Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Can Christianity be reformed?
Blogging has been sparse over the past few weeks, but the quest for the end of religion continues...
A question that I regularly ponder is whether Christianity can actually be reformed to better reflect the radical message of Jesus?
Sometimes when observing the current state of Christianity it can be frustrating that the religion that emerged out of the original Jesus movement has got so far off track. Philosophically, theologically, sociologically, and institutionally the Christian religion has become entrenched within our culture so that it is difficult for its adherents to see Jesus outside of these trappings.
Having said this, we still must be charitable to and accepting of those who differ from us. Most Christians are on a spiritual journey and it would be presumptious for me or anyone else to discredit their sincere religious practices and beliefs.
But, we must address the inconsistency between the current religious expressions of Christianity and the subversive spirituality of Jesus. Is it time for another Reformation?
I am encouraged by the "emerging church" movement, which is honestly confronting the current state of Christianity and exploring authentic ways to express and live out faith. Of course, like any reformation movement, the danger is that even this breath of fresh air can quickly become cold and stale through its own formalization.
It is apparent that Jesus, as a Jew, was not trying to break from his heritage even though he doggedly confronted its hypocrisies and corruption. Ultimately, he realized, however, that the religious institutions themselves will reject this radical spirituality and force the separation. The result was the execution of Jesus as a way to silence his deviancy.
Inevitably, those who follow the irreligious teachings of Jesus will face rejection by the mainstream Christian religion. Perhaps over time a degree of reformation will occur. Nevertheless, we should actively engage with all Christians, and enter into constructive dialogue that examines the message of Jesus. But, without taking on a martyr syndrome, we should recognize the challenges and obstacles that we will face from those who cannot accept the end of religion.
