It's become a folk wisdom among American Christians that people are simply a product of their time and place. For instance, Southern slave owners shouldn't be judged too harshly because that was the world in which they lived. It's unfortunate, but they didn't know any better. The implicit belief here is one of cultural and psychological determinism. We're products of our … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christian Professes the Church-State “Heresies” of Roger Williams
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Beatnik Christianity Takes A Nuanced, Historical Approach to Church-State Issues
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
Beatnik Christianity Laments the Existence of American Civil Religion
When it comes to church-state dynamics, Paul showed us the way by appealing to his citizenship in the Roman Empire while reserving his allegiance for Christ and His Kingdom. Sadly, Christian culture in the U.S. has taken another path. We suffer from a chronic condition of adjective-noun confusion. An adjective is a description. A noun is a source of identity. That distinction … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Laments the Existence of American Civil Religion
Beatnik Christianity Decries the Love + Violence That Is Patriotism
Love me a good patriotism quote. The Irish playwright, George Bernard Shaw, suggested, "Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all other countries because you were born in it." The Spanish cellist, Pablo Casals, asked, "The love of one's country is a splendid thing. But why should love stop at the border?" The French Renaissance man, Blaise Pascal, … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Decries the Love + Violence That Is Patriotism
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
