Author Archives: hthorn

Team 1, Question 1

Posted on by under global christianity

 

Jacobsen describes American trends in mainstream Christianity after World War II as a renewed turning to God, including adding “under God” to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954 and changing the country’s official motto to “in God we trust” in 1956.  Mainline Protestantism became the model for achieving a sense of normalcy after the war since they were “polite, white, respected, and community-oriented” (Jacobsen, 202).  This was done with the goal of establishing wholesome social hygiene at a time that was high in anxiety over rapid social and economic changes.

With the evolution of Christianity, “congregation-centered, non-denominational Protestantism [became] one of the fastest-growing sectors of Christianity in the nation” (Jacobsen, 204).  The nondenominational movement has gained popularity as Christians are increasingly choosing to belong to a congregation rather than a particular denomination and thus taking on that identity.  Nondenominational Christians now account “for 7 percent of the total American population” (Jacobsen, 204).  With so many Christian identities available, more and more are choosing to simply identify as a Christian rather than a religion to belong to.

With this sense of identity, Americans are also differentiating between spirituality and religion.  Religion is often used to refer to “teachings and normative practices of an organized religious group, and these are often viewed negatively” (Jacobsen, 212).  In contrast, spirituality is often used to define what is felt to be “something authentic and ‘real’. Each person’s spirituality cannot possibly be captured and passed along by an institution such as a church” (Jacobsen, 212).  This is why a person who considers themselves spiritual but not religious may feel closer to God hiking in the hills rather than sitting in a pew.  This spectrum of faith is one of the things that makes American Christianities so unique.

Jacobsen argues that religious freedom is one of the foundations of American Christianities.  There are three theological implications regarding religious freedom: Soul Liberty, Jesus as Friend, and Beloved Community.

Soul Liberty means “the accountability of each person before God” (Jacobsen, 214).  Each person’s faith is a personal matter between them and God.  However, many Christians feel it is their duty to share their faith with others.  This creates a fuzzy area where coercion is socially unacceptable but persuasion, particularly with emotions, is acceptable.  These techniques contributed to Billy Graham’s crusades and also various cult organizations.  Jacobsen argues that “there is disagreement about precisely where the line between religious freedom and cult coercion lies” (216).  American Christians want the feeling of freedom in their religion, for example saying they choose to be a part of a certain congregation, even while rejecting the knowledge that they might attend out of a sense of fear.  Emotions are an unpredictable tool that many organizations use for their benefit, regardless of whether the end result is good or bad.

The second aspect of American religious freedom is the transition of an angry, punishing God to one of compassionate friend.  This kinder God soothed anxieties during the Great Awakening amongst Christians who worried if they would make it to heaven.  The idea of gentle Jesus gave rise to today’s popular belief that “Christianity is not a religion at all but a relationship with Christ” (Jacobsen, 219).  This personal relationship with God as a friend has changed the way Christians worship and proselytize, and some Christians may see their congregations as being more personal and friendly as a result.

The last aspect of religious freedom is Beloved Community.  Jacobsen defines the meaning that “Christians in America frequently remind themselves that the freedom to pursue personal dreams functions best when it is coupled with concern and respect of others” (220).  This stresses the importance of community while recognizing the American tradition of individuality.  Martin Luther King, Jr. was an incredible example of Christian love and respect and repeatedly spoke out about the vital need for these qualities in communities and laws.  King’s mission was to inspire love and compassion for all people.  Jacobsen particularly got to the heart of it when he said, “Americans have at times been spectacular failures at living up to their own ideals of freedom and community” (221).  This is so telling because the American Dream was never meant for all people.  In practice, freedom was a privilege for the dominant groups, particularly those who are white, male, and Christian.  As an example, Jacobsen points out that the Indigenous ways of life are “strikingly similar to the principles of shalom as articulated in the Bible… ‘have justice, restoration, and continuous right living as their goal’” (221).  In other words, Indigenous families were destroyed (lack of freedom) because of the missionary efforts of white Christians (privileged freedom) in order to force a white version of faith upon Natives to replace the Indigenous system of faith that had been working for them for a very long time.  We still see today that religious freedom and a loving community are not easily granted to those who are not members of the white, male, and Christian menage a trois.

If I were given the task of creating a “Super Christianity” of beliefs and practices from around the world, I wouldn’t.  It would be arrogant to assume that it would even need to be defined as a Christian lifestyle.  Instead, I have dreams for how I hope my own children grow in their spirituality.  I hope that religious labels disappear.  Labels such as “Christian” immediately create a boundary of insiders and outsiders, and these boundaries create barriers to empathy.  Why do we not hear more about the continuous killings of people of color on the other side of the world?  Partly because they are not Christians and therefore unimportant.  This needs to end.  I hope all faiths learn to embrace knowledge rather than fear it.  So many Christian beliefs are in fact only social constructs that have been spun into a type of false doctrine.  By clenching to social mores as if they were gospel also creates boundaries of insiders and outsiders.  Jesus himself hung out with those who could ruin reputations.  Christ choose the outsiders.  I want to see more knowledge, more empathy, and more compassion.  I believe these three components would go a long way to destroying the pattern of Christian arrogance and bring about the kind of love and service that Christ spoke of.  That’s the kind of Super Spirituality that I would like to see.

Team 1, Question 1: Letter from a Birmingham Jail

Posted on by under civil rights movement

Martin Luther King, Jr. spent eight days in jail for leading a peaceful protest against segregation.  During that time, an ally smuggled a newspaper to him that contained criticism against King by leading white church leaders.  In response to the newspaper article, King wrote Letter from a Birmingham Jail within the margins of the same newspaper.  King’s letter provides a logical and unemotional response to why the African American community was engaged in peaceful protests and King’s hope for the response of the white church.

King starts his letter by positioning himself as an insider rather than an outsider.  Outsiders are frequently seen as a threat to those who believe they have a right to belong to a particular group, so King argues why he has a right to speak up: he was invited by his organizational ties and it’s his duty as a Christian to correct injustice when he sees it, “just as the Apostle Paul” did (King, 1).  King defines justice as “a man-made code that squares with the moral law or the law of God… Any law that uplifts human personality is just” (King, 4).  In contrast, “an unjust law is a code that is out of harmony with the moral law… Any law that degrades human personality is unjust” (King, 4).  King argues that injustice is “morally wrong and sinful” (King, 4) because it creates a divide between people.  If people are brothers and sisters in Christ, then such actions that promote difference, superiority, and inferiority are not God’s will.  As brothers and sisters in Christ, no one is an outsider.

As an insider, King and his movement tried negotiations with city leaders but this only became a cycle of broken promises.  Since talking about negotiation hadn’t been fruitful in bringing about change, King argues that “this is the very purpose of direct action.  Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue.  It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored” (King, 2).  By using their bodies as physical barriers, they created opposition against the oppressors.  By using sit-ins and refusing to spend their hard-earned money at certain establishments, these protests created a visual and financial impact that could not be ignored by white society.  As king points out, “freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed” (3).  King argues that these actions are necessary in order for their society to grow to become what God intended America to be.

These actions were deemed extreme by those who wanted to maintain the status quo.  King argues that what others might call extremism isn’t so bad when considering biblical characters and great men in history who stood for what they believed was right.  For example, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego disobeyed the laws of Nebuchadnezzar.  Other examples of “normal and healthy discontent [that were] channeled into the creative outlet of nonviolent direct action” (King, 7) included Amos, Paul, Martin Luther, John Bunyan, Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson, and perhaps most importantly, Jesus Christ.  King argues that these actions are the natural consequence of an oppressed people and he will be “an extremist for love” (7) like Christ was.

This love of Christ and His church drove King to express his deep dissatisfaction with the church.  He states, “I have been so greatly disappointed with the white church and its leadership” (King, 8).  This disappointment stems from the opposition King and his movement experienced when he had expected that “white ministers, priests and rabbis of the South would be among [their] strongest allies” (King, 8).  This disillusionment led King to criticize the church for not doing what was morally right for their African American brothers and sisters.  Rather than providing support, many white Christians “remained silent behind the anesthetizing security of stained glass windows” (King, 8).  White Christians found security within their church buildings which allowed them to develop social blinders to the harm being inflicted upon the black community.  King criticizes the ministers who made an “un-Biblical distinction between body and soul, between the sacred and the secular” (King, 9) that allowed the white churches to so easily dismiss their African American Christian brothers and sisters.  This deliberate disregard of the abuses by the white community was what King would call unchristian.

Two of the most striking aspects of this letter are both the tone and how it can be applied to social injustices still happening today.  First, King’s letter is logical, unemotional, and level-headed as he appeals to his fellow clergymen.  While many religious sects rely on high emotions and passion to get their spiritual message across, King instead relies on reason.  In a time when racism was the norm, King’s even tone challenged the stereotypical angry black male trope and appealed to the logic of white church leaders.  This was another act of resistance by King since his reason disrupted accepted beliefs of the character of the African American people.  Second, injustice is still happening to marginalized people today.  Laws are being passed to control the bodies of our LGBT brothers and sisters.  The rhetoric is that laws are being put in place to protect the imaginary child, yet, just as King provided facts to back his claims, it has been proven that our LGBT brothers and sisters are the group at highest risk for violence committed against them.  King’s call for a united people who act out of Godly love towards one another is still applicable today and that’s what makes his letter still so powerful.

Team 1, Question 1

Posted on by under spiritualism

In The Story of Christianity, Gonzalez describes George Fox as a man of humble origin who came to believe that all of the various religious sects in England were wrong.  Believing that the human “inner light” allows men and women to recognize God and believe scripture, he started a new religious group who would come to be known as the Quakers.

Revelation and religious experiences drove Fox towards paths he felt compelled by God to pursue.  After founding the Quakers, his conviction to do only what God wanted him to do meant that he was often silent during his worship services if he didn’t feel prompted by God to speak.  He felt his calling was to be steadfast in his religious conviction and to lead others to this pure knowledge of God.

The Quakers differed from the Catholics and Protestants in several ways.  They believed women had the same right to speak as men, and this allowed women a place of spiritual authority within the church.  They didn’t practice baptism or communion because they felt that such practices would distract from scripture.  Within church meetings, all votes had to be unanimous.  The Quakers had no regard for class or station and didn’t apologize for breaking social norms, and they refused to pick up weapons to defend themselves.  The reaction from Fox’s contemporaries was often violent.  Quakers were often beaten and imprisoned, including Fox himself and his wife.  Even these events did not shake their faith.

In his journal letters, Fox describes his mystical experiences in an almost arrogant way, claiming that he became like Adam before he fell (27).  This lofty claim in addition to the visions of seeing the purpose in creation led Fox to believe it was his role to “direct people to the Spirit” (34) in order to come to God.  He further claims his authority by being crowned with glory that allowed him to speak Truth (47-48).  Fox believed his sense of power came from God and this motivated him in his church leadership role.  Not all appreciated the Quaker beliefs and, again, there was often violence.  Fox and his followers didn’t believe that one man was superior to another, so they often broke social norms by refusing to remove their hats in front of men of class or station.  These breaches brought physical abuse, robbery, and imprisonment upon the Quakers.  Yet again, in reaction to these abuses the Quakers did not lift a hand in return but merely turned the other cheek.

These steadfast beliefs are reflected in The Epistles where Fox urges the Quakers to quietly “wait to hear the voice of the Lord” (5, 162).  He reminds his followers to be faithful and remember that actions speak louder than words (13).  He further reminds worshipers to meet together often in order to keep the spiritual light burning to stay close to God (149).  By doing so, “prisons, fetters, dungeons, and sufferings [mean nothing since you are] gathered into the fold of Christ Jesus” (206).  In the face of such persecutions Fox comforts them, “I say the Lord can sanctify such places” (398).  He reminds the Quakers to stay close to God and He will provide sanctuary from the oppressors (398).

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