christian identity

Christian Identity

in a

Postmodern World

Postmodern World

Hurricane Mitch, 1998

“normal” incremental evolutionary change: slow, predictable, gradual

epochal, profound, revolutionary change: fast, unpredictable, sudden

2500+ BC

Prehistoric World

2500 BC - 500 AD

Ancient World

1 AD500 BC 500 AD

Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Hittite, Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Greek, Roman empires

2500 BC - 500 AD

Ancient World

1 AD500 BC 500 AD

Medieval World

500 AD - 1500 AD

1500 AD

Printing/GutenbergCaravel/TransportGuns/Infantry/ArtilleryNew EconomyCopernicus/GalileoReformation/Luther

1500 AD - 2000 AD

Modern World

1750 AD1500 AD 2000 AD

Postmodern World

1950 AD - ???

Medieval World

Print/Screen/InternetNew ScienceNew WeaponsNew TransportationNew EconomyNew Spirituality

Modern to Postmodern1. Conquest, Control, Progress … Conservation

2. Mechanistic/reductionist … holistic/systemic

3. Analytical … post-analytical

4. Secular/scientific … spiritual/scientific

5. Objective … Intersubjective

6. Critical … Post-critical

7. Organization … alliance, network

8. Individualism … community, tradition, tribe

9. Protestant/polemical … Post-protestant

10. Consumerism … Sustainability

11. Print literacy … layered fluency

12. National … global/migratory

13. Ideology ... narrative

Modern to Postmodern

Postmodernity Post-Holocaust

Post-Hiroshima

Post-colonialist

Post-secularist

Post-rationalist

Post-communist

Post-capitalist

Post-nationalist

Post-institutionalist

Post-patriarchal

Post-Christendom

Consider that we live in at least three worlds.

Pre-modern world

Non-modern world

Modern world

Emerging world

today

Old

Paradigm/

Model

Early

Transition

Late

Transition

Old

Paradigm/

Model

Early

Transition

Late

Transition

New Paradigm/

Model

Paradigm Shifts

Almost always the [people] who achieve these fundamental inventions of a new paradigm have been either very young

or very new to the field whose paradigm they change.

Thomas S. KuhnThe Structure of Scientific Revolutions

“A new scientific truth does not triumph by convincing its opponents and making

them see the light, but rather because its

opponents eventually die, and a new generation grows

up that is familiar with it.” Max Planck, Scientific Autobiography

Christian Identity4 “identity crises”

Postmodern World

Identity Crisis 1:

Modernity values exclusivity:Exclusive salvationfor Members Only

people distrust exclusivity;they value connectivity.

Purposeful inclusivity.

in a Postmodern World

Identity Crisis 2:

Modernity values inerrancy:Inerrant BibleInerrant Pope

people distrust claims of inerrancy;they value possibility of

correction and improvement(like science)


A lesson from science:Changing conclusions/models

Consistent methodologyin an unchanging quest ...

provable truth

Postmodern World

Can we re-imagine the church?changing conclusions/models

consistent methodologyin an unchanging quest ...

saving the world.

Postmodern World

Identity Crisis 3:Modernity respects timeless truths -

universal and absolute theories.

people seek timely wisdom to address contemporary crises


spiritual emptiness corrupt leadership poverty disease ignorance hunger and malnutrition

climate change conflicts Financial Instability Water/Sanitation subsidies/trade barriers

population/ migration communicable diseases education governance/corruption hunger

education gender inequality child mortality maternal health environmental sustainability

ethnic conflicts terrorism weapons of mass destruction organized crime networks energy

demands clean water population growth authoritarian regimes

spiritu

al e

mp

tiness co

rrup

t le

ad

ersh

ip p

overty

dise

ase

ig

nora

nce

hu

ng

er a

nd

maln

utritio

n

climate

chan

ge co

nflicts Fin

an

cial

Insta

bility

Wate

r/San

itatio

n

sub

sidie

s/trad

e b

arrie

rs pop

ula

tion

/ m

igra

tion

com

mu

nica

ble

dise

ase

s ed

uca

tion

govern

an

ce/co

rrup

tion

h

un

ger e

du

catio

n g

en

der

ineq

uality

child

morta

lity

mate

rnal h

ealth

en

viro

nm

en

tal

susta

inab

ility e

thn

ic con

flicts

terro

rism w

eap

on

s of m

ass

destru

ction

org

an

ized

crime

netw

ork

s en

erg

y d

em

an

ds cle

an

w

ate

r pop

ula

tion

gro

wth

au

thorita

rian

reg

imes

FOUR GLOBAL CRISES

Conventional View Emerging View

The HumanSituation: Whatis the story thatwe findourselves in?

God created the world as perfect,but because our primalancestors, Adam and Eve, didnot maintain the absoluteperfection demanded by God,God has irrevocably determinedthat the entire universe and all itcontains will be destroyed, andthe souls of all human beings –except for those specificallyexempted – will be foreverpunished for their imperfectionin hell.1

God created the world as good, buthuman beings – as individuals, and asgroups – have rebelled against God andfilled the world with evil and injusticelike a terrible disease. God wants to savehumanity and heal it from its sickness,but humanity is hopelessly lost andconfused, like sheep without a shepherd,wandering farther and farther intolostness and danger. Left to themselves,human beings will spiral downward insickness and evil.

BasicQuestions: Whatquestions didJesus come toanswer?

Since everyone is doomed tohell, Jesus seeks to answer thesequestions: how can individualsbe saved from eternalpunishment in hell and insteadgo to heaven after they die? Howcan God help individuals behappy and successful until then?

Since the human race is in such desperatetrouble, Jesus seeks to answer thisquestion: what must be done about themess we’re in? The mess refers both tothe general human condition and itsspecific outworking among hiscontemporaries: living under dominationby the Roman empire, and divided intovarious competing sects.

Jesus’ message:How did Jesusrespond to thecrisis?

Jesus says, in essence, “If youwant to be among thosespecifically qualified to escapebeing forever punished for yoursins in hell, you must repent ofyour individual sins and believethat my Father punished me onthe cross so He won’t have topunish you in hell. Only if youbelieve this will you go toheaven when everyone else isbanished to hell.”2 This is thegood news.

Jesus says, in essence, “Other people andgroups – including your own religiousleaders - are leading you farther andfarther astray. I have been sent by Godwith this good news – that God loveshumanity, even in its lostness and sin.God graciously invites everyone andanyone to question and reject what theyhave been told and instead follow a newpath. Trust me and become my disciple,and you will be transformed, and you willparticipate in the transformation of theworld, which is possible, beginning rightnow.”3 This is the good news.

1 Of course, there are many modern western non-religious ontologies and framing stories too,plus Eastern ontologies and framing stories – both religious and irreligious.2 This reflects a Calvinistic Evangelical protestant version of the message. The popular RomanCatholic version might say, “You must believe in the teachings of the church and follow itsinstructions, especially those regarding sacraments.” The popular mainline or liberal Protestant

4 Crises ...1. Planet2. Poverty3. Peace4. Religion

Societal Machine

Equity Security

Prosperity

The Ecosystem

Heat

Solar Energy

ResourcesWaste

Societal Machine

Equity Security

Prosperity

The Ecosystem

Heat

Solar Energy

ResourcesWaste

Framing Story

Societal Machine

Equity Security

Prosperity

Heat

Solar Energy

ResourcesWaste

Framing Story

The World’s Religions are failing provide a framing story capable of addressing our current crises - i.e. Good News.

Societal Machine

Equity Security

Prosperity

The Ecosystem

Heat

Solar Energy

ResourcesWaste

framing story = “good* news”

*healing, freeing, reconciling, empowering

QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor

are needed to see this picture.

Ivan Illich (Austrian former priest,

philosopher, social critic, 1926-2002)

Neither [violent] revolution nor [political] reformation can ultimately change a society; rather you must tell a new powerful tale, one so persuasive that it sweeps away the old myths and becomes the preferred story …

… one so inclusive that it gathers all the bits of our past and our present into a coherent whole, one that even shines some light into the future so that we can take the next step…. If you want to change a society, then you have to tell an alternative story.

- attributed to Ivan Illich (Austrian former priest, philosopher, social critic, 1926-2002)

PLANET - through re-joining creation, pursuing common good, learning from birds & flowers

POVERTY - through concern for the least of these, seeking justice for all

PEACE - through reconciliation, love for the other, turning other cheek, walking second mile

PERSONAL WHOLENESS - through loving God - linked with love of neighbor, stranger, outsider, and enemy.

Identity Crisis 4:Modernity conquers the other.

people move toward the other in solidarity.


We already know how to do 2 things quite well:


1. how to have a strong Christian identity that is hostile toward people of other religions.

STRONG-HOSTILE We have the only way.

You are going to hell.

We are God’s chosen.

You worship false gods.

resistance is futile.

you will be assimilated - or eliminated.


1. how to have a strong Christian identity that is hostile toward people of other religions.

2. how to have a weak Christian identity that is tolerant (benign) toward people of other religions.

weak-benign

it doesn’t matter what you believe.

all religions are the same.

all roads lead to god.

only sincerity matters.

doctrines divide.

keep religion private.

We haven’t yet learned ...

to have a strong Christian identity

that is benevolent

toward other religions.

strong-benevolent

Because I Follow Jesus, I love you.

I move toward “the other.”

I break down walls of hostility.

i stand with you in solidarity.

you are made in God’s image.

i am your servant.

I practice human-kindness.

Can Christians today build a new kind of identity ... based on hospitality and solidarity, not hostility, to the other?

strong-benevolent

Five Challenges

1. Historical

2. Doctrinal

3. Liturgical

4. Missional

5. Spiritual












4 Identity Crises

1. Moving from exclusivity to connectivity.

2. Moving from inerrancy to ability to learn, change, grow

3. Moving from timeless truths to timely wisdom

4. Moving from competition/conquest to collaboration for common good












The choice for religious leaders:

1. Serve the people who still attend, with modern sensibilities ...

OR

2. Learn to serve two kinds of people; develop two different approaches to ministry - pay attention to those who do not attend.

Christian Identity

in a

Postmodern World

christian identity

Documents

roman empires2500 bc

sudden2500 bc

new generation

revolutionary change

modernity values inerrancy

modernity values exclusivity

analytical postanalytical4

critical postcritical7