The Future of Faith

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The Future of Faith Page 24

by Harvey Cox


  creation myths, 26–28, 31

  creeds absent from early church, 57, 58, 60, 77, 86, 174, 221

  as apart from faith, 4, 18, 19–20, 54

  bishops and heretics, 108, 179

  Christian fundamentalism’s adherence to, 74, 75–76, 144, 201

  codified/enforced by imperial church, 6, 7, 221

  filioque and the Apostles’ Creed, 110–111

  near triumph over faith, 119–121, 224

  as poetry, 75

  proto-creeds, 93

  role in devolution of early church, 74–76, 83–84, 107

  unique to Christianity, 18

  See also doctrine crente (believer), 199

  cross symbology, 100, 101–102

  crucifixion, 50, 52, 53, 58, 79

  cult of the emperor, 81, 174

  cultural influences, 148–150, 158, 177, 208–211, 219–221

  cultural worldview, 37–38, 116–117, 119, 174, 222

  Cyprian, 97

  Darby, John Nelson, 147

  Das Heilige (Otto), 23

  da’wa (Muslim duty), 214

  de-Westernization of Christianity, 173–177, 222

  democracy, 205–206, 209

  devolution of early church in claims of apostolic authority, 88

  in heresy/orthodoxy dichotomy, 86–88

  linked to power, 83, 88

  multiculturalism contributing to, 78–79, 83

  presence of other religions/cults, 79–83

  devolution of early church recent scholarship on, 55

  role of hierarchies and creeds, 75–76, 83–84, 89–91

  various explanations for, 73–75

  Didascalia Apostolorum, 95

  direct revelation, 93–95

  dislocation, 176–177

  dispensationalism, 147

  diversity challenges of, 178

  in contemporary church, 85, 128

  in early church, 57–60, 85–86, 173–174, 184

  as unavoidable, 130–131

  doctrinal fundamentalists, 145–146

  doctrine Assumption of the Virgin Mary, 74, 119–120

  devolution of early church into, 55

  doctrinal fundamentalists, 145–146

  experiential elements more attractive than, 13

  formulated by elite clerical caste, 5, 6

  papal infallibility, 119–120

  See also belief; creeds Dominicans, 114, 116

  early church. See Age of Faith Easter cycle, 50–53

  Eastern Orthodox Church, 74, 80, 109, 110–111

  ecclesial base communities (CEBs), 172–173, 195–196, 223

  Eckhart, Meister, 10–11

  Einstein, Albert, 21–26, 29, 33

  Eliot, Charles, 147

  emerging-church movement, 218–219

  emperor cult, 81, 174

  empires, 71–72

  “end-times” beliefs, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151

  Enlightenment, 181–182

  episcopa (bishop), 180

  eschatology, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151

  Europe, 7, 118, 173–174, 196

  Eusebius, 88, 96, 105–106

  evangelicals, 136–138, 199, 201

  Ezekiel, 44, 92

  faith

  during Age of Belief, 5, 7–8

  awe and mystery, 22, 23, 35, 194

  vs. belief, 3–4, 26–27, 213, 219, 223

  Catholic hierarchy and creed over, 98, 119–121

  Christian fundamentalism’s belief over, 141, 159–160, 166, 168

  common need for, 128, 129

  creeds as apart from, 4, 19–20, 74

  as focus of Christian life, 18

  intellectualization of, 46

  of Jesus, 45–47, 49

  from perspective of poverty, 172, 177, 194

  regaining original meaning of, 179, 181–183, 223–224

  resurrected in liberation theology, 194–195

  Falwell, Jerry, 133–135, 137, 146, 155

  filioque (and the Son), 110–111

  First Epistle of Clement, 89–91, 156

  First Vatican Council, 119, 120

  Franciscans, 11, 109

  Frye, Northrup, 169

  fundamentalism, 1–2, 14–15, 131–133, 152, 183, 223. See also Christian fundamentalism

  Fundamentals, The (pamphlet series), 148, 149

  Galileo, 182

  geographic dislocation, 176–177

  global South explosive growth of Christianity in, 173, 176–177, 184, 222

  impact of recent research on, 68, 136

  inspired by Spirit, 9

  Kingdom of God emerging in, 136–137, 187–188, 194–196

  reclaiming the Bible, 167

  similarity to early church, 175, 195

  spread of liberation theology in, 191

  See also Latin America churches Gnosticism, 65

  God direct experience of, 8, 10

  existence of, 3–4, 17, 21–22, 194

  promises of, 40–42

  relationship to Jesus, 46, 47, 103–105

  Good as News (Henson), 161–163

  Gospel of Matthew, 19

  gospel of prosperity, 209–210

  Gospel of Thomas, 64–65, 87–88, 164–165

  Grande, Rutulio, 189–190

  grassroots laity groups, 172–173, 191, 195–196

  Greek Biblical translation, 78–79, 157–159

  Greek religion/philosophy, 82–83, 219, 221

  Gutiérrez, Gustavo, 192–195

  Hamlet (play; Shakespeare), 30

  Hebrew Biblical translation, 157–159

  Hebrew cycle, 39–41, 53

  Henson, John, 161

  heresy Arianism, 103–107

  from within the church, 10–11

  church’s violent suppression of, 6–7

  heresy/orthodoxy dichotomy, 60, 64–65, 86–88, 178

  heretics as innovators, 87, 197

  idea unknown to early church, 57–60, 78, 86

  Joachim’s Age of the Spirit, 8–9

  modern-day handling of, 114, 116–117

  Protestantism as, 108–109

  revisionist view of, 108–109, 111

  as treason, 6

  Waldensians, 109–110

  Herod, King, 42, 43

  Hexapla, 158–159

  hierarchies in contemporary Catholic Church, 116–118

  deterioration of early church into, 55, 73–76, 179

  direct revelation as challenge to, 93–95

  early/contemporary Christianity flourishing without, 8, 19, 61, 174

  emergence of, 57, 58, 89–93

  empires use of, 71–72

  near triumph over faith, 119–121, 224

  See also apostolic succession; clerical caste Hilary of Poitiers, 107

  Hinduism differing with Judeo-Christian worldview, 37–39

  fundamentalists within, 223

  lack of “beliefs” in, 221

  reach of, 128

  roots of, 56

  sacred texts in, 166, 167

  understanding of Jesus, 48

  violence in, 130, 132

  Holy Communion, 76–77, 82

  Holy Spirit Catholic retraction of exclusivity over, 53

  and charismatics, 6, 13, 93–94

  current resurgence of belief in, 9–10

  guiding the early church, 61, 77, 86

  at Pentecost, 52–53

  in Pentecostalism, 9, 145–146, 200–201

  speaking in tongues, 52–53, 56, 200

  homoousios (same substance), 105, 108

  Huxley, Aldous, 213

  Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, 91–95

  Ikeda, Daisaku, 214

  Illich, Ivan, 191, 193

  imperial church amalgamation with Roman empire, 68, 72, 90

  birth of, 178, 5–6

  blurring essence of Christianity, 63–64, 98, 224

  challenge of mystics to, 93–94

  Constantine’s role in, 98, 101–102, 174, 221

  domination
of European culture and politics, 7

  immediately following Constantine, 107–108

  marginalization of women, 55

  representing one form of early Christianity, 60

  subverting faith, 98

  See also Age of Belief Indian churches, 222

  Inquisition, 7, 109, 116, 182, 183

  intellectualization of faith, 46

  interfaith dialogue beyond history of violence, 129–132

  colored by diverse worldviews, 128–129

  current crisis in, 128

  hope for intrafaith dialogue, 135–139

  including fundamentalists in, 131–135, 138–139

  Vatican’s Secretariat for Nonbelievers, 125–126

  InterVarsity Christian Fellowship, 143–146

  intrafaith relations, 132, 135–139

  Irenaeus of Lyons, 92–95

  Isaiah, 44, 47

  Islam basic posture of, 39

  divisions in, 215–216

  duty of concern, 214–215

  potential causes of resurgence, 213–214

  Qur’an, 166

  radical, 2, 16, 152, 223

  reach of, 80, 128

  single affirmation of, 18

  two-tiered belief system, 220–221

  understanding of Jesus, 48

  violence in, 130, 132

  James, Letter of, 156

  Jefferson, Thomas, 165, 205

  Jesus belief in Second Coming of, 146–149, 151

  as Christ, 51–52

  Christian fundamentalism lacking reference to, 141, 148

  crucifixion of, 50, 52, 53, 58, 79

  early church relationship to, 77, 78

  faith of, 45–47, 49

  in Gospel of Thomas, 164

  on Kingdom of God, 19, 42–45, 47, 49

  in liberation theology, 194–195

  relationship to God, 46–47, 103–105

  relevance in other faiths, 47–48

  resurrection of, 52, 160

  threat to the Romans, 42–43, 48–50, 63, 69–70

  Jews. See Judaism Joachim of Fiore, 8–10

  Job, Book of, 159

  John F. Kennedy School of Government, 134

  John of Patmos, 62

  John Paul II, Pope, 46, 84, 109, 110, 116, 121, 182

  John XXIII, Pope, 121, 123–124

  Judaism currents in contemporary, 80, 217–218

  expectation of messiah, 42

  fundamentalists within, 152, 223

  God of, 40

  Jews blamed for crucifixion, 58

  land fundamentalists, 152

  religion as way of life, 19

  Tanakh, 156

  understanding of Jesus in, 48

  violence associated with, 130, 132

  Judeo-Christian tradition Christmas cycle, 42–49, 53

  in the early church, 53–54

  Easter cycle, 50–53

  Hebrew cycle, 39–41, 53

  shaping worldview, 128–129, 169

  Julian, Emperor, 107–108

  Kennedy, Robert, 191

  Keswick, 144, 145

  Kierkegaard, Søren, 37

  King, Karen, 65

  King, Martin Luther, Jr., 191

  King James Bible, 157, 160–162

  Kingdom of God emerging in the global South, 136–137, 187–188, 194–196

  hope sustaining medieval laity, 7–8

  human longing for the, 48, 224

  inspiring early church, 60, 73, 78

  interfaith dialogue and, 130

  Jesus on, 19, 42–45, 47, 49

  in Judeo-Christian tradition, 42–45, 47, 49

  living beyond the crucifixion, 53

  as “Reigning of God,” 45

  surviving papal infallibility, 120–121

  undercut by Christian fundamentalism, 149

  knowledge, beyond objective, 33–34

  Koester, Helmut, 86

  Küng, Hans, 114, 116

  laity contemporary grassroots groups, 171–173, 191, 195–196

  emergence of Muslim organizations, 214

  faith of medieval church, 7–8

  new voice of the, 174–175, 222, 223

  power of church hierarchy over, 55, 95, 97

  See also liberation theology language, 78–79, 157, 158

  “last-days” beliefs, 9, 62, 138, 146–147, 151

  Latin America churches CEBs (ecclesial base communities), 172–173, 195–196, 223

  contributions to democracy,, 138, 204–207

  crentes as religious majority, 199–200

  organization of peasant leagues, 203–204

  threats to, 208–209

  See also liberation theology Left Behind series, 62, 138, 147

  Lent, 50, 51

  Levinas, Emmanuel, 32–34

  liberation theology connection to early church, 72, 194–196

  faith-as-trust in, 194–195

  focus and development of, 190–191, 194

  Gutiérrez’s contribution to, 192–194

  possible fusion with progressive Pentecostalism, 203

  Romero as champion of, 183–184, 187–190

  roots in poverty, 41, 177

  Life of Constantine (Eusebius), 105–106

  literalization of the symbolic, 24–28

  lost gospels, 88–89

  Luke-Acts, 168

  Luther, Martin, 73, 156, 181, 182

  Machen, J. Gresham, 150

  Maier, Charles S., 71–72

  Mark, Gospel of, 69–70, 160

  Mary, mother of Jesus, 74, 119–120, 157, 159

  Maxentius, 99–100

  medieval church, 7–8, 10–11, 74. See also Age of Belief

  Middle East conflict, 130, 132, 147

  Miles, Sara, 76–77

  Miller, Donald, 202, 203, 211

  missionaries, 175

  Mithraism, 79–81, 174

  modernists, 28, 86, 87, 144, 148–151, 201

  Mother Teresa, 17

  Muslim Brotherhood, 215, 216, 223

  Muslims. See Islam mystery common to all worldviews, 37, 38

  faith and, 35, 194

  and the “other,” 31–35

  of the self, 29–31, 49

  of the universe, 24–28

  mysticism, 13, 87, 93–94, 164, 218

  myths, 26–28

  Nag Hammadi codices, 64–66, 89, 164

  Narcissus, 31, 34

  National Association of Evangelicals (NAE), 137, 201

  nature, 13–14, 22–23

  Nature and the Destiny of Man, The (Niebuhr), 29

  New Age groups. See spirituality

  New Testament, 42, 90–92, 156, 160–161, 168

  Nichiren Shoshu, 216

  Niebuhr, Reinhold, 29

  nonbelievers, 16–18, 28, 125, 183

  noncanonical gospels, 163–165

  objectivity, 33, 34

  Old Testament, 39–42, 53, 59

  Origen of Alexandria, 95–97, 103, 158, 177

  orthodoxy, 60, 64–65, 86–88, 178, 181, 218. See also Age of Belief

  “other,” 31–35, 130–131

  Otto, Rudolf, 23

  paganism, 51

  papacy, 73, 116–120, 122–126

  Paul, Apostle, 30, 42, 52, 60–61, 63, 76, 77, 86, 93–94, 97, 177

  Paul and His World (Koester), 86

  Paul VI, Pope, 121, 125, 189, 219

  Penn Christian Fellowship, 142, 143, 146

  Pentecost, 52–53

  Pentecostals contribution to democracy, 204–207

  differences with fundamentalists, 145–146, 199–202

  distinctions between North American/Latin American, 178, 202, 206–207

  emergence of progressive, 202–204

  future outlook for, 210–211

  Holy Spirit in, 9, 145–146, 200–201

  main purpose of, 207

  pitfalls of leadership style, 207–208

  prosperity gospel, 209–210

  rejecting creeds, 201

  role
in Age of the Spirit, 200, 202, 211

  speaking in tongues, 52–53, 56, 93, 200

  threats to, 205, 208–210

  worrisome to orthodoxy, 93–94

  people’s history, 67–70, 221–222

  Pius IX, Pope, 115, 118

  Pius XI, Pope, 121–122

  Plato, 4, 219–222

  politics, 68–72, 131–132, 204–207, 223.

  See also Roman empire polytheism, 81

  post-Western Christianity, 173–177

  poverty believers working to combat, 138, 164

  faith from perspective of, 172, 177, 194, 210

  Jesus’ concern for, 42, 47, 77

  liberation theology roots in, 41, 177, 190, 194

  lure of gospel of prosperity, 209

  Muslim’s concern for the poor, 214

  prayer, 3–4, 13

  priestly elite. See clerical caste Prisicllian of Avila, 6–7

  progressive Pentecostals, 202–204

  prosperity gospel, 209–210

  Protestant Reformation, 74, 156

  Protestantism, 86, 108–109, 125, 156.

  See also Christian fundamentalism

  Ratzinger, Joseph (Pope Benedict XVI), 67, 113–114, 116–119, 121

  reason, 182

  recent research on early Christianity Christianity as anti-imperial movement, 57–58, 62–64, 70–72

  fiction of apostolic authority, 58, 60–61, 65–67

  Gospel of Thomas, 64–65, 87–88, 164–165

  inspiring intrafaith dialogue, 135–136

  the people’s history, 67–70

  producing radical shifts, 64, 178–179

  summary of three alterations, 57–58, 72

  unity in diversity, 57–60

  Reformation, 74, 156

  religion changing nature of, 2, 14, 128, 222–223

  diversity in, 130–131, 166–167

  experiential elements of, 7–8, 13

  resurgence of, 1–2, 80, 128

  shaped by worldviews, 128–129

  spirituality as distinct from, 23, 10, 11, 22

  violence associated with, 129–130, 132, 170

  See also interfaith dialogue “Religion and Belief” (paper; Bellah), 219

  religious worldview, 37–39. See also Judeo-Christian tradition

  resurrection, 52, 160

  Revelation, 62, 69

  Revised Standard Version, 157–158, 160

  revisionism, 58

  Revolve (magazine), 162–163

  Riccardi, Andrea, 171

  rituals, 39–40, 50, 51

  Robertson, Pat, 135

  Robinson, James, 87

  Roman empire Christianity as anti-imperial movement, 43, 57–58, 62–64, 70–72, 81–82

  Christianity as official religion, 5–6

  emperor cult/pagan pantheons in, 70, 81–83

  Jesus a threat to, 42–43, 48–50, 63, 69–70

  persecution of Christians, 69, 70, 82, 91–92

 

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