Not only is contemporary Western society the most radically individualistic in all of human history, but American society is at the apex of that hyper-individualism by a long shot. It'd be like building the Burj Khalifa skyscraper atop Mount Everest. Our lifestyle of relentless self-interest is truly unprecedented. Yet any call for the restoration of a healthy balance or … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Restores the Tension Between the Individual and the Community
Injustice
Beatnik Christianity Recognizes Scripture’s Awkwardness and Fuzziness on Marriage
The more one deep-dives the evolving relational contract of marriage within the Bible the more it becomes clear it's as awkward as it is fuzzy. Almost none of our modern marital ideals like love, trust, equality, communication, and reciprocity are anywhere near as apparent as we'd like. Instead what we find throughout the Old Testament are practices like arranged marriages, … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Recognizes Scripture’s Awkwardness and Fuzziness on Marriage
Beatnik Christianity Eschews Toxic Positivity for the Liminal Space of Holy Saturday
Brené Brown and others have recently normalized the term "toxic positivity." My preference remains "oppressive optimism," but it's the same basic idea. According to the psychology website Right as Rain, "Toxic positivity involves dismissing negative emotions and responding to distress with false reassurances rather than empathy. It comes from feeling uncomfortable with negative … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Eschews Toxic Positivity for the Liminal Space of Holy Saturday
