Alan Race first articulated the exclusivist-inclusivist-pluralist trichotomy model in 1982. This framework proposes three broad outlooks for how Jesus followers perceive other world religions. Each model contains nuanced permutations, but in the streamlined sense Exclusivism maintains there's no salvation possible in other religions, Inclusivism holds open the possibility that … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Ain’t Afraid of Influence from Other World Religions
C.S. Lewis
Beatnik Christianity Pushes Back Against the Exclusivity of “Faith Seeking Understanding”
Nowhere in the Bible is there an exact definition of faith. The closest we get is Hebrews 11, which points to the ideas of assurance and conviction, but that's more of a description than a definition. This has left a ton of room for discourse and disagreement about its dynamic nature. Right from the start we've got Paul's view that we're justified by faith alone met with some … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Pushes Back Against the Exclusivity of “Faith Seeking Understanding”
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 Values Living Tradition While Despising Dead Traditionalism
C.S. Lewis once wrote that history is "a story written by the finger of God." For the Christian, there is a profound and inseparable link between one’s faith and history. Judeo-Christian thought is distinguished from that of all other world religions precisely because of the weight attributed to history. Not only did God moor the incarnational revelation of His character, plan, … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Values Living Tradition While Despising Dead Traditionalism
Introducing Beatnik Christianity: A Countercultural Vision for Following Jesus
This piece is intended as a direct follow-up to "Wrong from the Start: How Christian Culture Keeps Pulling Us Away from Jesus" and is the first in a series introducing Beatnik Christianity. The more I try to follow Jesus, the more I trigger the wrath of Christian culture. Last year a back-up priest freaked out at me over the phone. The issue was that my wife kept … [Read more...] about Introducing Beatnik Christianity: A Countercultural Vision for Following Jesus
