A Case for Being Constructive, Written to Myself
If any year has been an occasion for some self-reflection, it’s 2020.
Like everyone else, I have had a broad range of influences across my personal and professional life. Some of those influences have been helpful, and others have been unhelpful in varying degrees. Recently, through the now-familiar and even ubiquitous medium of video chat, I was able to reconnect with a like-minded friend (you know who you are; thanks) and have a conversation about some of those influences, and how I had found myself following a particular methodological pattern when engaging in theological discussion. And through describing some unhelpful patterns I’ve witnessed, I realized it was like holding up a mirror, simultaneously describing patterns I utterly dislike but have also exhibited. It’s an embarrassing thing to recognize, and even more so to admit.
At my core, I believe people should be able to both get along and be charitable while also disagreeing, even about fundamental beliefs they hold dear. It’s true in everyday life, but in my own context it’s absolutely necessary in the broader academic world. I wouldn’t have lasted a week in my PhD program if I only associated with those who held some set of similar, foundational beliefs. A collegial spirit is bedrock foundational. But when I have then turned to engage beliefs and convictions within theological circles, I have fallen into battle mode, in line with some past influences I no longer find remotely heroic or pious. I’m convinced that kind of mode is counterproductive in every way, and I actually don’t really enjoy that kind of engagement. I have always benefited the most from a model that engages the quality of ideas, not first the quality of people who hold them, even while disagreeing on important issues. In many cases (though there are exceptions), discussions typically have a common aim that seeks to get at the truth of something, so keeping in mind that commonality of motivation can do wonders for the level of engagement. (As you can see this is a note to self; for some of you this is, and has been, obvious.)
So in that spirit I hope to continue emerging from the past fog and to engage in more constructive interaction. I am an overly busy graduate student, stressed out about the upcoming job market, trying to work on a dissertation and publications, and I have not been able to give much time to the theological implications of the philosophical ideas I’m working on. That’s Phase 2, TBD. I do think there is a massive amount of work to be done within theological circles in basic philosophical education. I look around and have almost no Reformed peers who have done academic, philosophical work within the discipline of philosophy itself, particularly outside the sub-discipline of Philosophy of Religion. I really hope that changes, because it can feel isolating at times to have very few conversational partners. The crossroads between philosophy and theology is a complex and important topic, and I fear there are some presumptuous voices currently doing more harm than good when publicly teaching on those issues.
An unpleasant but necessary excursus: the past influences I have in mind are no longer in my relational orbit. There is a sense in which I am grateful for this; good riddance. When some are hell-bent on scheming, causing chaos and unnecessary division, no amount of human charity can alter their set course. I do fear that extremely unhelpful patterns of engagement are expanding, not shrinking, in just about every corner of digital interaction within theological circles, and of course beyond. When possible, I don’t want to be counted among that trend. I have deleted posts on here that I now believe are not as helpful as they could be, where those posts can be at least perceived as more about scoring points than helping readers. Those removed posts include thoughts on a book by James Dolezal, a paper by David Haines, and a string of advice by Craig Carter. For what it’s worth I continue to see substantial, severely unhelpful points in much of their work, and my comments here should not be taken to mean that I can never engage those with whom I disagree. The issue is how I might engage fruitfully, not whether. I now have a few more sharpened tools in my tool belt than I did a couple years ago that can make for quick work. When that work regrettably includes disassembling some rickety pieces out there, it should be used only toward the aim and goal of a more constructive, helpful project for those engaging in good faith.
So I hope those who even care about this sort of thing keep me and others accountable in this regard. My internal sense of justice is overly programmed to automatically bully the bullies back with a couple well-placed thumps. That rarely accomplishes much. I hope instead to run the long race, worrying less about immediate and cheap gains, whether some ill-intended racer appears to have won a short sprint. For me during this time that means continuing to work hard at my grad school responsibilities (research, teaching, and service), among many other things, and not get bogged down by the inevitable petty skirmishes, particularly those within theological circles where they perpetually injure the Christian witness.
Colossians 3
