Category: Culture


The Way of Jesus

John’s theological handbook offers an apologists perspective of the way, truth, and life of Jesus of Nazareth in support of a substitutionary atonement Christology.  This has become the orthodox theology and approved popular interpretation of this bit of scripture from which all kinds of awful Christian action, and meant to be graceful Christian action, has come to pass.  My own interpretation, that appears in sermons and writings from time to time, reads: The way of Jesus leads to truth about God, and that way can lead to meaningful life. It can even restore life.  It can be life saving.  That interpretation doesn’t have a salvation certainty that many yearn for, but the authentic teaching stories of Jesus are not meant for certainty.  They are meant for learning, over and over again, incarnate lessons.

A colleague has some words for Christian orthodoxy, on Mother’s day no less, from the pulpit talking about the way of Jesus.  The Way, by Rev. Jarrett Banks, includes this paragraph.

Jesus didn’t say the Bible-Belt-culture evangelicalism manufactured for the self-interest of the privileged was the way. He didn’t say some alternative gospel created to ignore God’s will for social justice was the truth. And he didn’t say that the fake good news made up to cheapen the grace of the irrefutable good news was the life. He said that he was.

Read more at Downward, Upward, and Forward Behind Jesus

“Sightings” by Martin Marty

“Shocking” News on Worship and the Public
Martin Marty, May 1, 2017

The focus of Sightings is on the “public,” as in “public religion,” a concept which often leads to discussion of “church and state” affairs or “religion and public life.” The “private religion” of the sanctuary and temple does not often make news. Yet we have to be ready for surprise, and we were prompted to be surprised, even shocked, by headlines like this one from last week: “Survey shocker: music dead last, sermons first, as worship draws.” It headed an article at Baptist News Global by Jeff Brumley, who was shocked—shocked!—as he presumed most of his readers, Baptist or non-Baptist, must have been. Instantly the subject of this “survey shocker” appeared in many articles on the internet.

Click here to read the entire Sightings and subscribe.

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