Christianity. What Went Wrong - Research Paper Example

?What Went Wrong? In the nineteenth century, Christianity was already seen as the universal religion. Many theologists started on studying different factors about Christianity. Hence, nineteenth century was not solely about Christianity. It is also the time when modern thought about Christianity rises. The conflict between Christianity and modern thought has been one of the intriguing parts that happened in those times. People know that modern thought is not really welcome in terms of Christian practices. Christianity has always been traditional and known to remain like that for years. Modernity, on the other hand, affects Christianity in a sense that it gives new ideas and raises questions that can influence the dignity of Christianity. There are studies which intentionally provide other meanings and interpretations of the Christian faith. In connection, these studies provide confusions to some Christian believers. Modern thought causes other people to have a different understanding of the Christian teachings. Modernity, in relation, had taken over the minds of the people in the nineteenth century. People started to transition themselves to a modernized world. Thus, giving them the new perspective that they have the freedom to redesign themselves and not just to stay in what seems to be the traditional way. There are many scholars who study the mystery behind Christianity. However, despite their efforts in making Christianity stand firm, these studies even led to rising of conflicts in Christian world. With all the modernity during the nineteenth century plus their studies regarding Christianity, everything went puzzled and confused causing people to start criticizing and questioning. In relation, one of the scholars who made a name in terms of theology during the nineteenth century is Friedrich Schleiermacher. He is said to be very influential during the nineteenth century. His influence has marked the history of theology. Schleiermacher was the person who interprets theology in a modern way. He started a different way in seeing God. Friedrich Schleiermacher was the one who started to make a different interpretation regarding the source of knowledge about God. He interprets it in a way that the main source of it is the personal experiences in the Christian society Gary Dorrien (1997, 12). Hence, Schleiermacher has been named as the father of liberal theology. His study created many conflicts with regard to Christianity since he has a different view for religion. Roger Olson affirmed that, for Schleiermacher, Christianity and religion are all about deep and inner awareness (1999, 544). All religions, specifically Christianity, are based mainly in the experience of every human being. Roger Olson states that, for Schleiermacher, “it is distinctly human awareness of something infinite beyond the self on which the self is dependent for everything” (1999, 544). Schleiermacher cleared that in terms of principles, the two should not be in questioned: Christianity and science. In addition, Roger Olson notes that to Schleiermacher, any mystical divine interventions were not true. In his own viewpoint, these things do not exist at all (1994, 544). He even changed the traditional belief on the doctrine about the two natures of Jesus Christ. For him, instead of having this belief, it should merely focus on the experience of Jesus with the God-consciousness. The person who is known as the father of modern liberal theology proposed that spiritual feeling results to a true religion. Schleiermacher convinced people that to obtain true religion, one should submit a relationship to the source of life as stated by Gary Dorrien (1997, 12). In addition, Schleiermacher affirmed that one cannot have true religion if it is mainly based in morality, as well as doctrines. Gary Dorrien stated that knowledge, in terms of morality and science, should be taken away so that one can experience true religion and creates a relation with the source of life (1997, 13). Schleiermacher firmly believes that a person’s feeling plays a vital role in religion. It is said that religious feelings are part of human existence that are valuable than reason and sensation. As for Friedrich Schleiermacher, he wanted to propose different ways in interpreting Christianity in relation with the image of God. Ironically, his studies, as well, open different views. As modern thought took over during the nineteenth century, speculations on the studies of Schleiermacher also spread. Furthermore, Friedrich Schleiermacher is considered as an enemy of liberation as cited by Brent Sockness and Wilhelm Grab (2010, 159). There are many works of Schleiermacher which started much confusion. On the other hand, Schleiermacher did not expect nor see the controversies that lie on his studies and interpretation in the religion. Other scholars thought of it as more of idealism than realistic. Hence, his work creates many questions. His idea about God which connects to one’s own experience cannot coincide with what he calls as liberal theology since modernization deals with reason. In addition, what Schleiermacher advocates as universal love of humanity is just idealism. His ideals about Christianity in relation about human experience somehow made other scholars disagree. Since other scholars who study theology made a point to base everything on the biblical revelation as stated by Brent Sockness and Wilhelm Grab (2010, 156) while Schleiermacher relates it to personal experiences, their ideas did not match. Moreover, it has been known that Christianity has always been based in doctrines and church’s revelation. Hence, the idea of Schleiermacher formed many speculations. Though, Schleiermacher’s point of view was only to give a new face of theology that is both thoroughly modern at the same time thoroughly Christian added by Roger Olson (1994, 546). Schleiermacher attempt to provide an independent view of theology causes the breakdown of Christian thought. In contrary, his own way of interpreting religion has made him known in the world of Theology. He surely has his own way of making his name in Theology during the nineteenth century. Though he met different obstacles such as questioning his beliefs and teachings, he surely made his mark in the teaching of Christianity. On the other hand, most controversies were focused on his theological ideas, as well as the application of philosophy and religious thought. The way Schleiermacher interprets the religion, it made other scholars study his writings and create criticism on them. Brent Sockness and Wilhelm Grab mentioned that when Christianity was considered as the religion of all religions, it only means that Christianity has been part of the development of religion and is considered to be the most compounded religion among others (2010, 159). Hence, the work of Schleiermacher did not match on this reality. In connection, the interpretation of religion in relation to the sphere of historical-sociological by Schleiermacher did not completely made a relation to what history of religion is as stated by Brent Sockness and Wilhelm Grab (2010, 159). This can only be connected once the history of Christian religion will sacrifice its validity as religion. Thus, this idea started other controversial debates on the theories of religion made by Schleiermacher. Since Schleiermacher denied the idea of having reason in connection with the historical religion, other critics started to ask questions about it. Brent Sockness and Wilhelm Grab added that some ideas of Schleiermacher did not also match the radical theories that have been made by other scholars, which reveal the difference of culture and religion (2010, 160). However, the ideas of Schleiermacher were not solely rejected since his theories created these controversies regarding the religion. Other scholars affirmed that Schleiermacher’s writings and ideas were not all considered meaningless. As for Schleiermacher, the attacks about Christian thought rise when he based his studies in human experience instead of the Biblical revelation. In addition, it opens different sides of speculations, which resulted to a breakdown of thought regarding Christianity. His study made Theology connected in human experience, instead of making it related to the scripture. All of his studies provided better ways in understanding the doctrines, as well as unravel some mysteries in Christianity, but his efforts in defending the scripture resulted to a collapse of Christian thought. Indeed, the nineteenth century marked the start of conflicts between Christianity and the modern way of thinking in the society. Hence, Schleiermacher’s studies as stated above did make Christianity stand firm. However, his studies made by him create controversies from different spectators, resulting to a breakdown in Christian thought. Though he made a name all throughout the history of Theology, he also had his own negative speculations in which, instead of protecting Christianity, it even resulted to sources that can manipulate and ruin its name. However, it was clearly stated by Schleiermacher’s studies that his greatest focus and concerned were all about the growth of one’s faith to God and that this faith makes a relationship to God which is not bound to human principles. His belief that religion should be based merely on one’s own experience made him the most popular in the modern liberal Christianity. Schleiermacher just wanted to promote the way people should see true religion that should not be based to any doctrines and even obligated to any principles dictated by culture and/or history. This idea of Schleiermacher is the main reason why he is named as the father of modern theology. However, he received many rejections about his studies in orthodox theology because of the fact that instead of basing his studies in God’s biblical revelation, he based it on human experience. BIBLIOGRAPHY Dorrien, Gary. The Word as True Myth: Interpreting Modern Theology. United States of America: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997. Olson, Roger. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition & Reform. United States of America: InterVarsity Press, 1999. Sockness, Brent, and Wilhelm Grab. Schleiermacher, The Study Of Religion, And The Future of Theology. Germany: Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co., 2010. Read More