Three "ism's that keep us barking up the wrong tree

In the third chapter of To Change the World, Davidson asserts that there are three things at the root of our commitment to a view of cultural change that doesn't work. All three are deeply embedded in our view of the world- a view that guides our daily decision making but that we are not aware is driving us.

According to Davidson those views are (1) the philosophy of idealism, (2) individualism and (3) pietism. At the risk of getting pedantic, I'm going to briefly define these.

Idealism - The idea that something ideal and non-physical is the primary reality in the world. Nancy Pearey author of Total Truth says, "It has become common place to say that America's is embroiled in a culture war over conflicting moral standards. But we must remember that morality is always derivative- it stems from an underlying worldview." To engage that war she contends that, "we have to be willing to engage the underlying cognitive war." pg. 247

Individualism- This is the view that the autonomous and rational individual is the key actor in social change. Davidson notes: "In America today 86 to 88 percent of the people adhere to some faith commitment. And yet our culture - business culture, law and government, the academic world, popular entertainment - is intensely materialistic and secular.

Another illustration- in a recent gallop poll 45% of respondents agreed with this statement: "God created human beings in their present form within the last 10,000 years; and 38% opted for a form of evolutionary creationism. Yet, 0nly 13% said God had no part in the process.

So, if educational policy is a matter of hearts and minds, if individual world matters most-why has secular evolutionary theory become the official creed of public schools.

Pietism - The view that the most important goal in life is to be right with God. A theologically correct idea, Davidson says, it becomes complicated because it becomes inextricably and unconsciously interwoven with idealism and individualism.

Because in Faithwalking we encourage calm, discerning, patient reflection, today I'm just put Davidson's thinking in the space. Can you see ways that what he is saying rings true? What if it was so- that the very efforts we are making to create good cities are in fact creating exactly the opposite of our best intentions? Try that on and walk around in it for a few days.