Marginal Christianity

Introduction Once, while sitting in the back of a class in seminary, I turned to a friend and said, “I’m a radical centrist.” At the time I was mostly just amused by the oxymoronic irony of the phrase. But, upon reflection, I have come to appreciate the term. Properly understood, being a radical centrist might actually be a good thing. One could make the case that that is part of the genius of the Anglican tradition (though, I’d suggest there are ways in which we haven’t always been radical enough). I think the church where I get to be the rector/pastor has tried to embody a sort of radical centrist community (though, again, we could probably be more radical). I propose to attempt a sketch of what it might mean for a Christian to be a radical centrist beginning today and on subsequent Fridays. I. What it is Not, Part 1: Not Moderate Radical Centrist is not the same as “moderate.” I confess that I am congenitally cautious. Thus I find moderation in and of itself...

I. What it is Not, Part 2: Not a Mid-point on a Spectrum To be a radical centrist is not to try to locate oneself at some mid-point of an imagined right-left spectrum. The idea of such a spectrum is itself an idol that creates a sort of conceptual trap. To ask if Jesus (and Christianity in general) is more compatible with American Conservativism or American Progressivism is like asking in China if Christianity is more compatible with Confucianism or Taoism. The truth is there are ad hoc similarities between Christianity and both Taoism and Confucianism. A Christian who converts from either of those might look back and say; “Now I know what that means in the light of Christ” or “Oh, I need to change my mind and behavior if I want to conform to Jesus.” In the end, Taoism and Confucianism have a lot more in common with one another as varieties of the Chinese heritage than either of them has with Christianity as such which operates under a different logic. The sa...

Friday, December 28, 2012 http://intotheexpectation.blogspot.com/2012/12/on-rachels-lament-and-not-looking-away.html The fourth day of Christmas is the Feast of Holy Innocents rooted in the story of Herod’s slaughter of baby boys of Bethlehem in an attempt to annihilate the infant Jesus as recounted in the second chapter of the Gospel of Matthew . It is also a reminder that many little ones continue to suffer and die due to hunger, disease, neglect, abuse, and violence. Fleming Rutledge is an Episcopalian priest and renowned preacher and author. Her blog, GenerousOrthodoxy, is a fine resource. The following is taken from one of her sermons, Monsters at the Manger . In the sermon she refers to a sermon preached by a Roman Catholic priest, Father Lucic, at a church in Sarajevo during the siege and bombardment there in the 1990’s: The priest’s final words were, “Jesus teaches us that human judgments are not the last judgments, that human justice is not the last justic...

Into the Expectation http://intotheexpectation.blogspot.com/2012/12/gollums-choice-or-what-is-your-precious.html  Monday, December 17, 2012 "A life is either all spiritual or not spiritual at all. No man can serve two masters. Your life is shaped by the end you live for. You are made in the image of what you desire."    – Thomas. Merton I saw the Hobbit movie yesterday. Though it has its shortcomings (and longcomings, given its length), I enjoyed it. But then, as a Tolkien and Peter Jackson fan, I wanted to enjoy it. I'm reposting an old sermon that explores questions of heaven and hell playing off of one of the characters in the movie: Smeagol was once a hobbit-like creature. A hobbit is an imaginary creature invented by J. R. R. Tolkien who wrote the The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings . Short creatures with hairy feet, hobbits have been described as a cross between a rabbit and an English...