Untrustworthy - by Bonnie Kristian

UNTRUSTWORTHY - The Knowledge Crisis Breaking Our Brains, Polluting Our Politics, and Corrupting Christian Community by Bonnie Kristian, 2022. 

I took time reading this book, from October 2022 to finishing it March 31, 2026. As I read, I simply wanted to take some time summarizing the thoughts. Most of the information below is direct quotes and thoughts of Bonnie Kristan. Please support her by purchasing this book. 

What I think this book is about - we don’t know what is true, what is knowable, what is trustworthy. How do we know what we are hearing is the truth? Specifically, the News Media reports and comments on what people say and how do we interpret their words. With all this talk of "Fake news" what is news really supposed to be? The premise of this book seems to be - "How do we know what truth is really?" 

We are in a epistemic crisis or a crisis of epistemology.  (Epistemology or the theory of knowledge or defining knowledge, what it is, how we acquire it and justify it; distinguishing between belief or opinion). What is real truth to us. 

One high summary thought: We can't separate journalism from opinion. 

The author, Bonnie Kristian, is a journalist, and starts out in the introduction talking about why she wrote the book, a product of 4 situations in her life – 

1. A friend of theirs was looking for a house in the city to be near family prior to the 2020 election (Trump/Biden) and because Biden won they didn’t trust their decision to move anymore. They believed the fear rhetoric of a government meant life in the city would be chaos and better to stay put and live on a farm.
2. An experience at church in which the church denomination was considering gay pastors and what followed to her surprise was 2 different ideologies - one focused at looking at this issue based upon scripture and the other based upon people's experience. She was amazed at how people, within the church, approached an issue differently.
3. An older couple during the COVID pandemic started to watch a lot of Cable news leading them to think differently about life; the choice of a particular news station somewhat changing their entire life approach. 
4. A friend shared a post about good info on human trafficking that contained a hashtag promoting QAnon, but she had no idea she was sharing that ideology. In a way her actions were innocent, but in the sharing of information she might inadvertently cause another to stumble. 

Note: interesting quote about people that hold to conspiracy theories written by GK Chesterton, an English writer who died in 1936. He remarked that "there is no use discussing (or arguing) with conspirators because their minds moves quicker and is not delayed by thinking of things with good judgment." Respond to this by not fact-checking but by taking a walk and going to church. Remember life and "the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). 

Chapter 1 - NAMING THE CRISIS

We are in a "knowledge crisis." Epistemology -- "how we think and understand understanding itself." If truth exists, how do we access it rightly? What do we know? How do we know it? Is the world as we perceive it? As information has increased, truth is assumed and therefore an ignorance of epistemology has developed. What is the result? 

Introduction to Epistemology - 

We live and function as if true knowledge can be gained and shared. Yet what is true is open for debate. Is it knowledge or opinion? In theology, we often can't agree on how trust about God can be found.  

The epistemic crisis is seen in satire news that is more than just humor, but often fooling people. Both political parties are involved - on the right it was the cry of “fake news" echoed by President Trump to describe not only made up stories but embarrassing or antagonistic stories to him. The mantra turned to doubt anything you don't like.  Meanwhile on the left, the idea is what you know is dependent on your own experience and can't be concluded by those not involved directly. Thus, there is no impartial space for dialogue. Instead of saying “I think….” it is “speaking as an X” (e.g. speaking as a Black Woman). A good presentation visually of non-truth can lead to many believing it is truth. 

Proverbs warns of those who seek out information that pleases us (17:24), dismiss wisdom (12:15), lack common sense (10:21), quick to quarrel (20:2), and happy to hear ourselves talk (18:2). 

Political Implications of Our Crisis - 

We don’t want to analyze learning as we are acquiring info. Yet we don’t often know how learning is defined. 

Proverbs echoes the cry of the fool that wants info that is pleasing to self and so dismisses wisdom (Prov. 12:15), lack common sense (Prov. 7:7), quick to quarrel (Prov. 20:3), and happy to hear self talk (Prov. 18:2). 

Decline of trust in news. But was is replacing it? Anything trustworthy?

Epistemic crisis: politics, social lives, and faith; a split not just in what we value or want, but in who we trust, how we come to know things, and what we believe we know — what we believe exists, is true, has happened and is happening.

Gallup poll change from 1973 to 2020 'Trust in'— Church 65% in 1973 to 42% in 2020; Congress 42% to 13%; Newspapers 39% to 25%; TV news 46% to 18%; Presidency 52% to 39%. No change in Supreme Court. What is truth or false is irrelevant when pursuing power for oneself or against one’s enemies. 

Chapter 2 - MEDIA

Starts with a story of an error she made in reporting a story about Jerry Falwell/Liberty university. She took a quote out of its context and made a different interpretation. She corrected it within 5 minutes of publishing and apologized to Liberty's VP of communication. Major news outlets tend to issue corrections to news stories or retractions. But minor news outlets do not. 

What's Wrong with the News? 

Trust in the media is on a long downward trend across American society. Christians, in general, view the media negatively.

Uniformly Left, Left, Left

People think the news media is intentionally being inaccurate (8 in 10 Americans). 1 in 10 full-time journalists identify as Republicans (2014). It is clear the media leans to the left. Lies are often through errors of omission or emphasis. 2020 poll said 66% of people's top criticism of media is its political bias. 

Profit and Entertainment

The press is a business - audience and advertisers. We like to be entertained, to be thrilled. We like the other guys to be as bad as we think they are. The entertainment dynamic is more customizable as there is more than just 3 TV networks reporting news. This may not mean lies, but it does mean curating the truth. Some news stories bring in greater traffic. Journalist from Spectator World (news website emphasizing writers with no bias) saw uptick in paid newsletter subscribers when writing about issues of gender and sexuality. Yet, news outlets will state they don't bend coverage for profit. 

Speeding Past Blind Spots

Reporters can have deadlines. Some have longer deadlines, but anyone can turn to known sources (that are responsive). And so journalists need more time to do work. Blind spots also create bias. One such blind spot now is religion as religiosity declines in America. Journalists are becoming less familiar with info Christians could once assume was common knowledge. 

The Objectivity Debate

Early 20th century objectivity was not the norm. But then the "Fairness Doctrine" from 1949 to 1987 when broadcast licenses were issued contingent on outlet's willingness to discuss controversial issues and contrasting viewpoints, not just one-sided opinions. Objectivity became the norm and journalists sought to try to follow the truth wherever it led. 

Major news outlets tend to issue corrections to news stories or retractions. Some online news outlets don't issue corrections because truth is not their goal. The discussion follows whether reporters are only to be a detective, collecting information (i.e. straight news reporting) or are reporters also to direct people to how things should be (activism) -- aka opinion writing, which the author does, in gathering info from news sites as to what happened and then offering an opinion on what it means and what we should do about it. Thus, this is what is occurring often, as events occur, like the mass shooting in Atlanta in 2021 where the murderer confessed he was trying to get rid of sexual temptation, instead the shooting was labeled as a hate crime against Asians. It seems that pure objectivity cannot be the goal or expectation and we should expect people's personal opinions to be included as long as they are stated as such. Reporters are humans, with limited time and so they choose which stories to write or follow leads on. Reporters should tell their audience what they think as this reporter did.  

Fake News

News made to look real; news that is true but maybe not telling whole truth; news that we don’t like. Falsehood is spread faster than truth. Calling truth fake makes it harder to determine what is truth. 

Social Media

Breeds falsehoods. We have an intense desire to know something. Scanning and reading stories fast result in concentration and contemplation casualties. 

Social media:

1. Encourages distraction and uncritical consumption especially by friends that share. We trust first rather than question friends. 

2. We forget that algorithms determine our feeds and what we see. It runs on emotion and fuels rage. Trained to get likes. 

3. A friend’s friends’ friend stories get seen and transferred faster. 

4. More chance of clinging to error than admitting error.  

In Bible, teachers have greater responsibility. Be silent first rather than speak. 

Faithful Factual Fair - If our desire is to love God and serve Him alone then can we create/consume traditional/social media content? Yes - but there is a epistemic (knowledge) crisis. Language is power. Few are taught and trained to understand/handle language. But some are not innocent and use it to their advantage - for power, fame, agenda and profit. And now anyone can play this part on our newsfeed. And so language is a skill to cultivate.

Chapter 3 - MOB

Living in China and seeing a woman with hanging sandwich board around her and finding out she was doing this out of public shaming for a theft. Alarmed but realize today shaming is now online.

Cancel Culture

First example - firing of publicist Justine Sacco. She had 200 followers on Twitter and headed to Africa and she tweeted in 2013 about racial inequality but the tweet was interpreted as racist and by the time she landed in the US, she was soon fired (though later rehired several years later) but not after being shamed for words she said rather innocently.

Defining Cancellation - "an attack on someone’s employment or reputation based upon an action alleged to be disgraceful and disqualifying." #MeTo movement refers to a crime - groping. Making a comment on Twitter is not a crime. This isn’t about simple disagreement or name calling but calling for you to be fired or de-platformed. Social censure is common in society. But now you can’t cause someone to simply leave town because of poor speech or action because the internet is everywhere and people are no longer only localized, but cancelled everywhere.

Critique and Accountability- Cancellation is replacing criticism with punishment. Accountability is a process with the person; cancellation is punishment of the person. In accountability one has the opportunity still to be right.

The Pitfalls of Public Shaming - there is a fear some have that their comments might result in them being cancelled. Survey - 2 out of 3 self-censor their political views out of fear of losing their job or career opportunity. With left leaning media right wing panic has emerged.

The Overton Window - nothing wrong with drawing a boundary of opinion (e.g find out kindergarten teacher is KKK) but problem when boundary is too narrow. The Overton window is the range of ideas the public is willing to consider and accept. There is a whole world, but people can only see part of it. This is the window. Overton windows says societies have limited ideas they deem legitimate, not right but reasonable. In totalitarian state, it will be a small window. Free-speech being protected means large window. The window can move but not at a fast rate that it stifles debate and research.

No Way Home - Guilt says you made a bad decision; shame says you are a bad person. In the Bible, there are examples of honor – shame, innocence and guilt. Originally we started with honor – shame that had a focus on restoration eventually in the person. And then we gave way to innocence – guilt in the enlightenment. As individual rights became a greater focus. Now we have shifted back to honor – shame but without the honor, and without any means, or process to ever restore the person.

Christ's Command of Forgiveness - Christians have a high calling for forgiving others of their sin, to the tune of 70×7. why? Because God has forgiven us of our sins. So, when we are hurt by someone, we have a high view of showing forgiveness towards that person, because of what God has done towards us. In the digital world we often live in, we have opportunities to respond to people and their situation‘s (though we don’t have any direct relationship), but actually I have no place to rebuke a person or their situation, because there really is no way for there to be any restoration or reconciliation. And even if a friend posts something that we disagree with, we really need to pull them off in private, and speak to them about that situation. So that it can hopefully result in restoration.

Unanswered Questions - Some say, our biggest problem in society is vindictiveness. We don’t have a good mechanism in life to restore people and it’s not even clear that we want to restore them. And we love stories about this. 1 in 4 Americans has a relative they do not speak with. We only forgive people when we don’t think they’ve done something really sinful. I’m (Bonnie the author) not seeing solutions to this in our marketplace. We must keep the vision of Christ and his vision alive. We need to be careful to not completely assimilate with the world, and what it thinks.

Chapter 4 - SCHEMES

QAnon started around 2017 claiming Hillary Clinton would be arrested, saying then it happened but never verified. Polling gives the idea 5% of population is aware of Q’anon and 15% or more are friendly to the content.

Trust the Plan

Basic QAnon has 2 parts - (1) There is a hidden cabal (secret group plotting or scheming) in government, the media or other powerful group. This cabal is guilty of child sex trafficking, cannibalism, Satan-worshiping human sacrifice, world domination. Through a great awakening, it has been revealed to the public by Q, a high ranking official (a sort of John the Baptist), whose makes drops or prophecies (their Scripture), and when these don’t come true, then the cabal has interfered. Q even drops Bible scripture. (2) The second part is hope, and Donald Trump is their Jesus Messiah working to defeat the cabal. And cabal members like Hillary Clinton are to be executed, then after Trump didn't get re-elected, Q posts stopped. Yet adherents are encouraged to stay involved, work your way up political lines.

...or some other plan QAnon ideas live on in conspiracists claims. These ideas are not unoriginal: 1990s rumors about silencing childhood vaccinations similar to COVID-19 vaccinations. The idea that China is using COVID as bioweapon, child sex trafficking is cabal originated, immigrants voting illegally to steal elections. All of this affects our epistemic (knowledge and its acquisition) crisis.

Conspiracies, Conspiracy theories, and Conspiracism People believe in these because they do happen and there are many examples in our recent history (e.g. Watergate, CIA's operation chaos).

Conspiracy theorizing is a sort of detective work. Facts previously withheld from official reports are amassed and woven into a series of events. But the new conspiracism is different. Research is not guaranteed rather "A lot of people are saying..." and suddenly there is conspiracy without much of a failure.

This runs on fandoms (enthusiastic fan of something) and memes (an image, video, piece of text, etc., typically humorous in nature, that is copied and spread rapidly by internet users, often with slight variations). This theorizing gives in to people's anxieties. And then connects dots.

It just all makes so much sense - Our brains like intelligible patterns and explanations. Apophenia - the human predilection to detect pattern and significance in random, meaningless information. And another reason conspiracism "just make sense" is people like to be right.

People like community - QAnon supporters often lonely and need community. If opposition comes it is while we are sitting in the home section of a sporting event with all of our fellow fans. Belonging is stronger than facts. Only the people huddled together truly know. Once admitted no one wants to leave the people who know.

People like to help - By coming together we think we are the ones who will bring to justice evildoers who are guilty of blasphemy, murder, and rape and participate in the salvation of the world.

Conspiracism in the Church

Christians and conspiracism are linked. There is no getting around it. People of faith know there are forces of good and forces of evil at work in the world and so they are susceptible to conspiracism. Kristian reached out to 3 pastors for their thoughts and from those interviews she concluded these three themes:

Theology - In her childhood, the 70s, there were many conspiracy revelations. "The Late Great Planet Earth" by Lindsey was written, taking current events and connecting them to scriptural passages, most notably Revelation. His readers concluded Christ's return was happening in the 80s. This idea that Christians should see a link between news headlines and scripture continues and mutates into a vulnerability for conspiracism. Our confidence should remain "in Christ," living in love hopefully and faithfully. Yet Christians are emboldened in this conspiracism and pastors are hesitant to speak out against it. Read scripture as scripture not as a decoder ring.

Politics - Sometimes politics is a consuming concern, and conspiracism is tolerated/embraced as a tool for political victory. We form tribes on politics and political ideology and are more concerned with the affairs of this earth than with the Kingdom of God. We need to keep politics in its proper place among our priorities.

Authority - Pastors have lost much of their authority as "arbiters of truth." Questioning authority is very American. Hebrews 13:17, 2 Cor 10:8, 2 Cor 13:10 and I Thess. 2:6-7 has these authors imploring us in respecting our authorities. We have so many voices of influence today, but we need to learn to submit to spiritual authority.

Three Steps against Conspiracism

When we find it in loved ones or ourselves.

Don't Argue - It accomplishes nothing. Arguing stifles conversation and instead we need to be more focused on the workings of ordinary life. Conversation instead takes times and trust and vulnerability. Listen to understand, not to refute. Focus on the friendship.

Look at the Fruit - Look at the fruit. A bad tree bears bad fruit. Are you more kind, more patient, more forgiving or more angry, paranoid and resentful? Is there patience for differences? People still need family and should not be cut off from family because of what they believe. A MI pastor separated from his church because the members were too caught up in QAnon and conspiracies.

Don't Seek False Security - Bonnie comments that it is hard to hear things without arguing when what is stated is nonsense. She is a libertarian. That government is off base is not a new idea. But hard to say all that makes sense is answered with conspiracy theory. But it gives false security to the idea that getting rid of bad people makes all bad go away. On the contrary, evil happens. It is a con artist giving us false conceptions of where history is going. We are to regard God as holy. It places our focus some place else.

Chapter 5 - SKEPTICISM

Scenario: Mayor of NY in June 2020 allowing thousands to gather for protests of George Floyd death but not allowing religious services of more than 10 people; basically, one is important, the other not - and so how do we process our leaders giving us different applications from the same rule they expect us to follow.

The Death of Expertise

Experts or professionals such as lawyers, doctors, ministers, plumbers, electricians are all questioned now more than ever. Commercials claim secret diets or cures making out that they know better than doctors/professionals or maybe the experts are hiding something. With our access to information now - everyone thinks they are an expert or they know better.

The Necessity of Trust - Everyday we practice trust - driving over a bridge is trusting engineers have designed it well and maintenance workers are maintaining it; eating at a restaurant is trusting farmers have grown food in a healthy manner and staff has prepared food that is uncontaminated- same can be said when one will fly a plane, take dog to a vet, board a bus.

Democratized Knowledge, Public Hubris - Democratized is make something (information) accessible to everyone. In our world, in which we often are scanning through posts on our phone, experts are expected to say things in brief. And whoever says it well can masquerade as an expert. We are staring more at the information rather than who is saying it. Also, as mistakes are made in public by leaders it reinforces that the average person knows as good as anyone on a matter. And once it is questioned you can find a trove of people online that agree with you or "like" what you have said (2 Timothy 4:3).

Expert Failure

Experts can fail. But it is rarely deliberate and often it is exposed by other experts. Associations are built to safeguard expert findings. And yet this still effects expertise.

Personal Hypocrisy - Rules for thee but not for me fuel conspiracism like when a political figure in COVID 2020 said no travel and then hopped on a plane to see relatives.

Noble Lies - This is a lie a leader might state in order to achieve something greater in their eyes. The lie is deemed necessary to achieve the outcome. Example - At start of COVID, leaders stated masks should not be worn by the public, but this was due to low supply that doctors needed, then it shifted to masks should be worn by everyone.

Politicized Judgment - Seemingly allowing large gathering protests (in the middle of COVID) outdoors while forbidding them indoors was a problem that called into question the experts announcing them.

Professional Relationships - There is a thirst in social media platforms to belong to the 'in' groups or 'out' groups depending on the issue. And how we accept people's research is often based upon how popular they are seen to be.

Unrealistic Expectations - The public has a sense that experts don't deliver what they promise, but Bonnie's contention is they do. They historically have made our lives easier with their inventions. It is not people that change science, but the task of science is to question itself to achieve the best outcome.

Onward to Virtue

We can't go backwards to the way it was. Public innocence about expertise is gone for good. We all must learn attitudes of humility and respect towards one another, habits of listening and speaking in good faith, and an eagerness to apologize graciously when we are wrong.

The Path for Nonexperts - Nonexperts start with acknowledging there is much we don't know and will not learn through googling - so we give due honor (Romans 13:7 - "Render to all what is due them") to those who have worked hard to learn their specialty (I Timothy 5:17 - honor those who work hard at their calling). Don't be a fool and despise wisdom and instruction (Prov. 1:7), assume your own intuition is correct (12:15) and scorn prudent advice (23:9). Allow experts to be wrong on occasion. And we should accept correction (12:1). Anti-intellectualism is the greatest temptation of the political right; scientism is the greatest temptation of the political left. Bertrand Russell stated (1) when experts agree, opposite opinion cannot be held to be certain; (2) if not agreed, then no opinion can be certain; (3) if no grounds for sufficient agreement, then we should suspend judgment.

The Path for Experts - Experts need to sell themselves better and make their opinion more palpable to nonexperts, not insisting what is right. Prov. 26:12 says, "Do you see a person wise in their own eyes? There is more hope for a fool than for them." The expert needs to be careful not to love the place of honor (Matt. 23:6). Experts need to admit their errors. A democracy (self-governed) actually encourages mistakes and experts need not get bent out of shape (through shaming or condescension) over their way not meriting desired outcomes.

Chapter 6 - EMOTIONS

Taught early on in life not to trust emotions, but rather to trust in God's word. Feelings are not facts. 

Hooked on a Feeling

Conservatives often thought they cared about facts while liberals were emotional. Yet emotionalism surfaced on the 'right.' After Trump lost the election in 2020, feelings and desires toward Trump winning reigned with the 'right' without much scrutiny. Leaders at rally's told people to 'trust their heart.' What the courts/law (facts) says does not matter. And then the mob behavior on social sites takes over. 

Feeling and Knowing

Emotions and feelings - do Christian’s need to suppress these? No. Feelings are needed. 

The Elephant and the Rider - Plato posits reason was made by creator god and demigods did poor work with our physical bodies resulting in emotions that tempt us to evil. The idea being, it is fine to feel but to know anything you need reason. Moral psychologist Jonathan Haidt made 'the elephant and rider' image to describe the interplay of emotion and reason. The rider sits on the back of the elephant and holds the reins, and with those reins decides where the elephant will go, turn, or stop. This works as long as the elephant doesn’t have any desires, reactions, emotions or intuitions; we want to think that it’s the elephant that gets us out of control; and that we are fighting with our unconscious, our id. But the elephant isn’t stupid or a hindrance to careful thinking. Science says when we suffered damage to the elephant part of the brain or the ventromedial prefrontal cortex, we actually make poor decisions or struggle to decide at all. Suppressing emotions is not the same as surrendering them and submitting them to Christ (James 4:7). 

Redeemed Emotion - In Paul talking about the divided self in Romans 7 he laments that he does not do what he wants to do because of succumbing to sin. And his deliverance is Christ. Man thinks he can conquer his passions but Paul says only Christ can. The elephant turns against himself by being tempted to sin. Our feelings are still valid. The issue is not succumbing to sin as not all emotions lead to sin. Emotions aren’t the enemy. The enemy is not loving God with our whole hearts. 

Feeling Convinced - Emotions are a useful gift from God and can be a valuable tool of persuasion. It is  speaking to the heart. Belonging is a feeling. It is true through belonging and positive experiences of community people can embrace preposterous and baseless ideas. The problem is those belonging feelings distract people from noticing lies, lack of evidence, or invalid logical leaps. But, emotion can help us move towards Micah 6:8 living. In political circles -- rage, fear and resentment reign preoccupied with being wronged, will be, who has and how they are to be punished. Conspiracism often predicts future wrongs; we love revelations of wrongdoings so we can share these seemingly truths. 

Feelings Come and Feelings Go - "Feelings are an important part of us that God created -- united with our reason, made subject to redemption -- and wants us to use to his good ends." But feelings may mislead, with reason unable to overcome. We need to check our feelings against the standard of Scripture, and yet in the context of community - at Church, within a community. 

Chapter 7 - EXPERIENCE

Katie Herzog, a cisgender & lesbian wrote an article in 2017 for a local paper in Seattle on de-transitioning (people who transition to a different gender and then transitioned back) and immediately received backlash and labeled as a transphobe by the masses though transgenders themselves did not attack her.

The Identity Assumption

The argument goes like this: If you don't have a given identity or lived experience (it has happened to you) then your understanding of related issues is fundamentally limited. Thus, with a different identity you are unable to comprehend or communicate truth, thus adding to the epistemic crisis. 

Identitarian Deference (ID) - Coined by commentator Matt Bruenig in 2013, "the idea that privileged individuals should defer to the opinions and views of oppressed individuals especially on topics (race, gender, sexuality religion, nationality, etc.), relevant to those individuals' oppression." But there is a challenge in identifying oppressed individuals. Overall, this shifts power to the oppressed and pressures people to defer to any experience of the person with the identity, without question. Refusing to defer is itself oppression. Deferring to someone because of who they are rather than because of their expertise, evidence, or reasoning. 

ID in the Wild - The argument is identity determines everything, setting up a wall against questions or being questioned. ID has supplanted persuasion and the wisdom of expertise - "speaking as an X" is speaking from a privileged position perspective. 

A Middle Way?

Christianity is an identity that we are "children of God through faith;" we are all similar and we are no longer separated by race, status, sex (Gal. 3:26-28). "We need a middle way that preserves free debate, makes constructive use of our identities and personal experiences in conversation, and pushes back on epistemic crisis, with a ministry of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18). 

Preserving Free Debate - Jonathan Rauch in 1993 book Kindly Inquisitors says regarding knowledge discovery - 1. No one gets the final say; 2. No one has personal authority. ID says the opposite. ID tries to make irrelevant certain people’s comments. But knowledge can come from anyone and everyone. 

Speaking Humbly as an X - Our experiences as men and women should help add to conversations and not end the conversations thinking our roles make us the only one's able to answer dilemma's are situations. It is the idea that we need one another and one another's perspectives. Just as we have different spiritual gifts that allow us to see a new angle of God's truth, so also are backgrounds, be in black or white, male or female. 

A Ministry of Epistemic Reconciliation - Our differences of identity and experience are not barriers but rather compliments. We do not have separate epistemologies. We are reconciled to God and sharing the message of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:16-19). 

Chapter 8 - A PRACTICAL EPISTEMOLOGY

Author (Bonnie) begins each morning with this prayer by philosopher Thomas Aquinas while writing the book. Models humility and love of truth. It is a prayer, but it is also words expressing a commitment to truth and the person she wants to be.

An Epistemology of One's Own

The last 40 years has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of information available, but we have made no effort to equip ourselves to handle that shift or increase. There is no end in sight. It will not calm down and be more manageable. Freddie deBoer says, "The problem isn't there are liars....the problem is people believe them." We need to understand what we've believed as untrue, why it made sense to us and where we went wrong. We must keep polishing the mirror (I Cor. 13:12) - habitually - so as to see clearly.

Stay Practical (or Not) - Fake Barn country - it looks like a barn and you drive by thinking it is barn, but looking more closely, it is not a barn, just a façade of a barn. How do you know what is true and what is not.

Definitions

    Truth is that which is consistent with reality -- what we find in reality via sensory or empirical experience, abstract reasoning, testimony of others, or divine revelation.

    Knowledge is justified true belief; it requires a knower. Accepting a statement (belief) based on some evidence (justification) that it accords with reality (is true). The key here is evidence, like the fake barn was the evidence it wasn't true. Opinions are beliefs but they may or may not be true or justified.

    Fact is verified, true information, and is external to the person. Facts go in books; knowledge in minds.

A Commonsense Humility

Getting knowledge is not always easy. We mistake opinions for knowledge and anecdotes for data that is to treat personal stories or individual experiences as if they were solid, scientific evidence. We need to cultivate humility, recognizing our true place in relation to others, truth and God. Right now we say "Know the Lord" but one day when God's kingdom is realized and we are in His presence, we will know God. But right now, we know in part and can know some things.

Objective Truth Exists, but Humans Aren't Objective - Reporters should be accurate and transparent, not aim for objectivity because people are not objective. Where we live, our culture, impacts our reading of the Bible. Truth is influenced by our perspective.

Truth is Knowable, but That Doesn't Mean You Know It - Every claim we make should be subject to others’ review and debate. Christian cartoon, showing a classroom and a graph of history with the statement - this is where our movement came along, and finally got the Bible right. I may not be exactly right about my beliefs. Is it possible that I am one of a handful of Christians that across the continuum of history got everything right? I hope I have everything right. We can trust our reasoning, observations, memory but we are still fallible. Endless debate or free debate is a problem. I’m confident that the Christian sorry is true though it may not be established public knowledge in our pluralistic world. 

Your Perspective Colors Your Understanding, but You Can Still Understand - Even as we understand, it is a challenge to communicate well. We are called to understand and pursue what is real. But we may still struggle to communicate ideas into words and into ideas, but we always need to be open to this process. We must develop our virtues, to train our emotions so we can feel as we ought.

Epistemic Virtue

Your very character and the kind of person you are here is at stake. Developing these virtues though is not a formula. Small decisions accumulate to build a characteristically trustworthy person. This is not optional for the Christian. We are to "not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of our mind (Romans 12:3)." Thus, we have a duty to forge these virtues into ourselves.

Studiousness - To seek knowledge and it rightly; a happy medium between opposing vices. Asks why she should know and whether knowledge will be applied. Is teachable and willing to share, "not quarrelsome, but able to teach (2 Tim. 2:24)." Plays by the rules of free debate. Recognizes when other people's understanding exceeds her own. Has discipline, pursues stories, but not everything, understands her limits and understands others have different perspectives which affects their reasoning.

Intellectual Honesty - This is how we respond to the truth we find. This person when they are wrong, admits it and is always on the lookout as to how my own self-interest (personal well-being) might be distorting my own thinking. Is belief well-justified or do I want it to be true? He wants generosity, accepts apologies, is gracious, courageous, and will defend his understanding of truth.

Wisdom - Follow knowledge; in contrast to folly, life is marked by deep and abiding meaningfulness. She resists taking offense, thinks through decisions, and foresee trouble. Has humility, restraint, sees her own weaknesses, and knows the extent of her knowledge. We can foster wisdom but also ask God for it (James 1:5).

An Epistemology of Love - We work to know people as they are, following it progressively, wherever that may lead. Respect and enjoyment go together by way of exploring and exposition. Bringing together truth, knowledge, and understanding.

A Hermeneutic of Obedience - Anabaptists. Obedience to understanding of scripture comes with it a risk of persecution. We gain understanding of Scripture when we are prepared to obey it. We will struggle to understand if we are unwilling to bend our lives to its authority. 

Epistemology needs a plan of habit. 

Chapter 9 - A BUILDING PLAN

Mentions a Netflix special by Bo Barnham who remarks in it, "boredom is a crime; anything and everything all of the time." You don't know how to want something else.

Why We Need Habits

Lots of email; reading and doing posts, and endless scrolling. We built the framework of studiousness, intellectual honesty, and wisdom virtues and now we need to build the habits. Sanctification doesn't simply happen by information transfer. Truth must be practiced. Habits formed is how we give God access to steer our reins. The word "attention" includes tend as in take care of whatever and give it thought or tension which is stretching ourselves and enter a relationship. Give it your attention. 

Take An Inventory

Observe - what am I obsessed with, like can I have a normal conversation without looking at my phone. Is my default the phone or internet? I let texted conversations distract me from my work, to the point it breaks up the flow of my thoughts. Am I reading too much that doesn't require a response? Can I do things in silence or must I have something going at all times? Read with introspection. Study. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful.

The Habits We Need

Deciding which habits should change and then implement.

Devices and Desires - Isaiah 44:16-20 process of idolatry - chop down a tree, use part for cooking, carve part into a statue, and worship part that is made. "Is not the thing in my right hand a lie?" Our devices are made so that we use them more. Through algorithms we are trained to use things more even when it's emotionally negative. We gravitate to content we know is bad. First habit is taking sabbath. Lot out of sites. Give your brain a rest. Turn your phone off for an hour. Second is scripture before phone, tablet, laptop, or television. Do not give media the honor of launching your thoughts for the day. Lastly, eschew distraction. Turn off notifications. Uninstall social media and email apps. Control your attention toward your apps.

Space and Subscriptions - Arrange your space for virtue. Don't make TV the center of attention in your home. Find ways to clear out things in your home that ask little of you. Put your phone and tablet spaces other than your bedroom. Place your phone out of your sightline. We are weaker than we think when it comes to our screens. Create subscriptions for news and cut all television news from your life, as these sources jerk us from story to story, from one emotion to the next. Support transparent, careful journalism. Only read outlets that issue corrections.

Social Media Use - Take important conversations offline. Great for announcements but that's it. Don't mix personal with political or any sort of controversy. Move that to other spaces and not on social media as it will dampen the content I have come her for. It is a worry-making machine so avoid useless worries. CS Lewis said, "I doubt it is the duty of any private person to fix his mind on ills which he cannot help." Only log on for a specific purpose not for grazing. Only log on for a specific time. Avoid random scrolling. It is not to fill every moment of boredom. Do not argue. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

News Consumption - Avoid passive consumption and limit rapid consumption. Approach news with a purpose. Limit aimlessly trawling. Waiting a day or two on a major event will improve the quality and our delay will change exactly nothing on how that event unfolds. Choose to know only a few stories well. Hard to follow a little bit of everything all the time.

Strengthen the Rider - Read good books including fiction and especially old books. Have challenging conversations. Read good journalism. Abide by free debate, applying no final say and no personal authority.

Notice the Elephant - keeping to bedtime, exercise, leisure, get productive like doing home improvement. Be careful about responding too quickly to a story that moves me emotionally. 

Better Things - By building these better habits and so better spaces in our lives for better things it will help us become "as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves" (Matt. 10:16) in building the walls through which epistemic virtues illuminate. But the central focus is worship in God's word and among His people, the church. It is here our mind is renewed (Romans 12:3) and transformed. But there is no foolproof rubric for us to always tell truth from lies.

Resources

Her first book A Flexible Faith: Rethinking What It Means to Follow Jesus Today includes resources on how good it is to be in church today. Also, Alan Noble's Disruptive Witness, James K.A. Smith's You Are What You Love, Nicholas Carr's The Shallows and Jeffrey Bilbro's Reading the Times: A Literary and Theological Inquiry into the News, Justin Early's The Common Rule and Andy Crouch's The Tech-Wise Family, and the Questions Concerning Theology from L.M. Sacasas.

Chapter 10 - A BREATH

I Peter is deeply concerned with truth, belief, knowledge, hope, holiness, love, and the virtuous life. "Be alert and sober minded" (5:8), be reasonable and respectful (3:15), reject "all malice (ill will) and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind" (2:1); love those who wrong us and those who are wrong about us (3:8-16; 4:8). "As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do...[And] now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart" (I Pet. 1:14-15, 22).

A Better Way

There is a temptation to argue with those that we are trying to convince, especially those we fear we are losing to a false reality. Recommend abstaining from argument with strangers and those you don't know or see randomly on social networks, but instead remind people of the alternative and that there is something outside the confusion or delusion.

Giving Air - Offer a breath to those we know only (family, friendships, and church people). "Be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble" (I Peter 3:8). Stay clear of contentious topics or those topics that each thinks the other must be mistaken. Talk about the mundane. Welcome sincere questions if they come. "Do not repay evil for evil" (I Peter 3:19). Strengthen the relationship. In our churches, we should model caring for one another despite our differences. Pair grace for confusion in our communities with a commitment to the truth.

Ask for Help - Benjamin Franklin in a need to win someone over, rather than doing his enemy a favor, asked his enemy to do a favor for him. "He that has one done you a kindness will be more ready to do you another, that he whom you yourself have obliged." This gives that person an investment in my well-being. Also, seek their help of something in my life that needs understanding, such as my own pursuit of intellectual virtue. Be prepared though to learn about the log in your own eye (Matt. 7:3-5). Accept people's advice just as you expect them to accept yours.

To Each His Task - There is no perfect method for bringing people out of their own epistemic crisis. "Keep the relationship going" is the most common recommendation. But we want a quick fix instead. "It's a spiritual work that has to be done." And it may not be me that sees the change. "The Lord has assigned each to his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow" (I Cor. 2:5-6). We won't win arguments, but the Spirit will still be on the move.

Build What is Good

Perpetual repair is our prognosis, but for our children we need to help them build responsibly. The church is pivotal in this as it is always building and it is where we build community. Don't let society train us. But also be sincere in love and truth (I Peter 1:22). Respond to people when we see their loneliness and the disaffection media consumption brings. To respond in love is to build. America has a knowledge crisis and this includes the church. Build what is good.

Conclusions: The adage "there is more there than meets the eye" is a sentiment we need to follow. We need to take the time to consider the source of information we are reading and hearing. We need to think about the content. We need to be careful about the emotions that are getting stirred up by the words. Focus on caring for people versus arguing the point. "Be sympathetic, love one another, be compassionate and humble" (I Peter 3:8). Keep in communication with people. The Spirit does the work ultimately though.