The Bible is not the "Word of God." That language trains Jesus followers to implicitly worship the Bible almost as the fourth member of the Trinity. Let's not pretend that confusing the two doesn't reek of idolatry. The Bible is not God nor is it a part of the Godhead. No, that designation--the Word of God--belongs to Jesus alone as the incarnate Word who, along with the Father … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Believes the Bible Is Ancient, Ambiguous, And Diverse
Ancient Near Eastern
Beatnik Christianity Reboots Expectations to Christocentric Marital and Sexual Ethics
Christian culture teaches Jesus followers to have painfully misguided expectations when they engage the biblical text. Christians seem to believe the Bible is written to all people and not for all people. They think it's exhaustive in answering all of our important questions. They presume everything they read is supposed to be prescriptive instead of largely descriptive. They … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Reboots Expectations to Christocentric Marital and Sexual Ethics
Beatnik Christianity Repudiates Honor-Guilt And Honor-Shame Cultural Paradigms
One of the insights I most appreciate from the field of cultural anthropology is the identification of the sister paradigms of honor-guilt cultures and honor-shame cultures. In guilt societies, control is maintained by continually reinforcing individual themes of inward guilt for condemned behaviors. The moral order is preserved through law, punishment, and forgiveness. In … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Repudiates Honor-Guilt And Honor-Shame Cultural Paradigms
Beatnik Christianity Exists in Perpetual Spiritual Deconstruction And Reconstruction
To channel my inner-William Goldman via Inigo Montoya, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." That's what I think whenever I hear most Christians use the word "deconstruction." Conservatives believe it's about dangerously questioning inherited tradition in nihilist despair. Meanwhile, for progressives it's often taken on a … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Exists in Perpetual Spiritual Deconstruction And Reconstruction
Wrong from the Start: How Christian Culture Keeps Pulling Us Away from Jesus
I love Jesus but loathe most elements of Christian culture. The reason is that Christian culture usually has little to do with following Jesus and when there is a direct connection it is often in direct conflict with The Way of Jesus. The more I study it the more I become convinced it's more influenced by Screwtape than the Holy Spirit. Let's be clear. This isn't about … [Read more...] about Wrong from the Start: How Christian Culture Keeps Pulling Us Away from Jesus
