Jesus and the End of Religion

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.