Of Religion and Polemics

po·lem·ic /pəˈlemik/ noun plural noun: polemics

a speech or piece of writing expressing a strongly critical attack on or controversial opinion about someone or something. [i]

 

Even as the price of groceries is upward bound along with everything else (except wages), it seems that social encounters are still happening, at least for those who are healthy enough mentally or sufficiently extroverted to make the effort. High prices notwithstanding, these social occasions continue around food and drink. To me this is both a comforting thought and also a bit of concern. Comfort comes easily along with the term “comfort food.” Familiar food well prepared is reason enough to rejoice to high heaven for the great privilege of having enough tasty morsels to continue our habits – such luxury. For example, at latest Thanksgiving the mealtime guests and the turkey were almost coterminous.

Concern is more related to the places of our eating. Eating together, still a sentimental idea, may show up kind of noncommittally, like conversations that end with, “You’ll need to come over for dinner one of these days” or “drop by for coffee or a beer” or one of those equivalents. I can think of a couple open enders like that which are stretched out way too long. “We say it and then we don’t do it,” my wife lamented the other day. Exactly. Even while “we wish it weren’t so,” neighborhood insulation or isolation continues. We don’t come over to each other’s places.

There are variations on this, of course. In our case we are part of the church. Here the blanket wish statement about ‘get-together-sometime’ is almost being replaced with a new discovery. We have become an after-church lunch crowd in nearby restaurants! It is kind of in-groupish and informal, so the usual participants are easily gathered by whispered signals in the foyer (occasionally a guest invited); then we each get into our cars and join a little cavalcade. Presto, in 15 or 20 minutes we are assembled (reassembled) at the chosen eating place. Now we are in the larger crowd, neighborhood Sunday lunch! These after-church lunches follow a protocol: Everybody pays their own, usually men and women somewhat separated just to facilitate ease of conversation. Topics to avoid: the sermon we just listened to; the ongoing war in Gaza; the election going on in the U.S. (Canadian scene not necessary at the moment because we already know who are the Liberals, the NDP, or Conservatives in our circle). Topics okay: dental or medical appointment issues of the past week, sunshine holiday trips reviewed or being planned, and what the kids are up to, plus some CFL or NHL reports or World Series right now, final word usually provided by person with the loudest voice! 😐 That’s about $25 per person, tip included. We do like to keep up with one another and we also like to support our local economy! We do this because we can! Part and parcel of a societal trend, still not coming to each other’s places, but at least getting together.

I used to be pastor of a church with no building. This is 40 plus years ago, a new congregation in formation stage. Our worship life happened in a rented facility, and everything else in other places wherever two or three gather in my name (Matt.18:20). I would cheerfully frequently reference that scripture. Small groups for fellowship or study, committee meetings, and even occasional large group gatherings (eg Christmas Eve) all happened in our homes! In this lively environment, I would preach openly against Sunday restauranteering, saying it is no-fair to seat ourselves in those establishments on a Sunday, expecting chefs and waitresses to look after us. My reason? They too need a day of rest just like we had just enjoyed in our worship services. Now I smile to myself knowing that the people of today would smirk and wonder at the presumption of that young (or by now old) know-it-all. The good people of those years? They agreed. [Old bygone days, I know. Sigh!]

Of Religion and Polemics. The gaudy title of this post might suggest it will be a doctoral dissertation or something like that. Definitely not; it is merely the ponderings of my thinker again. The big title and the restaurant meals are two sides of the same coin! Seems to me (that’s as close I’ll come to saying “It is my thesis …”) that our yearning for fellowship and the avoidance of genuine encounters are but today’s version of a thirst that has been forever. Among the proclamations and idealisms of young preachers and the testy opinions of middle agers, or the experienced perspective of senior citizens, I am increasingly convinced that faith communities – whether they be churches, synagogues, mosques, gurudwaras, or people’s living rooms -  are all in pursuit of company, including Divine company. Religions, of whatever label, also in that pursuit.

Just yesterday I picked up a small freebie pamphlet entitled The Bible and the Protestant Reformation [ii] giving a brief and concise description of how Martin Luther, chosen by God, had been instrumental in availing the Bible for all to read, and thus to find the way to salvation through Jesus Christ, not the Roman Catholic Church. It is a Protestant statement about the Reformation. Within my faith commitment there are elements of precise agreement with this Trinitarian apologetic, but also something in this document that I must label as polemics. Things have changed in the 500 or so years after the16th century. [iii] A news article in Christian Century, August 12, 2008 is entitled “Lutherans to apologize for Anabaptist Persecution: Decision of Lutheran World Federation Council.” Yes, the initiators of Protestantism have extended an official apology to the Anabaptists for their participation in the killing of those who took Luther’s teachings seriously enough to celebrate the rite of adult Believers baptism, thereby removing themselves from membership in either Catholic or Protestant Church. This heartfelt apology is an example of honorable review; ongoing relationship with fellow pilgrims in the Christian faith and also people of other traditions. The Lutheran pastor, one of my friends in this corner of Calgary, is in full agreement with that new view of their Reformation history. Reading and relating to my neighborhood in this way is indeed a great satisfaction in my continuing faith journey.

Some time ago I read a book by an author named after my two sons (not at all true, but the author’s name is David Bentley Hart). [iv] 😅 Even if I was a little over-enthused by his name, I found this book quite informative, an overview of Christianity including the Early Church, the Gnostics, the Crusades’ encounter with Islam, Oriental and Western Church, Middle Ages, Reformation, to name but a few headings. [v] The Edicts, the reassigning of allegiances, persecution and warfare is a testimony of endless polemic. That historical rhetoric is ongoing and gravely illustrated especially now as I type these words just a few days before the U.S. Presidential election. Discussion topics in our fellowship circles aside; we must pray fervently for our American brothers and sisters.  "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10).

It is because of these observations and learnings that I find myself occasionally weary of routine habits like coffee klatches and rhetorical polemics, whether political, religio-political, or within our various and sometimes competing denominations of Christianity. There is much to learn, and much to repent of. This must therefore end with the same vision as my last blog. 

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away” (Revelation 21:1).

---

[i] Google. Oxford Languages.

[ii] A. Stoutjesdyk, Trinitarian Bible Society (London, England: William Tyndale House, 2017).

[iii] See Rev. Ruedi Reich, Inauguration of the Memorial Plaque to the “Anabaptist Martyrs of Zurich,” Gareth Brandt, Radical Roots (Morgantown, PA: Masthof Press, 2024), p 26.

[iv] David Bentley Hart, The Story of Christianity: A History of 2000 years of the Christian Faith (New York: Quercus, 2009).

[v] Ibid., Two chapter headings illustrate Hart’s interesting style, “The 19^th Century: A Time of Radical Doubt” p.306 and “The 19^th Century: A Time of Fervent Faith” p.314.