One reason many sincere Jesus followers spiritually peter out is that their lives resemble Sisyphus fighting gravity to roll the boulder up the hill. The Christian life, as it's been taught to them, is an unsustainable exercise of exhausting willpower. Is that The Way of Jesus, though? What if Jesus followers were instead mostly taught to put up their sails and channel the … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Prefers Unforced Rhythms of Grace to Spiritual Disciplines
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Beatnik Christianity Creates Room for the Eastern Orthodox View of Theosis
Protestant theology dating all the way back to the 16th century contains a strong, unnatural break between justification and sanctification. Paul writes about salvation in the past, present, and future tense. You were saved. You're being saved. You will be saved. It's a salvific process, not a salvific moment. The Reformers were right that the process begins … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Creates Room for the Eastern Orthodox View of Theosis
Beatnik Christianity Defines the Gospel As Jesus Putting the Whole Creation to Rights
In some circles, it has almost become cliché to say that the Gospel isn't intended as a "get out of hell" card. Yet even in those spaces there isn't a widespread renewal of what the Gospel actually is. There's seldom a compelling vision capturing its true depth and breadth. Instead what we often find is this rather clumsy refitting of a deeply flawed paradigm. It's like … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Defines the Gospel As Jesus Putting the Whole Creation to Rights
Beatnik Christianity Values the Honesty and Vulnerability of Authentic Artistic Expression
"Why do we need art? ... Because the only way we can approach God is if we're honest through metaphor, through symbol. So art becomes essential, not decorative." That wise reflection came from U2's Bono during a discussion with Eugene Peterson about the role of the psalms in Christian faith. I'm completely sold on that perspective and am convinced God is, too. So much of … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Values the Honesty and Vulnerability of Authentic Artistic Expression
Beatnik Christianity Harmonizes the Scientific Method with The Way of Jesus
Science and scientism are often conflated, so let’s differentiate them. Science is "a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe." Scientism is "the opinion that science and the scientific method are the best or only way to render truth about the world and reality." Science is a methodology for … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Harmonizes the Scientific Method with The Way of Jesus
