Non-Theist Ministry |
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Listen to the Fair Election Workshop held at UUCB on September 20, 2008 |
Non-Theist Ministry: Is This An Oxymoron?First Delivered at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Brevard on December 16, 2007I spent last weekend in Washington DC for my first session of class XV at the Humanist Institute. It was an absolutely amazing experience in which I met a fascinating, intelligent and divers group of men and women—in my class, in class XIV and on the institute’s Board. I am very glad I have enrolled and I firmly believe it will be of great value to me personally, but more importantly to our congregation. Despite being a humanist, my previous academic and intern training has focused on serving those with monotheistic and polytheistic beliefs. My work at the Institute will broaden my knowledge and skills enabling me to function more effectively in a Unitarian Universalist community where over 45%, in the last survey I saw, identify themselves as humanist. The weekend was quite relaxing. Of course, any time away from my family in a hotel room by myself is bound to be relaxing to some degree. But it wasn’t just the peace and quiet in my living quarters. It was the freedom to discuss humanism and non-theism in a largely non-judgmental environment. Despite the seeming courage of my convictions, there is always a kernel of insecurity. I suppose some of it is an inevitable vestige of my southern Baptist roots, but there is also our social environment to consider. A non-theist in a clerical collar wandering the wards of Holmes Regional Hospital? Deceitful! Sacrilege! As an introduction and overview to humanism, much of the sessions inevitably resulted in the questioning of one another’s definitions. The very first evening was spent discussing Gerald Larue’s book Freethought Across the Centuries and laying out the criteria for determining who can be considered a freethinker. I was surprised, pleasantly so, to find that two of us had completely different views. He held to the proposition that freethinkers must by definition be atheist. My perspective is that freethought can include hermeneutics in which a believer uses reason, logic and analysis to evaluate his or her beliefs resulting in a reinterpretation rather than rejection of those beliefs. We have definitions at odds with one another, but by defining our terms we can at least approach understanding as our discussions progress. Consequently, there is not much use in answering the question “Is there such a thing as religious humanism?” without defining the terms religious and humanism. When I am asked if I believe in God, my first reaction is to answer “no” because I make the cultural assumption that I am being asked if I believe in the personal omnipotent and omniscient God of the Bible that intervenes in history. However, if the person asking the question has a more pantheistic view of divinity or means the human desire for seeking the beautiful and the good I would have to reevaluate my answer. All of our discussions about definition also highlighted something we tend to do as Unitarian Universalists whether we are monotheists, polytheists, pantheists, panentheists, deists, atheists or any other “ist” you can conceive. In his essay, “The Snare of Definitions,” Sidney Hook states, it is absurd to define a term by its negations, for such definition does not distinguish it from other terms in an interdeterminedly large universe of discourse.” (Kurtz, 33) So when we identify ourselves as a non-creedal religion we really are not being specific enough. Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, Taoism, etc. are also non-creedal religions. So in talking about non-theist ministry I’d better define what I mean. Obviously I’ve broken the rule right off the bat and offered a negation in my term, but I’ll try to define it positively. From a personal perspective, I am uncomfortable using the term atheist simply because of social connotation, especially with the spate of recent bestsellers by Dawkins, Hitchens, and Harris. The current connotation of the word atheist is one who not only denies the existence of divinity, but is opposed to religion as well. It represents an oppositional stance I’m not convinced is necessary. By non-theist I mean someone who has reached the conclusion that the symbol “God” is either irrelevant to human relations with one another and their world or no longer functions adequately. Tony Pinn, one of my co-mentors, is a non-theist theologian, which may very well sound like a contradiction in terms since the word literally means study of God. However, Tony defines theology as the interrogation of life story and the ways in which people make meaning of life. It is a highly subjective discipline rather than the detachment of philosophical speculation. His definition affirms that our “Build Your Own Theology” class is on the right track. Not to be let off the hook, one of my classmates asked the question that begged for an answer. If Tony is a theologian who does not believe in God, what replaces God. Tony answered “community.” One of my primary issues with the new atheists mentioned above is they deny god and attack religion, but they stop short of offering a positive alternative. I believe, as do many non-theists, that humanity possesses a fundamental urge to make meaning of life. Not identify a universal meaning of life applicable to each and every one of us, but as Dale McGowan says, “By saying there is no meaning of life, I mean no universal, inherent meaning that applies for everyone. What is called for, then, is a conscious quest for meaning, the kind of self-directed meaning-making urged by such great existential thinkers as Viktor Frankl…to be optimally well, we must invest life with meaning and purpose.” (McGowan, 136-137) It is the myriad ways we express this urge in the context of institutions or community that makes us religious. A few years ago, when I mentioned to an atheist, who was debating with an agnostic, that we had atheist members of our Unitarian Universalist church I was soundly admonished and this gentleman insisted these individuals could not be “real atheists” if they belonged to a religious fellowship. Entirely too narrow a view of religion in my opinion, which is why I am drawn to humanism. Corliss Lamont says that there is “the perennial need of human beings to find significance in their lives, to integrate their personalities around some clear consistent and compelling view of existence, and to seek definite and reliable methods in the solution of their problems.” (Lamont, 3) Humanists simply affirm that this is possible for humans to accomplish without turning to the supernatural. We have it within ourselves to find meaning. Humanists do not find it necessary to receive moral instruction from divine revelation. Ethics and morality are derived from our experience with one another. I like the way Jim Herrick talks about humanism. He says, “Atheism alone is not humanism—Stalin was an atheist. Humanism is atheism/agnosticism with values. Our morality is social in origin…Moral behavior need not involve martyrdom or sacrifice, it is possible to develop a sense of contentment together with a sense of responsibility towards others…The emotions and the aesthetic sense are important for a full life…Humanism is a way to live, to give meaning to life and to find an understanding of our place in society, and indeed, the universe. (Herrick, 2-3) I hope I’ve done a decent job of explaining why non-theism is not an anti-religious stance, but we still have one more word to define and that is ministry. Some non-theists are extremely uncomfortable with using any words that remind us of traditional religion. Ethical culture societies have leaders rather than pastors who deliver platform addresses rather than sermons. I admit I had a bit of fun poking at one of my classmates throughout the weekend who stated up front he preferred to avoid all religious language. Personally, I’d prefer to reclaim it. You’ve got to love a dictionary that defines ministry as the service, functions or profession of a minister of religion, the body or class of ministers of religion, clergy. That doesn’t appear to help us very much. Another definition is, “the act of serving.” That might get us a little closer so I am going to blend the two and offer this definition. Ministry is the act of serving one another in the context of our religious inquiry for meaning and understanding of life, our place in society and all of existence. Hopefully you’ve picked up on the fact that I did not put in a requirement for a professional and authoritative facet of ministry. We all bring our unique gifts and talents to this community and engage in shared ministry in a variety of ways. So why bother with training leaders and clergy? Because I do believe there is a place for clergy in non-theistic ministry. I’d better since it’s my vocation. One of my other classmates is training to become a humanist chaplain in perhaps a hospital or university setting so I must not be the only one to feel this way. As humans we have occasions in our lives when we turn to the clergy for support, affirmation, and self-exploration. Someone experiencing a stressful time in their life such as loss of a job or a divorce may not feel the need for professional counseling but does desire a confidential shoulder that can help them over the hurdle. With clergy there is an expectation of privacy and confidentiality never to be breeched. Kate Braestrup’s book, Here If You Need Me, a personal narrative of her life as a chaplain for the Maine warden service speaks volumes about the value of the clergy in times of distress. Even avowed atheists find comfort from her presence in a ministerial role. One passage in her book really summed up the meaning of ministry to me. She relays this exchange that occurred when she was with a non-religious couple waiting for news of their lost child. “It’s so cool that the warden service has a chaplain to keep us from freaking out,’ is what Marian Moore actually said in full. “Ah.” I smiled. “I’m not really here to keep you from freaking out. I’m here to be with you while you freak out,” or grieve or laugh or suffer or sing. It is a ministry of presence. It is showing up with a loving heart. And it is really, really cool. (Braestrup, 119) I also believe humans find meaning in ritual. It’s one thing to go to the courthouse, tell a clerk “I do” after he asks a few questions and walk away husband and wife. It’s quite another to gather with family and friends, walk down an aisle, have the occasion last more than a minute or two, wear new clothes, kiss your bride and dance the night away. I think it’s silly to spend a fortune on the event, but the communal ritual conveys a meaning and serves as a public pronouncement of the transition. I think it’s amusing, but perhaps not surprising when couples who ask for a non-denominational Christian wedding prefer I wear a suit while couples who want all religious elements from their wedding removed ask that I wear clerical attire—robes, collar, stole, the whole costume. I’ve also noticed that I’ve never had a single relative complain about the lack of “god talk” in a wedding. When the focus is on the couple and their relationship rather than any particular creed I think the entire occasion takes on a religious tone by default. Yesterday I officiated a funeral service for one of my best friend’s fathers. No one knew what his beliefs were so I opted for a humanist service with the only reference to an after-life being the comment that when he was approaching the end of his battle with cancer, John believed he was going to a better place. God and Jesus were not mentioned once and no scripture of any kind was read. I was absolutely astounded when one of the funeral directors approached me to tell me it was one of the most meaningful and beautiful services he had seen in awhile. In my opinion it was because we engaged in a celebration of John’s life, faced his death squarely and focused on how we can honor his work as a military man and police officer through our own actions. By contrast, my grandfather’s funeral, presided by the president of the Southern Baptist convention, was probably the most depressing thing I’ve ever witnessed. A few words were said about my grandfather, but the bulk of the service was a come to Jesus conversion attempt. No one bothered to learn anything about me to minister to my grief. This is one reason why I cringe when ministers start funeral services with, “I didn’t know the man and I don’t know the family, but….” There is no excuse for such ministerial laziness when a meaningful conversation with a few members of the family provides the officiant with the material necessary to share what was important to the deceased and explore how his or her legacy will exist in the memories and inspired actions of the bereaved once the initial shock of loss is overcome. Ministry is connecting with people, helping them to identify spiritual and religious needs and simply being there in community. It’s an attitude and an activity. Truly it does not even need a modifier other than to clarify your personal theology with the person to whom you offer ministry. Religious community does not mean absence of disagreement, but agreeing to relate in a society where the believers and non-believers have equal access to ministry. Unitarian Universalists ministers must be trained to assist their congregations in which an incredibly diverse range of religious belief resides. Seminaries and clinical pastoral education programs are of course beneficial for preparing to minister to the needs of theists, but with the increasing secularization of society, and apparent growth of a naturalist view of existence, non-theist ministry is as vital. I look forward to the next three years at the Humanist Institute to become a more effective member of the contemporary clergy. Copyright © 2007 Ann Fuller, December 2007Braestrup, Kate. Here If You Need Me. Little, Brown and Company, New York, 2007. Herrick, Jim. Humanism: An Introduction. Prometheus Books. Amherst, NY. 2005. Kurtz, Paul. ed. The Humanist Alternative: Some Definitions of Humanism. Prometheus Books, Buffalo, NY. 1973. Lamont, Corliss. The Philosophy of Humanism. 7th Ed. Continuum, New York. 1990. McGowan, Dale. ed. Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion. AMACOM, 2007. |
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