proliferation of mega-churches and other media-driven religious enterprises?

Question 8:  Western culture promotes a “thirst” for many things, least of which is spirituality.  Yet, our thirst for spirituality bubbles to the surface of our lives in various expressions.  Where has this occurred recently for you in surprising ways?

Question 9:  How would you describe your desire for spirituality, your yearning for God?  How do you nurture and address that deep longing?

Question 10:  Where do examples of relativism around us serve to undermine the basic truth of Christianity?  How do we defend against this wave of secular skepticism?

After You Believe, by N. T. Wright

Chapter Eight Discussion Questions

Question 1:  Wright’ final chapter begins with an introduction to the “virtuous circle.”  Virtue happens “as Christians find themselves caught up within a particular circle of activities and practices.”  As he has said repeatedly, “the key to virtue lies precisely…in the transformation of the mind.”  As with a bicycle (or better yet, a motorcycle!) you need to learn to operate several maneuvers at once to maintain your balance and move forward.  The five elements of the virtuous circle include: scripture, stories, examples, community, and practices.

• Identify two of these elements that have served to draw you closer to the virtuous life of faith.
• Provide an example of the power and effect of each in your life.

Question 2:  The reading of scripture is central to the virtuous life.  Wright speaks of us not merely as readers, but as “actors within an ongoing drama.”  This leads to the biblical story becoming “second nature” to us.  He urges us to read it in large chunks and in small bites; but always to make it habit-forming.  Live with the tension of encountering variations of complexity and diversity in the Bible.  Give time an opportunity to allow scripture to work its way into our lives.  No doubt, this has been the case for each of us throughout our lives. 

• Trace your own footsteps through the scriptures…
• How would you describe your current position when contrasted with your understanding of scripture as a young adult?
• What have you learned over the years as you seek to get your arms around the Bible?

Question 3:  “Scripture, then, is habit-forming and character-forming.”  “Living within the world of stories increases – if we let it – the capacity for discernment.”  “Wisdom, after all, is what we’re after; not rules, not templates, but a sense of understanding how the ways of God and humankind work…” 

• How have you come to understand and appreciate the complex nature of scripture and its characters?
• How does scripture serve to guide you into the ways of wisdom and spiritual discernment?

Question 4:  Wright gives examples of those who have developed the character of virtue.  This is not limited to mere imitation, but like a spark that turns into a flame, is “led by the Spirit and can be a means toward something quite new.”  Using powerful examples such as Maximilian Kolbe and Chesley Sullenberger, Wright points out that they didn’t have time to think, but they didn’t need to.  “The thinking had been done a long time before, and the second-nature habits of self-giving love had been ingrained as a result.  The moment came; the decision was made.”

• Recall of a time when you had no time to think, only to act…
• How did you know what to do at that moment?
• Recall a similar experience applied to some faith action…
• How did you tap into your well of Christian virtue at that point?

Question 5:  Here, Wright moves from an individual to corporate context of faith in action.  In essence, he lifts up the work of the church, in all its many forms and groupings.  Our Panera group fits the bill here, too!  Whatever the configuration, our common goal is to develop the fruit of the Spirit.  This community of believers “is the forum within which virtue is learned and practiced.”  “This is how virtue happens: whole communities deciding together, as Hebrews says, ‘to stir up one another to love and good works,’ and then working at it so that what might to begin with have seemed impossible (or at least very unnatural) becomes, remarkably quickly, second nature.”

• Examine your own such involvement with the church…
• Name those events, efforts, and connections that mattered.
• Where have you partnered with others to be the church in action?
• What were the specific “fruits of the Spirit” that resulted?

Question 6:  Wright’s final section summarizes the central practices of the Christian faith, largely flowing out of the various elements of worship.  These also flow out of our understanding of Word and Sacrament.  The point is, we do this together…all of it!

• In conclusion, reflect on the whole of Wright’s book…
• What have you learned to appreciate about virtue?
• What has surprised you most about virtue?
• Where do you still seek to grow in Christian virtue?
• Finally, name one example – some person – of virtue for whom you can lift up and give thanks today.

*Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

*See you again January 13 as we read, Belief, by Francis Collins