Jesus and the Death of Church - A Proposal

8/13/2019 Jesus and the Death of Church - A Proposal

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(ENDORSEMENTS: I have a confirmation from Shane Claiborne that he will endorse this book

Rob !ell will endorse on obtainin" a contract for this book#

Book Title: $es%s & The Death of Ch%rch b' George Elerick

Table of Contents:

oreward I)*reface: !' *astor Do%" *a"itt

Introd%ction b' Dr+ Creston Davis

,# Introd%ction

-# .cknowled"ements

/# $es%s 0as 1eft The !%ildin"

2# Ch%rch of the 3a4

5# Television 6ill Save 7s

8# $es%s9 The ."nostic

# Don;t Ste4 on The 3rass


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biolo"ical9 historical9 lin"%istic9 or c%lt%ralBBm%st be bro%"ht into relation with each other if we are

to %nderstand the h%man whole+ To better %nderstand o%r h%manness9 we need to have a "ood

conce4t of c%lt%re+ On one side there are those who wo%ld do an'thin" at an' cost to 4reserve the

histor' of the ch%rch alon" with its instit%tional e4ression9 others wo%ld do an'thin" at an' cost to

make the Ch%rch relative to the here and now+ !%t I think both sides err9 I think there is a third

o4tion we have 'et to consider+

This book (for a "eneral a%dience# will invite the reader on the o%rne' to discover better words that

clearl' s4eak of a messa"e that was meant for the world and not %st a few 4eo4le9 not %st for the

Ch%rch+ This work will challen"e the idea that what is9 isnFt what has to be+ It will chan"e the wa'

4eo4le think and talk abo%t Christianit'9 $es%s9 3od and the 6orld+ Each cha4ter will visit certain

as4ects of c%lt%re9 4o4Bc%lt%re and be"in askin" how can we learn from c%lt%reA what is c%lt%reA

how did $es%s res4ond to c%lt%reA .nd %ltimatel'9 rather than demoniin" c%lt%re9 how will c%lt%re

hel4 sha4e the f%t%re of the Ch%rch in the most 4ositive wa'+ Each cha4ter will also dive into hotB

to4ic iss%es that the Ch%rch as a whole are res4ondin" to (e+"+9 homose%alit'9 women in leadershi4

and etc+# and how c%lt%re9 a better)$ewish ori"in %nderstandin" of scri4t%re9 dialo"%e and

a44lication will hel4 %s make better decisions for the f%t%re of the Ch%rch and %ltimatel'Christianit'+ !' em4lo'in" 4o4Bc%lt%re9 mass c%lt%re9 4ostmodern tho%"ht and anecdote this will be

a treatise for a chan"e in 4ers4ective+

Audience:

6ith b% words like *ostBChristianit' and *ostBCh%rch floatin" aro%nd and definin"

societ'9 there is now a demo"ra4hic awaitin" their voices to be heard+ Man' of the adherents of this

soBcalled *ost Christian societ' are not %st nonBChristians S%nda' ch%rch 4artici4ants are

considerin" themselves a 4art of this a%dience as well+ This work aims to reach both "ro%4s of

4eo4le and invite them into a theoretical wrestlin" match with 3od and their tho%"hts on 0im+

The intention is that this book will be an accessible look into c%lt%re9 the messa"e of $es%s and how

it relates to the f%t%re of the ch%rch+ This does not intend to be an aloof scholastic work9 b%t rather

one that reaches those who 4artici4ate in the "eneral Christian dialo"%e and some of those who

mi"ht be ?%estionin" the role of Ch%rch in societ' and what the f%t%re reall' holds for the Ch%rch+

The a%dience incl%des those who ma' not be reli"io%s b%t are interested in the conversation

occ%rrin" within Christendom+

Chapter Summaries:

Jesus Has Left the Building

C%lt%re and ch%rch have had ?%ite a d'sf%nctional relationshi4 historicall' s4eakin"+ Most

Christian scholarshi4 has distanced itself from the c%lt%re within which it lives mis?%otin" @be in

the world not of it; I 4osit in this first cha4ter that the f%t%re of the ch%rch needs c%lt%re to save it+

That witho%t thin"s like c%lt%re there will be no f%t%re of the ch%rch+ 6here this deviates from the

traditional 4ostBch%rch rhetoric is that it dissects the messa"e of $es%s not as one intended to create

a reli"io%s e4ression in the s'stematic sense9 b%t rather as a movement9 and for an' movement to

s%stain itself9 it m%st remain mobile+

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This cha4ter will also answer the ?%estion of whether or not Christianit' was meant to be a

%niversall' im4osed worldview or if $es%s meant somethin" else+ (For Eample:To be IN the

world and not OF it has been over%sed to e4lain what it means to have a health' distance from the

world 'et in the time)lan"%a"e of $es%s G IN im4lies 1OHE O means to be %ndone+ The Ch%rch

is meant to love the world9 to even die for it 'et9 is also not meant to become %ndone b' their own

inabilit' to love s%ch a world+#

Church of The !ap

One of the bi""est str%""les the ch%rch has had is: definin" itself+ I think this is the central reason

wh' the Ch%rch hasn;t been effective (overall#9 it seems st%ck in an identit' crisis+ Some think it;s

meant to be the bod' of Christ9 others think it;s meant to be 3od;s mission a"ent9 others think it;s

meant to hel4 sha4e c%lt%re+ !%t what if it;s none of thoseA 6hat if we have missed itA 6hen $es%s

ste4s on the scene his a%dience alread' has 4reconceived notions of what it means to be a messiah9

and when $es%s ste4s on the scene he has his own notions+ Rather than choose the two etremes or

what sometimes "ets deemed as the 4olar o44osites+

The Ch%rch;s role is to stand in between the two and mediate the conversation+ !e the "a4+ This isa 4lace of tension+ Rather than choosin" one side over another9 the Ch%rch is meant to be the ver'

"a4 that 4rovides the s4ace for the tension to hel4 define the f%t%re of the Ch%rch+ 6hich means the

f%t%re of the Ch%rch is in decentralied microBnarratives+ This cha4ter %n4acks this idea+

Tele"ision #ill Sa"e $s

Ever'thin" on television tends to "et obectified+ Ever'thin"+ .ltho%"h we know most of what

4asses across o%r television is neither tr%e nor real9 there is a 4rocess of belief that is still

occ%rrin"+ Television and the media tend to 4erversel' s'nthesie realit' this cha4ter dissects how

the media has had a h%"e hand in formin" how we not onl' inter4ret o%r world b%t how we inter4ret

the 4erson of $es%s and how the incarnation co%nters this initial ass%m4tion+ $es%s denies

obectification b' bein" the incarnation+

Then it will s4end time dissectin" on accessible terms how the media can hel4 save the f%t%re of the

Ch%rch+ So is the Ch%rch meant to be viewed b' the world obectivel'A I think this is an incredibl'

im4ortant ?%estion9 beca%se the res4onse will chan"e how the f%t%re of the Ch%rch will res4ond to

the world+ It will hi"hli"ht man' thin"s abo%t wh' television sha4es c%lt%re and inadvertentl'

reli"io%s e4ression and how it mi"ht hel4 %s %sher in a new era for the 4ostBinstit%tion Ch%rch+

Jesus% The Agnostic

C%lt%rall' s4eakin"9 most believe witho%t thinkin"+ . lot a"ree witho%t knowin" what we a"ree to+

Most of %s celebrate Christmas witho%t reall' believin" in Santa Cla%se+ !elief has become a social

narcotic+ rom social cl%bs to ch%rches9 from thin"s abo%t nat%re to n%rt%re+ 6e live in a world that

believes for %s+ et9 $es%s seems to co%nter this ver' idea9 he seems committed to revol%tioniin"

the wa' we think (@o% have heard it was said9 b%t I sa';#+

This cha4ter shares how o%r societ' makes it a44ear that we have a choice to believe b%t in tr%th are

believed for and how the Ch%rch has done the same+ $es%s challen"es the $ewish reli"io%s s'stem to

the 4oint of belief a"nosticism+ 0e tries to "et 4eo4le to think for themselves9 %nfort%natel'9 o%r the

Christian c%lt%re has failed in doin" s%ch a thin"+ This cha4ter will also share how the 4ower of

belief can save the f%t%re of the Ch%rch+ This will deal with the 4lace of the creeds in o%r histor'+

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&on't Step on The !rass

6e "et told that life has limits+ That eno%"h is eno%"h+ That there are limits+ That sociall' there are

in%nctions we are re?%ired to listen to+ R%les+ 1aws+ Stat%s J%o+ In a sense9 we are made to believe

that a4ath' can chan"e the world+ Seein" heaven as a meta4hor demonstrates to %s that there is

more to life than what we see+ That bi""er realities then the here and now eist+ That there is alwa'smore+ !%t not in the cons%mer sense+ et9 cons%merism is the new reli"ion of societ' and has

obvio%sl' entered into the Christian narrative9 so how do we "et o%r narrative backA Thro%"h

s%bversion+

The em4ire of cons%merism has led the Ch%rch in too man' directions+ This cha4ter is not onl' how

to "et it back9 b%t also seeks to offer wa's to re4lace cons%merism with somethin" else that $es%s

offered9 a societ' b%ilt on "ivin" and)or "race+ This will deal with the social and c%lt%ral

im4lications of s%ch an idea where "race doesn;t sim4l' re4lace the c%lt%re ideas9 b%t "race as

social s%bversion toward the c%rrent societ' of ch%rch and the world and how "race s%bverts o%r

d%alism+

(y Chemical )omance

6orshi4 shows %4 in o%r c%lt%re in a variet' of wa's+ 6e have cheerleaders+ 6e have football

"ames+ 6e have billboards+ 6e have sin"ers9 bands9 artists9 dancers9 and etc+ 6orshi4 is intrinsic to

o%r social makeB%4+ The ori"in of worshi4 resides in ancient s%4erstitio%s activit'+ 6e sometimes

worshi4 witho%t even knowin" it+ !%t wh' is that im4ortant as a c%lt%ral si"nA !eca%se if we;re not

caref%l9 we mi"ht become so cons%med with worshi4 that we do nothin" else b%t ind%ce a chemical

hi"h+ M' claim here is that 3od does not need h%mans to worshi4 him (even "od as a him is

4roblematic# that worshi4 as intrinsic as it seems to who we are as 4eo4le9 act%all' ne"ates what it

means to celebrate o%r 3odB"iven h%manit'+

This cha4ter shows how c%lt%re9 ch%rch and reli"ion (as is# in "eneral 4%shes %s to o%r chemical

limit and wh' this mi"ht not be a "ood thin"+ This also will answer the ?%estion of whether we need

worshi4 and how it ri"htl' can hel4 save the f%t%re of the 4ostBinstit%tional ch%rch+ This is a

sociolo"ical look into the effects of worshi4 in and o%t of the ch%rch+

The *ther Side of The Tracks: #omen% Homoseuals% )acism *h (y+,

No matter how @6estern; we are9 there are n%ances of colonialism9 im4erialism and even castes'stems within o%r societ' and all reli"io%s e4ressions+ This cha4ter will directl' deal with s%ch

hot to4ics as: women in societ')ch%rch9 homo4hobia (13!TJ#9 reli"io%s com4etitivism9 racism

('e49 it still "oes onK#9 and more to name a few+ This will dissect wh' we do s%ch thin"s9 how the

ch%rch has had a hand in it and how we can reverse the notion of reli"ion bein" a tribal idea+

(."ain9 this cha4ter (nor this book# is intended to demonise c%lt%re9 b%t rather see it like m%ch

an'thin" else9 when ri"htl' %sed can act%all' chan"e the landsca4e of Christianit' for the better

(which the distance between the ch%rch and Christianit' is where I think the Ch%rch has "one

wron"#+ 6hich is somethin" that needs to ha44en and 'et there seems to be a "a4 in this "enre of

writin"+ This cha4ter will e4lain wh' it does need to ha44en+

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Tour !uides - Skyscrapers

In $es%s; famo%s 4ra'er9 he 4ra's for %nit'9 b%t how does that ha44enA !' bein" in the world not of

it+ !%t what does that meanA O%r c%lt%re is increasin"l' esca4ist+ The c%lt%re of denial 4ervades o%rlives9 rhetoric and relationshi4s+ !%t9 6h'A The movies9 theatre and entertainment are statisticall'

the hi"hest 4aid ind%stries+ 6e learn as Christians9 as 4eo4le9 not to be @here;+ !%t we are s%44osed

to be in the world+ This cha4ter dives into the man' reasons wh' we think we;re better off there

rather than hereand also how that 4hiloso4h' destro's the whole 4ra'er of $ohn ,+

.nd also how the Ch%rch has hel4ed in it9 b%t also how the Ch%rch co%ld be sha4ed b' bein" in the

world and what that reall' means in c%lt%ral terms+ $es%s s4eaks of what is aro%nd %s as if it is

fleetin" and frivolo%s9 b%t who made the r%le that all cities in the world have to have sk'scra4ersA

This cha4ter dives into that and also e4lores what it means to be a 4ostBinstit%tional ch%rch in a

4ostBworld narrative and what the latter im4lies in terms of the eistence of this world and what

$es%s mi"ht have reall' meant+

Christianity the Sitcom% .ot the (o"ie

6hen we obectif' thin"s and ideas9 what we essentiall' do is ecl%de those thin"s that don;t fit

that thin" or idea+ 6e 4%sh them aside+ $es%s9 es4eciall' thro%"h man' of the 4arables tends to

redraw the bo%ndaries on incl%sion+ *arables are more like sitcoms9 short9 sweet and to the 4oint+

$es%s em4lo's these in a tribal societ'+ Tribalism is r%nnin" ram4ant in o%r societ'+ This cha4ter

takes a look at Christianit';s role with the whole of c%lt%re9 histor' and societ' and asks whether we

are meant to be 4art of the stor' or the framer of the whole of realit' (microBnarrative vers%s metaB

narrative#+ $es%s seems to think we are meant to coBeist with others9 rather than overtake them with

o%r ideas+ This cha4ter deals with evan"elism (within societ' and Christianit'# and asks whether

$es%s reall' enco%ra"ed s%ch a thin"+ If Christianit' can be %niversal b%t den' he"emon'+ !%t also

seeks to make sense of Christianit' in relationshi4 to other narratives that relate to it within societ'

incl%din" other reli"ions and what $es%s had to sa' abo%t them+

Jesus on The Animal Farm

So what does the new Ch%rch look likeA 6hat does it look like after all of the aboveA Does it look

comm%nist (not in the 4eorative sense rather the new comm%nism#A New comm%nism seems to beswee4in" thro%"h the Emer"ent)*ro"ressive conversation9 more s4ecificall' in movements like new

monasticism and so on+ Other ?%estions incl%de: 6ill the Ch%rch look nothin" like the former

ch%rch at allA Sho%ld it incl%de the creedsA 6ill it look like the Ch%rch in .ctsA Or will we

com4letel' im4lode into o%r c%lt%re and become %st another fad like some .merican ch%rchesA

This cha4ter e4lores all of the above9 all the while ima"inin" $es%s on Orwell;s .nimal arm and

where the' went wron"9 b%t the with hel4 of $es%s9 where the Ch%rch mi"ht "o ri"htL+

Synopsis:

Jesus After Church will be a 2>B5>9>>>Bword book tar"eted at those who are still c%rio%s abo%t their

faith o%rne'+ or those who are in the middle of a "rowin" conversation amon"st the

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Emer"ent)*ro"ressive)*ro Those who are h%n"r' for more and donFt want to settle for less+ It is for

those who know there is more to the messa"e+ It is for those who like the scholastic b%t who need it

to be heard in an accessible wa'+ This is a challen"e to those who tend to embrace a more oneBsided

view of the Christian o%rne'9 it is an invitation into transformation b' disc%ssin" c%lt%rall' relevant

to4ics 4ertainin" to faith and that directl' affect an' faith comm%nit'+ This will differ from other

contem4orar' writers in that it will seek to investi"ate the f%t%re or end of ch%rch as we know it9 all

the while em4lo'in" 4hiloso4h'9 4o4Bc%lt%re9 sociolo"' and the like+ The 4redominant Christianbook on similar s%bects tend to make tr%th claims abo%t ch%rch all the while kee4in" the ch%rch

where it is+ Meanin" most writers (even s%44osed @4ostmodern; one;s still desire to kee4 the ch%rch

rooted in historical Christianit' G this is 4ervasive+ I 4ose that it is in the end of ch%rch where the

salvation lies (at least in its esoteric c%rrent form# I think it is not %st the end of ch%rch that we

sho%ld seek9 b%t a com4lete reBcreation of somethin" %niversal and "lobal+ This book seeks to

%n4ack s%ch a radical claim+ I also think its relevance is seen b' all of the c%rrent conversations on

the above iss%es as seen in man' 4eriodicals (both reli"io%s and otherwise#9 as well as the sec%lar

world takin" note even in s%ch hi"hB4rofile ma"aines like Tie!

It is for those in the Emer"ent & *ro"ressive conversations alon" with an' believer or nonBbelieverwho wonders abo%t the f%t%re of the Ch%rch and what it mi"ht look like+ It will be for those who

desire to know more abo%t how c%lt%ral en"a"ement has9 will and sho%ld hel4 sha4e and ma'be

even save the f%t%re of Ch%rch and %ltimatel'B a new form of Christianit'+ This to4ic seems to be

central to man' conversations and conferences9 b%t there still seems to be a deficit in terms of a

viable res4onse+ !ooks that will be in this "enre co%ld incl%de !rian Mclaren;s A New "ind of

Christianit#9 *eter Rollins $ow not to %&eak of God9 and Shane Claiborne;s Jesus for

'resident+

Authors' Story:

There is alwa's a resc%e9 isnFt thereA I mean9 once 'o% o4en a book of an' sorts there is

someone or somethin" needin" some t'4e of resc%e+ Central to ever' stor' is the desire to be free+

M' stor' has a resc%e as well+ I was thrown into a world of chaos that involved two 4arents who

sold and did dr%"s and a mother who was a 4rostit%te+

.nd I was onl' 2 'ears old9 b%t it was tra%matic eno%"h for me to never for"et m' 4arents face as

m' siblin"s and I were wrenched from their "ras4s and taken awa' to se4arate homes to start a new

life and a new be"innin"+ I wrestled with the conce4t of 3od at a ver' 'o%n" a"e9 a 4attern that

wo%ld follow me thro%"ho%t m' life9 the idea of wrestlin" with 3od has been somewhat central tom' faith+ .nd even to 4eo4le like $acob who had to be blessed b' 3od b%t onl' after he wrestled

with him9 I seek the same+ 3od calls %s all into a ministr' of resc%e+

. realiation that we never sto4 needin" 0is resc%e on a dail' basis+

M' stor' has taken me to almost ever' state on the 7+S+ Ma4 and overseas+ D%rin" m' o%rne'sF I

have come to see 3od as m' friend and lover and 4rotector and someone who never sto4s chasin"

after me9 another central theme in Scri4t%re from the Old to the New+

I received m' !achelor of .rts in Theolo"' from California !a4tist 7niversit' and will be workin"

on m' Masters in @Reli"ion9 Ethics and Societ'; ver' soon+ I have st%died relentless ho%rs on the

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lan"%a"e of the .ramaic9 S'riac and 3reek to come to %nderstand what is shared here+ I have been

to Israel+ I have shared life in a $ewish s'na"o"%e+ This isnFt taken li"htl'+ I have had conversation

with 7niversit' 4rofessors thro%"ho%t the 7nited States abo%t this information+

I have worked in Ch%rches (internationall'# for the last ,- 'ears and now do worksho4s for

ch%rches on how to transition from bein" static and sta"nant to movements who are e?%i44ed to bemalleable forces for chan"e in li"ht of 4ostmodernism and to learn that 4ostmodernism is not the

enem'+ I have friends9 famil' and other 4latforms I nat%rall' brin" with me beca%se of m' nomadic

lifest'le that I can %se to 4romote this work+

I have been in ch%rches since I was at the a"e of seven and have had direct e4eriences with other

reli"ions (I was homeBta%"ht b' Mormons and $ehovah 6itnesses# and have s4ent time in a $ewish

S'na"o"%e+ M' e4erience which is not all incl%sive here has allowed me the a%thorit' to be able to

write abo%t s%ch thin"s as the above offered+

I have had the o44ort%nit' to en"a"e with 4eo4le from all different races9 back"ro%nds9 faiths and

walks of life which has h%mbl' afforded me with the e4erience of learnin" how to listen to 4eo4le

where the' are at and meet their needs+ I have in no awa' arrived9 b%t the o%rne' has challen"ed

me to "row in m' skills as a writer9 s4eaker and a issional4erson+ I have been 4%blished in

vario%s ma"aines9 s%ch as Relevant Ma"aine (a 4ro"ressive Christian ma"aine# and will "ladl'

s%bmit the links to view these 4%blications on re?%est+ I have been workin" in ch%rches for over

twelve 'ears of which have allowed me to sit ri"ht in the thick of it all9 not onl' am I a 4artici4ator9

sometimes I can easil' be seen as the 4er4etrator+ I have s4ent time with o%th for Christ and o%th

6ith . Mission+ I have done vol%nteer work with Christian .id+ .s I write this9 I am "oin" to be

s4endin" a month in *akistan on "lobal develo4ment+

This e4erience of bein" in ch%rches on staff has enabled me with the e'es to see that thin"s to need

to chan"e+ That too often we 4reserve o%rselves and traditions over bein" a comm%nit' desi"ned to

fi"ht for the o44ressed+ M' wife and I have started a "rassroots nonB4rofit or"aniation called 5-

Da's which has been ins4ired b' the reb%ildin" of the tem4le b' the tribal 4ro4het Nehemiah+ 6e

are called into a life of reb%ildin" relationshi4s and restorin" the val%e of those we come into

contact with+ 5- Da's does %st that+

I c%rrentl' divide m' time s4eakin" in the 79 b%t have s4oken and 4lan to contin%e s4eakin"

internationall'+ I have s4oken for 6.M at their bases on c%lt%ral transformation and

%nderstandin"+ I have been invited to do radio slots for 7C! (still bein" invited#+ I am c%rrentl' in

conversation with some of the movers and shakers within the Emer"ent Conversation (e+"+9 !rian

Mclaren9 .dele Sakler where we are findin" relevant wa's to meet "lobal needs head on+ I have

been interviewed (and am c%rrentl' invited back# on the 7;s n%mber one Christian Radio:

*remier+ I have s4oken at the ed"'9 relevant o%tdoor weekend conference: 3reen!elt on the

4erversion of Missions I am c%rrentl' in conversation with S4rin" 0arvest and New 6ine to s4eak

there+ I consistentl' do radio slots for !!C;s *a%se for Tho%"ht+

These are %st a few 4latforms I am either startin" on or 4%rs%in" them+ I have a website %4 and

r%nnin" that showcases some of the thin"s I am into+ (htt4:))theloverevol%tion+or"+%k#+ I am

c%rrentl' writin" for an onlineBdevotional I m'self have started entitled The (o)e *e)olution


8/25

+audience of o)er ,-. &eo&le/ which deals with c%rrent iss%es and what a 4ossible Christian

res4onse mi"ht be+ I am an Editor for a Christian 6ritin" 6ebsite called: 6recked

(www+wrecked+or"#+ I am a o%rnalist for the local news4a4er9 The Tiverton 3aette+

I have been writin" for The 0%ffin"ton *ost News4a4er as an online blo""er for over three 'ears

and contin%e to do so+ I have also been "iven the c%rrent o44ort%nit' to write for *hiloso4h' Nowand have been "iven m' blo" b' *atheos+com I have m' first book Jesus 0ootlegged with the

4%blisher OB!ooks (www+oBbooks+com# and it has been o%t since $an%ar'9 ->,,+ I live in En"land

with m' wife and two children+

*OSSI!1E END D.TE OR M.N7SCRI*T: ,>)->,, (1ate 2hen Author 2ill %end Finished

3anuscri&t to *%blisher#

N.RR.TIHE RES7ME:

3eor"e Elerick

One Cherr' Tree 3ardens

22P


9/25

Career 0istor' & .ccom4lishments

->,>BC%rrent

!lo""er9 The 0%ffin"ton *ost (htt4:))www+h%ffin"ton4ost+com#

Res4onsible to write biBmonthl' relevant commentaries on c%lt%re9 theolo"'9 4olitics and "lobaliss%es and how the' intersect+

->,>BC%rrent

6riter for O4en Ma"aine

6riter for *hiloso4h' Now

.rts Editor for *ostBColonial Theolo"ical Network

7 Re4resentative of the Network of S4irit%al *ro"ressives

To network with an' and all reli"ions to invite them to work to"ether

To res4ond to world needs

To reBwrite)translate the main doc%ment: The 3lobal Marshall *lan for the 7

->>=BC%rrent

*%blished Jesus 0ootleggedwith OB!ooks

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11/25

6ritin" Ecer4t: Ch%rch Of The 3a4 (Cha4ter -#

Norah4 There5s this &art of Judais that I like! Tikkun Ola! It said that the world is broken into

&ieces and e)er#one has to find the and &ut the back together!

Nick4 3a#be we don5t ha)e to find it! 3a#be we are the &ieces! +Fro Nick 6 Norahs Infinite

'la#list/

The Ch%rch is D'in"+ 1et me e4lain+

There is this moment that er%4ts in one of cinema;s more 4ostBmodern inter4retations of the

romantic comed' "enre that demonstrates where we are as the Ch%rch+ In -.. 1a#s of %uer7 the

main 4rota"onist is met with an invitation from a "irl he has had a fract%red relationshi4 with+ .s hemakes his wa' %4 the stairs the screen s4lits and reveals two sides to the stor'+ One is how the event

is ha44enin" in real life the other is how the an"stBcons%med character wishes it wo%ld t%rn o%t+

One thin" we notice o%tri"ht is how distinctl' different realit' is from what he ho4es to ha44en+

There is also somethin" else ha44enin" that we mi"ht too easil' miss between the two

conversations occ%rrin"9 there is a third conversation+ . third dialo"%e+ It is the str%""le between

realit' and wishf%l thinkin"+ It;s referred to as the "a4+ Most of the time what isn;t bein" said is

more tr%thf%l than what is bein" %ttered+ It;s the third tr%th+ The tr%th from the first s4eaker to the

second s4eaker is one tr%th the res4onse from the second s4eaker to the first s4eaker is the second

tr%th and so on+

6hat does this have to do with the f%t%re of the Ch%rchA 6ell9 the third tr%th for the f%t%re of the

Ch%rch I think is not fo%nd in the conversation between the Ch%rch of the 4ast and the Ch%rch of

the now9 b%t in the "a4 that lies between the two+ The third tr%th is not an eas' one to acce4t

beca%se it is one we know nothin" abo%t+ It is a m'ster'+ In the ,5thcent%r' there was a small

collective of !enedictine Monks who 4osed that 3od was an .b'ss+

3od was endless black hole+

. "a4+

This idea did not "o over so well with those in 4ower9 to them 3od wasn;t a black hole9 3od was a

list of descri4tors like: 1ord of 1ords9 Creator9 ather and so on+ To the reli"io%s elite 3od was a

descri4tion rather than a m'ster'+ To these monastic o%tsiders he was the %ns4oken he was the

moment of darkness in the li"ht+ This is the "a4+

This "a4 in its own realit' is a r%4t%re9 a tear9 a break9 a violent divorce from the two 4ers4ectives

and a c%lmination into one that lies be'ond a sim4le shared 4ers4ective+ The im4licit realit' is9 as

we see in the cr%cifiion9 one 4ers4ective has to die for the other to live+ !%t then res%rrection

ha44ens9 a third dialo"%e is introd%ced9 one of redem4tion and rebirth+

,,


12/25

This "a4 is an %ncomfortable 4lace beca%se it reminds %s of a lack that is 4resent not onl' in what

we can see9 hear9 taste and feel9 b%t is at the ver' core of o%r fo%ndation+ If 'o% walk down a street

and there is a bi" "a4in" hole9 event%all' it;s "oin" to be filled and sealed beca%se it;s a dan"ero%s

4lace+ o% mi"ht tri4 and fall and lose 'o%r ver' life+ If 'o% can;t walk from 4oint . to 4oint !

beca%se there is a h%"e bod' of water (which tends to another s'mbol for the "a4# then we create a

brid"e to cross+ 6e wo%ldn;t want to wade into the middle beca%se there is a 4ossibilit' of

drownin" and losin" o%r life+

The "a4 is a 4lace where death occ%rs+

6here the sides9 the 4olarities9 o%r ideas abo%t how thin"s sho%ld be dissolve into nothin" and we

are left with the "a4+ If both sides do %st this9 then we have this nothin" in common9 this nothin" to

start from+ !%t as lon" as we reside in o%r 4ros4ective cam4s9 we will do ever'thin" we can to

defend o%r kin"doms+ .t one 4oint in the New Testament we;re told to @take %4 'o%r crossi; which

etends itself as a meta4hor for the death of the e"o+ The death of self+ The end to identit'+

Essentiall' $es%s enco%ra"es %s directl' into a momento%s nothin" where we wait for res%rrection+$es%s too had to deal with the "a4+ 0is a%dience antici4ated that he was "oin" to deliver them+ That

he was "oin" to be some Terminator $es%s sent in to time to release the o44ressed9 not from the

bonda"es of sin tho%"h9 b%t rather the bonda"es of Rome and all that it stood for+ .t this 4oint $es%s

was nothin" more than a radical s'mbol for $ewish nationalism+ !%t $es%s had a different a"enda+

0e came to do somethin" radicall' different+ That wo%ld shift the wa' we interact with each other+

In this sit%ation there is somethin" %nseen that is occ%rrin"9 somethin" we mi"ht easil' read 4ast

beca%se we think we are f%ll' aware of the stor' and its details+

There is another conversation that is ha44enin"9 b%t in this conversation there is an a44arent

disconnect 4revalent in the fo%ndation of the rhetoric +

!etween the e4ectations of the $ewish a%dience and the alread' seemin"l' 4reBdetermined a"enda

of $es%s there is the s%btet of antici4ation 4resent on both sides of this dialo"%e+ The internal

monolo"%es are "oin" wild+ !%t it;s; not the dialo"%e itself I want to s4end time on9 it;s the "a4

between the a%dience and $es%s; a"enda+ This "a4 is the most ne"lected and 'et the most im4ortant

moment that seems to reBocc%r over and over a"ain when $es%s is interactin" with his a%dience and

closest friends+

6itho%t this "a4 the f%t%re of the Ch%rch will not ha44en+

If the f%t%re of the Ch%rch is to ha44en (as so man' are now disc%ssin"#9 then rather than attem4tin"

to mediate whether the world or itself sho%ld be on either side of the "a49 it m%st come to terms that

its 4%r4ose is to be the "a4 itself+

or the where "a4 resides9 3od resides+

or some this mi"ht so%nd like a com4letel' ambi"%o%s s4ace to inhabit that will never lead

an'where9 b%t9 I 4osit that this is the s4ace where the most tension will and co%ld occ%r+ .nd that

the Ch%rch needs this tension to "row and s%rvive+ The instit%tional Ch%rch has had a fract%red

relationshi4 with c%lt%re+ I think this mostl' stems from an %nhealth' %nderstandin" of the meanin"

,


13/25

of c%lt%re+

or some the world and the c%lt%re are the same+ or this same "ro%4 the world is essentiall' endin"

and inherentl' evil and so c%lt%re is somethin" that mirrors the same DN.+ or others c%lt%re is

somethin" that is made or created thro%"h a series of s%bBc%lt%res+ !%t what if c%lt%re isn;t

somethin" eternalA !%t rather somethin" internal9 somethin" eistin" inside of %s+

Think abo%t this on a sim4le level+ If c%lt%re can also incl%de 4o4Bc%lt%re then let;s %se the eam4le

of the cinema+ The movies seem to 4la' a h%"e 4art in hel4in" %s decide what is tr%e abo%t the

world+ In fact9 for a lar"e maorit' the wa' movies are framed aro%nd certain s%bect matter

sometimes will hel4 %s determine what we think abo%t those 4artic%lar s%bects+ or some it;s

im4ortant that their love relationshi4s alwa's work o%t 4erfectl'9 which is how most romantic

comedies end+ This @tr%th; abo%t 4erfection has been embedded in the wa' we inter4ret life+ !%t

what if the movies9 which are eternal to %s9 are onl' tellin" %s what we alread' know or onl' want

to hearA

6hat if actors and actresses and scri4twriters create what is tr%e of what we alread' desireA

Meanin"9 that altho%"h we ma' "o and watch a movie with o%r s4ecial someone and "rab some

4o4corn on the wa' in9 we are enterin" into somethin" that dee4 within %s we want to be tr%e abo%t

o%r lives+ 6e want to have ha44' endin"s+ This is %ltimatel' c%lt%re9 somethin" that is alread' tr%e

abo%t the desires that la' dormant within %s and we eternalie or obectif' and %se as a wa' to

meas%re o%r s%ccess+ or me9 c%lt%re is within %s+

Ma'be this is wh' we had the Cr%sades9 not beca%se we wanted ha44' endin"s9 far from it+ !%t

beca%se we misinter4reted c%lt%re as the thin" o%tside of %s+ 6e obectified somethin" that was tr%eof a desire alread' within+ 0ere in the contet of the Cr%sades9 ?%ite 4ossibl' the desire was for

"lobal conversion at an' costs or to love others in an o44ressive manner+

.ltho%"h the o44ression was not intended9 this is what occ%rs when mis%nderstandin" becomes

control+ I think this is what the Emer"ent)*ro"ressive movement within Christianit' is attem4tin" to

do: hi"hli"ht the need for %s to 4artner with c%lt%re+ The need for %s to ret%rn to a better

%nderstandin" of what c%lt%re means and how we can allow c%lt%re to hel4 direct o%r f%t%re9 if there

is one+ O%r f%t%re be"ins in where the "a4 emer"es+ !%t the "a4 m%st contin%all' r%4t%re to be

taken serio%sl'+

rupturing the gap/

$es%s and *a%l had similar missions9 to reform their 4ros4ective faith comm%nities+ $es%s came to

reform $%daism9 historicall' s4eakin"+ *a%l came to brid"e the "a4 between $%daism9 Christianit'

and %ltimatel' the rest of the world+ !%t *a%l doesn;t naivel' brid"e the "a49 in fact9

*a%l r%4t%res the "a4+

.t one 4oint he even radicalies the notion of societ' not as se4arate cate"ories we all fit in9 b%t

rather as a %nif'in" whole+ 0e distances himself from the d%alism of the da'9 a notion I think we as

the Ch%rch mi"ht need to revisit and rethink+ 0e sa's There is neither $ew nor 3reek: there is

,


14/25

neither bond nor free: there is neither male nor female+ or 'o% are all one in Christ $es%s ii+

irst *a%l deconstr%cts what I call the cate"orical im4erative which is o%r desire to se4arate thin"s

into their neat little boes+ I am a writer+ I am a father+ I am a mother+ I am a sister+ I am male+ I am a

female+ I;m black+ I;m white+ I;m Christian+ I;m atheist+ !' doin" this9 we violentl' dissect

o%rselves into se4arate identities+ !%t *a%l doesn;t end the social criti?%e witho%t a res4onse of

somethin" better+

0e then redefines social identit' all to"ether he claims that all are in Christ+

That the whole of those who eist within these coded binaries (e+"+9 cate"ories)neat little boes# G

which is the whole of societ' (then and now# are hidden in Christ+ 7ltimatel'9 *a%l is dismantlin"

the established notion that Christians eist+ In fact9 he is 4ositin" a new reBstr%ct%rin" of how we

interact with o%r identities9 a new wa' to see h%manit' as a whole+

In this contet9 *a%l is statin" that Christians don;t eist9 b%t rather Christ eists within all+ That

hidden within the fabric of h%manit' is the kernel of Christ inhabitin" o%r ver' bein"s+ Christ

inhabits %s rather then the other wa' aro%nd+

O%r societ' entrenched in the cate"orical im4eratives+ Eistence tends to be defined b' thro%"h o%r

sensor' 4erce4tions+ If I can taste it9 feel it9 interact with it then it m%st be real+ The c%lt%re we

4artici4ate in defines tr%th even thro%"h the lens of o%r senses+ This is wh' so man' have a diffic%lt

time believin" in some cosmic artist who 4ainted all of this+

Even obective tr%ths we define thro%"h what we can see and feel+ $%stice is when the 4oor are

cared for;9 the realit' is that a 4hrase like this then tends to be come a clich which then "eneralies

ever'one;s sit%ation into neat little boes that can be easil' fied+

This nave "est%re can onl' lead to destr%ctive ends+ 1ast 'ear9 I s4ent / weeks in *akistan

s4eakin"9 4reachin" and teachin"+ One of the to4ics I s4ent some ener"' on d%rin" m' sta' in this

warBridden co%ntr' was 4eace+ .s a westerner9 sometimes 4eace is defined as the abilit' to 4a' a

bill or mend a broken relationshi4 or fi a car+

It tends to be circ%mstantial9 b%t this isn;t alwa's the case+ or someone livin" in a 4lace where war

and tension are 4art of their ever'da' life9 4eace is a realit'+ It;s for them a wa' of life+ et9 for

them9 the' e4erience it less and less+ M' 4eace and their 4eace are two com4letel' different kinds

of 4eace+ I believe this is the same for the a44lication of salvation+ Salvation in the 0ebrew9 sim4l'

defined means deliverance+ !%t deliverance from whatA or those in *akistan ma'be it is war+

Salvation for them is the removal of war+

The Ch%rches role is to 4rovide a safe s4ace for this dialo"%e to occ%r9 rather then sim4l' ass%me

that we are meant to brin" 4eo4le to some sort of chemicall'Bind%ced conversion e4erience+

6hat if we are meant to search o%t o44ort%nities for conversation that lead to transformation+ !%t

what transformation do I s4eak ofA

Television fills o%r minds with ima"e after ima"e of thin"s we are meant to desire+ Marketin"

a"ents s4end co%ntless ho%rs workin" alon"side 4s'cholo"ists to determine the best wa' to

a44roach an advertisement so that it creates a "a4 within the viewer that can seemin"l' onl' be

filled b' this %ni?%e 4rod%ct if 4%rchased+ Desire then becomes contin"ent on o%r need to believe

,


15/25

that the 4rod%ct will be what we need it to be+

7ltimatel'9 the 4rod%ct then is desi"ned to assist %s in definin" o%rselves+ It seems over the

tho%sands of 'ears that the Ch%rch has been aro%nd it has been in an identit' crisis+ It %ltimatel'

attem4ts to follow the media techni?%es of mani4%latin" o%r desire and 4roectin" on to %s what

itself lacks+

1et me e4lain+ Ch%rch histor' is filled with 4olaried conversations abo%t 3od9 $es%s9 ethics and a

librar' of other 4hiloso4hies+ rom *a%l to *eter9 .%"%stine to Marcion9 *i4er to !ell and all those

who tend to be for"otten inBbetween+ Those that s4end their time dissectin" their own %nderstandin"

of theolo"' end %4 str%""lin" thro%"h 'ears of "%ilt9 shame and catholic4ractices meant to absolve

%s of s%ch 4ervasive emotions+

The Ch%rch;s role is not to define %s9 b%t rather like *a%l9 hel4 %ndefine %s+ I think this is s%ch an

im4ortant distinction9 beca%se for so lon" we have held onto lies hidin" themselves within do"ma+

That somehow 3od doesn;t tr%st h%manit'9 or that 3od is an"r' with %siii9 or that 3od hates

homose%als+ These are a few im4ortant iss%es I will deal with later in the book+ If we are to take

the emer"ence of o%r 4ostBinstit%tional f%t%re serio%sl' we m%st ask hard ?%estions and ?%ite4ossibl' deal with some of the "hosts in o%r closet+

death of the su01ect/

*hiloso4her Michel o%ca%lt 4osited the death of the s%bect+ Thesub8ect ('o% and I# is another

term that directl' relates to certain 4erce4tions on what it means to be h%man+ In the death of the

s%bect9 the mis4erce4tions of the s%bect are laid down for somethin" better to take their 4lace+ The

death of the s%bect is a meta4horical one that dissolves the bo%ndaries of identit' and resolves

itself in claimin" somethin" not tr%e abo%t itself+ In the movie Tea for 3ussolini there is a scene

where there is a line f%ll women b%t is disr%4ted b' a man who is dressed as a woman9 an im4ostor+

.t one 4oint he confesses that he is a man and no one believes him+ 0e then r%ns o%t tearin" his

clothes off9 all the while 4roclaimin" at the to4 of his l%n"s: I;m a manK I;m a manK I;m a manK I

think this moment is also tr%e of the Ch%rch9 that it somehow has been an im4ostor of itself+ I think

this tho%"ht can be relevantl' a44lied to where the ch%rch is meant to reside in the co%rse of h%man

histor' and wh' I think it has str%""led for so lon"+

Take for eam4le the 4resentl' controversial conversation occ%rrin" thro%"ho%t Christendom abo%t

the f%t%re of the instit%tional Ch%rch and what will ha44en to the str%ct%res+ More im4ortantl'9 can

the Ch%rch eist as a 4ostBinstit%tional e4ressionA 6hat do I meant b' 4ostBinstit%tionA It means

there is a 4lace where no instit%tions lie+

6here no str%ct%res eist+. 4lace of free inter4retation and e4ression+

. 4lace with no walls+

. 4lace where the comm%nit' known as

h%manit' can 4artici4ate in the scandalo%s

reinvention of the Ch%rch+

Now one of the main ?%estions arisin" o%t of s%ch an idea is that can the Ch%rch which has evolved

into a sta'ed instit%tion still make its marks as a 4ostBstr%ct%ral entit'A I think this is a fair ?%estion

that deserves a com4rehensive res4onse and I ho4e to do %stice to in this book+ I think a "ood 4lace

to start is the ass%m4tion that we are meant to be a str%ct%re at all+ This ?%estion of 4ostB

instit%tional identit' is m%ch like the 'o%n" man in the movie above the ?%estion is itself

,


16/25

reco"nition of im4ostor stat%s+

. s%bliminal confession that somewhere in o%r histor' we broke with who we co%ld be and

remained who we are+ That somehow the firstBcent%r' "atherin" of the ekklesiai)was meant to be

what we now call the ch%rch+ So9 what is the ekklesiaA .n initial readin" mi"ht lead %s to a"ree that

it is sim4l' defined as a called o%t "ro%4 of 4eo4le+ !%t I think this definition is a bit nave and does

not take into acco%nt the s%bversive histor' that comes with s%ch a term+ It was a term loaded with4olitical contet and involved an assembl' of ra"ta" locals and o%tsiders who came to"ether+

.%thor R++ Sinclair sa's this abo%t the emer"ence of the .thenian ekklesia The ecclesia or

ekklesia was the 4rinci4al assembl' of the democrac' of ancient .thens d%rin" its U3olden ."eU

(2G2>2 !CE#+ It was the 4o4%lar assembl'9 o4ened to all male citiens over the a"e of ,< b'

Solon in 5=2 !C meanin" that all classes of citiens in .thens were able to 4artici4ate9 even the

thetes+ The ekklesia o4ened the doors for all citiens9 re"ardless of class9 to nominate and vote for

ma"istratesVindirectl' votin" for the .reo4a"%sVhave the final decision on le"islation9 war and

4eace9 and have the ri"ht to call ma"istrates to acco%nt after their 'ear of office+v

The ekklesia was a for%m where ever'one had a voice+ Ever'one co%ld share+ No matter whateverwalk of life the' came from9 in this moment9 ever'one was an e?%al+ Now in realit'9 e?%alit' is

never e?%al+ Even the e?%ilibri%m switch on 'o%r radio relies %4on other as4ects of so%nd control to

4roect what we mi"ht deem as e?%ilibri%m+ So for e?%alit' to tr%l' work the nat%ral order has to be

disr%4ted+ The stat%s ?%o has to be %4set+ The e?%ilibri%m b%tton on 'o%r radio has to be broken+

.nd ma'be9 %st ma'be9 how we define e?%alit' has to be reBdefined+ I think this starts with how we

a44roach the idea of Ch%rch+

*hiloso4her and c%lt%ral theorist $%lia risteva defines the term ekklesia as a

@comm%nit' of forei"ners;+ This ekklesia is one s%ch @comm%nit' of forei"ners;+ It is an

@ideal comm%nit';9 @an ori"inal entit';9 a @messianism that incl%des all of h%mankind;viin

short9 nothin" less than a transformed societ';;vii+ Notice that risteva makes the

distinction that it;s not sim4l' a comm%nit' of the same 4eo4le "atherin" once a week9

b%t rather is a comm%nit' of o%tsiders+ . collective of eiles+ or those who don;t

belon"9 this is the 4lace to come and belon"+ I think it;s also im4ortant that she also

distin"%ishes this idea of the ekklesia as somethin" formed b' the whole of h%manit'

rather than sim4l' an ecl%sive "ro%4 of s4irit%all' caffeinated c%lt followers+ I think we

need to distin"%ish o%rselves not as reli"io%s %nkies9 b%t as 4eo4le are selfBs%bversive to

o%r own ideas and who welcome and create s4ace for this selfBs%bversion+

a room full of foreigners/

The e4erience recorded in the book of .cts b' the a%thor s4eaks descri4tivel' of amoment when those 4resent be"in s4eakin" not in some transcendental heavenl'

lan"%a"e b%t in idioms that others 4resent co%ld %nderstand+ . room f%ll of forei"ners9

o%tsiders9 and ?%ite 4ossibl' even from different reli"io%s e4ressions+ .ll in the same

room+ To"ether+ .s oneviii+ Co%ld this be a meta4hor for somethin" bi""erA or

somethin" m%ch more bea%tif%l than what we now offerA Ma'be this is what it means to

be the ekklesia9 the Ch%rch+ . "lobalied e4ression of comm%nal "ivin" and receivin"9

and most of all %nderstandin"+

6hen $es%s meets with Nicodem%s who is a devo%t follower of the Torah and tells him

that 3od so loved the world9 $es%s doesn;t then s4ecif' that there m%st be a r%bric for

what we now call salvation+ !%t rather the ass%m4tion is that the world is alread' saved

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17/25

re"ardless of acce4tance+ !%t $es%s is even more s%bversive9 earlier on when he tells

Nicodem%s that he m%st be @born a"ain;+ Notice tho%"h who $es%s is talkin" to9 not

someone who does not know him9 which man' define the terms to relate to9 b%t rather

someone who thinks he knows abo%t 3od ver' well+

The 0ebrew word for born is 9alad it has to do with famil' linea"e9 the closest En"lish

e?%ivalent wo%ld be a famil' tree+ $es%s tells a reli"io%s leader to "et a new famil' tree+To leave the old one behind+ 6hatA Reall'A In a familial c%lt%re $es%s is tellin"

Nicodem%s to "ive %4 his c%rrent famil' and find a new oneA 6ell9 this is what

Nicodem%s tho%"ht $es%s meant too9 b%t then $es%s s4eaks abo%t how the S4irit (another

meta4hor for 3od# is like the wind9 somethin" we can;t "ras4+ Somethin"

transcendental+ !e'ond o%r c%rrent realit'+

$es%s is invitin" this re4%table comm%nit' reli"io%s leader to "ive it all %4: 4ower9

4resti"e9 and knowled"e G even at the risk of losin" those he holds so dear+ It wo%ld be

like someone walkin" %4 to 'o% and sa'in" @the onl' wa' 'o% can learn abo%t this is b'

"ivin" %4 ever'thin" 'o% think 'o% know abo%t it+ Or as 4hiloso4her $ean !a%drillard

once said: @It is 4recisel' in histor' that we are alienated9 and if we leave histor' we alsoleave alienation;+ If there is a f%t%re for the 4ostBinstit%tional Ch%rch I think it lies in

these words+ So9 what is histor'A

0istor' are the memories of h%mankind+

.%"%stana is a rockBband from 3eor"ia who have written a son" entitled @!oston; that

tells the stor' of a broken "irl who wants onl' to rid herself of her 4ast+ She wants to

for"et her own histor'+ 0er sol%tion is to move from California to !oston+ To leave it all

behind+ Some mi"ht hear this and ass%me I;m sa'in" we need to com4letel' remove

o%rselves from o%r historical ori"ins9 b%t the realit' is we are o%r histor'+ !%t %ltimatel'

this is what Christ is invitin" Nicodem%s (and the rest of %s# to do G to "et rid of o%r

histor'+ To move from one 4lace to another9 to disre"ard knowled"e for the s%bliminal

realit'+ To alienate o%rselves from ever'thin" we think we know+ To ret%rn to where we

startedLthe "a4+

Essentiall'9 'es this means we have to be"in seein" histor' not as a linear thin" b%t

rather as itself an identit'+ .n identit' that e4eriences 4ain9 loss9 la%"hter9 "ain9

transformation9 death and rebirth+ The death of the historical ch%rch isn;t the end of the

Ch%rch+ 6here the instit%tional Ch%rch once was9 there is now a "a4 that remains9 b%t

not sim4l' to be filled9 which is the t'4ical res4onse+ Rather we are to offer somethin"

com4letel' alternative to take its 4lace+ Somethin" revol%tionar'+ Somethin" that hel4sdefine realit'+ Somethin" that is itself dedicated to 4ersonal "rowth that inhabits a new

wa' of lovin" the o%tsider9 the mar"inalied9 the %nlovable and broken+ or this is where

the Ch%rch tr%l' comes alive when it embraces the ver' 4eo4le it was meant to

enco%nter+

scapegoat logic/

$%lia risteva defines sacrifice as the followin": @Sacrifice is an offerin" that9 o%t of a s%bstance9

creates Meanin" for the Other and9 conse?%entl'9 for the social "ro%4 that is de4endent on it;+ In

other words9 'o% obliterate somethin" concrete G a red heifer9 a "oat9 a h%man bein" G in order to

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4rod%ce the abstract sense of the "ro%4+

The most common wa' in which that ha44ens is to transfer the "ro%4;s @sins; s'mbolicall' onto the

sca4e"oat and then cast all this evil o%t of the comm%nit' G b' banishin" the sca4e"oat G for the

wellbein" of the comm%nit'+ The catch here is that 'o% create the s'mbolic notion of the "ro%4 in

the ver' 4rocess of identif'in" what is "ood and bad abo%t it i!

The sca4e"oat lo"ic I believe is one of man' thin"s that have ke4t the Ch%rch from movin" into the

"a4+ I think in some wa' the Ch%rch has become its ver' own sca4e"oat+ 1et me e4lain+ On one

side we have conservative ChristBfollowers and on the other side the liberal ChristBfollowers+ or all

intenseB4%r4oses9 let;s ima"ine no middle eists here+ Sim4l' stated there are onl' two sides to

choose from9 which most of the time seems the case+

6e need somethin" to blame in order to enhance a false sense of %nit' within the "ro%4(s# we attach

o%rselves to+ 1et;s think abo%t this some more+ The victim mentalit' is where someone finds a wa'

to t%rn an' sit%ation a"ainst themselves9 and it seems that it alwa's t%rns o%t that the' are victim+

or them9 the b%ck doesn;t sto4 with them9 its alwa's one ste4 ahead of them and ever'one else

sho%ld be to blame for an' and all misfort%ne+ !%t this act is a 4ec%liarl' salvific one9 beca%se it"ives the false victim a sense of 4%r4ose and meanin" that eists be'ond their c%rrent

circ%mstances+

The debates on the ed"es9 the ones; where we attack each other are reall' altars where we;re

in%rin" and killin" one another in the name of the s'm4tom+ The "reatest lie we co%ld believe is

that the 4erson standin" net to %s is o%r enem' it blinds and distracts %s from the realit' that the

s'stem is the 4roblem+ The s'stem does not want %s to know its there or that it even eists+ .s lon"

as we contin%e fi"htin" a"ainst @flesh and blood; the s'stems will live on+ or all intense 4%r4oses

in o%r conversation here9 the s'stem is the Ch%rch+ S%bvert the s'stem+

!%t what does this all have to do with sca4e"oatin"A

O%r television screens are 4re"nant with commercials centred aro%nd the s%bect of a"ein"9 in fact

4rod%ct lines and celebrities endorse an obscene amo%nt of antiBa"ein" 4rod%cts+ This 4erverse

advocac' demonstrates that dee4l' embedded within the 4s'che of societ' is a fear

of a"ein" and %ltimatel' death+ This tactic is one of selfB4reservation the media does not want to

become obsolete9 so it has to create a need for it to still remain within o%r field of vision+

The commercial itself does not care if 'o% live or die or a"e or don;t a"e+

It sim4l' is+

The commercial is a medi%m for somethin" more sinister9 which is that the media as an entit'

doesn;t want to die and will do whatever it takes to sta' alive+ It has to choose an iss%e or to4ic to

s%stain a falseBvalidit' in this eam4le9 a"ein" is the sca4e"oat+ 7nfort%natel'9 beca%se the Ch%rch

has feared its own irBrelativit' it too has had to create sca4e"oat iss%es s%ch as: homose%alit'9

women;s 4artici4ation9

. conversation centred aro%nd the idea of Ch%rch witho%t its 4revio%s str%ct%res demonstrates to %s

a need+ .n %nderl'in" need that most want to disc%ss b%t have not d%e to the controvers' of s%ch a

s%bect+ There is an old oke abo%t s%bects not to talk abo%t at famil' "atherin"s if we want to kee4

the familial 4eace: 4olitics and reli"ion+ 6hich in and of themselves are not divisive to4ics9 b%t

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19/25

when 'o% "et 4eo4le who are 4assionate abo%t either side 'o% then have war+

This seems to be the same with the c%rrent heated debate over whether the Ch%rch in its c%rrent

form will last over the net ten 'ears or so+ This is wh' I think the 4olarities are the iss%e+ This is

wh' I think we need somethin" that doesn;t lie on either side nor do we need to ass%me that there is

a meetin" in the middle that needs to ha44en+

Ever'one bein" the same is the last thin" we need for the Ch%rch9 4l%s homo"eneit' seemed to be

the name of the "ame over the last few cent%ries+ In some era;s if 'o%r theolo"' didn;t fit in the

ri"ht bo9 'o% were b%rned alive or ma'be even worse 'o% were forced to swallow li?%id "old+

Ma'be we;re in a new era+

One where the left9 ri"ht or even middle does not eist+ !%t rather a "a4+ 1et;s think abo%t this

laterall'+ If 'o% "rab a shovel from a nearb' shed and started di""in"9 event%all'9 'o% wo%ld have a

mo%nd of dirt to 'o%r ri"ht or left then 'o% wo%ld have a "a4 where two sides reside+ Notice where

'o% stand+ o% are the ver' "a4 between the two 4olarities+ In this moment9 'o% embod' the "a4+

o% are the "a4+ It is in this "a4 where the Ch%rch is meant to reside+ o% are the Ch%rch+ This isnot some naivel' mediocre s4ace9 historicall' the "a4 has not had an'one to stand there9 and most

of %s have chosen a side+ Ma'be the reason wh' there are so man' books on ch%rch leadershi4 and

how to s%stain o%rselves in new forms of str%ct%red ch%rch is beca%se we ass%me that to not have a

str%ct%re we will end %4 in anarch' or some form of destr%ctive behavio%r+

6e have not learned to tr%st o%rselves+

6e believe we are inca4able of bein" 4art of a movement rather than an instit%tion+ $es%s chose the

twelve disci4les+ 0is friends+ In that societ' the disci4les were meant to come to $es%s and not the

other wa' aro%nd9 $es%s was essentiall' sa'in"9 0e'9 I believe 'o% have what it takes to do eactl'

what I doK This was 4owerf%l rhetoric+ Somewhere alon" the wa' between *a%l9 Constantine and

the Catholic Ch%rch we have for"otten this hidden tr%th+ It;s almost like we have "otten o%rselves

into a corner and rather than "ive %4 and work to"ether to discover somethin" alternative we wo%ld

rather fi"ht in o%r corner+ I refer to this as o%r ver' own fetish of sorts+ . fetish is a thin"9 a 4erson9

an idea that we can;t seem to let "o of+

It 4roects itself as an obect that em4owers %s+ This thin" that ha%nts %s b%t not beca%se it wants to9

b%t beca%se we need it to+ 6h'A !eca%se if we have nothin" to distract %s9 we mi"ht have to sit in

the dark and mo%rn the loss of 4ower we think we once had b' ownin" this obect+ The realit' is

we don;t own the Ch%rch+ 6e don;t own its f%t%re9 we are merel' 4art of it+

This is called Ch%rchism9 a s'stem of tho%"ht centered aro%nd the idea that we think the Ch%rch is a

static obect that we somehow are res4onsible to control+ !%t the iron' is that some %se terms when

s4eakin" of the ch%rch as or"anic9 alive9 movement and other mobile terms+ If we believe in s%ch

thin"s9 the realit' is that we will have to start releasin" o%rselves of the need for Ch%rchism which

also incl%des the com4etitive s4irit that arises o%t of s%ch a 4erverse belief+

There is a 4oint in the life of $osh%a9 the Israelite arm' commander when in the middle of a 4ivotal

battle he is visited b' an an"el9 one of the re4resentatives of 3od9 and asks an im4ortant ?%estion+

0e asks: So who;s side are 'o% onA G The an"el answers: neither+ This res4onse is carried with the

"ravit' of the divine+

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20/25

0ere is this transcendental bein" who has the abilit' or re4resents the abilit' to see all and a man

who is stereot'4icall' a finite bein" interactin" on the to4ic of the ethics of war and in the end9 the

best ethic is one that doesn;t eist beca%se %ltimatel' war sho%ld not eist+ There sho%ld not be

sides beca%se the "a4 between the two is the ver' 4lace where both sides m%st im4lode to save the

middle+

!e rest ass%red the "a4 is a dan"ero%s 4lace to be+ It is a 4lace where we la' down o%r arms ands%rrender them for the embrace+ It is a 4lace where there is no $ew9 no 3reek9 no !lack9 white9

Methodist9 !a4tist9 !%ddhist9 terrorist9 and etc+ . 4lace where all of these si"nifiers dissolve and

colla4se+ This is a 4lace where a nonBcontin"ent "race resides+ This s4ace isn;t blind to a need for

ethical res4onses to sit%ations b%t is a 4lace where social identit' does not ecl%de an'one from the

%niversal a44lication of "race+

C%lt%ral theorist Slavo Wiek sa's this: ar from bein" Ftoo etremeF9 these attem4ts are9 on the

contrar'9 not etreme eno%"h: the' 4res%44ose as their 4osition of en%nciation a third ne%tral

medi%m within which the two 4oles coeist that is to sa'9 the' back down on the conse?%ences of

the fact that there is no 4oint of conver"ence9 no ne%tral "ro%nd shared b' the two anta"onistic

se%al or class 4ositions+

In 4ostBmodern conversation there is this hi4 4ractice catchin" on like wildfire that when someone

is 4resented with two 4olar o4tions the' then res4ond with the ?%estion: 6h' not bothA This

tho%"h 4resents %s with the realit' that the 4erson does not or cannot brin" themselves to a

committed res4onse beca%se the fear the social reection or backlash that mi"ht occ%r if their tr%e

alle"iances emer"ed+ 6hat if we have to "et awa' from is this idea that livin" in an' t'4e of

comm%nit' means we have to alwa's a"ree9 which is an idealistic notion that doesn;t seem to show

%4 an'where in scri4t%re+ The "a4 I s4eak of is not a third medi%m that removes the 4olarities that

eist it sim4l' is a 4lace where we make a choice abo%t where we are "oin" to stand+

$es%s on a few occasions is heard b' the crowd statin": o% have heard it was said9 b%t I sa'9

here $es%s is 4artici4atin" in a s%bversive act+ The act of betra'al+ 0e is reBorderin" societ'9 histor'

and relationshi4s+ 0e is betra'in" the notion that9 what was9 m%st remain+ 6hen $es%s makes s%ch a

claim he is creatin" a "a4 in their realit'+ In fact9 he r%4t%res it+ 0e removes what %sed to be and

re4laces it with what co%ld be+

. new wa' to see thin"s and each other+

0e is clearl' makin" a decision9 b%t he leaves it %4 to his listeners to define the meanin" of s%ch a

sa'in"+ In fact9 he leaves the "a4 between what was and what co%ld be and ho4es that the a%dience

members will ste4 into that ver' s4ace and wrestle with the tr%th that is inhabited in the "a4+

In the book New Cosmo"on' b' Edward redkin9 4lanets are colonied and the' maintain 4eace b'

m%t%all' a"reein" on the stat%s of @4a silentia; (silence as 4eace 4eace of silence#+ This 4ractice

s%stains both sides at a distance thro%"h silence to ironicall' defend the work of 4eace+ 6ell that is

how 'o% mi"ht initiall' inter4ret it on an initial read+ *eace r%4t%res the need to s%stain an' side+

*eace is the abilit' to for"et that sides sho%ld even eist+ *eace is the direction we m%st be headed

towards if the Ch%rch is to move be'ond the str%ct%res it has called home for so lon"+ 6h' do I

s4eak of 4eaceA !eca%se when str%ct%res emer"e9 so does com4etition+

Li"ing *rganisms/

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21/25

Com4etition eists to create winners and losers+ It eists to 4romote someoneFs e"o this someone

co%ld be a 4erson9 an idea9 a s'stem9 even a ch%rch+ Com4etition is not abo%t tr'in" to "et to know

an other9 b%t rather distancin" o%rselves from one another+ It is a denial of 4eace and the advocac'

of some sort of violence+ This ma' so%nd a little etreme9 b%t letFs %se Christianit' to e4lore this

eam4le+

If we view life as some sort of contest for first 4rie then we not onl' need to create an o44ositionthat ma' or ma' not eist9 b%t also the reward+ In this moment9 we take what sho%ld have been a

movement or wa' of life and transform it into some d%alistic notion whereb' the 4erson net to %s

is nothin" more than a mere obstacle toward o%r "oal+

0istoricall' either in rhetoric or in recorded events9 the Ch%rch has 4erformed as if it is in a

com4etition and an'one who has not fit the mo%ld is a com4etitor+ Someone we either m%st

attack or win over+ These binar' tactics where we treat each other as nothin" less then commodities

seems not onl' destr%ctive b' a"ainst the ver' "rain of the messa"e that we entitle as "os4el+ In

->>,9 actor Tim Robbins alon" with R'an *hili44e collaborated to"ether on an action thriller that

directl' dealt with antiBtr%st lawsi+

In the ver' be"innin" of the movie while the credits are still rollin"9 the anta"onist demonstrates his

abilit' to sideBste4 the con"ress+ In the centre of his words I believe are also the words that have

eisted within the s'stem of Christianit' and demonstrate to %s that there is in an inherent shift that

m%st take 4lace for the f%t%re of Christianit' to be taken serio%sl'+ 0is words I believe are an echo

of how far Christianit' as a s'stematic e4ression has stra'ed+

:This business is li)ing organis7 ulti&l#ing constantl# surrounded b# &redators

theres no rule for idle tie or second guessing7 new disco)er# was ade hourl#! New ideas are

read# to be de)oured and redefined! This business is binar# #ou are a one or a ;ero7 ali)e or dead:!

Notice how the introd%ction in his s4eech immediatel' re?%ires someone or somethin" to be the

4redator+ Somethin" has to be the enem'+ Someone has to be the hated+ !%t he doesn;t end there he

then forces the a%dience to have to choose b' demandin" that there be onl' one correct wa' to

4artici4ate in b%siness ethics+

0e makes the ass%m4tion that if 'o% don;t follow his 4artic%lar method of doin" b%siness that 'o%

m%st be dead+ In Christianit' these 4rinci4les thro%"ho%t o%r histor' seem to have tr%th in them+ It

seems we need enemies so o%r ca%se can feel %stified+ 6e need sides so we can deif' com4etition

over comm%nit'+ This isn;t some hi44' notion where ever'one sim4l' and naivel' a"rees on

ever'thin"9 to me9 this is not comm%nit'9 b%t the %ltimate act of h%manitarian disre"ard+

$es%s9 at one 4oint9 instr%cts %s to @love o%r enemiesii;+

0e doesn;t s4end a lot of time with them9 he merel' sa's be willin" to die for them+ i"%rativel'

and literall'+ In this choice is the 4ower to dissolve the idea of enem'+ *l%s the moment we choose

to love is the moment we a"ree that we wrestle not a"ainst flesh and blood+ Ma'be the whole idea

of enem' is distractin" %s from the realit' that the tr%e enem' as *a%l states are the s'stems in

4lace9 the s'stems we have 'et to be aware of+ Thin"s like in%stice9 4overt'9 i"norance9

ecl%sivism9 hatred9 disre"ard9 war and so on+

!%t what this means is that we m%st be willin" to remove rhetoric that demonies those we seek to

dialo"%e with+ To tr%l' be comm%nal is to seek o%t the ver' best for the other+ !%t this does not

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mean attackin" the other with theolo"' entrenched in @hell9 fire9 and brimstone;9 in a method m%ch

like the ma"ician;s sli"ht of hand9 to tr%l' hel4 the one we are dialo"%in" with G the dialo"%e m%st

start within+ 1et me e4lain+ The end moment in the movie 5I7 *obot59 with 6ill Smith9 the moment

where the robot stands as an individ%al is the cr%cial 4oint the ch%rch m%st come to resc%e itself

from its own social stereot'4es+

!%t it doesn;t start b' renderin" the "os4el as somethin" that is 4rimaril' a verbal res4onse rather itis somethin" lived9 or"anic9 breathin"+ In .ramaic9 the word "os4el is translated as @ho4e;+ Nothin"

more+ It is ho4e that resc%es others from their sit%ations+ 0o4e that brin"s 4eo4le back home+ That

hel4s %s to find o%r lost coinsiii+ 0o4e+ Somethin" we all crave9 somethin" more visceral than

orthodo sin itself+ M%ch like the robot in the movie9 who intended to save his race9 we m%st be

willin" to free o%rselves to free othersiv we have to die for the other for the sake of the "reater

ca%se B he becomes somethin" other than himself (h%man breakin" 4reBs%44ositions#+ The Ch%rch

m%st become somethin" other than itself to co%nter all of the historical 4reBs%44ositions and

stereot'4es that have followed in it wake+ I think the "os4el m%st be revisited b' the ch%rch and for

the sake of the ch%rch+ If an'one needs to hear the "os4el more than an'one else ri"ht now9 it is the

ch%rch+

Fractured lenses/

$es%s s4eaks of the tem4le bein" raised in three da's9 b%t 4rior to that claim he had enco%ra"ed the

$ewish a%dience to destro' it+ The tem4le was a 4lace of centralied comm%nit' e4ression+ The

s4ace where 4eo4le met with 3od+ $es%s tells his en?%irers to rae it to the "ro%nd+ Ima"ine that9

take all that defines 'o% s4irit%all' and destro' it+ 6ell9 at least that is how his a%dience reacted+ !%t

somethin" m%ch more im4ortant is ha44enin" here and I think is ke' to %nderstandin" o%r identit'

as Ch%rch+

$es%s is decentraliin" the notion of comm%nit' lookin" an'thin" like a b%ildin"+ 0e is enco%ra"in"

str%ct%ral nihilism+ 0ow do I "et that from this contetA One9 beca%se he isnFt afraid to attack those

who are 4artici4atin" in the 4erverse 4ractice of otherin"+ Some have decided to %se the tem4le

doves9 which were saved ecl%sivel' for those who co%ldnFt make a livin" on their own+ $es%s

attacks these 4eo4le for bein" ecl%sive+

!%t what if it was more than that9 what if the 4rior e4lanation mi"ht be a bit 4remat%reA 6hat if

what he is attackin" is the notion of e4ressin" o%r %nderstandin" of 3od thro%"h the fract%red lens

of instit%tional reli"iosit'A 0e then sa's he will raise it in three da's+ .nd then $ohn clarifies that

$es%s is referrin" to himself+ . bod' will be raised+ Embodiment will occ%r+ So in a moment of

radicalied s%bversion $es%s 4roclaims that s4irit%alit' isnFt e4erienced in a b%ildin" or a str%ct%reof an' kind9 b%t rather thro%"h the bod'+ It is first a 4ersonal e4erience+

7ltimatel'9 we are the str%ct%res we seek+ Not beca%se we are str%ct%red 4eo4le9 b%t beca%se we not

str%ct%red 4eo4le+ 6e are aBhistorical 4eo4le+ *eo4le who leave the str%ct%res (histor'# behind to

find a 3od whoFs love9 4eace9 "race9 and %stice are fo%nd embodied not in comm%nal

instit%tionaliation b%t rather in each other+ 6e are the str%ct%res that we seek+ 6hat if that;s the

4ointA That an'thin" that is materiall' a str%ct%re is the ver' 4roblem9 beca%se it mediates for %s+

So9 then what is the answerA If the Ch%rch as is doesn;t work an'more9 what can we 4%t in its

4laceA I think this is the wron" ?%estion+ The ass%m4tion is that o%r criti?%e m%st lead %s to another

answer and that somehow this new answer is meant to fi ever'thin" else9 b%t in realit' we all know

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23/25

this is not the case9 beca%se once we offer somethin" new somethin" will event%all' be taken over

b' another new somethin" and so on+ M' 4oint bein" this9 in o%r c%lt%re we have embedded within

%s this need for answers+ *%blishers want this book f%ll of res4onses and wa's o%t of the iss%es9 a

,-Bste4 r%bric for lifeBalterin" methods+ I think this is hi"hl' 4roblematic+ These aren;t eas' iss%es

here+ 6e have to be ece4tionall' critical and ass%me that as individ%als we can;t offer solid

answers9 b%t that tr%th is somethin" we can e4erience when we wrestle it o%t with each other+ That

this book can;t fi the ch%rches 4roblems9 b%t it can hi"hli"ht them and brin" %s to an honest4latform for disc%ssion+ So what;s this cha4ter abo%t thenA 6ell realiin" the wa' we have been

ta%"ht to think abo%t o%rselves is 4atentl' wron"9 and that there is a wa' o%t+ To"ether+

I think $es%s illicits a similar res4onse when he res4onds to Thomas; en?%ir' of his f%t%re absence+

$es%s sa's this: I am the wa'9 the tr%th and the lifev+ I think a 4ositive wa' to inter4ret this in li"ht

of this new wa' of Grethinkin" the f%t%re of Ch%rch is to hear his words this wa': The 4aths that

embod' %s en"ender tr%th and this tr%th en"enders life+ That the answers aren;t some "lorified

obective that eist o%tside of %s9 b%t rather what I think $es%s is statin" is that the o%rne' toward

4ossible res4onses lie within %s+

Notice in the .ramaicvi9 tr%th doesn;t incl%de all tr%th9 b%t rather tr%th sin"%lar+ It is in v%lnerabledialo"%e shared in an' t'4e of comm%nit' that draws %s a ste4 closer toward tr%th which itself

inhabits life+ I think a "ood direction for the Ch%rch to reBstart their o%rne' is toward the ethos not

of comm%nit'9 which has been tried (as is# and has been fo%nd wantin"+

*ossibl' counitasmi"ht be a better offerin"+ In Oaaca9 Meico a comm%nitas eists+ This is

how the' e4lain their 4roect towards a new kind of h%manit': ualit#7 solidarit#

and togetherness that enables a reconsideration of the wa#s in which we act together! It is a

&rocess where no one is arginali;ed and there is a coon sense of &ur&ose! It is a transitional

&hase that enables societies to find draaticall# different solutions for li)ing! Counitas is

creati)e and transforati)e s&ace! Counitas is also a &ersonal e?&erience! It is a rite of

&assage that &roduces soething sacred within indi)iduals! 'art of this sacredness is achie)ed

through the huilit# learned in this transition that allows the &ersonal e?&erience of togetherness

with others to be felt! The grou& of indi)iduals crosses a threshold collecti)el#?)ii!I think this lack

of 4ers4ective over the co%rse of the Ch%rch;s histor' has left an indelible wo%nd %4on those who

mi"ht not follow after $es%s9 one onl' need to o4en a histor' book to discover the tr%th of this

statement+ I think we have to take res4onsibilit' for the acts behind %s so we can move ahead of

o%rselves even now+ One wa' we can do this is b' chan"in" how we see o%rselves9 b' how we

interact9 and how we label o%rselves+ This is the most cr%cial 4lace we can be"in G identit'+ There is

a 4oint in 3enesis when the a%thor s4eaks of a man leavin" his father and mother and oin his wife

and the' will be one

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9 and this contet tends to be rendered as a %stification for how the 6est hasdefined marria"e9 b%t what if it wasn;t thatA 6hat if it;s a meta4hor that "ives %s a 4review of what

it co%ld look like for %s as a 4ostBinstit%tional collectiveA 6hen the man leaves his 4arents he is

leavin" all the str%ct%res behind him that define him+ In the $ewish world9 what others knew abo%t

'o% were defined not b' 'o% or 'o%r ma"netic 4ersonalit' b%t b' who 'o%r 4arents were+ o% were

defined b' the le"ac'9 choices and mistakes of 'o%r 4arents+ The a%thor here is sa'in" it is nat%ral to

leave those thin"s+ To "o and make a name for 'o%rself+ To "et rid of 'o%r histor'+ To make histor'

'o%rself+ 1eave the str%ct%res behind+ Then it sa's he "oes and oins himself to a woman9 another

$ewish nod for se9 b%t I think even somethin" more 4rovocative is occ%rrin" G a 4ict%re of

h%manit'+ Man and woman to"ether as one are creatin" new life+ This is also how the $ewish 4eo4le

defined themselves b' the amo%nt and abilit' to have children+ !%t the verse doesn;t end with se9

it talks of oneness+ 7nit'+ Two becomin" one+ ComBbecomin"B%nit'+ . brin"in" to"ether of two

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different sociall' defined bein"s and dissolvin" the social differences into one+ Ma'be this is a "ood

first ste4+

+

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iMark

Jesus and the Death of Church - A Proposal

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Transcript of Jesus and the Death of Church - A Proposal