What Do You Do? Next Question Please
A few months ago while I was reading through Luke’s Gospel I noticed how Jesus wrapped up a statement that caused me to think, “Huh, I never noticed that.” To give some context, in this section of Luke 5:37-39, Jesus is cautioning his listeners about putting new wine in old wineskins, and at the end of his teaching he says, “And no one after drinking old wine wants the new, for they say, ‘The old is better.’” The chapter ends.
He doesn’t reprimand those who prefer the old wine, he just acknowledges the reality of how humans work sometimes and goes on about his day. I believe this passage may point to “familiarity bias”, which is one of the many biases Pragya Agarwal discusses in her book, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias. Agarwal says, “We are biased towards anything that is more familiar to us, as the repeated exposure is a sort of conditioning signaling about the lack of negative consequences and protecting against the fear of novelty.”[i] I know this happens with restaurants, brands, and people, so it is bound to happen with religious tradition. However, I could just be making this connection from an “illusory correlation” bias which perceives connections between variables where none exist![ii] No wonder some post moderns believe truth is forever evading us.[iii]
I have to acknowledge the unsettling feelings that come when your reminded, yet again, of just how much our unconscious minds are running the show when it comes to our judgements, emotions, and desires. Pragya Agarwal, Daniel Kahnman,[iv] Danial Lieberman,[v] and even Jim Wilder and Marcus Warner in Rare Leadership drive home the point that we are not as objective and do not have as much control as we would like to think we have.[vi]
However, our reading material never ends there, in fact one of the main points of Agarwal’s book is that we have a responsibility with not only our explicit biases, but our implicit prejudices and stereotypes as well. The biases that are subtle, unseen, and deeply ingrained into our unconscious either by birth or social conditioning. Agarwal argues, “It isn’t of value to debate whether implicit bias is more important than explicit bias, but what is crucial to acknowledge is that it exists, and that it can be more dangerous and harmful than overt forms of discrimination because often people who claim to be unbiased can also partake in discriminatory behavior without sometimes even being aware of it or considering it to be discriminatory.”[vii] I am actually going to pull sort of a “paraprosdokians” which bends expectations according to Agarwal.[viii]
One might expect me to talk about my race and ethnicity and the prejudices I’ve encountered growing up as a person of mixed race in a small country town and even how that shaped unique biases in how I stereotyped others in return, but I’m not! I am actually going to discuss the judgements I’ve felt as a pastor and the stereotypes I’ve assumed in other ministers. I am aware that this “ministry” stereotype pales in comparison to many of the biases mentioned in Sway that revolve around gender, race, and sexual orientation. Especially when it brings harm, but Pragya makes a good point when she says, “In essence, stereotypes of any sort are bad-even if they are positive-because they lead to group-based biases, and they give out the message that people can purport to know everything about an individual based on their group.”[ix]
It is not uncommon for many of us pastors in Southern America to avoid or hesitate telling people we are ministers because of the stereotypes involved. Some assume we are judging their actions, are close minded, anti-intellectual, and despise this “woke” culture. There have been countless times during a conversation with a stranger or when reacquainting with an old friend that something observable changed when the ministry cat was out of the bag. Their language changed, they usually apologized for “swearing earlier”, and they assumed all kinds of things about my worldview and beliefs if the conversation continued at length. To be honest, I’ve been guilty of doing some of the EXACT same things with other ministers I’ve met. I’ve stereotyped and assumed things about them because they were ironically associated with the same group, I am.
What is the remedy to all our biases?
According to Pragya, the remedy to our implicit biases is awareness, reflection, diverse relationships, education, and effort. Bias is something that effects everyone, all races, political parties, cultures, religions, genders, and sexual orientations. I don’t see us putting forth the necessary effort to take responsibility for our implicit biases, since it truly is work and can be uncomfortable without a certain type of love ethic. I admire Jesus’ ability to break people’s biases about Rabbi’s through his actions and his willingness to bring “new wine” that would not fit within prevailing stereotypes about religious leaders and systems in his day.
I am asking myself what this looks like for 21st century religious leaders in the nitty gritty. Pragya Agarwal believes, in general to name a few, it means changing language and attitudes, positive discrimination, and criticisizing microagressions which I know is considered unreasonable for some and perfectly reasonable for others. I think many of these are valid suggestions and others I am still processing.
[i] Agarwal, Pragya, Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias, London: Bloomsbury Sigma, 2021, 185.
[ii] “Conversation with ChatGPT.” Chat with AI. March 14, 2024.
[iii] Hicks, Stephen Ronald Craig. Explaining Postmodernism: Skepticism and Socialism from Rousseau to Foucault. Expanded edition. Redland Bay, QLD: Connor Court Publishing Pty Ltd, 2019.
[iv] Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. 1st pbk. ed. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2013.
[v] Lieberman, Daniel Z. Spellbound: Modern Science, Ancient Magic, and the Hidden Potential of the Unconscious Mind. Dallas, TX: BenBella Dooks, Inc, 2022.
[vi] Warner, Marcus, and E. James Wilder. Rare Leadership: 4 Uncommon Habits for Increasing Trust, Joy, and Engagement in the People You Lead. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2016. 19.
[vii] Agarwal, Sway, 398.
[viii] Ibid.,18.
[ix] Ibid., 138.
About the Author
Adam Harris
I am currently the Associate Pastor at a church called Godwhy in Hendersonville, TN near Nashville. We love questions and love people even more. Our faith community embraces God and education wholeheartedly. I graduated from Oral Roberts University for undergrad and Vanderbilt for my masters. I teach historical critical Biblical studies at my church to help our community through their questions and ultimately deepen their faith. I love research, writing, learning, and teaching. I oversee our staff and leadership development. Before being at Godwhy I worked as a regional sales coach and director for Anytime Fitness. I've been married for over 13 years to my best friend and we have two amazing boys that keep us busy.14 responses to “What Do You Do? Next Question Please”
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Well, you pulled out a quote that was very convicting: Implicit bias “can be more dangerous and harmful than overt forms of discrimination because often people who claim to be unbiased can also partake in discriminatory behavior without sometimes even being aware of it or considering it to be discriminatory.” Similar to you, the first example that comes to my mind is the assumptions I make about my more conservative brothers and sisters. Thanks, Adam, you’ve given me something to think about (and repent of!).
Thanks for the response Kim, seems like no one is off the hook when it comes to implicit bias. We all have something to think about and work on!
Hi Adam,
You wrote, ” To be honest, I’ve been guilty of doing some of the EXACT same things with other ministers I’ve met. I’ve stereotyped and assumed things about them because they were ironically associated with the same group, I am.”
Ahhh…human Fast 1 behavior.
As a baby boomer, I wonder if my biases are influenced by a less sensitive generation. I was thinking about it the other day. I don’t identify as an Asian American male. I haven’t lived in an Asian Environment for the last 40 years. I guess I am a banana, yellow on the outside and white on the inside – a quote from Hawaii State Senator Hiram Fong ( about my generation).
In my short research I discovered. Lawrence White, “Microaggressions: A Critique of the Research | Psychology Today,” Psychology Today, accessed March 15, 2024, https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/culture-conscious/201805/microaggressions-critique-the-research.
He writes:
1. Subtle insults occur—and some of them are surely motivated by racial prejudice—but choosing to call these slights “microaggressions” was a mistake.
2. It’s proven difficult to achieve consensus about whether a particular act is a microaggression or not.
And perhaps something NEW for the debate.
3. Finally, Lilienfeld says microaggression researchers have largely ignored the role of negative emotionality. Negative emotionality (NE) is “a pervasive temperamental disposition to experience aversive emotions of many kinds, including anxiety … hostility, irritability, and perceived victimization” (Lilienfeld, 2017, p. 153). Persons with high levels of NE tend to be vigilant, judgmental, and prone to interpreting ambiguous stimuli in a negative light.
hmmm…Negative Emotionality. Something to think about.
Shalom…
Thank you Russell, “microagressions” are what I struggle with the most. I feel like almost anything could be labeled a microagression. It makes me wonder if it also fosters more of a senisitiviy to interpret innocent words and behaviors as an assult which could dissolve potential relationships. Never heard of NE thanks for sharing that.
Thanks for your post Adam….the whole area of religious bias is an interesting area. My wife and I used to joke that we were the worst couple to invite to a party–a pastor and a counsellor! Nothing kills a conversation like someone’s explicit or implicit bias that my wife and I are simultaneously judging them and evaluating their deeper psychological motivations. Stay away from them! I’ve thought about this from an intersectionality point of view as well. On the one hand, I am a straight, white, male….dominant, dominant, dominant. But I am also a person of faith: specifically an Evangelical (minority…about 4% of the population of Vancouver area), one who holds to a more historical view of human sexuality (major minority in Canada). This religious belief comes with major negative bias in my context (To be clear: not pulling out the ‘persecution’ card as some are in the habit of doing). And if you are a follower of Jesus, you tend to believe in objective truth, and you likely believe you are ‘right’ and other worldviews are wrong. Is that a bias? Or a conviction? Do all of our beliefs/convictions (including our religious ones) lead to bias? Is all bias bad? Lots of questions left after reading this book…and some of them specifically related to religious bias. Thanks for stimulating my thinking further.
Thanks for your response Scott and for sharing some details about your life. Ill keep that in mind at the graduation party. lol Actually we are in a similiar boat, I’m a pastor and my wife is a special investigator with a degree in pyschology. She regularly takes courses on how to tell if people are lying. Fun stuff at dinner time!
Your context in Canada sounds similiar to Kim’s in France. They are very much the religious minority in that area. I am in the American south surrounded by Christian churches on each side who hold strict biblical doctrines which impacts issues surrounding sexuality and marriage. Our church is much more open on that issue which puts us in a unique spot here in the South. Yes, lots of questions with our readings! Enjoying it though. Thanks for the response.
I have experienced that my greatest growth has been when I am not in a comfortable place. It’s not just showing up in diverse situations is staying there. For me it’s being in relationship that transforms my heart away from implicit bias.
I couldn’t agree more. Our growth usually comes while we are uncomfortable! Although I see the value of safe spaces and having them from time to time. I also wonder if it creates a mentality that conditions people to avoid uncomfortable contexts, situations, and conversations. I also struggle with microaggressions. They are real, but I feel they can go overboard as well. Still thinking through this stuff and trying to find the balance in it all.
Adam,
I appreciate how you highlighted the judgments you have endured as a minister. I don’t think many pastors get enough warning or training in how to manage such situations and it can take a toll. I watched my husband suffer through some really challenging times because of unfair judgements and stereotypes. Missionaries struggle as well with unfair ideas of what a missionary should be or do, lifestyle choices, etc. just to name a few. What has helped you move through those challenging times and situations in which stereotypes and bias were clearly at play?
I bet you both have experienced some of that on the mission field. I know Americans have expectations for pastors and ministers, I’m curious what kind of expectations Asian culture has for them. What type of expectations did yall experience there? At this point I just embrace who I am and joke around which usually puts people at ease. Humor is a powerful thing! That was part of my own earlier bias for some reason, pastors need to be serious and uptight. Not so!
What I have heard during my workshops from pastors and found in my research (and from our own experience) is that unrealistic expectations(particularly regarding their time), no time for self-care, spiritual renewal and rest translates into a lot of pressure to perform and produces a lot of burnout. In an Asian context this is probably related to saving face… the busier you are the more productive you are and if the church is growing and doing well then the pastor is saving face for the entire congregation(saving face is an in-group thing). I’m not sure that’s any different from what pastors deal with in the US, but in general social-emotional-spiritual and even physical care of pastors is not a priority. Taking time off for yourself or having other interests outside of church can come across as negligent and therefore judged and criticized. Some of the expectations are self-imposed but many can be contributed to pressures from the congregation or boards, and in our case at times judgments from other missionaries. There are a lot of “shoulds” in ministry no matter where you are located!
Thank you for sharing that, your right it sounds like America and Asia are pretty similar in a lot of ways. Thats interesting about “saving face” for the congregation and yes, there are alot of “should’s” rolling around up there in ministry.
Adam,
I love this post. The old wine analogy was brilliant. I also appreciate you sharing the challenges that you have faced as a Pastor. It’s so important to acknowledge that biases and prejudice exist beyond race. Thank you for your transparency.
Thanks for the reply! Yeah every now and then you read something you’ve read 100 times before and something new just jumps out. Implicit bias is everywhere and in all arena’s and I know I’m guilty. Also, I have not listened to your sermon yet, but looking forward to hearing it!