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

Irreverin

Home
Progressive Christian
Resurrection Matters: The Holy Unknowing

Resurrection Matters: The Holy Unknowing

Last updated on: April 2, 2015 at 2:11 pm by Erin Wathen

Resurrection Matters: The Holy Unknowing 2015-04-02T14:11:41-07:00 Erin Wathen

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.

The insistence on a literal, physical, bodily resurrection is killing the conservative Church.

The denial of a literal, physical, bodily resurrection is killing the progressive Church.

Yeah, it’s a pickle.

The Bible says Jesus died, rose again, and ascended to heaven. All tensions within the Body of Christ can be reduced to this one question: Did he or didn’t he?

That may not be the only question that divides people of faith. But most bones of biblical and ideological contention stem from what we believe did, or did not, happen in that cave between Friday and Sunday.

Among fundamentalists, this is not even a question. Utter it aloud, and you will be told, swiftly and with certainty, that you are not a real Christian. You can just pack your bags right now. Bring along some tank tops because, y’know, it can get kind of warmish where you’re going.

Churches lose people, right there. When folks aren’t allowed to question the physical resurrection, they soon realize that “faith” means checking their brain at the door. Feeling that their brain is really kind of important (and possibly a gift from God?) they decide there is no room for them in that community, and they’re out. The exile of intellect is killing those churches.

Sometimes, sadly, the exiled reject all the other tenets of belief as well. They don’t seek another community, assuming that their heretical questions and blasphemous doubts will get them kicked out of the next place, too. But on occasion, those blessed doubters make their way into a progressive community. Their questions are affirmed. Their doubt is welcome at the table. The sun shines and women are allowed to say things and cartoon birds sing with the choir. It’s magical and transformative and together we shall save the world.

I’m not making fun. I love that church. I AM that church. Part of my job is scheduling the cartoon birds for Sunday mornings (they are on rotation with the choir, the large band, and the small ensemble). But here’s my concern: progressive communities are great at articulating what they don’t believe. Embracing doubt can be life-giving—even redemptive—for those who’ve been harmed by an oppressive environment. Most folks in moderate-to-progressive settings, whatever we may or may not believe about the “Event” itself, are comfortable saying that the whole of our faith does not hinge on that on belief in that one thing.

But the world is hungry for resurrection. Real, fleshy, tangible resurrection. And if we, in our healthy skepticism, omit or explain it away, then we’ve lost who we are, and who we are called to be for the world. If we are going to say “a literal, physical resurrection is not the center of our faith,” then we have to be able to answer the following questions:

-Then what is? And why are we here?

I don’t claim to have THE answer. But I do have at least one—the central claim of our faith is still resurrection—as we witness it in the world around. And ‘why we’re here’ is to share that witness in community, and embody it for humankind.

However it happened, whatever went down in that cave—it was God’s intent to enact grace on the world, and it is still our sacred calling to take part in that restorative work. From the shapeless void, God called out light and water and green stuff and breathing things; and out of the nothingness of a cave, God called forth life, again. For us.

That is the truth as I know it. I try not to get lost in the details.

We witness resurrection every day. You see it in restored families—and those that change shape but still work to love each other as best they can. You see it in women who’ve been empowered with voice, after generations of servitude; you see it when the Church welcomes the formerly exiled as full members of the body; you see it when you nurture the fragile earth, or work to end to violence; you embody it when you seek justice for poor and mercy for prisoner.

Learning how to name, claim and embody resurrection is a lifetime journey. In fact, it might be THE lifetime journey. But a big part of understanding it is the spiritual practice of saying:

“There’s a lot that we don’t know…”

When we acknowledge that nobody knows, we create the emptiness of the cave—the nothing space in which God can do miracles. At work in the holy darkness of unknowing, there is life.

There’s a lot that we don’t know… but we know for sure that some people came to a cave one morning, expecting to find their friend’s battered frame. And instead they said:

He is not here…

Because already, even then, he was ‘out there,’ in the world. Living and breathing in everyone who loves, seeks and serves… In every turning season, every gathered community, every head bowed in prayer for the hurting world. That’s why we’re still here. That’s what still matters.

He is not here. Maybe it’s not as complicated as a dead body walking around again, or floating up to a heaven we cannot see… But at the same time, it cannot be as simple as misplaced remains, or narrative metaphor, or Roman conspiracy.

He is not here. He is going before us, and at work within us.

That is resurrection. Some historian/theologian/anthropology/science team could come up and say, “look, we have proof. This dead-then-alive thing absolutely didn’t happen.” But it would not change who he is for us, or who we are in him.

That same team of folks could say, “Listen. It’s real. We caught every moment, every word, every image on film. It absolutely, positively happened, just as we’ve been told.”

And you know what? We might not be so surprised.

progressive christianity

resurrection

Previous Post

March 31, 2015

Holy Week Survival Guide: 10 Life Hacks for Clergy

Next Post

April 3, 2015 Here is Your Son, Here is Your Mother

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category a good week for progress Advent and Christmas Being a Person desert life faith and community Good News for Progressives Lent and Easter Marriage and Family S*^! Jesus Says sabbatical road tripping Spirituality in Culture Talking to Strangers the "Best Stuff I Ever Ate" diet travel Uncategorized writing Writing Prompt Wednesday

Select a Month January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 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 August 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 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 February 2011 July 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Daniel interpreted King Nebuchadnezzar's dream about a statue made of different metals.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE