Religion within the Realms of Reason and Revelation Together

Sixteen years into the new millennium it appears that things are more polarized than ever. Religion has become largely marginalized by many progressives (formerly liberals) to that of what is left over when rational explanation does not suffice. Thus it is necessary to “do the right thing,” not because God calls for us to do it, but because humanism leads you to act in such a way for the good of all. On the other pole religion that leads to specific ethical behavior and moral norms has become the absolute requirement of God, or sometimes identified simply as the Word of God. So for the conservative right the Christian faith calls for obedience to divine leadership, whether that be understood as what God calls us to do or what the Word of God prescribes. As always in religious ethics there are many positions in between these two poles. The difference seems to lie in more people being at the poles than in any time in recent history. The use of revelation and reason in ethics seem to be pitted against each other more than ever before. Where does that leave those of us who want to locate ourselves in the middle? How can we pay tribute to both reason and revelation in ethics? How can we mediate between religious faith which asks us primarily to do the right thing for all and that which solely asks the question “what would Jesus have us do?” Hopefully, we can find room for both reason and revelation in ethics. How have we gotten to this point? One of the problems we experience is the extreme pace of change in our world today. Change produces anxiety, which has led us to be pulled in these two extreme directions. So when we do not find specific answers to every ethical question in Scripture, we begin to think Scripture does not answer any question of ethics. It presents us with needing to choose between reason and revelation. What is helpful is that the Word of God gives us direction to very many important ethical questions. The Ten Commandments, as interpreted through Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount, still give us direction and guidance for our lives. So as soon as we realize that we must choose one or the other, then we are freed up to make individual decisions using all criteria. We are able to make decisions ethically in individual situations using the combination of reason and revelation. Living in 2016 we are may well think that when reason no longer leaves room for moral absolutes that morality will descend into totally situation ethics. But because divine command ethics cannot give a specific answer from Scripture, reason still has to be used as even those who seek to seek ethical answers by revelation alone have to settle for fathoming the trajectory of what God would want us to do in every new situation. Ultimately what polarization means for ethics is that progressives and conservatives will continue to disagree on a course of action. But ultimately the two may come together as we see both revelation and reason as gifts of God. Sixteen years into the new millennium it appears that things are more polarized than ever. Religion has become largely marginalized by many progressives (formerly liberals) to that of what is left over when rational explanation does not suffice. Thus it is necessary to “do the right thing,” not because God calls for us to do it, but because humanism leads you to act in such a way for the good of all. On the other pole religion that leads to specific ethical behavior and moral norms has become the absolute requirement of God, or sometimes identified simply as the Word of God. So for the conservative right the Christian faith calls for obedience to divine leadership, whether that be understood as what God calls us to do or what the Word of God prescribes.

As always in religious ethics there are many positions in between these two poles. The difference seems to lie in more people being at the poles than in any time in recent history. The use of revelation and reason in ethics seem to be pitted against each other more than ever before.

Where does that leave those of us who want to locate ourselves in the middle? How can we pay tribute to both reason and revelation in ethics? How can we mediate between religious faith which asks us primarily to do the right thing for all and that which solely asks the question “what would Jesus have us do?” Hopefully, we can find room for both reason and revelation in ethics.

How have we gotten to this point? One of the problems we experience is the extreme pace of change in our world today. Change produces anxiety, which has led us to be pulled in these two extreme directions. So when we do not find specific answers to every ethical question in Scripture, we begin to think Scripture does not answer any question of ethics. It presents us with needing to choose between reason and revelation. What is helpful is that the Word of God gives us direction to very many important ethical questions. The Ten Commandments, as interpreted through Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount, still give us direction and guidance for our lives. So as soon as we realize that we must choose one or the other, then we are freed up to make individual decisions using all criteria. We are able to make decisions ethically in individual situations using the combination of reason and revelation.

Living in 2016 we are may well think that when reason no longer leaves room for moral absolutes that morality will descend into totally situation ethics. But because divine command ethics cannot give a specific answer from Scripture, reason still has to be used as even those who seek to seek ethical answers by revelation alone have to settle for fathoming the trajectory of what God would want us to do in every new situation.

Ultimately what polarization means for ethics is that progressives and conservatives will continue to disagree on a course of action. But ultimately the two may come together as we see both revelation and reason as gifts of God.