YPD Books (York), 2019. 170 pages. £10.
Whitney’s expressed aim is ‘to find something positive to say from within the Jesus story’. He asks, of religions, ‘do their insights still mean anything at all now that the goalposts [of scientific knowledge] have moved so much?’ After an introduction, Part One of the book looks at questions arising for him from the Apostles’ Creed.
In chapter one, Whitney gives an overview of the range of insights – in science, culture and encompassing different sexualities and ethnicities – which now influence society’s thinking, and asks ‘can a faith system built almost entirely on patriarchal heterosexual male imagery have any chance of survival without radical rethinking?’ He goes on to describe the development of the creeds – and in particular the so-called Apostles’ Creed, which is the focus of this section of the book. He suggests that churches in general lock people into a limited series of assumptions – a series of absolute beliefs or ‘truths’ – even though he acknowledges that this is not universally so. He asks whether belief is really about God’s existence, or about commitment to a way of life seen in the Christian tradition. He starts from life as he experiences it – and seeks to find out if faith connects, using the Apostles’ Creed as a jumping off point.
In chapter two, Whitney engages with arguments about creation, and points out that humans through history have always tried to understand God in terms of their own culture and traditions. He goes on to point out that ‘the track record of religions and the reality of many contemporary churches are both frankly unimpressive’ in demonstrating God as ‘real’. As a result, he concludes that humanity alone should seek to make the world a better place.
In chapter four, Whitney focuses on Jesus’ crucifixion and death. He emphasises the importance of reflecting on Jesus as a victim of oppression and state cruelty, killed because of the way he lived and the message he shared – rather than seeing him as a tool in a greater plan by a God he does not believe in. Though he finds the resurrection stories unconvincing, he does see something important in the aftermath of the crucifixion – in helping human beings to understand the realities of other tragedies, the enduring value of life and the hope which often emerges.
In Part Two, Whitney develops a series of reflections providing his take on the lectionary set for three months in summer 2019, starting with Pentecost. Overall, this seems to be a book written to help Whitney articulate his journey to what he describes as a humanist spirituality within the Christian tradition – or perhaps to help him, and others adopting a realist perspective, to engage with wider society. It is readable, and sets out his thinking, but my experience is not his, and I did not find it convincing. However, you may.
Pauline Pearson is now Emerita Professor of Nursing at Northumbria University and a Team Vicar. The book is available from www.ypdbooks.com