The Religious Revolt Against Reasonby L. Harold DeWolf, 1949 Book review by William B. Lindley
This book by a moderate Christian offers us a good look at the anti-rational streak in Christianity, from Paul's time to the mid-20th century. It is not confined to what we call fundamentalism, overemphasis of the Bible. It includes all Christians who "doubt the right of reason to judge between truth and error in affirmations of Christian belief." While irrationality dates from the New Testament itself (e.g., Matt. 11:25, I Cor. l:20-23) and Tertullian (155-222 CE), the focus is on the backlash against the Enlightenment, and the primary figure here is Kierkegaard (1813-1855). Twentieth-century carriers of Kierkegaard's message include Karl Barth, Emil Brunner, and Reinhold Niebuhr. Original Sin is the key to the revolt, the idea that reason is hopelessly unreliable. Reason here is not just formal logic and critical method; it includes common sense, practical living and real-world values. Kierkegaard revolted against all of this. Some of the charges Kierkegaard makes against reason: objectivity is both unchristian and unattainable; faith in reason is idolatry; reason never attains certainty; doubt is caused by sin; open- mindedness postpones decisions indefinitely; trust in reason necessitates denial of the paradoxical Christian gospel. The author answers these objections to his satisfaction, and maintains that reason and Christian faith are not just compatible; they are necessarily allies. His idea of a reason that is compatible with faith is "all-round coherence", a rationality that is comprehensive, not compartmentalized. The author's primary influence is Edgar S. Brightman. A thorough treatment of the kind of challenge that freethinkers might make is not in the book. I find the book to be valuable as an accessible summary of the "high-church" irrationality provided by Kierkegaard. We may too easily dismiss fundamentalist rhetoric as ravings of lunatics. Kierkegaard gives us more to think about. The book is probably not available in your local bookstore; this review serves more to remind our readers of the issues and of the people who dealt with them.
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