St Peter’s, Wellington: seminar on God, 20 August 2023.      Bishop Richard Randerson

Personal statement: My faith begins with an experience of a God who is a mystery of love, whose nature is revealed in Jesus, and who calls us to follow Jesus.

Faith is not primarily an intellectual belief in creeds, dogmas, doctrines, liturgies, music, icons, a cross or rosary. These things are merely signposts whose usefulness is measured by the extent to which they lead us to an experience of God and to discipleship.

They are human constructs, many of them beautiful and life-giving, but they can also be barriers to faith. Images from 2000+ years ago do not resonate with many, especially if they feel they are to be interpreted literally. But any signpost that leads you to an experience of the living God is valid. Different images work for different people.

The ISMs

Theism 1: (as at top) an experience of God as spirit, mystery, some over-arching reality, transcendence, something bigger than ourselves that engages us. At a human level think of school spirit, Anzac spirit, team spirit.

Dag Hammarskjold, second Secretary-General of the United Nations:

I don’t know who or what put the question. I don’t know when it was put. I don’t even remember answering. But at some moment I did answer Yes to Someone, or Something, and from that hour I was certain that existence is meaningful and that, therefore, my life, in self-surrender, had a goal.

Exodus 3:Think also of Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush. God said my name is I AM (Yahweh), or simply Being.  (cf Being vs a being).

John 6.68 Simon Peter answered:“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. And we have come to believe and know you are the Holy One of God.”

Theism 2: theologians today tend to use this as a particular image of God – God as a supernatural being with all the anthropomorphic traits of human beings. (cf Xenophanes, 4oo BCE in Greece: parallel of horses choosing a horse for their god).  KEY QUESTION:  is this the reality of God? Or a human image? If it works for you, that’s fine, but for many people it is a barrier. (eg religion vs science re Creation; god of the gaps); or the problem of evil – why does a good God allow evil to happen?, or not stop it; eg a tsunami or cancer.

Agnosticism: usually a doubt about theism 2 and theism 1

Atheism: generally a denial of theism 2 and theism 1.      (Some atheists may have a sense of theism 1 (something bigger) but not revealed in Jesus).                                                        

Non-theism: a new kid on the block. After much thinking I now call myself a non-theist 2 who believes strongly in theism 1 (God as mystery revealed in Jesus) but not in theism 2 (God as a supernatural being). (Bishop John Robinson wrote of non-theism 2 in Honest to God, (1963).

Apophatic (not speaking) theologians believe that words cannot describe the mystery of who God but only of what God is not.

Humanism:  A commitment to the well-being of humankind. Some atheists and agnostics see themselves in this group.

Pantheism: the view that God and creation are one

Pan entheisn: the view that God is in all things. (Bishop John Robinson was of this view.)

Scientism:  the view that the only truths are those that are scientifically verifiable. Some atheists hold this view. Such a view rules out other truths such as ethics, or the arts.  

Creationism: the fundamentalist view that the Genesis creation stories are literally true and should be taught in the science curriculum in schools.

Intercessory prayer:  with few exceptions the bulk of our liturgies and prayers are based on theism 2 –the assumption that a heavenly father (or mother) is listening to us and will take some action to help us, or someone else we are praying for. I am very comfortable using prayers of this kind but in a non-theistic manner. The words are a powerful symbol of the God who is a mystery of love (theism 1).

For me prayer is allowing myself to be open to this mystery, to be filled by this divine spirit, feeling my life and concerns lifted, being thankful for all that is, feeling the joys and pains of others and being motivated to reach out to them. Prayer is healing in the sense of lifting us into the wholeness of God’s sustaining life and power.

Two prayers in NZPB that go some way to avoid theism 2 images are the Affirmation of Faith on p481 (…your purpose overarches everything we do…) and the version of the Lord’s Prayer on p181 (… Eternal spirit…source of all that is and that shall be –Jim Cotter).

When dealing with images there is no right or wrong. Finding the image that leads you to God is the key. Feel free to discuss this with Richard, the clergy or friends.

You may access Richard’s website and subscribe free for a whole range of resources on faith, justice, ethics and spirituality. 

  www.awordforallseasons.co.nz On the resources page you will find his memoir Slipping the Moorings in which Chapter 11 addresses issues raised in this paper.