The comedian, Mike Birbiglia, has a hilarious bit about how everyone tries to get you to dance at clubs. With an intonation reflecting a complete lack of self-confidence he says, "They come up to you and say 'You gotta dance! you gotta dance!' And then I dance, and they're like, 'Not like that!'" That's precisely how I feel about the Bible. I grew up in churches that revered … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Refrains from Using the Word “Biblical” As A Divine Rubber Stamp
Slavery
Beatnik Christian Professes the Church-State “Heresies” of Roger Williams
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
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 Supports Gender Equality Because of the Bible
According to Wikipedia, "Complementarianism is a theological view in Christianity, Judaism, and Islam that men and women have different but complementary roles and responsibilities in marriage, family life, and religious leadership." It's a worldview with traditional gender norms and roles. In most complementarian American marriages, the husband is the head of the household. … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Supports Gender Equality Because of the Bible
