Revisionist Christianity and Zen Buddhism PDF

CHAPTER II Revisionist Christianity and Zen Buddhism Christianity as a religion has never been static and monolithic in its long history. Keeping the fundamental tenets and values steadfast, Christianity has shown the adaptability to renew and transform itself responding to...

CHAPTER II Revisionist Christianity and Zen Buddhism Christianity as a religion has never been static and monolithic in its long history. Keeping the fundamental tenets and values steadfast, Christianity has shown the adaptability to renew and transform itself responding to the political, social and intellectual “Zeitgeist” of every era. It could withstand various intellectual and cultural shifts and challenges such as Reformation, Renaissance, Copernican Revolution, Darwinism, Marxism, Secularism and Existential Philosophy by acclimatising itself to the changing times. Thus, Christianity has been proved itself to be an ever evolving and dynamic religion throughout the history. The rise of scientific inquiry, the increasing interconnectedness of the world, and exposure to pluralistic societies in the modern era have given rise to a movement that can be broadly termed as "Revisionist Christianity" in the 20th century. This reflects an effort to reinterpret and reformulate Christian doctrines in light of contemporary knowledge and cultural diversity. This was characterised by a confidence to challenge the established doctrines of the church (meta narratives) than ever before. Focus was demanded rather on the practical implications of faith anchored in social justice and inclusivity. The term “Revisionist Christianity” has no association with any heresy or apostacy as someone might doubt. It is rooted on a necessary process of re-examination and reinterpretation of faith. Revisionist Christianity represents a significant departure from traditional Christian doctrines and reinterprets core beliefs about God and the nature of salvation. This is not a single movement originated in a specific location or by a person, but an umbrella term referring to the spectrum of thoughts that ranges from moderate rethinking of specific doctrines to radical reimagining of the entire Christian narrative. Revisionist Christianity attempts to make the religion and faith more relevant and accessible to believers of modern times by addressing the contemporary concerns by incorporating new insights from philosophy, science, and other fields of knowledge. Revisionist theology emphasises the need for theology to be recast in an apologetical mode, addressing the challenges of secular culture, doubts within the Christian community, and the universal claim to truth of the Christian message(Ommen). “Revisionism” is not a new phenomenon to Christianity. Tracing the history right from the early church fathers who integrated Greek philosophy into Christian Doctrine, to Pope Francis who was ready to accommodate LGBTQ into the communion of the church, Christianity has proven its resilience and adaptability in many occasions. The onset of protestant reformation in the 16th century is regarded as one of the profound movement that challenged the traditional Christian dogmas and major narratives that caused for the formation of various denominations such as Lutheranism, Calvinism and Anglicanism. The Reformers of that era were inspired by Martin Luther’s 95 Theses in 1527 questioning the authority and practices of Roman catholic church. Major issues addressed by the reformers were the authority of the Pope, the sale of indulgences, the role of the scripture etc. The protestant reformers waved the flags of “Sola Scriptura” (Scripture alone) and “Sola Fide”(faith alone) as the basis of redemption. Catholic church by convening the Council of Trent (1545-1563), attempted to reform itself in this challenging time. The council clarified key theological points and initiated reforms in church discipline and administration. The 17th and 18th centuries known as the “age of enlightenment”, rooted upon reason, scientific temper and individualism posed new challenges and opportunities for Christianity. The natural result was scepticism towards all the traditional religious beliefs and institutions. Secularism was voiced with more confidence and vigour challenging the authority of Church and its influence on society. This situation prompted the Church to adapt itself by eventually incorporating acceptable ideas of enlightenment into the Social teaching of the church. It was in the 19th and 20th centuries that Christianity had a great advantage assisted by colonial expansion to different parts of the globe such as Asia, Africa and Latin America accompanied by missionary activity. As a result the church could form into diverse forms by blending itself with different indigenous cultures. The second Vatican Council was a remarkable land mark which exhorted to “open the doors” so that fresh air from different corners of the world would enter into the church. The council promoted dialogue among other Christian denominations and various religious faiths. Thus, tracing the trajectory of Christianity would reveal it as a religion marked by adaptability and readiness for continuous renewal and reformation amidst the changing circumstances of history. One cannot but agree the fact that right from its early days of persecution and growth within the Roman Empire, to becoming a major cultural force enthroned into glory in the middle ages, through the tumults of the Enlightenment and reformation, and into the modern era of expansion, Christianity has always demonstrated an ability to adapt and renew itself amidst changing times. The term “Revisionist Christianity” refers to the invitations for such reformation and adaptation invoked by different theologians and writers of 20th century who claim to read the signs of the time they are in. Revisionist theologians tend to think that both theological language and Scripture symbolically convey a religious dimension of experience or a possibility for human existence. Many of the most creative developments in Catholic theology since Vatican II have adopted such a revisionist model (Placher). The discussions about Revisionist Christian Theology cannot be proceeded further without a brief overview of the major theologians and thinkers who contributed to the seeding and sprouting of the movement. This will also help to have an overview of the basic tenets of Revisionism in Christianity. It is highly acknowledged in theological circles that the pioneer of modern liberal theology is the German theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher (1768-1834). Schleiermacher’s innovative approach to Christian thought has helped to lay the foundations for further developments in Christian theology and inspires even the current discussions about faith and reason. In 1799, he published “On Religion: Speeches to Its Cultured Despisers” which is considered as a response to the secularism and scepticism emerged during the enlightenment period. In this book he argued that the major focus of any religion should not be on dogma or institutional authority but about a profound sense of the infinite experienced through feeling and intuition. He describes it as a “feeling of the absolute dependence” which is based on the immediate consciousness of the divine. He regarded personal experiences over the doctrines and rational engagements. The following observation by him in “On Religion” sheds lights into his revisionist views: Religion is the outcome neither of the fear of death, nor of the fear of God. It answers a deep need in man. It is neither a metaphysic, nor a morality, but above all and essentially an intuition and a feeling.... Dogmas are not, properly speaking, part of religion: rather it is that they are derived from it. Religion is the miracle of direct  relationship with the infinite; and dogmas are the reflection of this miracle. Similarly belief in God, and in personal immortality, are not necessarily a part of religion; one can conceive of a religion without God, and it would be pure contemplation of the universe; the desire for personal immortality seems rather to show a lack of religion, since religion assumes a desire to lose oneself in the infinite, rather than to preserve one's own finite self (Schleiermacher). Schleiermacher vehemently argued that all theological doctrines regarding the nature of Christ, sin and redemption should be evaluated in terms of their connection to the fundamental “God Consciousness” within everyman. He even dared to reinterpret the doctrine of trinity by proposing that the traditional dogma of Father, Son and Holy Spirit should be understood dynamically, as different aspects of the individual’s relationship with God. He was thus for a more personal and flexible understanding of complex theological concepts. Schleiermacher emphasised more on personal piety than abstract dogma which was revolutionary to shift the focus of theology from abstract theories to the lived experiences of faith. This approach opened the doors for liberal theology and reconciled Christianity with modern culture and thought. He also was instrumental in the development of hermeneutics, the theory and methodology of interpretation, particularly of Biblical texts. His thoughts lead to subsequent theological developments such as existentialist and process theologies. It is based upon of his musings that thinkers like Soren Kierkegaard and Paul Tillich later could build upon their revisionist theology.