Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Emergent Village

Home
Progressive Christian
Strange Christianity Made in America: Part I by Randy Woodley

Strange Christianity Made in America: Part I by Randy Woodley

Last updated on: February 22, 2012 at 6:00 am by randywoodley

Strange Christianity Made in America: Part I by Randy Woodley 2012-02-20T13:01:50-06:00 randywoodley

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

What has been particularly harmful about American Christianity has not necessarily been the beliefs professed by American Christians but rather the worldview that makes professions of belief more real than living them out. Within this schism of reality exists classic American dualism.

With just a reference to our nation’s fondness for war, our crime statistics, our rising poverty rates and an apparent increasing lack of concern for the most disenfranchised of society, we simply do not measure up to the life and teachings of a founder who loved his enemies, even to the point of his own death. As a nation, built upon genocide, slavery and patriarchy we have had little resemblance to the Jesus of the Bible. Perhaps we should be more honest and cease from invoking the name of Christ and references to Christianity as a unwritten standard in our national dialogues. As a church, we need to change the influence of a twisted worldview that has become our own. We can make these changes but not without a deep and critically honest review.

The kinds of dualisms, (there are several), primarily found among American Christians has deep roots in ancient societies, (particularly Greece) but was born on our shores directly out of the European Enlightenment. Under the influence of European philosophers American Christianity began understanding metaphysical reality (spiritual) and physical reality in false categories instead of as all one reality. When these two realities are separated, they often become dualistic in nature, separating two concepts or ideas from their one whole reality.

For example, in an American Enlightenment bound worldview, human beings can be categorized apart from and somewhat unrelated to the surrounding creation. In modern Christianity one’s place on the earth has nothing to do with their spiritual existence. The result is a false dichotomy between the physical earth and spiritual beings. In a more biblically influenced Christian worldview, human beings are fully physical (along with their spirituality) and the earth is fully spiritual (along with its physicality). All of creation is sacred and there is a problem with worldview, not truth when one is considered sacred and not the other or when one has hierarchy over the other. Jesus’ worldview seemed to indicate he understood both as sacred*: “…do not say, ‘By heaven!’ because heaven is God’s throne. And do not say, ‘By the earth!’ because the earth is his footstool…”* Matthew 5:34-35a

The word “salvation” in the Scriptures is often better translated as “healing” therefore, by definition, salvation should always consider a wholistic view including: the healing of people; the healing of our history (i.e., colonialism/neo-colonialism); the healing of others (individual, ethnicity, race, tribe, class, etc.); the healing of our planet, and all the rest of creation. When salvation is only concerned about “the soul” (based upon a dualistic worldview that elevates the soul over the corporeal) it profanes the whole mission of Christ to the world.

Howard Snyder, in his new book Salvation Means Creation Healed with Joel Scandrett, lists several other examples of our theological thinking based upon dualism.

When we:

See no spiritual significance in material things;

View life on earth as something unreal or of little importance;

View physical death as the end of our earthly life;

Think that beauty in this life (nature, people, art, music) is ultimately unimportant, except as it points to spiritual beauty;

See this present world as evil or totally under Satan’s control;

Overlook the biblical mandate for creation stewardship;

See spirit and matter as two opposites and irreconcilable categories. p.4

As American followers of Christ, we have been brainwashed into a faulty worldview based upon old dualisms. We can change. For the next several posts I will continue to pursue some of the malignant tumors of dualism that have embedded themselves in the everyday theologies of many American Christians. I believe that most of our acute theological differences fueling the fires of dissinsion today, can be traced back to our dualism. I know, as followers of Christ, we can do better.

american christianity

Previous Post

February 21, 2012

Black History – White Woman

Next Post

February 22, 2012 Emergent Peeps on Lent - Doug Pagitt and Phyllis Tickle first

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Addiction Advent Atheism Authority Bible Cartoons Christian Year Christmas church church planting Civil Rights Community Contemplative Spirituality Culture emerging church Empire Eschatology Evangelism Events Gender Healing Humanism Islam Justice Kingdom Lent Movement Building Multi-Faith Music mysticism New Wave Emergence origins Personal Poetry politics Prayer Preaching Privilege Racism Religious naturalism Resurrection salvation SKEPTIMERGENT Theology Trauma Uncategorized

Select a Month December 2017 November 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Which giant Philistine did David defeat with a sling and a stone?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Ishbi-Benob Agag Goliath Og