Truth is a knotty word.
It is hard to give a definition that captures all the possible ways we use the word truth. Which means that the conversations that we try to have about truth themselves become tangled and contentious. It’s tempting to abandon the concept altogether—to claim that there is no such thing as truth, or that it is impossible to tell what’s true from what’s not. Maybe it doesn’t even matter?
But truth does matter. Because when people are confused about what’s real and who to trust, our common life begins to break down. Our relationships fracture. Our society becomes polarized. Anger and hopelessness grow.
This is what our congregations are experiencing now. Whatever specific concerns of a faith or political nature that we might be passionate about, it is hard to see how we will get traction on any of them unless we can recover some notion of truth in our society.
ReclaimingTruth is a network of preachers and other faith-based communicators who share a common understanding that truth does matter. We also share a commitment to talk about why. Coming from a variety of different religious traditions, we intend to provide a diversity of resources that could be shared and drawn upon in the crafting of new sermons, bulletin articles, newsletters, and other forms of communication to highlight the importance of seeking truth, speaking truthfully, and being true in our current cultural context.
Scope of the Project
What kinds of questions do we seek to address on this site?
Questions related to the nature of truth itself from the perspective of our various faith traditions. For example:
- What is truth?
- Can we even know what is true? If so, how?
- Why does truth matter?
- What responsibilities do we each have to understanding reality?
- Can’t I have my truth and you have yours?
- How can one assess the truthfulness of an opinion or judgment?
- How should people of faith respond to fake news and conspiracy theories?
- Is lying wrong? Always?
- Can one be "too honest"?
- Can we be in relationship with one another if we don’t hold the same truths? How?
What kinds of questions can't we address on this site?
- Specific truths that people of faith might hold (e.g. doctrines, beliefs, teachings of a particular religion)
- Convictions related to social issues of our day that are often important to people of faith (e.g. immigration, abortion, death penalty, etc.)
Note this is not because matters of faith and morals are not important. They are. It is simply beyond the scope of what we can address on this site. Our contributors on this interfaith site hold a wide variety of different perspectives on diverse issues. Where we find common ground is in our joint conviction that we are called to seek truth, speak truthfully, and be true to one another.
