SERIES: WHY FAITH MAKES SENSE
Lesson 1 of 7: The Nature of Christian Faith
Watch with others on Facebook Wednesdays at 7pm.
Key Scriptures for this Study: Hebrews 11:1; John 14:9-11; 1 Peter 3:1-2, 15-16*
1. Anglican theologian Lesslie Newbigin once wrote: “No faith can command a man’s final and absolute allegiance, that is to say no faith can be a man’s real religion, if he knows that it is only true for certain places and certain people. In a world which knows that there is only one physics and one mathematics, religion cannot do less than claim for its affirmations a like universal validity.” Having viewed the first video, how does this quotation summarize the key point being made about the nature of Christian faith?
2. Summarize in your own words the shipowner story summarized in the video from W.K. Clifford’s “The Ethics of Belief.” (This famous essay can be found online by using any search engine. Enter the author’s name and the title of the article, and it will come up for you.)
3. People sometimes speak of a “leap of faith” as opposed to asking hard questions and demanding good evidence for Christian beliefs. Would this be consistent with a biblical definition of faith? The word of Jesus about believing in him?
4. How has physicalism (also called materialism) challenged the Christian faith over the past several generations? Why do you think religion generally gave away the categories of truth, knowledge, and serious intellectual investigation to the secular world?
5. Can you name some of the specific “Christian failures” referenced in this video that have undermined confidence in the Christian faith? What is the effect of the recent scandals involving priests and televangelists, megachurch pastors and parachurch leaders on the public attitude toward Christianity?
6. Read Hebrews 11:1 from three or four different translations. What English words are used in those translations to characterize faith? Do these words indicate the need for evidence? Permit hard questions to be asked? Separate faith from fact, reason, and knowledge?
7. The video closes with some comments based on 1 Peter. In that epistle from the mid-60s, Peter encouraged believers who were suffering from insults, bullying, and marginalization to live as righteous people. His hope was that their good behavior would win over some of their critics – who might then ask them to explain their faith. He stressed two elements of how they should reply: (a) reasonable answers and (b) gentle presentations. How important are both these elements in our time?
*Suggestion: If you use this video for personal, class, or small-group study, please view the video in its entirety, then read and reflect on the “Key Scriptures” as they relate to the video, and then work through the questions above. This process is likely to generate the greatest value for your study.