The Doctrine of FAQ

by

June 12, 2020

We have this coffee maker that was leaking and I consulted the owners guide frequently asked questions (FAQ). There is something satisfying about FAQ’s in my life. Not only do I get the satisfaction by getting an answer to my question, I feel normal because I discover that the problem that I have is not unique to me. Others have had the problem and have asked the question so often that smart people generated a list of these questions and provided satisfying answers. FAQ’s are great for coffee makers, but not for Christianity.

Many of us in the Christian faith approach the faith as a sort of ultimate FAQ. As though the Bible is a set of Jeopardy board answers and all we have to do is find the correct question:

“The Lord is my Shepard” - What is security?

“Do not worry about tomorrow.” - What should I do with my anxiety?

I am asked for scripture for a number of situations all of the time. It is not a problem that we turn to the Bible for guidance but the Bible is not an FAQ. It is not “Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth.” It is more a little library curated over centuries than a single book written on one subject.

Many times we turn to the Christian faith as a sort of FAQ on what is happening in their life and the world. It makes sense to look to tradition for guidance because we can learn from the past, but we are not held hostage to the past.

It is not just the Bible that is treated as a FAQ, it is also Christian doctrine. It is assumed that there are some questions that have been asked over the years, for instance, “What did the death of Jesus do?” There is a lot of Christian doctrine that attempts to answer this question. There are some very good responses to these questions. Doctrine is helpful and very informative, however doctrine is not an FAQ the the Christian faith.

Doctrine is a point of entry to the faith, not the point of arrival. Doctrine is a street that takes you to new places, not a cul-de-sac of certainty. It is a thought and responses to life’s questions using a Christian perspective, but the Christian perspective is not monolithic. There is no singular “Christian Perspective”. Do not let anyone tell you that this must mean that if there is not a singular Christian perceptive, then it must mean that ALL perspectives are Christian. This is a false choice because clearly there are many perspectives that are not Christian (colonialism, imperialism, racism, antisemitism, homophobia, xenophobia, sexism, patriarchal, consumerism, etc.).

I offer up one Christian perspective on doctrine - doctrine is not a FAQ and it is harmful to all to treat it as such.

The Rev. Jason Valendy, along with his wife the Rev. Estee Valendy, serves as co-pastor of Saginaw United Methodist Church in Saginaw, Texas This post is reprinted with permission from his blog, JasonValendy.net.