Culture Quote of the Day - faith at a metalevel

"I will argue here that marginality describes exactly the subjective experience of people who are struggling with the total integration of ethnorelativism. They are outside all cultural frames of reference by virtue of their ability to consciously raise any assumption to a metalevel (level of self-reference). In other words, there is no natural cultural identity for a marginal person. There are no unquestioned assumptions, no intrinsically absolute right behaviors, nor any necessary reference group."

Milton Bennett, "Towards Ethnorelativism"

I have experienced the marginality that Bennett is talking about, in the faith context. Growing up within a particular faith context (a Swedish Baptist denomination in Minnesota), my original faith experience was ethnocentric, in the sense that what I "knew" of being Christian was only what I experienced in my setting. I was not aware that there were different interpretations of certain Biblical teachings, different ways of doing theology, different practices. I did not know that groups of Christians had different views of women in ministry (e.g., "complementarian" vs. "egalitarian"), or different interpretations and practices regarding drinking alcohol, the working of the Holy Spirit, observing the "Sabbath," baptism, church government, not to mention activities such as dancing, playing cards, and going to movies. 

Over time, as I began meeting Christians from different churches (ranging from Lutheran to Catholic to Pentecostal to Methodist to Anglican to Orthodox to Quaker), I became gradually aware of the range of difference of interpretation, theology, practice, lifestyle, etc. I was often "shocked" at first, by what other Christians (who I initially often thought of as "so-called 'Christians'" - how's that for breaking the exhortation to "judge not, lest you be judged"?!), but over time, as I got to know people, saw the depth and strength of their faith in Jesus and the quality of their life, I came to realize that there was a much wider range of working out "being Christian" than I had been aware of.

Now, to get back to Bennett's quote, I tend to see questions of "being Christian" at the metalevel he speaks of. I cannot hear someone say, "the Bible teaches," or "Christians must" or whatever, without thinking at the level of how other Christians might interpret the texts or teachings in question, or work out the practice. I am fine with a community of Christians saying, "we have decided that in our community, we will not drink alcohol" or “we do not have women as pastors” (or “we have women as pastors”), as long as they don't base their practice on "the clear teaching of the Bible," acting as if anyone who reads the Bible or claims to be Christian will necessarily agree with them. And the same can be said of baptism (whether to baptize infants or adults, etc.), how to do worship (what music to sing, what instruments to use, etc.), and so on. 

The upside is that I can feel fairly comfortable almost anywhere, appreciating opportunities to see different ways of Christians living out their faith in Jesus, love for God and love for others. The downside is that nothing is as simple or straightforward as before, it is harder to feel comfortable with Christians who are (ethnocentrically?) strongly self-confident in their interpretations and practices (this is an area in which I am still working at growing in “acceptance”), and it is harder to find a people to settle in with, because I appreciate and even long for the breadth of diversity that I have found to breathe life into my faith.

The thing I have found most positive, in encountering different Christians and being challenged to reevaluate my understanding of the Bible's teachings and of what it means to be Christian, is that I have been pushed to distinguish "cultural baggage" (which we all have - we can't escape being cultural) from the essence of being Christian (which I mean not in the religious or cultural sense, but in the sense of being of Jesus). That is the great treasure I have found in my “journey among different Others.”