May 13 2009
A History of Doubt
At our next meeting, on 22 May, Wendy introduces us to the historian Jennifer Michael Hecht’s book Doubt: A History. The author traces the forms doubt has taken through many cultures and eras. “Only in modern times,” she notes, “is doubt equated narrowly with a rejection of faith.”
Having listened to an interview with the author on the Speaking of Faith programme from American Public Radio, I can only say that she has a most interesting perspective. She emphasises the positive contribution that great doubters have made in the past and does not agree with the common assumption that doubt is mainly a modern phenomenon.
What she has to say is relevant to our contemporary scene, where doubt is almost exclusively seen in opposition to religion and where certain believers face off against certain unbelievers.
The Sea of Faith in Australia has a review here.
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