Over in the Wall Street Journal, they’re running a Celebrity Death Match between Richard Dawkins and Karen Armstrong. The topic: “Evolution, Science, and Where God Fits In.”
Dawkins will be arguing the pro-common-sense side, which leaves Armstrong having to defend, well, read for yourself:
Darwin made it clear once again that—as Maimonides, Avicenna, Aquinas and Eckhart had already pointed out—we cannot regard God simply as a divine personality, who single-handedly created the world. This could direct our attention away from the idols of certainty and back to the “God beyond God.”
I am pretty sure that “divine personality” is an oblique way of calling someone “ugly.” I am not sure what this has to do with the debate.
As Dawkins points out, most religious people do indeed think that god single-handedly created the world. (Although it’s true that some ultra-liberal protestants think he had help from the unions, most neo-Hellenists believe that Chaos arose spontaneously, and Scientologists are confident that thetans brought the world into being for their own pleasure.)
I am also pretty sure that “god beyond god” is one of those nonsense terms that is used to confuse small-minded people. (“That sounds deep, so it must mean something!”)
The best theology is a spiritual exercise, akin to poetry. Religion is not an exact science but a kind of art form that, like music or painting, introduces us to a mode of knowledge that is different from the purely rational and which cannot easily be put into words.
Sure, except that music and painting don’t tell you things like “use contraception and you’ll go to hell” or “draw a picture of Mohammed and we’ll kill you” or “god hates fags.” (Speed metal band Gød Hätes Fägs being, of course, a notable exception.)
We should also appreciate her “cannot easily be put into words” cop-out, as it’s useful in many other contexts:
BOSS
Why weren't you at work yesterday?
JOEL
There's a reason why, but it's different from the purely rational, and it can't easily be put into words.
BOSS
Were you sick?
JOEL
No, that's kind of an idol of certainty. I'd say I was the "sick beyond sick."
BOSS
What the hell does that mean?
JOEL
It's a kind of art form, akin to poetry!
BOSS
I hate poetry. You're fired.
OK, maybe it’s not that useful.
Anyway, I think we can all agree that Armstrong’s defense of the “nonsense” position is valiant. Is there any way we can reward her, say with a TED Prize?
Fiction is indeed a kind of art form.