"This important principle of Protestantism, which became the basis for freedom of conscience, and free churches, has been twisted into something it was never meant to be, the idolization of the modern, autonomous individual as potential expert in every field, secular or religious, that he or she might apply themselves," writes Adventist Theological Seminary Professor and Lake Union Public Affairs and Religious Liberty Director, Nicholas Miller.
Some skepticism on your part would be justified. (Especially once you understand that a "Functional Medicine Doctor" certificate can be obtained by any licensed health professional, including nurses, dentists, pharmacists, or acupuncturists, with a few months of additional training.)
This does not deter our hero "functional medical doctor," who assures us he has successfully treated 15 Covid patients, from lecturing the board on the shortcomings of world, national, and state medical and pharmaceutical experts on the true nature, course, and treatment of the Covid virus. The whole scenario would be laughable, if it was not for the fact that so many of our fellow citizens and church members take Mr. Functional Medicine Doctor as the David-like hero of this story taking on the villainous Goliaths of our modern world medical/industrial/government complex.
What is going on in our frightening world of profound misinformation, paranoia, and celebration of eccentric and quixotic anti-heroes? Well, many factors, but a primary one is a profound misunderstanding and misapplication of the Protestant principle of the priesthood of all believers and the right of private judgment in matters of religious belief. I'm something of an expert in these latter concepts, having written my dissertation on the topic, tracing the development from Luther, through dissenting Protestantism, to the formation of our bill of rights and first amendment.
This important principle of Protestantism, which became the basis for freedom of conscience, and free churches, has been twisted into something it was never meant to be, the idolization of the modern, autonomous individual as potential expert in every field, secular or religious, that he or she might apply themselves. Luther's very notion had both individual and communal elements. Yes, we are priests before God, responsible for our own consciences, but we are part of a priesthood, of all believers. In other words, in dethroning the authority of the Pope from the Christian church, he did not mean to create a church of a thousand or million Popes. Rather, the locus of authority for communal belief was moved from the Pope past to the Cardinals and Bishops and Priests to the full community of believers.
That community working in concert, studying the Bible together, would arrive at a Spirit-led consensus on fundamental beliefs for the church community. Individual conscience still mattered, but that was ultimately protected by the free association of the community--if you differed from the consensus of the community, you could choose to leave, and find another community. You had no right to impose your individual view on others; but the group through consensus could create a system of commonly held belief.
Luther's concept also contained a role for offices, positions of leadership or authority held by persons who had been gifted, instructed, and trained to carry out certain functions for the community. They were not spiritually superior to the others, but they were qualified in ways that most weren't to hold these roles. Thus, while all were "priests" in a spiritual sense, not all were meant to serve as pastors or elders, and people trained and gifted for this would be put in these positions.
Of course, Luther's teachings on spiritual matters had resonance in the secular world of social and political relations. No longer would "divinely chosen" kings get to rule just because of who they were. Everyone was, in some sense, politically equal. But that did not mean that everybody would rule equally. Rather, every competent adult, eventually, would have the right to decide who had the expertise and competence to rule. Of course, other leaders and offices were created, including officials and officers to take care of public welfare and health and safety.
Do these officials, officers, and leaders always operate perfectly and without fault or flaw? Clearly not. They always remain accountable to the people, and can be removed if they become abusive, corrupt, or display a lack of ability and expertise. But we now live in a day that every man or woman who self-selects to be, can assert expertise in health, science, medicine, and religious liberty without working within the complex system of education checks and balances and accountability that leads to our system of leaders and experts. They can become individual raging Popes, ironically inveighing against the very system that made living without Popes and Kings possible in the first place, by creating a system of meritocratic, accountable, functional expertise.
Nicholas Miller is the Lake Union Public Affairs and Religious Liberty director and a professor at the Adventist Theological Seminary at Andrews University.
