Will the miners' new faith stick?
CNN asks whether the newfound faith of the 33 rescued miners in Chile will stick. The answer is "maybe, maybe not."
[Theologian Tom] Long [of Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta] recalled how churches across America were packed on the Sundays that followed the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. He was asked then by journalists whether that was a sign of a religious renaissance in the United States. He predicted no - and he was right."There has been no upsurge in church membership," he said.
One predictor is whether the person was spiritually inquisitive or restless before the crisis. Long says that the crisis becomes a catalyzing moment rather than an originating one, and the chances of that person continuing on that journey are much greater.
Another predictor of continued faith after a crisis is whether the person seeks out a faith community who will help nurture and reinforce their faith.
Ralph Hood, a psychology professor at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, said many people come out of crisis thinking: "God has a purpose for me."But if they cannot find the proper support group to help them continue to frame their lives in terms of God, they are likely to slip back into their former selves. They need a church, a mosque, a synagogue. They need interaction with others who will help nurture their newfound faith, said Hood, co-author of "The Psychology of Religion: An Empirical Approach."
Terry Anderson, who was taken hostage in 1985 by Shiite militants in Lebanon for seven long years, continues to hold onto his rediscovered Catholicism more than two decades later.
He was brought up in the church but lost his religion somewhere along the way. He was starting to rethink his faith when he was kidnapped. For him, captivity served as a catalyst.
He likes to tell a story of how one of his guards asked him if he needed anything and his answer was: "I want a book. I want a Bible."
He read it cover-to-cover for seven years.
We have lost all sense of election as necessary for true faith as it is expounded in Article 27 of the Articles of Religion. What a lot people feel after going through a crisis is gratitude, not faith. The elect will experience a crisis as redemptive. Romans 8:28-30 speaks to this!
Posted by Fr. Allen Peyton![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
October 16, 2010 4:45 PM
I think the question, though, is incomplete. We don't know what the faith of the individual miners was before, and so can't know whether this is newly discovered, rediscovered, or re-invigorated faith. I think it notable that one of the positions appointed by the foreman when structuring the community below was a religious figure. He led prayers, provided counsel, and support. That speaks to a faith that existed, at least for many before the roof fell in.
Marshall Scott
Posted by Execute![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
October 16, 2010 8:41 PM
Why don't we allow these men, their families and community to recover a bit before we begin assessing their sincerity.
Why don't we celebrate the triumph of the human spirit and faith that brought resources from throughout the world to get them out from 2200 feet below the earth.
Give the hypercritical assessments a rest. They were all but dead, yet live. Thanks be to God.
Posted by Michael Russell![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
October 16, 2010 10:33 PM
Interesting take from Calvinist Corner there, Padre.
I'm sure I speak for many if not MOST Episcopalians (I note that on your blog, you call yourself an "Anglican"---I'll assume you're an Episcopalian, as I don't believe you, as a resident "padre" in the USA, can be the former w/o being the latter), who are greatful for the inclusion of the Articles of Religion in the BCP . . . largely so they can check against what they DON'T believe! O_o
In short: if "election" does NOT equal being made in the Image and Likeness of God ("to be conformed to the image of his Son") . . . then away w/ it! Good riddance!
JC Fisher
Posted by tgflux![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.episcopalcafe.com/lead/nav-commenters.gif)
|
October 17, 2010 3:44 AM