tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post8362242513815386932..comments2024-03-28T10:26:20.408-04:00Comments on Ponderings on a Faith Journey: Reason and FaithRobert Cornwallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04581876323110725024noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-8596072400971338382011-09-14T08:00:08.386-04:002011-09-14T08:00:08.386-04:00I think that reason does not persuade. What reaso...I think that reason does not persuade. What reason offers is an articulation of either that which is already perceived to be true, or that which the hearer suspects may be true on a semi-conscious or unconscious level or even perhaps that which the hearer hopes is true. <br /><br />The only time reason ever changes minds is when it is followed by otherwise surprising experiences which give credence to the reasoned analysis. As for the latter, I suspect that often the two, reasoned articulation followed by experiential confirmation, is serendipitous. And so was born the pious phrase, "there are no coincidences."<br /><br />So I suspect the responsibility of the preacher is to tease out and articulate the suspect truths about the will of God based real world developments or to prepare the listeners to accept and embrace truths about the will of God which may not yet be evident but which are about to be graphically affirmed by real world events.Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06245470576919732592noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22980286.post-49449864313841607452011-09-13T11:30:14.051-04:002011-09-13T11:30:14.051-04:00Bob, I can't speak to the main question you ra...Bob, I can't speak to the main question you raise. What comes to mind, however, is a set of questions that H. Grady Davis posed in his 1950s book "Design for Preaching." Among these questions are "Is it true? Do I believe it? Will my people believe it?" Davis then raises the more challenging questions: "So what? Even if it is true, what difference does it make?" By answering this second set of questions effectively, preachers move a long way toward persuading their hearers. Many years later, J.-J. von Allmen in another book on preaching recommends that preachers use "evidential experience" as a primary method. He means by this, as I understand him, reports of how people like those in the congregation have found life, meaning, wholeness, etc. by affirming the way of seeing things that the sermon has presented.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com