I think you're raising excellent points, but I chafe at the term "atheistic Christianity" for this. I get what you're going for, but it makes me think of the parable with the two sons, one who says he will do his father's will, and does not, and the other that says he will not, but he does. Atheists are very capable of out-Christianing Christians. Belief in God is not necessary to abide in God, because God is love, and all who abide in love, abide in God. You can strip off most of the trappings of Christianity, even Christ, and still abide in God. But you can't strip out love. And that's exactly what so many Christian churches and Silicon Valley have stripped out.
I hear what you are saying, and my term of “atheistic Christianity” may be imprecise—but as I’m brainstorming another piece on a similar theme—I think an essential part of Christianity is that we need “salvation” from someone outside ourselves and ultimately, the only one that can do is is God in Jesus Christ.
Cool, and yeah, I believe that's essential, too. But I'm not sure believing it's essential is essential, if that makes any sense. We don't need any particular words, but we do need the Word, and the Word is there regardless of what anyone believes. Anyway, thanks for the response; I always enjoy your work, looking forward to more!
"Miracles, sin, salvation, resurrection; the actual activity of the Holy Spirit." — what's left out, although these are technically included in "sin" and "salvation" are confession (we are all sinners) and forgiveness.
The main problem stated in the article is right on and is a question I also struggle with. These days, even liberal Christians who have faith have to work at it to believe in miracles, God, & resurrection. As for me, I've gone all the way to Christian panentheism via Whitehead and Cooper's excellent book on the topic. (Phil 2:6-8 becomes especially mindblowing from this perspective.)
Alas, my ideas are so metaphorical and spiritual to the point of mysticism that I'd scandalize any liberal church community and its pastors if I dared to speak up. And I cannot resist speaking up.
Even if temperamentally and philosophically we fall on the "leap of faith" side of the secular/spiritual tension in our culture, the way we think is still influenced by rationality. Escaping "rationality" in a way that our culture allows requires getting into the difficult wormholes of quantum physics. I'm content to go along with Whitehead's testimony, and I can only read him because of academic work done when I was a lot younger.
One way to go would be to preach in ways that allow people to explore their own spiritual pathways by delving into metaphorical aspects of Christian theology. Writers are out there : W.H. Auden and Mary Oliver poetry are just a few examples. There are probably also preachers who can do this. But as a preacher myself whose main literary style never escapes the expository, all I could do would be to just read these sources without comment. (Along those lines, I once played Aretha's "Mary, Don't You Weep" over our bad sanctuary PA as our text. They probably thought I was crazy but were too polite to mention it.)
For now, my main (online) mission is to "resurrect" the orthodox Christian ideas of sin and forgiveness in liberal communities. This will become especially important if we find ourselves in a place where we must forgive our fellow ordinary neighbors who released MAGA on us with their votes. In other scenarios, we'll need to reinforce the message of nonviolence. These beliefs don't require "god" so much as a stubborn, chosen belief in the ultimate preciousness of all human beings. Confession and forgiveness.
I think you're raising excellent points, but I chafe at the term "atheistic Christianity" for this. I get what you're going for, but it makes me think of the parable with the two sons, one who says he will do his father's will, and does not, and the other that says he will not, but he does. Atheists are very capable of out-Christianing Christians. Belief in God is not necessary to abide in God, because God is love, and all who abide in love, abide in God. You can strip off most of the trappings of Christianity, even Christ, and still abide in God. But you can't strip out love. And that's exactly what so many Christian churches and Silicon Valley have stripped out.
I hear what you are saying, and my term of “atheistic Christianity” may be imprecise—but as I’m brainstorming another piece on a similar theme—I think an essential part of Christianity is that we need “salvation” from someone outside ourselves and ultimately, the only one that can do is is God in Jesus Christ.
Cool, and yeah, I believe that's essential, too. But I'm not sure believing it's essential is essential, if that makes any sense. We don't need any particular words, but we do need the Word, and the Word is there regardless of what anyone believes. Anyway, thanks for the response; I always enjoy your work, looking forward to more!
"Miracles, sin, salvation, resurrection; the actual activity of the Holy Spirit." — what's left out, although these are technically included in "sin" and "salvation" are confession (we are all sinners) and forgiveness.
The main problem stated in the article is right on and is a question I also struggle with. These days, even liberal Christians who have faith have to work at it to believe in miracles, God, & resurrection. As for me, I've gone all the way to Christian panentheism via Whitehead and Cooper's excellent book on the topic. (Phil 2:6-8 becomes especially mindblowing from this perspective.)
Alas, my ideas are so metaphorical and spiritual to the point of mysticism that I'd scandalize any liberal church community and its pastors if I dared to speak up. And I cannot resist speaking up.
Even if temperamentally and philosophically we fall on the "leap of faith" side of the secular/spiritual tension in our culture, the way we think is still influenced by rationality. Escaping "rationality" in a way that our culture allows requires getting into the difficult wormholes of quantum physics. I'm content to go along with Whitehead's testimony, and I can only read him because of academic work done when I was a lot younger.
One way to go would be to preach in ways that allow people to explore their own spiritual pathways by delving into metaphorical aspects of Christian theology. Writers are out there : W.H. Auden and Mary Oliver poetry are just a few examples. There are probably also preachers who can do this. But as a preacher myself whose main literary style never escapes the expository, all I could do would be to just read these sources without comment. (Along those lines, I once played Aretha's "Mary, Don't You Weep" over our bad sanctuary PA as our text. They probably thought I was crazy but were too polite to mention it.)
For now, my main (online) mission is to "resurrect" the orthodox Christian ideas of sin and forgiveness in liberal communities. This will become especially important if we find ourselves in a place where we must forgive our fellow ordinary neighbors who released MAGA on us with their votes. In other scenarios, we'll need to reinforce the message of nonviolence. These beliefs don't require "god" so much as a stubborn, chosen belief in the ultimate preciousness of all human beings. Confession and forgiveness.
On a somewhat related note, and this may be controversial. But I read this Atlantic article about the dangers of excessive Buddhist meditation and kept thinking that perhaps people are underestimating what spiritual doors can be opened through these practices. There’re more powerful than we realize! Gift link: https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/meditation-willoughby-britton-downsides/688474/?gift=aQqGgI6aZaxPOENLR2yl2rkRh-qaPA9c0MlTGDrHzP4