The Uneasy Alliance of Faith and Doubt

As author of the fourth essay in our series on doubt Brian writes from both a personal perspective, as someone familiar with the strain of doubt, and from his professional vantage point, as minister to a church congregation. He casts doubt as the unfortunate, but necessary catalyst of our vivification by God. Without doubt our beliefs may become hard; doubt tenderizes the meat of our faith. While acknowledging its purpose, Brian refuses to elevate doubt for its own sake. Find the opening essay in the series [here]. -Editor.

I feel overwhelmed by all the different ways I could respond to the subject of doubt. It engages me theologically, psychologically, culturally and personally. It is one of the greatest tools in the hand of the Creator, and also one of the most painful and afflicting experiences in the human heart.

I think of the topic very broadly. We don't just doubt the existence of the Creator, but we doubt His power, His purpose and His presence. We doubt ourselves, and whether we can be saved. We doubt each other. We doubt whether evil exists. We doubt whether love exists. We doubt whether we are spiritual beings. We doubt our abilities, we doubt our motives. We doubt our choices – our marriages, our careers, our parenting, our politics. We doubt our safety, our future, our happiness.

Perhaps I will begin personally.

Click to read more ...

Tearing

Brian Smith deals with pain left by the loss of a friend. He looks at how closely the loss of a person to a community resembles wounds to the body. Brian notices how the slow signs of healing on a community level indicate that the community itself is alive and has a structural integrity. -Editor

About seven weeks ago I fell while I was running in the forest. I broke open the skin on my knee in a long gash. The cut was impressively deep and spilling a good amount of blood. It was the type which a doctor would immediately decide needed stitches. I chose not to go through the hassle of a doctor partly because I like cool scars and also because I was confident that my body could heal on its own, even if it took a little longer. I like watching cuts heal.

Healing is the opposite of decay. Dead things decay. Alive things heal. Watching a thing repair itself is an inspiring reminder of the mystery of life. Why does the 155 pounds of material that I call my body hold together as a unit and repair itself rather than decay?

With the recent passing of my friend I have watched a fresh, deep cut in my community spill blood.

Click to read more ...

Editor's Box | Why was the Lord's Second Coming Less Impressive than the First?

I'm writing to offer a couple responses to the question Makram Max raised. (Granted, Makram asked the question differently than I did in my title).

This question seems relevant to me. For anyone who has grown up in the Swedenborgian religion, the thinking and claims become normal and acceptable because one's context has always included them. But anyone not raised with a Swedenborgian approach to the second coming must be flabbergasted to find that there are people who think this event has already happened. As far as a I know, most people think of the second coming involving massive, physical world disturbances. The transition to seeing it as a new revelation and opportunity for spiritual enlightenment must be a difficult mental shift—even if the case is reasonable. But Makram's question doesn't compare Swedenborg's second coming claims to conventional claims but rather compares them with the first coming.

Click to read more ...

Editor's Box | Spread the Word!

By my calculations, New Church Perspective probably has about 5 million dedicated readers by now. (joke). However, there are still many people who have never heard of it. 

And so....this is Advertising Week! If you are attracted to the potential of this protect and think other people would dig it, please spread the word via FB, email, twitter and the like. 

We now have three articles posted. There is a growing reason for readers and writers to drop by - let's invite them! 

Editor's Box | The Launch of New Church Perspective

It's true! We recently launched the much anticipated* New Church Perspective online magazine! (There's some foul name for online magazines, like e-zine?)

However, contrary to the title of this post, perspective on the New Church and New Church perspective on life has already been around for hundreds of years. We aren't launching the concept. But, our hope is that New Church Perspective does offer a new venue for exploring and sharing the effort to navigate the world coming from the unique insights and guidance offered in the New Church.

Click to read more ...