Like all heresies, it's not all wrong. It's just that it's not all right. Sure there is a God-shaped space in each one of us. Sure, the source and summit of all our desires is, in the end, the Christ who loves us. Sure, if we seek we will find, and if we search we will discover. If we ask we will be answered. However, what this new "existentialist fideism" does is places the human person at the heart of the search for God. It sounds nice and humanistic and all that, but it's not really in the Bible is it? It's not really the way of the saints. You don't find God telling the patriarchs to "search their inner being to discover the light." He says, "Obey me. Leave all, and go to the promised land."
Jesus doesn't tell the fishermen of Galilee to form a discussion group or to do group therapy in which you all discuss together where your inner journey is taking you. He stands up and says, "Leave your fishing nets and follow me. Do some wave walking. Come on. Do something. Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." This new personalism is very often subjective in it's declared encounter with Christ, and as such it is unreliable.
I'm increasingly in favor of the simple transaction that the gospel and the church have always called for. "Repent and believe the Gospel." There's the basic encounter with Christ. A soul says, "God, I'm sorry for my sin. I want to do better and can't unless you help me. Give me the power of Christ and I will follow him." Within this simple transaction is all that is required. Not a lot of soul searching is needed. Not a lot of philosophical or theological discussion...not a lot of learning. Just simple obedience and humble acceptance of Christ. Just simple metanoia--turning from my own way to the way of Christ.
This is the only gospel I have to proclaim. It is the only gospel there is. I don't know of any other. It's the transaction I seek every morning, and within that transaction of repentance and faith I turn away from my self seeking and my tortured self examination and I realize I need Christ. Within that transaction grace is given and have the power to follow the Master.
Within this transaction the Sacred Heart of Jesus takes my heart in his and makes it one. Within this transaction my little life is gathered up into his cosmic life. In this simple transaction I am both lost and found.
This Great Transaction is the burning diamond heart of the Christian faith.
The rest is paper.
Excellent post...and a hearty Amen. This same personalism is also alive and well in evangelical Protestantism...and I have the same issues with it that you do. Thank you for a well-written, and well-put post!
ReplyDeleteBlessings!
Might want to choose a different term than "personalism" though. Roman Catholic philosophical personalism is a good thing :-) It is part of Pope John Paul II's Theology of the Body.
ReplyDeleteI hope I don't know the group you are talking of but I think I do. It is one of the few places I go after my reversion. Unless the group is honest with the study before them or has a strong guide, it can definitely be as you describe. I have visited many different groups from simply moving around was even in your neck of the woods. Eventually, that sort of personalism as you call it will not be enough and I have seen people leave. The core of the study is intense if one is willing to take it on. And simple obedience is hard when we are crusted over with our own thoughts of who Christ should be. Maybe dreamy and easy at first but when you begin to see yourself as you are then you can understand your relationship to the One who calls you. I love your blog. I think you should go often to this group if anything to help them. "Risk" it, we need you.
ReplyDeleteJennifer
Oh, the whole post of mine was personal experience. :)
ReplyDeleteAnother great post. This personalism seems much like Eastern philosophy - Taoism, Buddhism, etc. It's the idea: "Look inward and empty yourself and you'll find nirvana." A lot of 12 step programs are like that, too. Nope, I'm not criticizing 12 step programs, being a member myself. But Christianity isn't a 12 step program.
ReplyDeleteThe question, "What is life about" comes from within. However, the answer comes from without. Else each person is the pope, as our Protestant brothers have claimed that one can read the Bible and then discovers its meaning for themself. Rather egocentric and contrary to Christ's instruction, "Obey my commandments."
ReplyDeleteAt my politically incorrect blog site, I took the liberty of pointing to this post and the previous one that Father Longenecker wrote:
ReplyDeletehttp://commentarius-ioannis.blogspot.com/2011/09/father-longeneckers-recent-blog-posts.html
I agree with Jonathan. Don't call personalism a heresy, or you'll have to call Blessed John Paul II a heretic, and that would be awkward.
ReplyDeleteOther than that, some of your points are valid.
I mainly see it when people say, "But God wants me to be happy, right?" Not realizing that Happy, in the Beatitude sense, is not happy in the worldly sense.
Call it "Terrestrial Happyism".
It's not new and we have a name for it: Gnosticism.
ReplyDeleteThe older I get, the more often I think, during the day "I don't want to burn, so what do I have to do?"
ReplyDeleteWhen I was younger, I used to daydream about finding love, an ideal other, sent from God, a soul mate. Now that seems absurd. I want God, and more of Him, for me and you and all of us.
Ofcourse, it may just be that I'm turning into an old boot! I can look a bit leathery some mornings hahaha!!!!
Yet, by the grace of God and an obedient will, we'll get a brand new everlasting body one day!!
Paul, I thought of gnosticism, but I think within historical gnosticism there was, at least, a sense that there was some knowledge 'out there' to be had--whereas this 'existential fideism' speaks as if the only knowledge to be had is from within, or at least, if there is a knowledge 'out there' that it can only be accessed through the inner journey.
ReplyDeleteYet, often God's voice seems to come from the depth of our being. St. ignatius would suggest that the deepest desires of our being are God's desires for us.
ReplyDeletei think this is quite simpily mainstream protestinisim,its what almost all protestants believe,"you must accept jesus as your personal lord and saviour" what they ignore is that their "jesus" varies from person to person in doctrine,s and morals with these people it seems that they have their own personal lord and saviour, though he is not made "of one being with the father" no, no, that would be too rigid this saviour is made of "play dough" so that one can mould him into whatever shape or fashion one desires, now my god can be as drunk ,high,or humanly stupid as me, he will never ask me to better myself or ask me to leave my comfort zone and "cast into the deep" and i will place my play dough "jesus on my bedside windowsill to admire, and the best thing about play dough is that if i wake in the morning with a different view of morality, i just take my "jesus" and mould him into shape that my mood today desires , after all he has to change with the times.(just thought this could apply to sooo many catholics too...or so called catholics
ReplyDeleteFather
ReplyDeleteIs not finding meaning in oneself rather than in Christ pretty close to self-righteousness?
Too close for my comfort anyway.
John Paul 79:
ReplyDelete"Protestantism"? No at all. Catholicism as defined by Henri DeLubac? Quite possibly. Once again, modern Catholics see Protestantism as a catch all phrase for the enemy, where with the modern evolution o kings, Protestants are on our side. What Fr. D wrote as the vein the Gospel is what most Evangelicals would say "Amen!" to. Try finding such a clear and unfettered statement in JPII's "Crossing the Threshold of Hope." You'll find *that* experience awkward!
"o kings" should be "of things," though the former sounds pretty impressive.
ReplyDeletei have not read john paul II,S crossing the threshold, and i know not of Henri DeLubac,s teachings,my point is when you have no definite teaching authority on morality (as we do in the catholic church)like all of the major protestant denominations do not, then what you have is a persons very fickle and shallow view of morality that can change based on persuasive arguements of others.i believe we as catholics are so blessed in this reguard to have the fullness of the faith,simply by pointing out the errors in protestanism does not mean i see them as "the enemy"
ReplyDeleteWhile I mostly agree with JP79, having come from a Pentecostal Assembly of God background, I have generally seen Evangelical and Pentecostal clergy more forthright and direct when it comes to teaching authentic morality than most Catholic clergy are, and I suspect that is because most Catholic clergy are afraid of the response they would receive from the liberals in their congregations who perhaps occupy 50% of the Catholic population. Of course, the lukewarm liberal mainstream Protestant denominations are every bit as fickle as what JP79 describes.
ReplyDeleteI forgot my disclaimer on my last post.
ReplyDeleteMy previous comment about most Catholic clergy is NO reflection on Father Longenecker. Sadly, I live too far away to attend Mass at his parish. And yes, there are yet many very good clerics (including the blogmeister here): Fr. Robert Barron, Fr, Larry Richards, Archbishop Chaput, Cardinal Raymond Burke, etc. And the priests at the parish where I currently attend Mass are wonderful men of God. And my AA Sponsor's Sponsor is a Franciscan priest who gave me RCIA and got me into the faith. I couldn't get away with anything when I first got into the "Program."
So sometimes what I say or write doesn't quite come out in the way intended.
Maybe Autofideism.
ReplyDeleteA little too much faith in yourself.... :)
Of course, there's also Autodaffyism, where you drive yourself crazy. :)
Oops. Mixing Greek and Latin....
ReplyDeleteAutotheism?
Autopisticism?
Ipsafideism?
Fideipsism?