Page:Psychology and preaching.djvu/178

 l6O PSYCHOLOGY AND PREACHING

plies moral dereliction ; and in this case the doubter is con scious that moral dereliction is not the source of his doubt. Harsh criticism, the prophecy of future calamity, dogmatic assertion of every kind fall wide of the mark, and are likely to be interpreted as the mere rage of intellectual impotency, The rational aspect of the doubt must be squarely met, and should be met in the broadest and fairest spirit. Here especially personal sympathy and kindliness are of the ut most importance; but genuine intellectual sympathy is needed also; and it is not always easy for the preacher to have this. The psychological reason for this difficulty is easy to perceive. The mental processes involved in the ex ercise of the ministerial function render it easier for the preacher to maintain an attitude of belief than for persons engaged in other occupations. We do not mean to attribute to preachers anything more than the ordinary weakness of human nature, when we say that the fact that it is to his professional and economic interest to maintain that atti tude may not be without some unconscious influence upon him. It is only to assume that he is normally human. He must maintain an attitude of positive belief in order to be successful in the work to which he has devoted his life. Not only does doubt, if it becomes chronic, cripple his real effectiveness, but a reputation for heresy endangers the prospect of his securing employment by the churches. Of course, if the latter consideration comes to figure even semi- consciously in the determination of his attitude, he is dwell ing next door to downright dishonesty; and a general ac quaintance with preachers forbids the assumption of this as a consciously operating motive in the lives of any except a small and contemptible minority of them. On the con trary, I am persuaded that in some cases the knowledge of the danger of being subconsciously influenced by this material consideration leads conscientious men to entertain suggestions of doubt which, perhaps, otherwise would not trouble them, and to search their minds with an excessive

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