My children don’t let me get away with anything. I occasional proffer the opinion that things were much better in my 20s than they are now. As a result, a couple of years ago one of them gave me an 800+ page book “The Better Angels of Our Nature” by Steven Pinker. I started reading it this summer and am currently up to page 579!
The book’s thesis – well made with many facts and graphs – is that indeed the world is a safer place to live in statistically than any previous age. (Interestingly, though, he wrote the book in 2011 and so may want now to revisit some of it). He is an atheist and I think, fairly, lumps how religion saw themselves, including Christianity, with several other causes showing how dangerous the world was in the past.
I think, though, he is unfair in largely ignoring the place Christianity has played in making the world a more caring place, (mind you, I still have 280 pages to read). Many scholars agree it is the Judeo-Christian tradition of understanding the value of every human being that lies behind, for instance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
There was a short passage that really struck me. He often cites Martin Luther King, (perhaps paradoxically as he was a Christian minister), as key in the changes to a more caring and civilised society. He turns to King’s famous speech “I have a dream” in 1963 with this summary of its inclusions: “……imagery and language from Christianity, the idea of individual rights from the European Enlightenment, the valorization [sic] of suffering from Christianity [the cross], cadences from the African American church and a strategic plan from an Indian [Gandhi].”
I do think this is worth thinking about. Firstly, because it takes seriously things we learn from the world of reason (“the Enlightenment”): Christian’s are enjoined to love God with all their heart, soul, mind and strength. Secondly because he has listened to those of other faiths and of no faith. Thirdly because, rightly, he anchors much of Martin Luther King’s insights and views in the prophetic and cross centred Christian faith.
There are a lot of problems facing our world and reading this book reminds me that those of goodwill and compassion from across the world’s religions and those of no faith need to support one another in a common vision of care for one another and for our world.
And my son’s giving me this book has made me look at the evidence for progress, at least in some areas. Steven Pinker’s thesis as to how we have got more civilised over the millennia is supported by quite a lot of evidence. (If you want to know more, please just invite me round for a cuppa or simply drop into the rectory!) And that in turn makes me focus on another attribute we can share: that of being thankful – and we are about to enter the season of Harvest thanksgiving. All are welcome.
Peter