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Editor's note: In this piece, Father Anthony Akinwale, OP, a Professor of Systematic Theology and Thomistic Philosophy, examines the narration betwixt intelligence enquiry and spiritual belief, questioning the emergence of populist preaching and its interaction connected however Christianity is understood successful modern Nigeria.
A question was enactment to me: whether those who repudiate Christianity do truthful retired of “intellectual deconstruction” of Christianity oregon retired of spiritual crisis. In different words, are radical repudiating Christianity due to the fact that they person undergone intelligence maturation oregon due to the fact that they are undergoing a spiritual crisis?
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But determination is simply a philosophical occupation surrounding the usage of the word “deconstruction” successful the question arsenic primitively formulated. Intellectual maturation is attained erstwhile 1 attains knowledge. But cognition is not acquired by deconstruction. It is acquired by gathering connected the instauration of antecedently acquired knowledge.
In factual terms, whoever wishes to cognize indispensable inquire the close questions astir antecedently acquired knowledge. Previously acquired cognition raises questions that propel the quality intellect into a hunt for yet-to-be-acquired knowledge.
Intellectual growth, not lone successful matters of religion, but successful each world discipline, and so successful each existential matter, comes astir erstwhile the close questions are raised and erstwhile due answers are found. Thus, intelligence maturation does not travel from “deconstruction”, a word whose meaning philosophers bash not look to hold on. Intellectual maturation comes from asking the close questions. Intellectual maturation means: 1 knows the close questions to ask, 1 knows wherever to look for the answers, and 1 is capable to place and comprehend the close answers.
There are those who believe, erroneously, that you cannot rise questions and inactive beryllium a believer, that religion promotes zero tolerance of logic and forbids rational thinking. I americium sometimes asked: How tin you beryllium a Catholic clergyman and beryllium a philosopher? But the past of Christianity, erstwhile cautiously studied, debunks specified mischaracterisation of religion. History shows that immoderate of the top believers were besides immoderate of the top philosophers.
Great Christian thinkers similar Justin Martyr, Origen, Irenaeus, Augustine of Hippo, and Thomas Aquinas, to notation but a few, brought religion and crushed together. They were philosophers. Anselm of Canterbury spoke of faith-seeking understanding. Before them, the First Letter of Peter successful the Bible already said to recently converted and baptized Christians:
“Always person your reply acceptable for radical who inquire you the crushed for the anticipation that you have” (1 Peter 3:15).While the Protestant Reformation led by Luther held connected to a rule of religion alone, that is, religion without reason, Enlightenment philosophers espoused crushed alone, that is, crushed without faith. The Catholic tradition, however, pursuing the Christian thinkers I person conscionable mentioned, speaks of religion and reason. Faith without crushed volition marque america fanatics and oregon fundamentalists. Reason without religion volition marque america atheists oregon agnostics. Fanatics and fundamentalists are either unwilling to person oregon are incapable of having an intelligence engagement with religion. They extremity up being manipulative and oregon intolerant successful matters of religion. This is what populist Christianity is promoting successful Nigeria. It is evident successful the mode venerable texts of the Bible are copiously quoted successful sermons but repeatedly misinterpreted and manipulated for the self-seeking docket of the preacher. It is rooted successful different rule of the Reformation that the Bible unsocial is capable successful interpreting the Bible. It is simply a rule that has metastasized into populist preaching successful Nigeria. Such maltreatment of Christianity indispensable beryllium and is being repudiated.
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Christianity successful Nigeria whitethorn beryllium dated earlier and aft the Structural Adjustment Policy. Three decades ago, during the acheronian days of subject regularisation and the poorness and societal dislocation it brought, exemplified successful the Structural Adjustment Policy, Nigeria was introduced to the “prosperity Gospel”. The Bible was and is inactive work and misinterpreted to beforehand a Gospel of worldly prosperity. Three decades later, poorness has grown and is inactive increasing successful leaps and bounds. That is what some, particularly the younger generation, are opening to question and repudiate.
The problem, however, is not Christianity. The occupation is the instrumentalisation of misconstrued and manipulated Christianity by those who, playing connected the emotions of the intellectually and materially impoverished, usage the Gospel of Christianity to marque mendacious promises of worldly prosperity to victims of atrocious policies and bare theft of Nigeria’s wealthiness by her ruling elite.
The Bible says:
“You indispensable emotion the Lord your God with each your heart, with each your soul, and with each your strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5).The quality idiosyncratic is to subordinate to God with the totality of his oregon her being. The psyche is the captious rule of enactment successful surviving things. This captious rule of enactment that the psyche is has its powers, and, successful quality beings, the intellect is 1 of those powers. By implication, religion indispensable not beryllium separated from the sphere of intelligence.
Religion is simply a quality act, and a quality enactment is an intelligent act. It is truthful steadfast and obligatory to marque an intelligence enquiry into what religion is, into its origins, iand nto the meaning of spiritual beliefs. Faith unsocial is insufficient. Faith calls for understanding. However, questions are questions. They are not convictions. One would spell successful the incorrect absorption if helium oregon she were to inquire incorrect questions and proceed to mistake questions for convictions, particularly successful matters of religion.
Christianity successful Nigeria is misrepresented by those who person refused to use the bully usage of intellect successful matters of faith. Many of specified are pastors and preachers successful our onshore today. They trim religion to emotionally vain credulity, and galore are revolting by repudiating Christianity presented arsenic religion without reason. The Christianity galore are repudiating is simply a Christianity misrepresented, maligned and manipulated. That is wherefore the world subject called theology, with a bully curriculum, is of captious importance. Theology is for those who question to recognize what they believe. It is not for those who person already concluded that their question is their conviction. A question is simply a quest for knowledge. It is not cognition itself.
Populist preaching is not to beryllium mistaken for world theology, and academic theology is to beryllium differentiated from spiritual studies due to the fact that it is faith-seeking understanding. For, portion world theology presupposes faith, spiritual studies arsenic an world subject whitethorn beryllium undertaken without the presupposition of faith.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed present are those of the writer and bash not needfully bespeak the authoritative argumentation oregon presumption of Legit.ng.
Father Anthony Akinwale, OP, is simply a Professor of Systematic Theology and Thomistic Philosophy astatine Augustine University, Ilara-Epe, Lagos State.PAY ATTENTION: Сheck retired quality that is picked exactly for YOU ➡️ find the “Recommended for you” artifact connected the location leafage and enjoy!
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