A Stumbling Block or Living Stone?
Tonight we honored friends of ours as they celebrated the anniversary of the church they planted twenty years ago. Today it is a thriving congregation that has planted a host of churches and continues to reach out locally and globally. We have been in the trenches as friends throughout these many years weathering highs and lows together as we pursued God’s calling on our lives. It is through this relationship and the many more we have had along the way that show us what we value.
How do we come to believe in what we do? Where do our values come from?
According to Stephen Covey in his book “The 8th Habit”, “Values are social norms—they’re personal, emotional, subjective, and arguable…The question you must ask yourself is, are your values based upon principles? In the last analysis, principles are natural laws—they’re impersonal, factual, objective and self-evident. Consequences are governed by principles and behavior is governed by values; therefore, value principles!”[1] Our values dictate how we live our lives, but it is where we place our trust that sustains those values. One writer termed value as our “operating system” driving our everyday thoughts and behavior.”[2]
It is with this understanding of values that I delve into my reflections on Dominion by Tom Holland. Tom Holland is a masterful storyteller and reputable historical researcher. However, this book is not a book on Christian history, but rather a book that deems to find out how much of what we (specifically the Western World) believe comes from the role that Christianity has had throughout the centuries.
In my quest to find out more about Tom Holland, I found an interesting interview between Holland and AC Grayling, a New Athiest Luminary and Philosopher. Their basic debate was on whether Christianity formed societal thought throughout the centuries or whether Christianity was just one of many other religions and philosophies that formed thought (similarly held to by Joseph Campbell in A Hero With a Thousand Faces).[3] It was through this exchange that Holland summarized the main themes that Christianity has implanted in Western thought. “The lowest of the low do have a dignity” (as was displayed on Christ’s death on the cross amongst the vilest of criminals) and victims can triumph over those victimizing them.[4]
In my opinion, one of the strengths of Holland’s writing is that he does not sugar coat the struggles and discrepancies of these very values throughout the years. Christianity has had and continues to have its horrors to deal with due to its own human error and failure to adhere to the basic themes it promotes. As Holland states, “many of them (Christians), over the course of time, have themselves become agents of terror. They have put the weak in their shadow; they have brought suffering, and persecution, and slavery in their wake.”[5] And yet, these behaviors lay in direct opposition to the very claim of Christendom.
I am fascinated by Holland’s ability to articulate history in such a captivating way and draw the conclusions he does. However, knowing that he does not believe the basis of why Christianity is so powerful has me certainly perplexed. He is another Jordan Peterson, with an intellect so astute, he can debate easily and with confidence and yet misses the most elementary component of what he is promoting. His own personal takeaway is “a story told by a species that, as I knew from my own personal experience, cannot bear very much reality.”[6] How very sad. One can only hope that he finds Jesus to be more than a fictitious character.
I close with the powerful thought that Peter presents in 1 Peter 2:4-8:
“As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone and a stone that causes people to stumble and a rock that makes them fall. They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.” (1 Peter 2:4-8, NIV)
In summary, Christ himself will either be a stumbling block or a living Stone to those who come to him. Furthermore, those who believe in Him as the living Stone will become living stones to further His Kingdom values and purposes. And those values will continue to radically change us personally and affect society at large for as many more centuries as God allows. For this society should be grateful because whether they accept the living Stone or not, they reap more benefits than they would probably ever know to mention.
[1] Hugh Whelchel, “Are Biblical Principles Shaping Your Values?,” March 1, 2018, https://tifwe.org/biblical-principles-values-actions/.
[2] Hugh Whelchel.
[3] Joseph Campbell, A Hero with a Thousand Faces (Novato, CA: New World Library, 2008), https://www.google.com/search?q=a+hero+with+a+thousand+faces&rlz=1C5CHFA_enUS807US808&oq=a+hero+with+a+thousand+faces&aqs=chrome.0.0i355i512j46i512j0i512l4j0i22i30j69i60.4514j0j4&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:976681df,vid:Byli-Y8KonY.
[4] Tim O’Neill, “Review – Tom Holland ‘Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind,’” History for Atheists (blog), January 11, 2020, https://historyforatheists.com/2020/01/tom-holland-dominion/.
[5] Tom Holland, Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind (Abacus, 2019). 525.
[6] Tom Holland. 521.
About the Author
Esther Edwards
Esther has served in ministry leadership for over 35 years. She is an ordained minister, an ICF and CCLC certified coach, and licensed coach trainer. Her and her husband have launched their own coaching practice, Enjoy the Journey Leadership Coaching and seek to train ministry leaders in the powerful skill of coaching. Esther loves hiking, reading, and experiencing new coffee shops with friends and family. She enjoys the journey with her husband, Keith, their four daughters, sons-in-law, and their five beautiful grandchildren.14 responses to “A Stumbling Block or Living Stone?”
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What an honor to have ministry friends to encourage one another!!! You mentioned that Christ himself will either be a stumbling block or a living Stone to those who come to him. I imagine the many living stones that have furthered the work of the kingdom in the church plant you mentioned. So encouraging!!!
I appreciated the Holland’s historical account. So interesting. It reminded me of Foxe’s Book of Martyrs that was read earlier in the semester. Prayers as you approach the finish line in this journey.
Thank you, Cathy! Yes. The finish line is coming all too soon. Yet, I know somehow we will all get it done! Have a wonderful Christmas season!
Hi Esther,
I find it fascinating how easily we find inspiration in the heroes of stories, legends, and movies etc, as Joseph Campbell has so thoroughly explained, but find it difficult to have faith in the greatest story of all time. And, how easily we turn those unworthy of the title hero into one. That gets to your point. What we value we will worship whether it’s true or not. We can idolize history and not learn from it. I appreciated that Tom Holland didn’t sugarcoat anything. Did you feel that anything was missing from his account?
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Hi, Jenny,
Your point is so true. “What we value, we will worship whether it is true or not.”
You asked me what I thought was missing. Holland did not seem to highlight much of the virgin birth. Acknowledging the diety of Christ would challenge the case that Jesus was just a man whose philosophy changed the world. It is the mysterious transcendence of a Kingdom not of this world that is impossible to comprehend unless you have had the Holy Spirit open your understanding.
I think of Colossians 2:8: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, based on human tradition, based on the elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ.”
I too appreciated that “one of the strengths of Holland’s writing is that he does not sugar coat the struggles and discrepancies of these very values throughout the years.”
Your biblical take-away was really great. Jesus is the living stone and though people can chose whether they will believe Him, His impact is clear regardless.
It’s been great to do school with you these last 3 years. Reading your thoughts is always encouraging and nurturing. We’re almost done!
Yes! Almost done! Grateful for your insights through the last few years as well.
Have a wonderful Christmas season! One more chat to go.
Esther, what you have so consistently done over the last few years is bring us to Jesus. All of your blogs point to Jesus, and so does your life.
I have seen it. We all have. And we’re grateful.
What a joy and blessing you have been in my life.
Grace & Peace to you my friend.
Thanks so much for the encouragement. So thankful I have not lost my soul…ha! ha! So thankful for you as well and your many insights. One thing I saw in you was an insatiable curiosity to learn and grow. It is contagious. I know your work will impact many pastors to gain hope when they feel ready to throw in the towel.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Yes, I think a lot of what Holland was doing was a review of values- how different the values of mainstream society were before Christ appeared on the scene, and how values shifted after Christianity began to shape the culture. The difference of what we thought our leaders should look like (and what we strive to look like)
And, then we have the reality of when our stated values do not match our actual values, or the patterns behaviors- the origins of the scandals and shameful practices that I believe inspire the Post-Christian mindset. So much to unpack.
Agreed. So much to unpack. I certainly did my share of inspectional reading this semester so I plan to reread Dominion in the summer.
Have a wonderful Christmas!
Great post, Esther. Just last week, I had a conversation with my dad about how there seems to be several self-proclaimed atheists currently advocating for some of the same things Christians are advocating for. I thought of names like Jonathan Haidt and, more recently, Tom Holland. Actually, I don’t think I’ve heard Holland say he is an atheist, but I know his book is not meant to be an apologetic for the Christian faith [Holland say he wants to “study Christianity for what it can reveal, not about God, but about the affairs of humanity.” (Holland, 14)]. I told my dad that I think Holland’s book is actually, in many ways, the very thing Holland did not intend for it to be…..a modern apologetic for the Christian faith, even if he doesn’t claim to be a Christ-follower. His recounting of history and the way Christians cared for those on the margins compared to the culture (e.g., the Greco-Roman culture) around them is an apologetic in itself.
Merry Xmas, Esther! May the Lord give you strength and wisdom as you come to the end of your doctoral project, and I pray that your work impacts many!
Travis,
One of the things I have so enjoyed about this experience is reading outside of the evangelical realm. It gives so much understanding to our society and how the philosophies have evolved around us. I will miss the rich discussions of our cohort.
Merry Christmas to you too, Travis! I look forward to buying your book when it is published.
What I love about this post is the same thing I love about being your friend. Your deep love for the person of Jesus and your lived experience of truly knowing Him comes through. Thank you for consistently reminding us that all of this is far more than an intellectual exercise. Jesus is the reason for all of our NPOs and our ministries. Blessings, Esther!
So true! And I so appreciate your love for Jesus as well. It truly shines through with such confidence.
On to the finish line!