'Cancel culture' aside, truth is truth, even if the person speaking it is flawed

Karl Barth (1886-1968) was one of the greatest 20-century Christian theologians. Through much of his married life, he engaged in a disturbing, possibly adulterous, relationship with his secretary. Through private correspondence, he argued something so beautiful couldn’t be wrong.

Paul Tillich (1886-1965) was another 20th-century giant of a theologian. His wife, Hannah, claimed that he had multiple affairs, though she admitted that they had an “open marriage.” He also frequently cavorted with prostitutes and consumed pornography.

John Howard Yoder (1927-1997) was another very influential 20th-century theologian. A self-professed Christian pacifist from the Mennonite tradition, he sexually abused, harassed, and assaulted women students for decades during his teaching career.

Should Christians still read these renowned theologians as sources of truth? I would say, “Yes.” I will not raise the issue of whether or not they repented of their actions, because I don’t think it matters. Their theologies stand on their own merits. Truth is truth regardless of the truthteller. If I am to reject all or part of their theologies, the determining factor is because I don’t think it conforms to the truth. It has nothing to do with their personal behavior. To claim that the truth spoken by an immoral person invalidates the truth is a blatant instance of the ad hominem fallacy. Nor does their personal failure subtract from their tremendous achievement of theological brilliance.

I am not dismissing the hurt caused to others because of the dishonorable actions of Barth, Tillich and Yoder. That needs to be acknowledged, even now long after they have died. But that’s totally separate from the truth or falsehood of their written theologies.

In light of the hysteria of “cancel culture,” it must be emphasized that truth should be heeded wherever it is found. While the advocates of cancel culture might be motivated to hold persons deemed unethical answerable for their actions, which is a good thing, that’s totally different from consigning their writings to the garbage heap. In our present situation in this country, where it’s almost impossible to have a civil conversation between those who disagree, it’s a very short step from canceling to censorship, which is never a good thing in a healthy democracy. Opposing someone’s theology because you believe it’s mistaken versus opposing it because the person is immoral is comparing apples and oranges. One is a question of epistemology (how do we justify a truth claim?) while the other is a question of ethics (should we seek to be taught by a person who engages in immoral behavior?). If the theology truthfully articulates the basic tenets of the Christian faith, then it shouldn’t be resisted, even if the theologian’s character is suspect.

The fourth-century heresy of Donatism addresses this issue. During the intense persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Diocletian, some Christians — including priests — renounced their faith when threatened with torture or execution and surrendered their scriptures to the persecutors. After the persecutions subsided, churches returned to their usual ministries, including those led by priests who had capitulated to the persecutors. The Donatists taught that all Holy Communion commemorations and baptisms conducted by those priests who failed to remain faithful during persecution were invalid. Nevertheless the Church leadership opposed that view and ruled that Donatism was a heresy. The sacraments are a gift of God and their efficacy is not dependent on the holiness or moral worthiness of the priest.

Our task then — as it was the Church’s task during the Donatist controversy — is to distinguish clearly between the life and the works of those we read. That the life falls short, perhaps very short, in significant ways from the Christian ideal does not mean that the works cannot communicate God’s truth to us. We look through the eyes of the author; we do not look at the author. What we should pursue when looking through the author’s perspective is a truth that is not, finally, theirs; it is a truth bigger than any one person. The truth we seek comes from the One whom the New Testament Letter of James calls “the Father of Lights,” from whom comes every good and perfect gift. At the heart of the Church’s rejection of Donatism was the conviction that these gifts of God can come to us even through the mediation of those whose moral failings are evident. Jesus told his disciples in regard to the Pharisees “to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” (Matthew 23:3). Jesus confirmed that the Pharisees taught the truth, and what they taught should be respected and followed, despite defying their own teachings by the way they lived.

This principle should be extended to the beauty created by artists whose conduct or beliefs might be ethically questionable, such as Richard Wagner, Woody Allen, and J. K. Rowling. We can fully enjoy listening to their music, watching their films and reading their novels. That does not mean that we support anti-Semitism, sexual abuse, or bashing transgender women.

A work of art or a performance has value and meaning in its own right. It should be judged for what it is according to aesthetic criteria, not according to extraneous factors. Though the biography of the artist can be used to provide insight into the work, the life of the artist should not influence our judgment of the aesthetic value of the work. The work of art must be treated separately from the artist.

Every Christian falls short of their profession of faith. We tend to judge people by the worst mistake they ever made. But we worship a God who forgives us of our sins, even our worst ones.

Each of us must learn to identify with our best self, not our worst. And we should seek to identify the best self in others also. Even Balaam’s ass spoke the truth. We must seek that in our neighbor which speaks the truth.

The Rev. Dr. Gary Shahinian is the intentional interim minister of the Federated Church of Charlton (United Church of Christ and Unitarian Universalist Association). He is also an Instructor in the WISE program of Assumption University.

This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: Keep the Faith: Truth Is truth regardless of the truthteller