Who is God?

The most pervasively haunting and thrilling question asked throughout the ages continues to be, “Who is God?”

Perhaps this has led to other questions such as, “What is God?"

Or “How is God?”

Is God an event?

Is God, as theologian Paul Tillich once coined, “the ground of being?”

Is God the “Unmoved Mover?” to echo Aquinas?

Do you literally visualize God as an actual being?

If so, does this God have all of the power, some of the power, limited power or shared power?

Perhaps you feel more in touch with the eastern/ apophatic tradition and do not like to use words to describe the ineffable deity that transcends any kind of finite reasoning?

And what if God was one of us… Just a slob like one of us… Thank you, Joan Osborne, for the song that will naturally be replayed in your head until you fall asleep tonight.

Does our idea(s) of God reflect our current state in life?

Have you ever stopped to consider how much anthropology plays into your theology?

I posed the question on Facebook yesterday, what do you think of the concept, “We ARE who we say God IS?”

Let's go back to the question, “Who do you say God IS?”

If we are genuine in our answer, is there naturally a reflection of the self in the divine mirror?

Some may wonder like the German philosopher, Ludwig Feuerbach, do we simply do a lot of projecting, thus negating our own pure humanistic qualities and potentiality? Feuerbach believes that, "If man is to find contentment in God he must find himself in God." Thus, “God” becomes human in this external projection of this internally complicated human disposition.

Last night, I (Ryan) had the pleasure to interview Eric Hall, author of Homebrewed Christianity Guide to God: Everything You Ever Wanted to know about the Almighty. Stay tuned for that Brew Theology Podcast in the weeks ahead, folks. It was a fun conversation.

Eric starts the book by moving the reader through, what he refers to, one’s grandparent’s patheon, and dismissing the notion of God as a cosmic vending machine.

Is God like Mr. Miyagi, as likened to classical theism: absolute intellect (Spoiler Alert: Eric likes Miyagee with some Voltron qualities)?

Eric hysterically speaks of some people’s God compared to a Jersey Shore-esque absolute willed deity!

And what about the retried Oprah, a transcendent deity who is set for life and is chilling while the clock ticks…?

Seriously, if you haven’t picked up Eric’s book, you’ll enjoy it for the familiarly clever pop references, alone!

Some deconstructionists may have dismissed the picture(s) of God, mentioned above. Others may have gravitated toward a mash of other godly images such as the Hippie Aunt God, which Hall refers to as the open and relational – process philosophy – deity that emerges into a cosmic drum circle. C’mon! Who doesn’t have a really cool hippie aunt who lives in Eugene, OR and makes the world a more beautiful place (true story for me)? Eric brings forth a Joan of Arc picture of God that deconstructs the Jersey Shore God, as "The Situation" goes through rehab, having a Face Off transplant (You know. Like that late 90's movie with John Travolta and Nicholas Cage, back when they were still cool.). In this light, Joan of Arc - God defies your expectations and becomes your new way of seeing the world (i.e. Jesus of Nazareth).

While all of these ideas and pictures of trying to articulate the ins and outs of God in winsome ways are loads of fun, I won’t give away the ending to Eric’s hopilicious, barrel-aged deistic tendencies; I will say that defining God is not an easy thing regardless of one’s place in the academic, pastoral or every-day person’s world. I think many of us can say that some of these images and thoughts have been helpful at times along the journey, while many definitions of God have simply been hurtful and irrelevant beyond measure in other seasons in life.

We could even say, “God is love” just like it says in the 'ole B.I.B.L.E.

At this endeavor, we would need to define love, which is always a fantastic way of getting raw and earthy and practical, which is my favorite kind of theology.

So, what is God?

What is love?

Does it even matter?

I’d love to hear from you.

Peace

Atheism For Lent

What does it mean to take up Atheism for Lent?

One might think that just sounds confusingly contradicting… right?

Yet, as Ernst Bloch once paradoxically stated, “Only a Christian can be a good atheist, and only an atheist can be a good Christian.”

The deepest cry in the Bible comes from the words of the Rabbi when Jesus shouts out, “My God! My God! Why have you forsaken me?”

Jesus experienced a loss of God.

Lent is dark.

The cross is lonely.

The follower of Christ is called to pick up his or her cross and follow Jesus… 

Where does Jesus go?

The cross!

The cross tangibly speaks to our death, loss, anxiety, depression, despair, and forsakenness. It allows us to enter into the dark night of the soul, a place where light might perhaps be unveiled in the darkness; or perhaps it might be a place where darkness snuffs out the light.

Whatever happens, things do change.

So, why engage in this thing called Atheism for Lent?

Isn't that heretical for a professed Christian, some may demonstrably ask?

Yes - perhaps at first glance! Yet, to remind everyone, Christianity was once considered a heretical religion (and Jesus, a heretical Rabbi who critiqued the religion of his day), and Christians were once called atheists at one point in history.

More pointedly, Atheism for Lent is an opportunity for Christians to engage some of the greatest thinkers and allow them to critique us – those who put their faith in Christ - along with seeing this critique within our ever-evolving, yet often mundane and stale religious framework.

Philosopher Peter Rollins, who started the “Atheism for Lent” course in 1998 wraps up the answer to the concerned onlooker quite succinctly, as he reminds the sojourner, "To not judge them (atheist thinkers), but let their work and words judge us.”

To engage in this “death of God” season allows oneself a place to discover those voices that were once deemed “enemies,” voices that can possibly purify one's unresolved faith issues. This season of darkness allows one to rethink basic presuppositions, and gives oneself the opportunity to deconstruct without guilt or shame. Everyone is somewhat open to their own inward doubt, but might not ever be honest about it. This posture of the heart and mind allows other ways of thinking and ambiguity a place at the table. Essentially, this strange Lenten practice isn’t about two different people or tribes fighting…it’s about real engaging as equals, something we - Denver Brew Theology theologians - do in the pub every single week.

Rollins reminds the learner that if we can’t cope with our differences (Atheists & Christians), we are typically repressing something that we have not dealt with ourselves. Perhaps those are questions that have been held down in a specific tribe. Most religious tribes are not open to this type of engagement due to fear. Usually, the louder and more defensive one becomes regarding doctrine X, Y or Z or practice A, B or C is due to repressed uncertainty. Atheism typically threatens one's identity. This is why we often see many religious people freak out on the internet when they see something that looks heretical; there's the need to lash out due to some deep-seated fear of the unknown. Thus, because many people do not deal with these feelings and thoughts, sadly many churchgoers are left with their own doubts in the quietness of their own soul, or they are sent to a "professional" Christian to get their doubts “squared away.”

Sometimes, our version or interpretation of God must die in order to move on… and that's okay. We need to be better at giving ourselves and others this kind of freedom. So, in the paradoxical season of sojourning toward the cross via "Atheism for Lent," may Lent be a season of genuine growth, a new death, honesty and the ability to be critiqued by the “other,” in order to see the new self emerge from the ashes.

To learn more about Atheism For Lent, check out Rollins' work, HERE. You can still sign up. 

Peace,

Ryan

P.S. Rumor has it that Brew Theology may host Pete Rollins and Tripp Fuller in the Mile High City this summer for a Theology Beer Camp... wink. wink. If you are interested, text the words BEERMEJESUS to 442-22 or email ryan at brewtheology.org.

#TheologyBeerCamp & J.C.

You had me at 90’s Karaoke (and with a live band!)…

We had the privilege to hang out in Redondo Beach filled with 3 days of Craft Nerdom via Homebrewed Christianity’s #TheologyBeerCamp a few weekends ago. Like many stellar events such as the Spurs winning championships, unless you actually experience the magic with other partners-in-crime, it’s hard to do justice on a blog. Nevertheless, the fact that you are still reading makes me think you want a hopilicious sample-taster of the divine goodness that can only come from…

Unlimited IPA’s

A corn hole tourney

Killer podcasters (including yours truly)

Tripp Fuller’s stream of consciousness

Pete Rollins’ Irish accent

Barry Taylor’s rock-and-roll shirts and radical deconstructions

#Boombastic street tacos

High-gravity theological tailgating and conversations with a variety of other theologians and armchair theologians from across the brewtastic spectrum

Artistic spiritual creations over local coffee

More all-you-can-drink local craft beer

Morgan Freeman’s “Story of God” Season 2 pre-screening partnered with the “The Voice of God” and “The Rumble of God” IPA’s…

90’s Karaoke (Do I smell Teen Spirit? Indeed!)

And last, but certainly not least (for that would be a horrific hate crime), the honor to hang out and listen to THE process guru, J.C. himself, John B. Cobb Jr.!

We are about to unleash a Brew Theology Podcast with John Cobb (Episode 24) on Sunday evening (2/12/17). If you are unfamiliar with Dr. Cobb’s work, you will definitely want to dig in after listening to this Jedi Master unveil some theological #BOOM on the mic. Cobb breaks down a bit of experiential pluralism via Buddhism and Christianity to begin our conversation, engages in some Wesleyan dialogue and carefully navigates through 5 key developments in church history that have blocked appreciation and a priority of Jesus’ own teaching, thus hindering the relational accessibility of moving into a dynamic relationship with Abba/ Father as seen in the life of Jesus of Nazareth.

So, as much as this 90’s teen loves to rock the stage with some Nirvana karaoke, I’ll give John Cobb the mic any ‘ole day. Big shout out to Tripp Fuller for putting together an amazing Theology Beer Camp. I can’t wait for the next one, and I look forward to meeting more of YOU as you join me and other friends… details on that coming very soon!

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“We theologians of an earlier generation know that our style of thinking and communicating no longer works well -- if it ever did. I fear that we are unlikely to learn how to share the wisdom we have received (and still think helpful for others) with new generations. Brew Theology is a promising answer. The old methods consisted largely of monologues. What is needed today, perhaps what has always been needed, is sharing of thinking and feeling and mutual stimulus to grow. It is my personal hope that this will lead to life-shaping convictions and commitments and even to worship. But I also hope that it will never set aside the openness and interaction of Brew Theology.” - Dr. John B. Cobb, Jr. (Global leader of process theology and considered one of the greatest theological minds of the last fifty years, professor emeritus of theology at Claremont School of Theology in Claremont, California, & cofounder of the Center for Process Studies. He is the author of over fifty books, including God and the World. Co-winner of Grawemeyer Award of Ideas Improving World Order.)

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P.S. Snag this original John Cobb, "JC is my Homeboy" T-shirt (front & back) exclusively from Brew Theology. T-shirts, tanks, hoodies, V-neck's, women's, etc. all in multiple colors. You can even get a sticker. You can ask JC into your heart, but now you can wear him on your chest. Link: https://teespring.com/JCisMyHomeboy