Rationality, Humility, and Spirituality in Christian Life

By Dennis Hiebert Cascade Books, 2020. 199 pages. $36 ($10 e-book, $62 hardcover). Preview at Amazon.ca and Books.Google.ca

THE IMPACT of the Enlightenment in Europe in the 1700s, the subsequent reactions to it, and the turn to postmodernism have drawn the focus of many books. This new book by a professor of sociology at Providence University College adds to the discussion. Being an interdisciplinary work it draws from psychological, sociological, theological and philosophical thought.

The work is divided into three parts – rationality, humility and spirituality. In the first two Hiebert uses a critical realist approach to critique the dominance of rationality in the contemporary evangelical Church. He says, “Reason makes a good servant, but a bad master.” So we need to adopt a practice of intellectual humility, recognizing we do not have all the answers, and even the answers we do have are likely to be mostly wrong.

This leads to the third part where Hiebert discusses what has been considered difficult with the shift from religion to spirituality and the individualism of postmodernism. He argues we need more spirituality in our Christian life.

There are many things our contemporary Western culture can teach us and Hiebert’s work is an aid for listening constructively to our secular world.

Any interdisciplinary work will face challenges. Hiebert, being a sociologist, provides excellent discussion in the areas of his strengths and there is a strong academic flavour to this book. I had to reread many sections that discuss philosophical, psychological and sociological perspectives, but it is very much worth the work to read. If you are ready to be challenged on how to be a Christian in our secular world, then this is a great book to read.