Have you ever heard of the Overview Effect? It's a cognitive shift reported by astronauts while looking at the Earth. It's a state of awe infused with a sense of self-transcendence. Astronaunt Mae Jemison reflected, "When you look at the Earth from space, you realize that our planet is a beautiful, interconnected system. We are all in this together." That's a powerful … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Affirms the Mystical Interconnectedness of All Things
Christian Theology
Beatnik Christianity Calls for Discernment with Our Theological Metaphors
1980's Metaphors We Live By is a classic book by George Lakoff and Mark Johnson. The authors suggest that the conceptual metaphors we use in day-to-day conversations both reflect and create the way we think, feel, perceive, and interact in the world. A popular American metaphor like "time is money" shapes our collective cultural values and cultivates our individual interior … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Calls for Discernment with Our Theological Metaphors
Beatnik Christianity Maintains That Christian Culture Misrepresents God’s Grace
One of the most peculiar elements of Christian culture is the doctrine of grace. Jesus followers can't stop themselves from bringing up this implicit moral ledger of debts and credits even as they endlessly reiterate that, no really, God's love truly is a free gift. While denying that God's love for us is in any way transactional, there's this lingering rhetorical shadow of … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Maintains That Christian Culture Misrepresents God’s Grace
Beatnik Christianity Rebuffs Inane Religious Frameworks Like Protestant “Faith vs. Works”
If you study theology long enough, you'll inevitably come to a point where there are certain topics you don't ever want to discuss again. It's not that the topics grow uninteresting. It's because the warped manner in which people insist upon framing the discussion is. just. so. freaking. awful. It's exasperating. The god-awful Arminianism vs. Calvinism debate being the … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Rebuffs Inane Religious Frameworks Like Protestant “Faith vs. Works”
Beatnik Christianity Understands Theology As Humanity’s Pursuit of God
Theology technically means the study of God. Wikipedia expands it out to "the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief." That's fine, but I prefer to define theology as "humanity's pursuit both of knowledge of, and communion with, God." As someone who believes the meaning of life is connection--with God, with other people, and with the … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Understands Theology As Humanity’s Pursuit of God
