The Creative Role of Doubt in Religion

Author Information

  • Author: Robert M. Baird

  • Published In: Journal of Religion and Health, Vol. 19, No. 3 (Fall, 1980), pp. 172-179

  • Published by: Springer

  • Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/27505571

  • Accessed: 01-08-2016 07:52 UTC

Abstract

This essay presents four arguments in favor of the creative role of doubt in religion:

  1. Creative doubt acknowledges human finitude.

  2. Creative doubt vitalizes fundamental beliefs.

  3. Creative doubt challenges the adequacy of religious symbols and prevents idolatrous worship.

  4. Avoidance of doubt signifies a relinquishment of freedom and a dehumanizing quest for certainty.

Opening Scenario

  • A college student expresses distress over the professor's encouragement of creative doubt.

  • The student feels that this process, while valuable, is painful.

  • The professor's advocacy for creative doubt prompts students to critically evaluate their core ethical, political, and religious beliefs.

Historical and Fictional Frameworks

To provide context, the essay contrasts two figures:

  1. Socrates - Historical figure known for his commitment to critical examination of life.

    • Key Principle: "The unexamined life is not worth living" (Plato's Apology).

    • Socratic dialogues exemplify the importance of questioning fundamental beliefs, as shown in the dialogue with Euthyphro, who is challenged to rethink piety.

    • Socrates viewed himself as a gadfly, stimulating critical evaluation of life’s principles.

  2. St. Emmanuel - Fictional character from Miguel de Unamuno's work, “St. Emmanuel the Good, Martyr.”

    • Described as a loving parish priest who deeply connects with his community, providing emotional support and helping villagers confront their mortality.

    • Eventually, Emmanuel becomes disillusioned with certain religious doctrines but prioritizes the happiness of his parishioners over the painful truths of faith.

    • He believes it is better for people to hold comforting but potentially contradictory beliefs than to face the unease of doubt.

Conflict Between Truth and Happiness

  • This highlights the longstanding conflict between the pursuit of truth (Socrates) and the pursuit of happiness (Emmanuel).

  • Possible Resolution: Different contexts require different approaches. The engagement with doubt may be suitable for students but not for simpler communities where faith provides critical emotional sustenance.

Four Arguments in Defense of Creative Doubt

1. Acknowledging Human Limitations

  • Concept of Fallibilism: Introduced by Charles Sanders Peirce, asserting that humans are fallible and unable to attain absolute certainty; knowledge claims exist in a continuum of uncertainty.

  • This notion applies to scientific methodology and extends to philosophy and theology, where doubt encourages the reevaluation and alteration of beliefs in light of new evidence.

  • Connection to Faith:

    • Faith is seen as a commitment to ultimate concerns and necessarily involves cognitive affirmation.

    • Paul Tillich underscores that doubt is integral to the structure of faith, suggesting that the acknowledgment of possible error is essential.

  • Example from Bronowski’s film "The Ascent of Man": A plea against dogmatic certainty illustrated through a narrative about humility in the face of human fallibility.

2. Keeping Fundamental Beliefs Alive

  • Creative doubt acts as a catalyst for evaluating and revitalizing basic beliefs, preventing them from becoming stagnant dogmas.

  • Most beliefs are inherited; without challenge, they may lose significance.

  • Example from Emory University during the 1960s, where T.J. Altizer’s death of God theology prompted renewed engagement with fundamental beliefs among students.

  • Without doubt, beliefs risk being unexamined; confronting such doubt leads to personal ownership of beliefs.

3. Challenging the Adequacy of Religious Symbols

  • Religious language often revolves around symbols, analogies, and myths that aspire to express the ultimate concern but can never do so perfectly.

  • Tillich states that symbolic language is essential because finite realities can only point towards the infinite.

  • Acknowledging this inadequacy of religious symbols necessitates doubt regarding their comprehensiveness, encouraging continued refinement of religious language.

  • The potential for idolatry arises when individuals cease to critically evaluate the symbols that reflect their faith, leading to worship of the symbols instead of the divine they represent.

4. Challenging the Quest for Certainty

  • The quest for certainty often leads individuals to relinquish their personal freedom in exchange for the comfort of accessible answers.

  • Dostoevsky’s "The Grand Inquisitor" illustrates this point, wherein the Inquisitor critiques Christ for burdening humanity with the responsibility of freedom.

  • The irony is that seeking certainty often results in the loss of genuine responsibility; the pursuit of creative doubt retains the essence of human freedom.

Conclusion

  • The four arguments presented support the necessity of creative doubt as a means to acknowledge human limitations, revitalize fundamental beliefs, combat idolatry, and resist the urge for certainty.

  • It emphasizes the importance of balancing commitment to core beliefs with an openness to reevaluation, as articulated by thinkers such as Bertrand Russell and Paul Tillich.

  • Accepting doubt as a part of the human experience integrates courage into the pursuit of knowledge and belief, ultimately enhancing one's humanity.