A personal God, not just a philosophy
The church tradition I grew up in had many strengths, but thinking deeply about the faith was not one of them. So, when in my early twenties I discovered that Christianity was far deeper than simply approaching God with blind faith and doing whatever he says without questioning it, I was like an addict - I could hardly get enough.
In Christopher Watkin’s masterful “Biblical Critical Theory” he shows how many different religions can explain aspects of the world, but they can’t necessarily make sense of everything that we see in this world. Christianity provides not only a coherent explanation for our world, but can even account for other worldviews and religions within this world. It’s this ‘out-narration’, or, comprehensive and beautifully coherent account of our world that so many have found helpful as they come to identify as Christians.
Thinking deeply about the faith has enriched my life in innumerable ways, and over the years I’ve seen so many people come to put their faith in God as they’ve wrestled intellectually with who He is. Yet, nearly 20 years on from those early heady days of discovering these riches, I see dangers that are to be avoided too.
Just because Christianity gives us a coherent worldview, or a rich mental framework of the world doesn’t mean that we can reduce the faith to a philosophy. Though the bible contains a philosophy, it does not leave us there, but rather confronts us with the Three Personed God - Father, Son and Spirit. It’s relating to this personal God that contains the true riches of the Christian faith, riches that can’t just be worked out mentally, but have to be engaged personally - our persons with the Personal God.
Two simple examples come to mind. Firstly, consider how uniquely Jesus treats everyone he engaged with in the gospels. There are hardly two scenarios in which he engages in exactly the same way. Why is this? God can’t be reduced to a formula that spits out answers according to a complex philosophy - He’s a Person, seeing each individual as unique. He loves them in ways that are deeply particular to who each person is.
Secondly, consider how the mystery of prayer functions in the bible. People frequently negotiate with God, and even get him to change his mind (if this isn’t technically possible, then at least it’s presented this way in the Scriptures). In other words part of the richness of the faith is interacting with God in such a way that you ask and He responds. But if you treat God through a mental framework, thinking how to behave or thinking how the gospel shows you how to respond in a particular situation you miss out on one of the great wonders (and commands!) of the bible - fellowship with God through prayer, the to and fro of petition and answer.
None of this is to minimize the validity of thinking rightly about God. But we are invited into something richer than just thinking about God, and that’s personally knowing God as our Father.
In the parable of the prodigal son the younger son wakes up far from home, hungry and alone. The passage tells us that he does some mental sums, deducing it’s better for him to return home and act as a hired hand within his father’s homestead - at least he will be fed and better taken care of. In many ways his long trek home is the result of a mental calculation - he has no expectation of renewed relationship with his father at all, telling himself that when he sees his father he will say that he does not deserve to be called his son, and only wants to work as a hired hand.
And yet, what he discovers is something far richer than what his worldview told him was true - beyond the provision and food that he expected he found himself ushered into something even more beautiful - the embrace of his Father. The running. The ring. The robe. The rejoicing. The fattened calf and one hang of a party.
As we revel in the riches of the faith, let’s not forget that at the center of that faith is a Personal God, who invites into the riches of relationship with him. Let’s revel, and relate, and rejoice.
