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

Whiskey Preacher

Home
About Whiskey Preacher
- Writings
- Interviews
Book & Contact Info
Subscribe To The Whiskey Updates

Home
Progressive Christian
Theological Bullshit

Theological Bullshit

Last updated on: June 18, 2012 at 5:04 pm by Phil Shepherd

Theological Bullshit 2012-06-18T17:04:27-06:00 Phil Shepherd

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.

Hello, my name is John Jensen. With my wife Raquel, and my daughters Ade and Cheyenne, I have been creating and taking part in small communities of faith, mostly among those that do not fit into our normal traditional Christian boxes. Our current community is in Long Beach California. We have found these communities of those that are radically diverse, and committed to a bottom up empowering of people in all of the social fabric, have had a transformative effect on our life, and that of those around us. My website johnthereverend.com has many similar articles, as well as occasional videos, hope you will join the discussion.

Theological Bullshit

My pedigree is pretty strong in the “emerging church” world. Though I may not have any degrees, my wife and I were on the vanguard of this brave new world where art, post modernity and mission were innersecting. I was on staff with a missions and church consulting agency that was helping churches prepare for this changing landscape long before the discussion of “emerging” was even in the public square. Our first youth ministry was way outside the box, and our first church plant “the belonging” was surprisingly influential. The third church plant we worked with was written about in The Shaping of Things to Come.

Long before people were writing books for and against the emerging church, we were living something radically different, and continue to do so. There are many people that are very well respected authors and conference speakers that were part of this conversation way back in the day.

I think however we have gone in two directions. We have either gone in the direction of “emerging church is a style” or “emerging church is a ideology” The one looks at, how we can do things better to reach our goal of saving the lost. The other is more about challenging the thoughts and theologies of the traditional church.

I want to speak a bit about the second part. I admit, I may come across as a bitter, under educated and anti education guy, but hey, I might be a bitter, under educated and anti education guy!

What I have begun to see more and more commonly among this circle, is theological mumbo jumbo. This tendency to come up with the most extreme, shocking, or mystical ideas and to throw them around as some testimony as to how unique and non traditional we are. To show how our post modern deconstruction of the faith has allowed us to embrace all kinds of thoughts. And to escape any real critique because… it isn’t really about right and wrong, black or white, it is all about the wrestling, the journey.

Well, this is where I get to my title. I am more and more convinced that any ideology, any theology, any Christology that does not have flesh on it, is quite frankly bullshit. As much as I find the clever rhetoric to be a bit too cool for my tastes, Peter Rollins is quite correct when he said, “I deny the resurrection of Christ every day I do not serve at the feet of the oppressed, every time I turn my back on the poor”. This infatuation with coming up with all kinds of deep and meaningful ways of deconstructing scripture, pontificating upon abstract concepts, and creating “conversations about God”, is basically bullshit if it doesn’t actually cause us to become part of the way.

The early church was not known by its beliefs. The truth was that by the Nicean council the church was incredibly diverse in its theology, if a bit less so in its structure. But what it was fairly united in, was the way in which it lived. It was the Way. They cared for not only their own sick and poor, but those of the Romans. They were good news to the poor and the marginalized. They were devout in their generousity, and scandalous in their equality. They stood against the tyranny and oppression of both religion and state. They would often fast not for spiritual reasons, but so that the money they saved in not eating could be used to buy a community member out of slavery.

So as fascinating as some of the differnent theories of atonement might be, as interesting as a study of what heaven may be like, and as unique as some post modern take on St. Pauls scribbles in the public toilet in alexandria might be…

If it doesn’t result in love, especially for the least of these, then it’s a banging gong, a noisy symbol, it is in fact just theological bullshit

rev

Long Beach California

Previous Post

June 15, 2012

Ministering In The Midst Of Pain Series: Part 2

Next Post

June 19, 2012 Missional Pastoring Head Rattles

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Are We Missing The Point? Podcast Articles Featured Job, Tattoos, & The Problem With Pain Podcasts Prayers Uncategorized Vidcasts WBR

Select a Month December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 July 2016 May 2015 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 June 2014 May 2014 January 2014 December 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 November 2011 October 2011 July 2011 May 2011 March 2011 February 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was Rebekah's father?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Terah Abraham Bethuel Laban