Oxymoron
…rhetorical device that uses an ostensible self-contradiction to illustrate a rhetorical point or to reveal a paradox.

.. “my belief… true but unreal”

In my earlier post I expressed my belief as a “Mirage, an illusion of something that is real, describes my belief… true but unreal.”. While my belief has matured, there remains a struggle with transcendent reality. Yes, I believe it is true but is it real? Maybe it’s as simple as Nora O’Donnell put it: “Magic is real as long as you believe in it.”. Unicorns, Santa Claus, God.

As a Christian, the notion of comparing unicorns or Santa Claus to God is preposterous, if not blasphemous. However, for me there is a skittishness when it comes to gospel truth claims. Robert Jensen commented:

Yet I think there is another reason for our skittishness with the gospel’s truth claims, that is probably more important and is moreover perennial. So soon as we pose the question, “What indeed if it were true?” about an ordinary proposition of the faith, consequences begin to show themselves that go beyond anything we dare to believe, that upset our whole basket of assured convictions, and we are frightened of that. The most Sunday-school-platitudinous of Christian claims–say, “Jesus loves me”–contains cognitive explosives we fear will indeed blow our minds; it commits us to what have been called revisionary metaphysics, and on a massive scale. That, I think, is the main reason we prefer not to start [with the question “What indeed if it were true?”] and have preferred it especially in the period of modernity. For Western modernity’s defining passion has been for the use of knowledge to control, and that is the very point where the knowledge of faith threatens us.

Revisionary metaphysics is concerned with what the structure of reality would be if it were accurately mirrored in the conceptual scheme we ought to have.

One example of revisionary metaphysics in my tradition can be found in the gospel truth claim that the Holy Spirit in-dwells every believer. The consequences of that truth were so “cognitively explosive” the reality of an in-dwelling Holy Spirit became a revised reality, a Holy Spirit residing in and working through the written word only. A reality that neatly conformed to a commitment to ration and reason.

I suggest that disenchantment’s (secularism) pervasive presence exercises its influence every time I encounter gospel truth claims and ask the question “What indeed if it were true?”.

Jack Nicholson is right. Disenchanted Christians can’t handle the truth. Faced with “mind blowing truths” we make them more manageable realities.

Question remain:
“Noetic perception” is a phrase that describes the ability of the human heart to perceive that which is Divine. As such, it is our capacity for communion with God and the whole of creation. … Without such a perception, we do not see the truth of things. How does one gain “noetic perception” ?

The answer to secularism, … is not to be found in attacking it. Rather, it is best seen by presenting what is true and real –The antidote and ultimate vaccine for secularism is unseen reality. What does it mean to present “what is true and real?”.

Future posts will probe these and other questions.

Still on the journey.

To what extent has disenchantment (secularism) distorted my understanding of scripture? Does believing something to be true make it real? Is it possible my belief is a mirage, true but unreal? I posed these questions in my previous post. This post is an attempt to addresses those questions.

Transcendence (existence or experience beyond the normal or physical level) is the core of Christianity. Without transcendence, Christianity becomes a religious commodity, void of meaning and purpose.

Evidence of transcendence as the core of Christianity necessarily begins with the source of what is true and real for Christians…holy scriptures… the Bible… the Word of God. Even a cursory reading of the Bible reveals the authors’ assumption of metaphysical reality alien to the modern mind. Richard Beck observes: Modern people make a hard metaphysical distinction between having a “mind” versus having a “soul.” …a distinction foreign to the New Testament , by alternatively translating a word like psyche as either “mind” or “soul” modern translations allow readers to superimpose their metaphysical assumptions onto the New Testament, obscuring just how differently the New Testament conceived reality. The Bible becomes metaphysically comfortable to us, conforming to our assumptions, rather than strange and startling.

[Disenchanted life]

We are captivated by the “surface” of things, failing to see what lies beneath. It causes us to be anxious and driven by things of insignificance. If there is a constant temptation for us in our present time, it is to lose confidence that there is anything unseen or eternal, at least in the sense that such things impinge on our daily existence. Our disenchanted, secular world is a siren song that promises the power of control while robbing us of the reality of communion. We “manage” the world when we should be in love with it.

Fr Stephen Freeman

Making a distinction between “mind” and “soul” is characteristic of disenchantment. My religious upbringing made the Bible metaphysically comfortable. Scripture viewed through rationalistic lens morphed mysterious and inexplicable realities into logical understandings, or failing on that count, relegated them to fairly tale status (flannel board). Historical accuracy of scripture was a handy diversion that satisfied the need for “factual” truth. Consequently, I have concluded my belief to have been a mirage for much of my spiritual journey.

Using the mirage metaphor is risky. As with all metaphors, it will break down at some point, but I find it helpful. The Chicago skyline as seen in the mirage is real, but the image is an illusion. Mirage, an illusion of something that is real, describes my belief… true but unreal. In posts to follow I will examine the idea of belief being true but unreal.
Hopefully, this conversation has left you with a lot of questions, if so, we’re in the same boat. Be patient and stay with me. I am not in despair but stimulated by the possibility of deeper relationship with God.

Still on the journey