On the Importance of Evidence for an Emerging Faith

What is the meaning of evidence in an emerging faith in Jesus Christ?

To start moving toward an answer to this question, perhaps it is wise to briefly consider the role of evidence in more traditional faith circles. Perhaps the most influential text in this regard is Josh McDowell’s mega popular, Evidence that Demands a Verdict (EDV).

In the Preface of EDV, McDowell begins by asking: “Is Christianity credible?” “Is there an intellectual basis for faith in Jesus Christ as Son of God?” What does credible and intellectual mean in the context of the book? In McDowell’s words, “For me, Christianity was not a ‘leap into the dark’ but rather ‘a leap into the light.’ I took the evidence that I could gather and put it on the scales. The scales tipped the way of Christ being the Son of God and resurrected from the dead.” Thus, we might uncontroversially say that McDowell has staked the credibility and intellectual soundness of faith in Jesus Christ on evidence behind the text.

The significance of historical evidence is decisive for traditional faith circles. Evidence validates faith in Christ, so much effort goes into trying to confirm the facts behind the text, as McDowell’s book does an excellent job. This kind of apologetic exercise, however, is quickly loosing currency among emerging followers of Christ. Why? Because it is rooted in the “modern” interpretational context, where highly rationalized systems of thought provided a sense of certitude about one’s faith in God. Today, for growing numbers of Christians, this no longer makes sense. We are emerging into a new interpretational context were claims to certainty and objectivity are suspect.

With the emphasis on the evidence behind the Holy Bible, the concrete details of the text itself increasingly meant little in the “modern” context. For those of an emerging stripe, more significance is placed on the words and stories of the Bible, while the facticity behind the text is deemphasized. What is important in this context is how Jesus’ parables, for instance, give us meaning by drawing readers of the Bible into the message of the kingdom of God.

So: In this new context, the validating evidence isn’t behind the text. The Holy Bible is the evidence and what validates it is the transformative power of the stories and parables themselves.

To return to the question at hand, what is the role that evidence should play in an emerging faith in Jesus Christ?

Evidence behind the text should not be privileged over the text itself. An emerging faith in Jesus does not stake its credibility and intellectual validity on material evidence. Living in a faithful relationship with Christ is not a matter of getting accurate evidence or testing a hypothesis.

So, I propose that evidence should play at least two roles in an emerging faith.

One role is to continue using behind the text evidence as a mode of apology for post-evangelicals trying to relate to traditional faith circles. Behind the text evidence, in this sense, is a practical bridge between paradigms. But to be clear, using evidence in this manner should be seen as a missiological strategy or resource. The evidence is neither a means of proving your faith in Jesus nor is it a means of accounting for the credibility and intellectual integrity of Christianity.

A second role for evidence in an emerging faith in Jesus is to faithfully and creatively interweave a reading of the Bible with our everyday lives such that the light of our way bears genuine fruit toward the kingdom of God. In this new context, fashion yourself into a living parable of Jesus’ love, mercy and service toward your neighbor and enemy.

In short, the role for evidence as a missiological resource in an emerging faith is to carry the good news of God’s kingdom into the postmodern condition and to reach back and help our brothers and sisters in Christ to ascend the mountain of the Lord together with us.