The dynamic relationship between church and state is one of irresolvable complexity. There is no one systematic paradigm or "biblical" formulation that defines what Christians' political activity should look like, neatly ties off all the loose ends, and is conveniently applicable to all geo-politcal and socio-economic contexts. An approach that met the needs of one century … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Takes A Nuanced, Historical Approach to Church-State Issues
Christ's Kingdom
Beatnik Christianity Pledges Allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom Alone
A biblical motif running from Genesis to Revelation is that of God’s covenant people. It’s a sweeping story of God healing the world through an alternative kinship structure. According to 1 Peter 2, we are a “chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God” and “aliens and strangers in the world.” Our superseding citizenship is not found in any … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Pledges Allegiance to Christ and His Kingdom Alone
Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Christendom is to the Kingdom of God as cancer is to the human body. It's a corruption that insidiously warps and seeks to kill our Lord's spiritual vision. That's why it's beyond tragic that so many Jesus followers today hear the words "Kingdom of God" and conceive of something vaguely akin to Medieval Christianity where the institutional church exercised hegemonic power over … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Sees Christendom As Nauseating to the Kingdom of God
Beatnik Christianity Invokes Pro-Jesus, Un-American Kingdom Values
The problem with most counterculturally-inclined Jesus followers isn't that they're too out of sync with the social norms of the dominant culture. The problem is that they usually don't go far enough in identifying the insidious ways they've been unknowingly enculturated by Christian culture and secular culture alike. Two such presuppositions among American Christians are … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Invokes Pro-Jesus, Un-American Kingdom Values
Beatnik Christianity Celebrates Racial Diversity
Jesus is King. His Kingdom is a transformative, counterculture movement for a peaceful world living into God’s perfect will for human flourishing. The principles undergirding this movement are love, truth, grace, compassion, forgiveness, hope, humility, justice, mercy, sustainability, redemption, and wisdom. It is a beautiful vision that transcends such barriers as sex, … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Celebrates Racial Diversity
