Event Title
The Danger of Certainty-Seeking Faith
Presenter Status
Senior Pastor
Location
Pioneer Memorial Church
Start Date
23-10-2015 7:30 PM
Description
It is commonly assumed today that a person’s faith is as strong as they are doubt-free. This modern psychological model of faith inclines people to see the experience of doubt as inherently sinful and the experience of psychological certainty as inherently virtuous. The popularity of this model of faith can undoubtedly be largely explained by the fact that the experience of cognitive dissonance is unpleasant for most people while the experience psychological certainty is pleasant. In this talk I will argue that the modern model of faith is fundamental opposed to the biblical model, which is anchored in the concept of covenantal trustworthiness and which does not see faith and doubt as antithetical to each other. Moreover, I will show how the modern certain-seeking model of faith lies behind an assortment of problems that afflict wide segments of contemporary Christianity, including the reputation Christians have for being narrow-minded as well as the suspicion that many Christians have towards science.
The Danger of Certainty-Seeking Faith
Pioneer Memorial Church
It is commonly assumed today that a person’s faith is as strong as they are doubt-free. This modern psychological model of faith inclines people to see the experience of doubt as inherently sinful and the experience of psychological certainty as inherently virtuous. The popularity of this model of faith can undoubtedly be largely explained by the fact that the experience of cognitive dissonance is unpleasant for most people while the experience psychological certainty is pleasant. In this talk I will argue that the modern model of faith is fundamental opposed to the biblical model, which is anchored in the concept of covenantal trustworthiness and which does not see faith and doubt as antithetical to each other. Moreover, I will show how the modern certain-seeking model of faith lies behind an assortment of problems that afflict wide segments of contemporary Christianity, including the reputation Christians have for being narrow-minded as well as the suspicion that many Christians have towards science.
Comments
Greg Boyd is the founder and senior pastor of Woodland Hills Church (Maplewood, MN) and the President of Reknew Ministries. Boyd received his PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary and taught for 16 years at Bethel University where he continues to teach as an adjunct professor. He is an internationally recognized theologian, preacher, teacher, apologist and author. He has authored or co-authored twenty books, including his best-selling and award-winning Letters From a Skeptic and his most recent book, The Benefit of the Doubt. Boyd and his wife Shelley have been married for 36 years. They have three children and five grandchildren.