Yesterday’s post on Christianism is Frankenstein Christianity is here as a 6 min video
Step 1: Formalize
Step 2: Hierarchy/Authority
Step 3: Military Power/ Violence
Step 4: In/Out Boundary
Step 5: Membership not based on faithfulness/fidelity
You now have an ‘Ism’. This “floating signifier” is untethered from its anchor teaching and model.
>I put up the podcast (and transcript) called “Big Concern(s)” this past Tuesday and there have been two developments in the conversation that have caused me to think.
The initial post was about three things that I think will most impact the Church in the next 50 years.
Generations: I am talking about the WWII & Boomer generations passing away & retiring (respectively)
Race: There will no longer be a white majority by 2048. Black, Asian and Latino charismatic and evangelical churches mean that it will be true of the church before it is true of the culture.
Location: the Urban- Suburban – Rural divide looks to become a real gap. What does that mean for ‘doing’ church and ‘being’ the church?
Here are the two things that came up that caused me to think:
a) Most of the ‘chatter’ than I hear on the christian Radio, religions TV and the internet would lead me to think that the popular BIG 3 when it comes to religion are : Politics, Heresy or Pluralism. I have been forced to think about why those are not my three. I have come up with some initial answers but I will save them for a January Podcast.
b) Several people brought up the Gender and Sexuality issue. No doubt they have a point. As odd as this may sound, I am actually going to lump those in with Politics in my scenario that I am proposing. I think that partisan politics and sectarian religion (denominational divisions) are going to drag homosexuality and the abortion issue out – front and center. So I will deal with that there.
Another interesting thing that I wanted to pass along: I found this really good article on JFK, Mitt Romney, and Sarah Palin in the Washington Post. It is worth a read to think about Religion in the public sphere. [link]
I’ll see you Tuesday for the new Pod!
Bo Sanders: Public Theology 