Maxie Dunnam on Adam Hamilton’s “Seeing Gray”

on April 9, 2013

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Former Asbury Seminary President Maxie Dunnam is one of the great elder statesmen of United Methodism, widely respected even by many who don’t share his evangelical beliefs. In a recent Facebook post, he offered this commentary on renowned Kansas mega church pastor Adam Hamilton.

SEEING GRAY IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE

Adam Hamilton is all over the news. His recent participation in the Inaugural Prayer Service at the National Cathedral introduced him to many outside the United Methodist world, which has expanded his audience. That public exposure inspired reporters and others to read and comment on his book, SEEING GREY IN A WORLD OF BLACK AND WHITE.

Almost at every turn, people are asking me about Adam and particularly about his book. I want to respond to what I believe inspires these questions, so this is not a book report. You can read the book.

First, a personal word about Adam. I have been amazed through the years, and pleased, at his leadership capacity, what he has accomplished, and his commitment to the church. Though there are issues about which we presently disagree, we have agreed most often. I see him as an earnest Christ follower, a visionary, a lover of the church, and what we might call an “evangelical” Christian (I even think he would appreciate that last descriptor!).

As he confesses, I have seen him change his position on some of the tough social issues of our day. I am deeply disappointed in some of the positions he has taken, but I want to affirm the dynamic of growing and changing. I believe that to live is to choose, and often to choose calls for change.

Why all the questions? I believe they reflect two characteristics of our present culture. One, we seem hopelessly divided on critical issues like abortion, same sex marriage, immigration, and criminal justice. Two, we have become destructively un-civil in our debate on these issues.

We are a polarized nation and our ever-hardening positions make us less and less willing to listen to one another. No one agrees on what to do about it. So at least the surface concern of Adam’s book strikes a responsive chord. He rightfully rejects the easy assumptions and sloppy analysis of black and white thinking, seeking instead what he believes is the truth that resides on all sides of the issues.

I see a huge problem in the language. The very title of the book is confusing to me. I don’t believe we need a greater capacity to “see gray.” I believe that’s a huge part of our problem…we see “gray” too readily. Now, I believe and I hope that when Adam talks about a “black and white world,” he is talking about how we communicate (our categories are so fixed and we have no respect for other opinions than our own). I just don’t see a black and white world…it all seems gray! In the pervasive situation of post modernity, personal feelings and experience are the final arbiters of Truth.

In fact, the pervasive notion is that in morality and ethics, there is no “black and white.” What seems to trump everything else is how I feel, how this satisfies me, what, whom and how I please to love. Every person must find his/her own way. And no one seems to believe Jesus’ admonition about the “narrow way,” The chief idolatry of this world of gray is personal autonomy; the individual is “god.”

Maybe we need a civil discussion, with love and grace, about seeing black and white in a world of gray? In such thinking we might concentrate more on TRUTH rather than right and wrong, or good and bad; in other words we might see Jesus “full of grace AND TRUTH.” And maybe, in the church at least, we would settle on some ground of authority for truth and grace, and at least for the Church, the Bible would be a good place to start…and the tradition of the Church would help, and the witness of faithful Christians through the ages!

Thanks, Adam, for fostering the discussion, but help us with the “truth” and “authority” question.

  1. Comment by johns79 on April 10, 2013 at 8:11 am

    I thought we quit doing truth and authority as it was affecting membership?

  2. Comment by cleareyedtruthmeister on April 10, 2013 at 9:54 am

    As usual, Maxie Dunnam hits the nail on the head. What he really points to is something that has been smoldering in the culture for a number of decades. Now postmodernity, which basically serves as justification for the old Biblical sin of thinking ourselves equal to God, is starting to catch fire. Authority is out the window. Truth is out the window. We are all getting burned. Too many Christians have been asleep at the switch.

  3. Comment by themondayprayer on April 10, 2013 at 1:11 pm

    Reblogged this on the monday prayer and commented:
    Rev. Maxie Dunnam’s thoughtful reply to Adam Hamilton’s “Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White”.

  4. Comment by sheyduck on April 10, 2013 at 4:13 pm

    One of the challenges might be that “truth,” when spoken (or claimed) by one within an established leadership of a traditional institution, is said, or heard, as being in ALL CAPS. This tends to have the effect (intended?) of being about pronouncement rather than relationship. If, however, this truth is situated where the NT situates it, in the person of Jesus (John 14:6) rather than any set of pronouncements, it seems to me to be better said without the all caps flair.

  5. Comment by jwlung on April 10, 2013 at 10:19 pm

    MAXIE, AS USUAL, IS GRACIOUS AND TRUTHFUL IN HIS COMMENTS ON HAMILTON’S BOOK. “SEEING GRAY . . .” IS FAR MORE FLAWED THAN MAXIE LETS ON. HAMILTON’S NEXT BOOK WILL HOPEFULLY BE TITLED: “WHEN ADAM GETS THINGS WRONG . . .”

  6. Comment by Andrew C. Thompson (@andrew72450) on April 11, 2013 at 1:24 pm

    This is quintessential Maxie Dunnam: charitable, catholic, and committed to articulating an orthodox theological viewpoint. As I have grown to know Maxie in recent years, I have been consistently impressed by his personality and witness. We need more like him in the church.

  7. Comment by Institute on Religion and Democracy on April 11, 2013 at 2:56 pm

    Hi Andrew,

    Thanks for sharing your very kind comment!

    Best,

    Mikhail Bell
    Juicy Ecumenism Moderator

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