What does the Church need to learn
from Albert Einstein?
by Peter Sawtell, Executive Director, Eco-Justice
Ministries.
[posted here, with permission of the author, on
8-2-01]
There are many insights that we in the religious
community can gain from that frizzy-haired scientific genius. One lesson
is found in the birth of his theory of relativity.
For those of you who may be a bit rusty in your knowledge of modern
physics, relativity deals with the remarkable things that happen to
objects traveling at velocities close to the speed of light. The effects
include changes in mass and energy, and shifting perceptions of time.
His theory is at the heart of current scientific study ranging from
astronomy to> sub-atomic physics.
For several hundred years, Newtonian physics (named after Sir Isaac)
provided an accurate picture of the world, and its formulae yielded
precise predictions. But as the realm of scientific study expanded in
the late 1800s, Newton's theories fell apart. Einstein's mathematical
insights of 100 years ago were needed to provide shape and order for the
vastly more complex universe that was being discovered.
The physical rules of the universe did not change between 1685 and 1905.
Indeed, Newton's simple equations still work quite well for dealing with
everyday events. What did change were the experiences and the questions
of scientists. New theories were needed to explain whole new types of
experiences.
So what does Einstein have to do with the Church?
I think the Christian church today is in a bind similar to the physical
sciences around 1900 -- just before Einstein proposed the first parts of
his theory. We in the Church have had a meaningful and effective set of
answers for human experience and problems. The Church's proclamation of
Jesus Christ has helped people find order and meaning, and has answered
the most profound questions raised by people of faith. Christian
theology has supported the moral and ethical perspectives, and related
social and economic systems, that have become dominant around the world.
But our experience and our questions have grown. Changes in the last 50
years -- the doubling of Earth's human population, astounding advances
in medicine and technology, new concentrations of power in corporations,
expanding knowledge about complex environmental relationships -- have
pushed the human experience into new realms where our old answers don't
hold up. The theology and ethics that we have depended on still work at
the level of many personal relationships, but they are inadequate for
understanding how we fit into the complex relationships of a new and
larger whole.
Just as the sciences needed Einstein's insights to understand a changed
world, the Church needs new theological insights that will enable us to
make sense of a world that we experience in new ways.
Einstein's community had a pressing need to deal with the new problems
raised by the speed of light. Today's church has a pressing need to deal
with new problems that cluster together within the notion of
eco-justice. Our theology and ethics must be able to speak meaningfully
to a crowded, stressed world with a myriad of relationships. We must
find a faithful message that makes sense in the midst of contemporary
science, sociology and politics.
When Einstein discerned the theory of relativity, the physical sciences
burst to life with new discoveries and applications. As the Church
discerns expanded theological understandings, we, too, will find new
life, energy and relevance in our ministry.
+ + + + +
Pastor Michael Dowd wrote in the book Earthspirit:
The term 'gospel' literally means 'good news.' But
good news is truly good only if it is understood as a saving response
to specific bad news. The gospel has contemporary relevance only when
it inspires faith, hope and love in the face of the actual bad news of
our current situation. ... [A] growing number of theologians,
historians and others are suggesting that one reason for the church's
decline in numbers and cultural influence over the past hundred years
or more in the West may be that it has been offering 'good news' that
has been perceived as irrelevant news by the wider culture.
+ + + + +
Eco-Justice Ministries works to challenge church leaders -- clergy and
laity -- to seek new theological understandings that will encompass the
realities of today's world. We want to help churches find fresh vitality
in their ministries as they bring real good news that can address the
pressing bad news of environmental collapse and human injustice.
We are eager to share the stories and resources of
those who have worked creatively in that direction, and we are eager to
provide support and encouragement to those who are beginning the search.
Thank you for your involvement and support in this
exciting project for the renewal of the Church and the healing of God's
creation.
Shalom!
Peter Sawtell
Executive Director
Eco-Justice Ministries
| Eco-Justice
Ministries is an ecumenical, non-profit agency which works
with clergy and lay leaders to address two problems that we see
as closely related:
1) crises in the environment and social
justice, having impacts on both local communities and global
systems
2) in the light of those crises, the inability
of many churches to bring profound hope and prophetic insight
into their worship, education, pastoral care and outreach
We provide support and encouragement,
resources and education, to help churches claim "an
eco-justice theological perspective" at the heart of their
life and ministry. In a quest for relevant ministry and
effective social transformation, we bring together Christian
faith, social analysis, and a commitment to the integrity of
creation. |
