Seeking and Finding
“The Lord is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, [H]e will be found by you . . . .” 2 Chron. 15:2. This was God’s message (and in this week’s lectionary readings) through the prophet Azariah to the Israelite tribes of Judah and Benjamin during the reign of Asa. Asa reformed mistaken religious practices, even those adopted by his ancestors. Id. vv. 8, 16. When Asa and his people “sought God eagerly, . . . [H]e was found by them.” Id. v. 15.
A new, best-selling book likewise argues for the rationality and necessity of religious belief and practice in the modern world. Ross Douthat, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious (2025). The book aims to show that embracing religion is a fundamentally rational decision based on reason and curiosity about the possibility of a supernatural reality.
From cosmic design and order and human psychology, Douthat finds support for a divinely designed universe. Rather than undermining religious perspectives, scientific progress has often been guided by religiously inspired assumptions about the universe's predictability and beauty. And the universe’s physical laws are structured in ways that allow for observers like us to exist. The Big Bang theory also supports the concept of a created universe. So does the mystery of human consciousness: it is not easily reducible to purely physical processes and so may be connected to a broader cosmic intelligence. Douthat also challenges secular perspectives with examples of mystical and supernatural experiences even among non-believers. Near-death experiences, miraculous healings, and other phenomena suggest that the natural order may be porous to the supernatural.
Douthat acknowledges that theological questions and religious alternatives pose challenges for those exploring matters of faith, including whether and what to believe. He offers answers to doubts arising from the existence of suffering, the history of religious violence and sin, and conflicts over sexual morality. Douthat also acknowledges that seekers lacking deep religious roots may stumble over differing beliefs about monotheism or polytheism or views on the afterlife. He notes that social conformity can influence not just belief but also non-belief. So, he urges readers to make a genuine attempt to engage with questions of faith (rather than remaining in perpetual skepticism or inaction) and to commit to a specific religious tradition and practice, especially considering the finiteness of life and the weight of moral choices. He concludes by emphasizing the historical claims and unique narrative of Christianity as compelling reasons for his faith.
The Reading Circle plans to discuss this book via Zoom on June 19 starting at 7 PM Eastern. I encourage your participation (even if you have not read the book). And if you are not regularly participating in a small group, find one that fits your interests and schedule here.