Problems with New View
This page collects problems that are found, or might be found, in the New View. No system of thought is perfect or complete, and problems are inevitable. Usually, in a system of thought, it is only later that the most serious problems appear, and this new view has not yet had time to be tried, to be refined, to develop, to be applied widely enough for faults to become apparent. However, here are some possible faults that I think of from time to time. Many more will emerge.
- 'New View' likes to find new ways of seeing things, new ideas. Does it tend to love novelty for novelty's sake? Probably. On the other hand, perhaps some of the 'novelties' could be useful stimulants to thought. So I have tried to be sensitive to the danger and sometimes mention it where it might occur. The root of the problem probably lies in a fault in the author, of enjoying new ideas.
- Linked with that, is this New View too critical? there is a danger of over-reacting against current beliefs or views. It has been pointed out that perhaps the page on worship over-reacts.
- With the New View's clear ideas of representing God, Might there be a danger of elitism? (Viz. those who represent God as superior to others.) Three important things mitigate against this. (a) Self-giving love, such as Jesus Christ demonstrated, reverses this; real love is the utter giving of oneself to, and in service of, the other. (b) Those who represent God are sinners like everyone else. (c) Everyone is invited to become those who represent God (and the response depends on the individual). However, because of pride in both who represent God and those who do not yet, elitism will always be present - so let those of us who represent God remember Luke 9:23-25 and Philippians 2:1-11 and take the very seriously.
- It has been suggested that there is too little about the church, the institution that embodies the culture infected with Christ. That is work still to be carried out - but I won't just react to that correct criticism to manufacture a view on the church. Instead, I'll probe more deeply, not presupposing there should be a single institution. This problem might arise from the emphasis in New View on God and creation (including humanity) rather than on institutions as they have arisen in history, or on authority structures. New View sees institutions and authority as part, but not a privileged part, of God's created order.
- NV does not give enough attention to God's passionate love directed to individual persons. I don't think this problem is endemic in New View. I think this can be overcome. In pariicular, the doctrine of Three Dimensions of Salvation sees God's passionate love as meaningful in Dimension 2. However, perhaps it has yet to be developed fully, partly because of an over-emphasis on it in current evangelical-charismatic Christianity today.
- NV can sometimes sound like the establishment Churches in their calling on politicians and God to keep peace and justice and freedom from poverty in the world. The reason for this problem lies in the New View's emphasis on God's love for the creation that is other than him, which makes part of his will the full blessing of that creation. There are two differences.
- The establishment view is centred on the the world's agenda, the needs the establishment perceives at the moment, but it tends to ignore other things; the New View seeks to ascertain God's agenda, what God sees as important to his creation, which might not be what current opinion sees as important.
- The establishment view sees human or Divine action as the solution; the New View sees the bringing of these good as a result of the Holy Spirit working in God's people.
Please let me know of any problems you think of, via that contact page. Thank you.
This page, URL= 'http://abxn.org/nv/problems.html',
is part of the on-going work in developing a 'New View' in theology and practice that is appropriate to the days that are coming upon us. Comments, queries welcome by emailing
Copyright (c) Andrew Basden to latest date below, but you may use and copy this material for almost any reasons, but subject to certain conditions.
Written on the Amiga with Protext in the style of classic HTML.
Created: 3 November 2008.
Last updated: 28 April 2011 added three, and problems form. 1 May 2011 like establishment, and reasons for each problem. 4 October 2020 elitism; slight editing; bold topics; new .end, .nav, removing the suggestions form.