03-05-24

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 5, 2024
A couple of studies I recently read looked at Religious Trauma, what I have often called spiritual malpractice or even called spiritual violence by some. High doses of guilt, fear, and intimidation in the context of a religious body have dramatically impacted more than 1/3 of people living in the United States. More than 15% of people are continuing to suffer and live with the consequences of trauma perpetrated by the church or its leadership. 

​Sunday, as we continue our journey on Pressing the Reset Button, I will be focusing on a specific theological idea that has been weaponized by the church throughout the centuries. I’m talking about the cross, specifically what is called atonement theory. Or, to summarize it, what happened when Jesus died on the cross? I understand why the church was consumed with making sense of this absurdity—that the one they claimed to be the incarnation of God was executed by the state for being an agitator or rebel. Resurrection is central to who we are, but WHY did Jesus die? Was it some great master plan? Did God require it? What was accomplished on the cross?

How you answer those questions implies a great deal about how you understand God, creation, sin, and yourself. How the church has attempted to answer those questions (and there are a lot of very different opinions) has led to a lot of strange, unhealthy, or even damaging practices in the church. If the God you worship and the one that is trying to teach you how best to live your life is full of wrath, and requires a substitutionary sacrifice (Jesus, who is killed in our place), what does that teach us about anger, forgiveness, and something called redemptive violence? If we are to live in peace, how does a violent act carried out by God on Godself (Jesus) bring peace?

I’m not expecting answers from you, but I'm hoping these thoughts raise questions about what the church has taught about the cross and how specific teachings have benefited, enriched, and even empowered the church.

Bring me teachers, O Word of Life, that follow in the ways of Jesus and ask a good question in response to my questions. I’m not looking for answers or well-structured systems of explanation. I’m looking for what is truly life-giving for me and for the world. Amen.