One of my favorite movie scenes comes from 2012's Argo. Ben Affleck's protagonist is a CIA officer who specializes in clandestine operations. He's in the CIA Director's office trying to get the agency's approval to use the fake Hollywood production of a Star Wars-esque science fiction film for an Iranian hostage extraction. His character contends, "There are only bad options. … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Experiments with Finding the Best Bad Idea
Wisdom
Beatnik Christianity Accepts Genesis’ Imperative for Creation Care
In 1999's The Matrix Agent Smith menacingly comments, "A revelation... came to me when I tried to classify your species. I've realized that you are not actually mammals. Every mammal on this planet instinctively develops a natural equilibrium with the surrounding environment, but you humans do not. You move to an area and you multiply and multiply until every natural resource … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Accepts Genesis’ Imperative for Creation Care
Beatnik Christianity Asks, “WHO is God?”
Rainn Wilson of The Office fame is not a Jesus follower but wrote an excellent book based on his Baháʼí Faith. While promoting it on The Holy Post Podcast he mused, "Bottom line: the #1 most important question anyone can ask themselves is, is there a god?... We're either a random assemblage of molecules that happened to have developed this incredible consciousness or there is … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Asks, “WHO is God?”
Beatnik Christianity Pushes Back Against the Exclusivity of “Faith Seeking Understanding”
Nowhere in the Bible is there an exact definition of faith. The closest we get is Hebrews 11, which points to the ideas of assurance and conviction, but that's more of a description than a definition. This has left a ton of room for discourse and disagreement about its dynamic nature. Right from the start we've got Paul's view that we're justified by faith alone met with some … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Pushes Back Against the Exclusivity of “Faith Seeking Understanding”
Beatnik Christianity Believes the Bible Is Ancient, Ambiguous, And Diverse
The Bible is not the "Word of God." That language trains Jesus followers to implicitly worship the Bible almost as the fourth member of the Trinity. Let's not pretend that confusing the two doesn't reek of idolatry. The Bible is not God nor is it a part of the Godhead. No, that designation--the Word of God--belongs to Jesus alone as the incarnate Word who, along with the Father … [Read more...] about Beatnik Christianity Believes the Bible Is Ancient, Ambiguous, And Diverse