The Dunning-Kruger Effect and the church

I’ve been having these thoughts lately about theology and why we come to the conclusions we do about God and faith. I’ve also observed other young people, and new believers and notice that a lot of their beliefs come from consulting others in the faith. However, what happens when those who are being consulted don’t truly know why they believe what they have known to be as “true”?

When I started my research, I wanted to find some type of explanation for people who think they are knowledgeable in a subject but don’t really know as much as they “think” they do. That lead me to The Dunning-Kruger Effect. “People with limited expertise in an area tend to overestimate how much they know .” Of course, the influx of social media presence does not help when our algorithms are loaded with propaganda and fear mongering. Why go look for and trust an actual and reputable news source when the click-bait is delivered right to you?

When someone first becomes a Christian, they often learn a few scriptures or teachings that make them feel as through they’ve “figured it out” and because their exposure is still narrow, they can assume their interpretation is the obvious or only one. But speaking overly confident about complex doctrines can be harmful. Think about deconstruction and why some Christians end up leaving the faith altogether. It’s probably not because God (or some other spiritual source) told them to. It’s often due to being taught bad theology that led to their escape. Learning is dangerous, not because it negates the will of God, but because it uncovers God’s will may not be what we were taught Afterall. And that is dangerous to the systems that have been created to keep us bound. For people who believe that the Bible is literal and true in all ways, I’d like to remind you that biblical interpretation has thousands of years of debate behind it. Confidence can outpace understanding when it comes to complex issues that scholars of the faith have spent lifetimes studying. I have watched and seen how the strong enthusiasm of new believers can sometimes turn into premature authority. How can we trust teachers who they themselves have not studied deeply? I’m not talking about repeating thoughts and ideologies from internet preachers whose income relies on preaching about issues that stir up controversy that brings in clicks and grabs your attention. I am speaking of scholars and theologians whose main objectives have been to study and learn while preaching may just be something that they do on the side. People with little background in theology may assume that someone who quotes a lot of scripture, speaks with certainty, and claims spiritual authority, must be right. However, that is how spiritual abuse can manifest.

Even in my own learning I understand that there is a healthy progression. The faith journey is continuous and the deeper you grow your roots in it, the more you come to realize that faith involves ongoing learning. The irony is that the more someone studies theology, the more they will begin to realize how much more complexity there actually is. This shift is a sign of maturity, not weaker faith. Scripture also mentions this in 1 Corinthians 8:2 as well as humility linking with wisdom in Proverbs. Healthy spiritual growth should lead you to humility, curiosity, and deeper study. Not overconfidence and status. Ironically, the most confident voices about Christianity, are often the least trained while the most educated voices tend to agree that “It’s more complicated than that.” The humility in this idea is that no one fully masters God, no matter the title.

“Those who think they know something do not yet know as they ought to know.”

‭‭1 Corinthians‬ ‭8‬:‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬