The Church and/in America

Brian Zahnd, that prophet-like pastor and author on the edge of Missouri, is no stranger to calling American Christians to distinguish between America and the Christian church. It’s not that he wants Americans to abandon the country and head north to Canada or south to Mexico. No, he wants us to grasp that what we often think is “Christian” is only Americanism conceived as Christianity.

The church … over to Brian for a moment:

The church is a distinct way of being human.

As the most social of beings we are constantly trying to figure out how to be human together. This is the human project. (War, hunger, and poverty are our most conspicuous failures.)

There are many ways to be human. For example…

The Greco-Roman way. (This has faded away, or more accurately, morphed into other ways.)

The Jewish way. (This is still with us, but it too has morphed over time.)

The Hindu way. The Buddhist way. The Muslim way, etc. (The great religions are more than a set of beliefs, they are ways of life.)

The secular way. (This is the way that has the most momentum in the modern Western world.)

The American way. (This is a secular way disguised as a kind of religious way.)

The particular challenge for the American Christian is to distinguish the American way of being human from the church (the Jesus way of being human). If there is no essential difference between being Christian and being American (as a way of life), then what is the point of the church?

This is a problem.

Yes, indeed, it is but it works from both sides. A case has been made that liberal Protestantism lost its attraction of Americans to church because it had gained the culture so much there was no longer a distinction between being Democrat and being Protestant. A case can also be made that for many conservative evangelicals there is a thin line of no difference between being Republican and being evangelical. (Brian knows that world as well as anyone in America.)

Brian then thought of five ways the church and America are different and actually came up with twelve, which you can read at the link above, and you might just add to his list — or don’t even read his list but write out three significant differences between the church and America.

If you’d like a good example of this, consider Dr. Randy Beckum, chaplain and (now) former VP at Midwest Nazarene. Here’s what Beckum said in a chapel:

As you know two movies came out recently. Selma, the story of one of the 20th century most influential Christian leaders, Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who led a non-violent movement that changed the course of American History forever.

And American Sniper, the story of the most deadly Navy SEAL sniper in American history. Selma has made 29-30 million so far. American Sniper made over 103 million in the first 4 days. Gives you an idea about who our heroes are.

I don’t think it is an under-statement to say that our culture is addicted to violence, guns, war, revenge and retaliation.

Unfortunately, so are a lot of Christians.”

SM Gibson comments on what happened next:

Fury and debate erupted across the Olathe, Kansas campus. Many believed that Beckum’s words were inflammatory while others whole-heartedly agreed with and supported his synopsis. Rumors persist that it was high financial contributors to the University and denominational leaders inside of the school who felt that the statements undermined the integrity of the University.

On Monday, Dr. Beckum was relieved of his Vice-Presidency. In a statement released by University President David J. Spittal, it was explained that Dr. Beckum will retain his position as Chaplain but will no longer serve in the VP position which he has held since 1996.

Brian and Beckum probably need to meet up somewhere on that great river and have a chat —

Meanwhile, we need this reminder. Often. Constantinianism or Erastianism, call it what you want, but don’t call it Christian.