{"id":1563,"date":"2020-01-24T21:46:21","date_gmt":"2020-01-25T05:46:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/?p=1563"},"modified":"2020-01-24T21:46:21","modified_gmt":"2020-01-25T05:46:21","slug":"al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Al Mohler Misses the Point and Makes it\u2014All at the Same Time"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Albert Mohler<\/a> is upset.\u00a0 He came across a New York Times essay he didn\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 Further, he was offended.\u00a0 He felt the essay was condescending.\u00a0 And he felt many other things too, no doubt, and he spends most of his writing telling us about those other things.\u00a0 All good and well, but it\u2019s hardly a reasoned response to the essay.<\/p>\n

The entire thing is a rant full of question-begging, non-sequiturs, and appeals to authority (sort of\u2026).\u00a0 Those are all squeezed into what is basically a reaction to, not the argument or main point of the essay, but to the tone, words, and implications of the essay.<\/p>\n

It would take several posts to address the entirety of his missive, but I only want to address a few points and then get to what Mohler is truly missing here.\u00a0 First, I will address some of the conclusions drawn, which we note, are neither logical nor good ones.<\/p>\n

First, his fairly incredible claim:<\/p>\n

\u201cIn his book<\/a> and in this article, David Bentley Hart<\/a> is directing a head on attack on classical Western Christianity\u2014all of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Really?\u00a0 \u201cAll\u201d of it?\u00a0 Does Mohler truly believe that unless hell means eternal conscious torture\/torment for some, then we can just throw the rest of the Christian narrative out the window as well?\u00a0 What a reasonable and well thought out conclusion, but, of course, I\u2019m joking\u2014it is neither.<\/p>\n

Second, he writes:<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is not an unambitious argument he\u2019s making here. He intends to shame Christianity into abandoning the doctrine of hell and for that matter, the doctrine of the afterlife.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wait, what?\u00a0 How does abandoning the doctrine of hell lead to abandoning a belief in the afterlife?\u00a0 That simply does not follow.<\/p>\n

Next, in a similar vein, he notes:<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2026In his book, Hart makes several arguments in support of his form of universalism, a universalism, by the way, that isn\u2019t merely hopeful, but is absolutely adamant. He believes that every single human being will eventually be united with God through Christ. Period. He doesn\u2019t believe in heaven, so to speak.\u201d<\/p>\n

What?\u00a0 How on God\u2019s green earth would the above lead one to think Hart doesn\u2019t believe in heaven\u2014\u201dso to speak\u201d or otherwise?\u00a0 In fact, shouldn\u2019t the reasoning (regardless of what Hart actually believes) lead us to conclude such is all (as to the afterlife) that Hart believes in, as it would appear heaven is everyone\u2019s eventual, eternal abode?<\/p>\n

Also, I find it quite telling (and disturbing) that if Hart had asserted only that he was, \u201cmerely hopeful,\u201d he would have received a much milder reception.\u00a0 His confidence of course, is the problem, which in their minds, is a bridge too far.\u00a0 Think about that for a second.\u00a0 The certainty and confidence of the eternal conscious torture of a human soul is a bridge easily crossed, while granting some room for hopefulness is seen as, well, somewhat acceptable (\u201cWe\u2019ll allow it\u201d).\u00a0 We would really like you to cross the entire bridge with us, but if you can\u2019t, we\u2019ll just chalk it up to a weak (theology) stomach.<\/p>\n

However, God forbid the man who would assert an extravagant, certain, redemption of all\u2014well, now you\u2019ve just gone too far, laddie.\u00a0 Mull that difference of bridges over a bit.\u00a0 Take all the time you need.<\/p>\n

Once we put all these diversions (For instance, the focus on the New York Times) and weak conclusions aside, my own view is that Mohler here makes the exact failure that Hart is trying to reveal.\u00a0 The focus on Hart\u2019s acerbic tone, his phrasing, and choice of words, over his argument, ends up making his greater point:\u00a0 Hart\u2019s appeal is to our moral formation, our moral sensibility, our moral imagination, wherein we learn to be shocked by the right things.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve cited this story before and many are familiar with it, but I think it applies to what is really going on here.\u00a0 This is from Tony Campolo<\/a> speaking to a Christian audience:<\/p>\n

\u201cI have three things I\u2019d like to say today. First, while you were sleeping last night, 30,000 kids died of starvation or diseases related to malnutrition. Second, most of you don\u2019t give a shit. What\u2019s worse is that you\u2019re more upset with the fact I just said, \u201cshit\u201d than the fact 30,000 kids died last night.\u201d<\/p>\n

In my mind this is how Mohler and all the others who have criticized Hart\u2019s book for mostly his tone, are responding to his arguments.\u00a0 All they can focus on is his caustic style, or whatever, and in doing so, completely miss what he just told them:\u00a0 A doctrine allowing finite, damaged, imperfect, limited, and broken people\/souls to spend an eternity in conscious savage torment and torture, is not a doctrine worthy of belief, given everything<\/em> else we understand about the Christian God and narrative.<\/p>\n

The fact they are more offended by his tone than an eternal conscious torture, is shockingly revealing.\u00a0 What does it say about us when we are shocked by one, but not the other?\u00a0 Hasn\u2019t Mohler, with his focus on style\/tone, revealed Hart\u2019s greater point?\u00a0 Which isn\u2019t to say that Mohler and those who agree with him are immoral or lack decency.\u00a0 I\u2019m sure those who heard about the starving children but were more upset with an expletive were basically good people, moral people.\u00a0 This is again to miss the point.<\/p>\n

If I hear Hart correctly (and perhaps I don\u2019t), when he brings up something like, \u201ca properly functioning moral intelligence,\u201d he is suggesting something akin to the response of Christians to slavery.\u00a0 Christians had to understand they had, for centuries, not only misunderstood the issue theologically and philosophically, but, as important, that their moral sense of what should shock them was clearly off kilter.<\/p>\n

When other Christians told them holding to slavery was not only a theological failure but a moral one too, they were more shocked by the telling than their holding the belief.\u00a0 Think about that.\u00a0 Looking back, we find this sort of cognitive dissonance incredible.<\/p>\n

We know now that their spirits, their moral sensibility had to be challenged\u2014they had to see how owning another person should be more shocking to their moral sense, than if they happened to hear the pastor use the word, \u201cdamn\u201d or be caustic in his sermon condemning it.\u00a0 How does Mohler know we are not in one of those moments again when it comes to the doctrine of hell?\u00a0 He may be holding onto something that was held onto just as strongly when it came to slavery but was eventually let go and became a moral abhorrence.<\/p>\n

If we are bothered more by Hart\u2019s tone, words, or writing style than we are the idea God\u2019s good creation includes a space for the eternal torture of souls, then one has made Hart\u2019s very point about our moral intelligence, imagination, sensibility and compass.<\/p>\n

I have a Patreon<\/a> Page\u2014please consider supporting my writing.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Albert Mohler is upset.\u00a0 He came across a New York Times essay he didn\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 Further, he was offended.\u00a0 He felt the essay was condescending.\u00a0 And he felt many other things too, no doubt, and he spends most of his writing telling us about those other things.\u00a0 All good and well, but it\u2019s hardly […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3524,"featured_media":1569,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[530,762,765,798,473],"class_list":["post-1563","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-al-mohler","tag-david-b-hart","tag-hell","tag-new-york-times","tag-theology"],"yoast_head":"\nAl Mohler Misses the Point and Makes it\u2014All at the Same Time<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Albert Mohler is upset.\u00a0 He came across a New York Times essay he didn\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 Further, he was offended.\u00a0 He felt the essay was condescending.\u00a0 And\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Al Mohler Misses the Point and Makes it\u2014All at the Same Time\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Albert Mohler is upset.\u00a0 He came across a New York Times essay he didn\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 Further, he was offended.\u00a0 He felt the essay was condescending.\u00a0 And\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Divergence\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2020-01-25T05:46:21+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/wp-media.patheos.com\/blogs\/sites\/1004\/2020\/01\/hell-735995_640.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"640\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"359\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Darrell Lackey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@darrelllackey1\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Darrell Lackey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/\",\"name\":\"Al Mohler Misses the Point and Makes it\u2014All at the Same Time\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2020-01-25T05:46:21+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2020-01-25T05:46:21+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/#\/schema\/person\/d88a32b8d4b5f40fbd6ccbfce4e0f813\"},\"description\":\"Albert Mohler is upset.\u00a0 He came across a New York Times essay he didn\u2019t agree with.\u00a0 Further, he was offended.\u00a0 He felt the essay was condescending.\u00a0 And\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/2020\/01\/24\/al-mohler-misses-the-point-and-makes-it-all-at-the-same-time\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Al Mohler Misses the Point and Makes it\u2014All at the Same Time\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/divergence\/\",\"name\":\"Divergence\",\"description\":\"Commentary Regarding Fundamentalism - 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