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Bethel is beginning a 4-week book study using the book Christianity After Religion, by author Diana Butler Bass. Her book addresses the challenges faith communities face: loss of institutional legitimacy, an aging and declining membership, and the rising number of people with no religious affiliation - the “nones.” Amidst this decline, Diana’s book lays out the possibility of a new “Awakening,” a cultural shift that could revitalize faith communities by reversing the typical order of the three Bs to first Belonging, then Behaving, and lastly Believing.
She sees this reordering not as something new but a return to how Jesus called those fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. His simple request was to “follow me” and to observe, practice, and experience how to love others—a return to a more spiritual and experiential connection with God, Creation, and one another. Drawing from the Book and some of Diana’s more recent insights, we will meet for four nights of discussion covering chapters from Christianity after Religion. We’ll send out a weekly email with suggested readings and questions. The discussions should be lively! |
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Christianity After Religion Book Study - Week 4 ZOOM LINK
We meet again next Wednesday (October 25th @6:30pm) for our study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. This final week, we’ll cover chapter 9 in the book. Diana uses this final chapter to discuss how we go about the “doing” of performing or Acting out Awakening. She uses four “p” words to describe this Performing – Preparing, Practicing, Playing, and Participating. These are steps Bethel could take in reversing the 3 Bs to Belonging, Behaving, and Believing.
Diana's current thinking and her comments on Chapter 9 are attached here. Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses and how they might apply to Bethel.
In Diana’s final comments, she leaves us with several questions to consider:
ABOUT BELONGING: What does it really mean to belong to nature? To one another? Who is our neighbor? What responsibilities come with “belonging”? Think of all the places that and the people who constitute your circle of belonging. How big is your “WE”? What does this circle reveal about how you understand yourself and Bethel?
ABOUT BEHAVING: What practices strengthen and deepen our sense of belonging to nature and neighbor? Diana highlights gratitude — but other practices function likewise — hospitality, non-violence, and doing justice. What practices most appeal to you?
ABOUT BELIEVING: What theology are you writing with your life? How have you experienced God through the decades? Can you tell a story of God, the world, and yourself? How has this story been revised over the years? How has belief changed for you? How might you describe the sort of faith that might be emerging in this awakening?
We meet again next Wednesday (October 25th @6:30pm) for our study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. This final week, we’ll cover chapter 9 in the book. Diana uses this final chapter to discuss how we go about the “doing” of performing or Acting out Awakening. She uses four “p” words to describe this Performing – Preparing, Practicing, Playing, and Participating. These are steps Bethel could take in reversing the 3 Bs to Belonging, Behaving, and Believing.
Diana's current thinking and her comments on Chapter 9 are attached here. Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses and how they might apply to Bethel.
In Diana’s final comments, she leaves us with several questions to consider:
ABOUT BELONGING: What does it really mean to belong to nature? To one another? Who is our neighbor? What responsibilities come with “belonging”? Think of all the places that and the people who constitute your circle of belonging. How big is your “WE”? What does this circle reveal about how you understand yourself and Bethel?
ABOUT BEHAVING: What practices strengthen and deepen our sense of belonging to nature and neighbor? Diana highlights gratitude — but other practices function likewise — hospitality, non-violence, and doing justice. What practices most appeal to you?
ABOUT BELIEVING: What theology are you writing with your life? How have you experienced God through the decades? Can you tell a story of God, the world, and yourself? How has this story been revised over the years? How has belief changed for you? How might you describe the sort of faith that might be emerging in this awakening?
Christianity After Religion – Book Study- Week 3 ZOOM LINK
We meet again next Wednesday (October 18th @6:30pm) for the 3rd our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover chapter 8 in the book. This is the chapter where Diana lays out the case that we are in the middle of an “Awakening” that is changing our understandings of faith and religion. She sees this Awakening evolving out of the late 1960 and 70s. Unlike Revivals affecting individuals or churches, she sees Awakenings as broader cultural movements forming their identity over several decades. This is the liminal period of Disorder that lies between the old Order and the Reordered future that Richard Rohr writes about.
Every Awakening brings with it its own counter movement, as we are seeing so clearly today. She sees the Reagan revolution/Moral Majority and current MAGA/Christian nationalism as counter movements or counter Awakenings.
This chapter highlights Diana’s background as a historian of American Christianity. It’s a little wonky, but raises important questions about this uncertain time where intra-religious conflicts have created competing Awakenings within denominations and where mainline Christianity is finding inter-religious partners in other faith traditions and among the spiritual but not religious “nones”.
Diana current thinking and her comments on Chapter 8 are attached here. Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses.
Do you think the larger Church and Bethel are ready for or in need of an liminal time of Awakening that begins the work of Reimagining the church of the future?
Diana describes how past Awakenings always encounter resistance. Can Bethel provide a safe space for both traditionalists and those wanting to explore the edges of Christianity? How might Bethel create that safe space?
We meet again next Wednesday (October 18th @6:30pm) for the 3rd our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover chapter 8 in the book. This is the chapter where Diana lays out the case that we are in the middle of an “Awakening” that is changing our understandings of faith and religion. She sees this Awakening evolving out of the late 1960 and 70s. Unlike Revivals affecting individuals or churches, she sees Awakenings as broader cultural movements forming their identity over several decades. This is the liminal period of Disorder that lies between the old Order and the Reordered future that Richard Rohr writes about.
Every Awakening brings with it its own counter movement, as we are seeing so clearly today. She sees the Reagan revolution/Moral Majority and current MAGA/Christian nationalism as counter movements or counter Awakenings.
This chapter highlights Diana’s background as a historian of American Christianity. It’s a little wonky, but raises important questions about this uncertain time where intra-religious conflicts have created competing Awakenings within denominations and where mainline Christianity is finding inter-religious partners in other faith traditions and among the spiritual but not religious “nones”.
Diana current thinking and her comments on Chapter 8 are attached here. Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses.
Do you think the larger Church and Bethel are ready for or in need of an liminal time of Awakening that begins the work of Reimagining the church of the future?
Diana describes how past Awakenings always encounter resistance. Can Bethel provide a safe space for both traditionalists and those wanting to explore the edges of Christianity? How might Bethel create that safe space?
Christianity After Religion – Week 2: October 11 ZOOM LINK
We meet again next Wednesday (October 11 th @6:30pm) for the 2 nd our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover chapters 4-7.
In these chapters we take a deep dive into the 3Bs of religion - Believing, Behaving and Belonging. Diana suggests ways we might reimagine and reorder the 3Bs.
Diana current thinking and her comments on Chapters 4-7 are attached here.
Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses.
We meet again next Wednesday (October 11 th @6:30pm) for the 2 nd our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover chapters 4-7.
In these chapters we take a deep dive into the 3Bs of religion - Believing, Behaving and Belonging. Diana suggests ways we might reimagine and reorder the 3Bs.
- Moving Believing from “what” we believe to “how” we believe.
- Moving Behaving from a list of rules to be followed to being intentional in imitating and following the practices Jesus modeled.
- Moving Belonging from “Who am I” to “Whose am I”
Diana current thinking and her comments on Chapters 4-7 are attached here.
Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider the questions she poses.
- Do you see the value in moving away from seeing believing as “what” we believe to “how” we believe. Believing as placing our trust and love in God and Jesus rather than doctrine and Creedal statements?
- Diana suggests that by reversing the order of the 3Bs to Belonging, Behaving and Believing, we can move from religion-as-institution to religio (re-connecting) as a spiritual path. Does that make sense to you?
- Do you think it makes sense to your children or grandchildren?
Christianity After Religion – Week 1: October 4 ZOOM LINK
We meet Wednesday, October 4th @6:30pm, to begin our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover the first three chapters where Diana delves into the challenges faith communities are currently facing, loss of institutional legitimacy, an aging and declining membership and the rising number of people with no religious affiliation - the “nones”.
Amidst this decline, Diana’s book lays out the possibility of a new “Awakening”, a cultural shift that could revitalize faith communities by reversing the typical order of the three Bs to first Belonging, then Behaving and lastly Believing. She sees this reordering not as something new, but a return to how Jesus called those fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. His simple request was to “follow me” and to then observe, practice and experience how to love others. A return to a more spiritual and experiential connection with God, Creation and one another.
This Summer Diana updated some of her current thinking and her comments on chapters 1-3 are attached here.
Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider these questions:
1. Do you agree with Diana’s belief that the past 20 years have led to a worsening Crisis of Legitimacy for the Church and other institutions (Government, Business, Congress, Science, Supreme Court etc.)?
2. Diana asks whether our children will look back at these times as a Great Unraveling of Faith or the beginning of a New Awakening? What possible futures do you see?
3. Are you encouraged or discouraged or a bit of both by interest in spirituality connected to the sacred found in nature and creation rather than institutional church?
Looking forward to meeting and hearing your thoughts!
We meet Wednesday, October 4th @6:30pm, to begin our 4-week study of Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. We’ll cover the first three chapters where Diana delves into the challenges faith communities are currently facing, loss of institutional legitimacy, an aging and declining membership and the rising number of people with no religious affiliation - the “nones”.
Amidst this decline, Diana’s book lays out the possibility of a new “Awakening”, a cultural shift that could revitalize faith communities by reversing the typical order of the three Bs to first Belonging, then Behaving and lastly Believing. She sees this reordering not as something new, but a return to how Jesus called those fishermen on the Sea of Galilee. His simple request was to “follow me” and to then observe, practice and experience how to love others. A return to a more spiritual and experiential connection with God, Creation and one another.
This Summer Diana updated some of her current thinking and her comments on chapters 1-3 are attached here.
Take a look after you’ve finished reading the chapters and consider these questions:
1. Do you agree with Diana’s belief that the past 20 years have led to a worsening Crisis of Legitimacy for the Church and other institutions (Government, Business, Congress, Science, Supreme Court etc.)?
2. Diana asks whether our children will look back at these times as a Great Unraveling of Faith or the beginning of a New Awakening? What possible futures do you see?
3. Are you encouraged or discouraged or a bit of both by interest in spirituality connected to the sacred found in nature and creation rather than institutional church?
Looking forward to meeting and hearing your thoughts!