Shuck and Jive


Thursday, September 11, 2014

If the Church Were Christian

We have just begun If the Church Were Christian:  Rediscovering the Values of Jesus by Philip Gulley in our Thursday study group.  Since that book he has written, The Evolution of Faith:  How God is Creating a Better Christianity.   Here is a presentation about that second book that he gave at Earlham School of Religion in 2012.  

I like him.  I especially like this:
"…Christianity is less a codified doctrine or creed and more an approach to life that emphasizes grace, is always on the side of human dignity, is always devoted to our spiritual growth and moral evolution, and is always committed to the ongoing search for truth, even if that search leads us away from institutional Christianity."  If the Church Were Christian, p. 8.
There is nothing in that above statement that has to do explicitly with the religion of Christianity.  Nonetheless, the above statement seems to embody the values of Christianity when emptied of its dogma.   Christianity has poured itself out into the values of humanism.   I for one embrace that.   I have little concern or care about the doctrines of Christianity except that those doctrines are true rather than false and promote human flourishing and care for Earth and other values that are beautiful and just.  I find that more and more people are curious about this kind of Christianity.  May their tribe increase.    

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