Unity of Heart and Mind
The LORD saw that
the wickedness of man was great in the earth,
and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart
was only evil continually.
(Gen 6:5)
By Stephen W. Hiemstra
I have discussed the defining problem and primary criticisms of the church over the past two centuries so how do we find proper balance between heart and mind in ministry?
Let’s start by noting that proper mental function—cognitive clarity—is an insufficient condition for faith. The world is full of information, especially in today’s Information Age, but not all information has value. Information has value when we find it interesting, which is another way of saying we respond emotionally to it. Faith can only be genuine when both the heart and the mind are engaged, which implies that we need to care about faith and see its importance.
Hebrew and Greek Anthropology
This interaction between thinking and emotion is sometimes called Hebrew anthropology. In Greek anthropology, thinking and emotion are separate. During the modern era, professionals were taught to distinguish facts (observations) from values (feelings), which is an application of Greek anthropology.
Hebrew anthropology is assumed throughout the Bible. In Genesis 6:5 cited above we read the phrase: Every intention of the thoughts of his heart? In Greek thinking, thoughts reside in our heads, not our hearts, but in Hebrew thinking head and heart are interdependent. What Greek would talk about “the thoughts and attitudes of the heart?” (Heb 4:12) Even more interesting, the wickedness of man—original sin—pollutes not only heart and mind, but also the will—intention. No part of our person goes untouched by sin.
Emotions not Disembodied
The interaction between heart and mind in Hebrew anthropology conflicts with the cultural presumption today that emotions arise arise primarily out of physiology. This is a materialistic presumption. While placing one’s hand on a stove or in a fire elicits a physiological response and emotions accompany that response, more normally we get emotional about things that are important to us.
This relationship between things important to us and our emotional response is known as the cognitive theory of emotions (Elliott 2006, 46-47). The Bible depicts God adhering to this cognitive theory of emotions as God gets angry primarily when we sin or display a hardened heart (Gen 6:6; Mark 3:1-6). In this sense, God is emotionally intelligent and does not get randomly angry or display bad behavior like other gods of the ancient near east.
Implications for Formation of Faith
The interdependence of heart and mind has serious implications for formation of faith, especially now because of the many distractions and temptations of postmodern life. Apologetics has traditionally focused on explaining the faith without considering the emotional component of faith. The Apostle Peter writes:
“In your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.”(1 Pet 3:15)
While this passage is widely quoted in apologetic discussions, the rest of epistle focuses on lifestyle evangelism, not proofs for the existence of God. Lifestyle evangelism focuses, not on philosophical debate, but on living a life that commends the Gospel. This lifestyle naturally blends heart and mind in activities like hospitality and service, but must also include reflection and prayer.
This subject of heart and mind is timely, but not new. Theologian Jonathan Edwards (2009, 13), writing in 1746 about the effects of the Great Awakening, noted that both head and heart were necessarily involved in effective discipling. Thus, he coined the phrase “holy affections” to distinguish the marks of the work of the Spirit from other works and associated these holy affections directly with scripture. Holy affections lead us to love the good and hate the bad.
Postmodern Tendencies
While the Great Awakening occurred during the Age of Reason (1685 – 1815) when cognitive discourse dominated ecclesiological debate, the postmoderns often lead with emotions. The poster-child of postmodernism is the narcissist, who crashes and burns chasing their emotions and ignoring sound advice and reason.
Following this trend, the postmodern church is lite on theology and heavy on emotion. Even the typical Bible study today rarely focuses on a reading a good book, but rather on watching a good video where time for reflection never goes beyond “what it means to me” style discussions. While reader interpretations (“what it means to me”) are part of any hermeneutical exercise, it is important first to understand author intent and the context of scripture (Vanhoozer 1998, 25). A good Calvinist would also want to read the text in the original Hebrew and Greek to avoid translation biases.
Given the cultural tendencies of our time, balance between heart and mind can only be achieved with greater focus on why we care about faith. Loving the good matters because indifference leads to bad outcomes. Human rights and democracy matter more than ethnic/gender rights and privileges because we have been created equal before God. Without faith, priorities change and the fruits of faith do not automatically survive.
Unity of Heart and Mind
Also see:
The Face of God in the Parables
The Who Question
Preface to a Life in Tension
Other ways to engage online:
Author site: http://www.StephenWHiemstra.net
Publisher site: http://www.T2Pneuma.com
Newsletter at: https://bit.ly/East25 , Signup
The post Unity of Heart and Mind appeared first on T2Pneuma.net.
