Drowning in Dogma

Welcome to “Beyond Dogma.” I’m writing this blog to experiment with ideas that cross ideological and dogmatic boundaries in science, spirituality, politics, and culture. I’m worried about dogma, and the stultifying effects it has on creative thought. I think dogmatic influences have been growing in many fields, limiting our option for new and transformative solutions to pressing problems. While I don’t have the solutions to the problems, I have ideas that I would like to share, debate, discuss, and refine. I hope you will join the conversation. What do I mean by dogma? According to the Oxford American Dictionary, dogma is “a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as incontrovertibly true.” It’s the incontrovertible part that bugs me. Dogma is a type of fundamentalism that goes beyond text. The 20th century theologian Paul Tillich talks about the “demonic traits” of fundamentalism, which arise because “It elevates something finite and transitory to infinite and eternal validity” [Systematic Theology, vol. 1]. When I talk about dogma, I’m talking about claiming absolute and permanent validity for ideas that cannot possibly be permanently valid in a rapidly changing world. I’m talking about received wisdom, a lack of imagination, and closed minds. We’re up to our ears (literally drowning) in this kind of thought. This upsets me and I want to find a way to make the flood waters recede. All of this is pretty abstract, but it is only an introduction to my concerns. Keep reading, and I think you’ll see the kind of day-to-day issues that keep me up at night.