"We Christians must make sure our contemporaries really understand what the historical, supernatural Christian faith truly is"

"How does a sceptic deal with the crises of life?"

Historically, the Protestant community in France has been caught between the strong Catholic religious and political institutions on the one hand - and humanism, especially of the Enlightenment, on the other.  At one end of the spectrum is the authority of the Roman Catholic Church and at the other end, the authority of autonomous reason.  The Protestants historically made common cause with the humanists as they struggled against the intolerance, persecution and oppression of the Catholic political power.  It is only since the Revolution of 1789 that both Jews and Protestants have been recognized on a civil level and given a right to assemble publicly, though to be fair, Louis XVI had already begun to move in that direction.  Subsequently the Protestants continued to be allies of the humanists especially from the mid-18th century. 

In retrospect it is evident that this has been one of the major causes of the weakening of the doctrinal, spiritual and ecclesiastical identity of the historic Churches (both Reformed and Lutheran) and the loss, especially during the 20th century, of a significant and specific Christian impact on society.  The influence of humanism within the very heart of the Christian Church including Roman Catholicism has been largely responsible for the  secularization of society and the erosion of Church membership.

Crisis and religion

The situation in France today is that Roman Catholicism, though still influential, no longer has the impact it used to have on society.  It has also suffered from the influences of secularisation as evidenced by the drop in Church attendance and in the number of priests, though there has been a rise in the number of deacons due to the rediscovery of the priesthood of all believers.

Humanism, especially modernity, is in the midst of a major crisis.  For about twenty years, a debate has raged about the virtues and failures of modernity to the point that many have spoken of a new era of post-modernity and the rise of the irrational.  Whatever may be the case, modernity has lost its aura and has come under severe criticism because of its inability to offer answers to the basic questions of life, especially its ultimate meaning.

How does a sceptic deal with the crises of life - suffering, sickness and death, other than by seeking to escape or to hide from them?  The route to finding relevant answers inevitably means less ideological arrogance and more questioning on fundamental issues.  This search for answers has generated a renewed interest in religion in France.  In fact, it has become apparent that religion is indispensable in order to establish meaning to life.

One speaks today of transcendence, of the importance of individual and social values, of a new life style. In a word, it seems to many, that human beings function better when they have a religious outlook to life!  The evidence for this is all around us - just think of the exponential increase in the number of religious books over recent years.  In the weekly magazine to which I subscribe, it is not unusual to read articles on religious topics such as "Moses," "Jehovah's witnesses," "scientology," "the death and resurrection of Christ," and "Buddhism," not to mention regular references to the Muslim faith.  Traditional religions, new religious movements, sects and cults - and often the occult are at the heart of the quest of many of our contemporaries.

Spiritual Humanism

What is the nature of this renewed interest in religion?  It seems to me that, apart from Islam, we are witnessing the rise of a form of religion, of a belief in transcendence, that retains some of the basic ideas of humanism.  These include belief in an uncreated universe  (eternity of matter or energy), the self-sufficiency of man, the liberty of conscience and the determination to establish the meaning of life without the input of the supernatural.

Over against so-called materialistic humanism we are witnessing the rise of a form of spiritual humanism.  We should therefore not be too enthusiastic when faced with an apparently renewed interest in religion.  What it really offers is both a unique opportunity and a new challenge.  We Christians must make sure our contemporaries really understand what the historical, supernatural Christian faith truly is.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for them, because it can bring radical change in the whole of their lives - mind, will and feelings.

Evangelical renewal

One of the features of Church life in the twentieth century has been the rise of the Evangelical movement.  In France, the evangelicals, including the Pentecostals, make up about 30 per cent of the 300,000 Protestants.  They have a high view of Scripture; they are strong on evangelism and Church planting, but they are weak in teaching and in developing a world view and a life view dealing thoroughly with contemporary issues. In some circles, experience tends to be the norm - more so than the objective Word of God.

Evangelicals are meeting the private needs of many of our contemporaries and will have to be reckoned with more and more in the future.  They are a hope of renewal for the Church in France.  For example, such movements as Sport et Foi, Parvis des Arts and A Rocha are contributing to the spreading of the Gospel in circles where contemporary Evangelical Christianity has never really penetrated - the world of sport, of the arts and of the environment.  In addition to the Bible Institutes, two recently established theological colleges are actively involved in training leadership for both the historical and new independent churches.  They are the Faculté de Théologie Evangélique near Paris and the Faculté de Théologie Réformée  in Aix-en-Provence.  The former has more of a Baptist outlook and the latter takes a Presbyterian perspective.   Both are committed to the Evangelical Truth. (cf John Stott, "Evangelical Truth", IVP 1999)

A call for reformation

More than a revival, a reformation is needed if the Churches are to have an impact on society as they preach and proclaim the full counsel of God.  It is therefore crucial to work out a Christian world and life view dealing with contemporary questions and issues that is a challenge to the individual as he fulfils his diverse responsibilities within the city of men.

As the Apostle Peter says, "...In your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared  to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect..." 1 Pet 3:15-16.

Crosslinks magazine August 2002 index