Jesus and the End of Religion

Since I just posted a recommendation on Jim Wallis' God's Politics, here's an editorial on the topic as it relates to the current controversy over judicial nominees in the U.S.

An obvious example of the perils of religion can be seen in its relationship to politics. This is evident with every religion, but especially noticeable at present within the United States. The Christian right is perceived as holding sway over George W. Bush and the Republican party. Democrats typically disregard the role of faith in public life but conveniently latch onto the religious left and African American churches when convenient. An excellent book that examines these tensions is by Jim Wallis (founder of Sojourners) is God's Politics: Why the Right Get's it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It. While I don't completely support Wallis' understanding of religion, he makes some exceptional insights that should remind us that faith and life in Jesus Christ is so different than its current religious expressions.

Religion is common to humanity because of the universal recognition that there is more to life than is perceived through the senses. That is, a supra-natural dimension of reality. The typical result of this belief is the division of reality into two sectors: the sacred and the secular. Religion maintains this distinction because of the belief that humanity cannot endure or desire immediate contact with God. This was a common theme in the Hebrew scriptures (e.g. Exodus 20:19, 34:33-34) and among the Gnostics during the early years of Christianity. Religion, through its sacred symbols and rituals from the created order, mediates contact with the transcendent world. The message of Jesus radically broke this distinction, claiming "God is with us" (Matthew 1:24), and that "the Word became flesh and made his dwelling [lit. pitched his tent] among us" (John 1:14a). This new view was earth-shattering, and threatened the very nature of religion. It's interesting to see how quickly even Christians turned from this new understanding of God's relation with humanity, and returned to the familiar confines of religion.

Yesterday was the election of Joseph Ratzinger as the next Pope, Benedict XVI, of the Roman Catholic Church. While we cannot only single out the Roman Catholic Church as an example of Christian religiosity (Protestants, Eastern Orthodox, etc. are equally as guilty), the focus of the last few weeks on Rome has been illuminating. First, despite growing internal division, and challenges in the Western world, one cannot help but notice the influence that the Catholic Church has on hundreds of millions of people. Second, even many nominal Catholics have come out of the woodwork, identifying with their heritage during this time. Third, the rigid tradition, hierarchical structure and dogmatism of Catholicism does provide security and meaning for many of its adherents. Responding to Jesus' call to end religion seems strange and unheard in the midst of this context. The reality is that almost all Christians (and non-Christians) see Christianity as religion, because that is the form that it predominantly takes around the world. Jesus' revolutionary words and deeds are lost in the aberration of the religion that was wrongly formed in his name. In fact, Jesus is only seen through the lenses of this religion, and in the process his true image is blurred.

From time to time I will post links to blogs, articles or even books that contribute to this discussion. I won't necessarily agree with everything contained within, but still want to encourage you to examine these materials as they are thought-provoking.
In this article, The End of Religion: Announcing the Gospel of the Kingdom, Robert Lynn provides a thorough and practical biblical-theological examination of Jesus' message transcending religion.

This past weekend the major global story concerns the death of Pope John-Paul II. By all accounts he was a dedicated man who truly impacted millions of people. One cannot help but be impressed with the deep admiration of this leader from those both inside and outside his Church. It is also noteworthy to see how Roman Catholicism continues as the largest Christian denomination, and remains an influential and venerable institution. Despite the apparent success of the Catholic Church over the centuries, we still must ask the question: Is this what Jesus intended? Can we reconcile the simple teachings of the Galilean peasant with the grandiose Christian religion that has emerged in its place?