{"id":653,"date":"2014-05-29T08:11:00","date_gmt":"2014-05-29T08:11:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2014\/05\/myth-or-method-in-religious-education.html"},"modified":"2014-05-29T08:11:00","modified_gmt":"2014-05-29T08:11:00","slug":"myth-or-method-in-religious-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2014\/05\/myth-or-method-in-religious-education.html","title":{"rendered":"Myth or Method in Religious Education"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>
In a failed economy, at a time when several studies show\u00a0interest in religion on the decline<\/a>, why would anyone devote time, energy, and money to studying theology? I would love to write an article with definitive, bulleted reasons why religion is still important, making a case for why we need people to devote themselves to serious consideration of faith and tradition, but I consistently find such an approach stunted. Making a case for religion is a tired exercise. I\u2019d prefer to suggest that\u00a0religious studies\u00a0<\/em>be reconsidered, to look at the leaders of religion and put our questions to them instead of the straw-man we make of religion\u00a0in toto<\/em>\u00a0because what we are seeing is a divide between myth and method. If religion continues to hold apathetic, even at times antagonistic attitudes, then as theologian N.T. Wright has so famously said, \u201cI\u2019m not surprised you don\u2019t believe in that god. I don\u2019t believe in that god either.\u201d<\/span><\/div>\n
Every day, the world doubles over with social, economic and political systems dictating our behaviors and ethics. Given how prominent these systems are and how little our religious leaders actually discuss them in informed ways, is it any wonder so many become disillusioned and leave the faith of their childhood? I have no moral issue with this kind of exodus. It is warranted. I am sympathetic to it and understand it, as I am sure you do as well. A faith that has turned itself from the concerns of our world and our neighbor is hardly worth having. In turn, it is not unreasonable to expect more from our clergy and even God. I suppose this is the thing so many are afraid to articulate \u2013 we must ask the facile god that our leaders have presented to \u201cgrow up\u201d and act like a god (cf. Gen 18:25).<\/span><\/div>\n
More than anything, these were the ideas that compelled me to begin more serious theological consideration. There has been an absence in theological thought, a neglect to consider the issues of our time and this dilemma requires new minds.<\/span><\/div>\n
Read the rest here<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In a failed economy, at a time when several studies show\u00a0interest in religion on the decline, why would anyone devote time, energy, and money to studying theology? I would love to write an article with definitive, bulleted reasons why religion is still important, making a case for why we need people to devote themselves to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-653","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\nMyth or Method in Religious Education<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"In a failed economy, at a time when several studies show interest in religion on the decline, why would anyone devote time, energy, and money to\" \/>\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\/rhetoricraceandreligion\/2014\/05\/myth-or-method-in-religious-education.html\" 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