Principled liberalism
A Speaking Out column
by Dennis R. KoehnPrint Article Email to a Friend
I have been a liberal all my life. I grew up in the Bethel College Mennonite Church in North Newton, Kan., and assumed all Mennonites were liberal.
About 10 years ago my former pastor, John Esau, shared a story. Leroy Friesen, a teacher at Associated Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Elkhart, Ind., had given a series of lectures at Bethel College. Upon returning to Elkhart, he apparently described Bethel College as the only community in North America that was “self-consciously proud of its liberalism.”
I was shaped by this liberal Mennonite theology. As a child I observed people’s actions, their lived theology: Women were competent and had meaningful leadership roles in the church and its institutions. My mother, Louise Duerksen Koehn, was the first woman deacon in our church. Mennonites had strong opinions on public policy and sought to influence the government. My friend Jim Juhnke ran for the U.S. Congress around 1970. Mennonites sought to create a better life for others in this world. Many people left my community to work with Mennonite Central Committee oversees in fields such as education, health care and agricultural development. Most people in my world lived healthy lives, with modest amounts of anxiety and guilt. Church was a setting for learning, joy, worship and fellowship. Many people in my congregation rallied to my support when I refused to register for the draft during the Vietnam War.
Theology also was articulated in my congregation: God is caring, present and generous. Jesus is a wise teacher, fervent prophet and one to be followed in this world. The church is a place to care for people and a launching pad for mission in the world. The world is a good place with a few areas of brokenness that need to be mended. Other races and cultures are part of God’s family. Individual conscience is reliable and can be trusted. Service and peacemaking are major parts of the mission of the church.
Principles: As a principled liberal, I have roots in foundational principles: interdependence, justice, respect, compassion, service, nonviolent peace building and community. Promoting these values is more important than converting people of other faiths to Christianity.
Commitment to growth and change. Other principles include respect for diversity and pluralism, zest for working with complexity, respect for the resources of the biblical tradition but not limited to it, interest in the humanity of Jesus and understanding his teaching and ethics, an awareness of the contribution of the human imagination to all theology, awareness that the church is a human institution with strengths and weaknesses.
All sectors of the theological spectrum have identifiable strengths. Here are a few that are good matches for liberals:
Family: raising children for global identity and involvement, creating marriages based on equality and mutuality, embracing nontraditional families.
Vocation: working in complex economic, social and political settings; working in professional roles in urban and multinational settings; interdisciplinary roles such as pastoral counseling, church mediation and community development.
Leadership: leading and staffing liberal arts colleges, leading large and complex institutions (including large and diverse congregations), facilitating consensus building among diverse groups, creating leadership opportunities for women, involvement in interfaith dialogue and projects, designing initiatives for peace and justice, guiding the spiritual growth of Christians who feel confined by orthodox beliefs and practices.
Analysis and synthesis: work that requires systems thinking: family, economic, communications, transportation, political, social and ecological systems; integrating the truth claims of religion and science.
While many liberals feel marginalized within Mennonite congregations and institutions, we make valuable contributions as long as we are respected. If the national mood is more influenced by fear and anxiety and if more Americans look to tradition for anchors, more pressure may be exerted to marginalize and “shun” liberals. However, if more Americans come to see the complexity of current ethical, economic, political and ecological challenges, the analysis and involvement of liberals may become more highly valued.
Related Resources
Discussion Guides:
Current Stories
Articles
News stories, digests and Meno Acontecer
- MennoMeet.com launches for singles
- Miriam Martin, conference minister, dies at 64
- Conference pursues greener gatherings
- Philhaven CEO announces resignation
- CMU top in sustainable commuting
- Boulder Church gives back part of JoinHands gift
- Greensburg Mennonite celebration postponed
- EMM’s Global Fair draws record crowd
- Vietnamese conference meets in Virginia
- Eight CPT trainees arrested during mock trial
- Miller named editor of OurFaith
Columns
Readers Say
- False religious systems
- How we support the war
- The legacy of CPS
- The legacy of CPS II
- And on earth peace
- Missional and Mennonite
- Missional and Mennonite II
- Mennonites and the Roman Catholic Church
Additional Notes
Dennis R. Koehn is a member of Assembly Mennonite Church, Goshen, Ind.
The views expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent the official positions of The Mennonite, the board for The Mennonite, Inc., or Mennonite Church USA.
Subscribe
As a "principled liberal" within the Mennonite Church, how do you deal with the homosexuality issue doctrinally and pastorally?
Here is part of a presentation I gave at Central District Conference in 2006. First Understanding Some people move into same-sex attraction and relationships as ways of coping with childhood abuse and deprivation. Many people are seriously wounded in childhood and adolescence and they struggle to find ways to survive. Same-sex attraction and intimacy may be coping strategies that work for a while, but are later found to be empty and incomplete. These are the themes I find in materials from Exodus International and Day Seven Ministries, who work with men and women who want to change from same sex attraction to opposite sex attraction. Years ago as a mental health professional I learned how children often adapt to the chaos and trauma of an alcoholic parent. Some become family heroes, scapegoats, mascots, lost children, and enablers; some become workaholics, martyrs, perfectionists, caretakers, people-pleasers, and persons who avoid commitments. These are often referred to as co-dependent roles and behaviors. These roles and behaviors help ease the pain and manage the trauma. But later in life the old roles and behaviors become too limiting, rigid, and confining. It is time for re-examination, healing, and transformation. In a similar way, some persons who feel same-sex attraction need healing and transformation that will open them to the possibilities of healthy heterosexual relationships with intimacy, depth, and commitment. Another facet of this understanding is my growing awareness of women who experience significant pain as adults in relationships with men or pain from the lack of relationship. Some give up on men and seek companionship, intimacy, and commitment with women. I don’t know this life journey very well. My sense is that the women on this journey are biologically oriented toward heterosexual relationships, but abuse, trauma, or unfulfilled hopes have led to disillusionment and a decision to turn from pain with men to the hope of fulfillment in relationships with women. I can imagine the anger and rage that some women feel after repeated experiences of pain and disappointment. I can see how this might lead to a militant feminism and critique of patriarchal institutions such as the Christian church. I’m not sure how the church can be an agent of healing and hope for women with this life experience. Perhaps the best we can do is ask, “How can we as a church be a source of healing, hope, and community for you?” This might involve a lot of compassionate listening and perhaps a few men who are willing to hear and acknowledge the anger, pain, and rage felt by our sisters. Second Understanding In the process of conception, development, and birth God has created some persons with same-sex attraction. They are destined to forever embody an alternative perspective on human identity and intimacy. They see life through eyes that may perceive new and creative possibilities. They may contribute to families, church, and communities in unique and special ways. They are like the left-handed baseball players who bring unique advantages to the positions of pitcher, hitter, and first-base player. We as the church have the opportunity to recognize the perspectives and gifts of these same-sex oriented brothers and sisters. We can welcome them and celebrate their contributions to the community of faith. I have talked with two members of my congregation who have researched the scientific studies on sexual orientation. They have found that about 3-4 percent of males are exclusively gay and about 1-2 percent of females are exclusively lesbian; and this holds across cultures. About 70% of gays and lesbians know that they are different from heterosexuals and that they were born that way. Even those who desire to be heterosexual feel this way. This suggests that most same-sex attraction is biologically influenced. It appears that some homosexuality runs in families. If one person is gay, an identical twin brother or sister is twice as likely to be gay or lesbian as other siblings. If a man has a gay brother, his chances of being gay are increased five-fold. The same is true for a woman with a lesbian sister. In the wider scope of nature, studies have found that same sex attraction occurs in over 400 different kinds of animals. Third Understanding Beyond the two basic perspectives I have described in this essay thus far, I would like to add a third. Some people in heterosexual or same-sex relationships are looking primarily for immediate sensual gratification. Perhaps out of lust or disillusionment, they have given up on love and commitment. Life has no meaning beyond personal narcissism — a love of one’s own body. A new partner every weekend is fine for the moment. This indeed is a slippery slope. This indeed is sin — leading to emptiness, isolation, and despair. This is the behavior I believe Paul was addressing when he wrote to the Christians in Rome: “For this reason God gave them up to degrading passions. Their women exchanged natural intercourse for unnatural, and in the same way also the men, giving up natural intercourse with women, were consumed with passion for one another. Men committed shameless acts with men and received in their own persons the due penalty for their error.” This third understanding of some persons engaged in homosexual behavior leads us, appropriately, to speak boldly about sin. However, I have not yet encountered a person with this outlook asking for involvement in a Christian congregation. Thus I have found the reliance of Christians on Paul’s teaching to be at times inappropriate, destructive, hateful — and yes, even sinful. I believe that Paul is simply not addressing the same-sex-oriented persons who are today knocking on the doors of our churches. I want to note that the quest for immediate sensual gratification is present among heterosexual persons also. I’m confident that the number of heterosexuals traveling this empty and destructive path is much greater than the number of homosexuals. Christian Discernment I am eager to test these understandings with other Christians. If these understandings were to survive the prayerful discernment of Christian churches, where would this lead us? We would need compassionate understanding and “care-full” discernment of sexual identity in our congregations. We would need to recognize and respond appropriately to four groups of same-sex oriented persons: • Persons who have been traumatized and neglected in childhood: offer them healing resources that open up the possibilities of healthy, intimate, and committed relationships. • Women who have been abused or abandoned by men as adults and have lost hope in intimate and committed relationships with men: offer them opportunities for conversation, reflection and building relationships with men who respect and care about them. • Those who have been created with same-sex orientation by God: welcome them joyfully into our churches and help them find meaningful roles within our families and faith communities. • Persons who are sinfully preoccupied with sexual gratification: confront their sin, and call them to a holistic life of joy, compassion, and service in the name of Christ. Are congregations equipped to do this discernment? This is the question that I discussed with the Reedley California Peace Center in 2005. Our initial answer was “no.” Most congregations and pastors do not have the training and experience necessary to help individuals sort out the roots of their sexual orientation. Perhaps this is an area where a few congregations could develop specialized ministries. Trained pastors and mental health professionals would be important. Perhaps a “mutual support” group model would be most effective, where individuals who have worked through sexual identity issues walk with others who face similar questions and challenges. Which congregations might have the resources and integrity to work at this specialized ministry with same-sex oriented persons? My initial suggestion is that the most likely candidates would be large, diverse, and relatively wealthy congregations. Are regional conferences and national denominations ready to validate specialized ministries in sexual orientation for specific congregations? Yes, some have made this step. Others need additional exploration, dialogue, and biblical interpretation. Dennis Koehn (October 9, 2007)