How Can we Confront Religious Radicalizaiton?

Religious radicalization is a global concern and a threat to traditional religious ideologies.

In the religion class I teach at the Community College, I explain to my students that the world religion comes from the Latin word, re ligio, which means to bring together. What then has religion become today when we are so divided along simple expressions of belonging as suggested by Jesus such as “love your neighbor?” or “do unto others”. Why have we planted our subjective faith flags among our tribes that seek to keep people out? I have been observing this peculiar behavior since I became first aware of it in college. Recency bias would have us think that the divisions we see are well, recent. But I remember a very clear conversation I had in college with a mentor who took a dim view on homosexuality that was not lining up with how my faith was evolving and how I was observing Jesus. My views on the traditional views of Christianity were again challenged after 9/11 and again after January 6, 2021(among so many others). This faith I grew up with was untenable and not in line with the traditions and the experiences that moved Jesus to ministry. My experiences as a pastor shockingly demonstrated that the historic church was not often reflecting the historical Jesus. 

Are We a Christian Nation? 

It often shocks people that “one Nation under God” is not original to the Pledge of Allegiance.  

Faith is a subjective experience and no one person can own the market on Faith. It is true that we can have our tribes of Lutheranism, Calvinism, Wesleyanism and so on. But in my work as a therapist, there are many that do not fit neatly in the lines of what we would call organized religion.  

It is felt that we are a complex nation of complex people, slowly or in some cases, quickly becoming more diverse that we ever have. To say that we are one type of people is dismissive of the richness that abounds in our communities. It also speaks to a sense of superiority that is not consistent with Jesus’ teachings.  

The Radicalization of a Tradition 

I tell people I can make a mess of their life in about five minutes, especially if I learn a few things about you. This is true though of everyone. Once someone learns of your fears and that someone has a talent for manipulation, you will never be the same. They either call this marketing or politics, or in the case of Christianity, tradition.  

From Wikipedia, we can find a simple definition of the word radicalization: 

Radicalization is the process by which an individual or a group comes to adopt increasingly radical views in opposition to a political, social, or religious status quo. The ideas of society at large shape the outcomes of radicalization. Radicalization can result in both violent and nonviolent action – academic literature focuses on radicalization into violent extremism or radicalization leading to acts of terrorism. 

Prior to electronic means of information consumption, radicalization took the form of pamphlets, brochures and posters. They would be read, re read and interpreted. Today, however, this information is processed at a speed almost unprocessable in our human brains. An emphasis on recency bias and general ignorance because of the speed one can gain “information” has made the process of radicalization a global problem.  

What we Need Instead 

Twenty years ago, I was first introduced to the house church movement idea. Based on the Acts 2 church, much discussion was had on taking our small dying churches and reforming them into house type churches with the main church the place we met for larger business matters and corporate worship. For years, I have been preaching about how churches need to start doing ministry with their communities, not for their communities. We need a return to the historical way of faith before the empire got involved.  

Kindness is a spiritual practice that enhances our generosity and counters our selfishness. The early band of the followers of the Way after Jesus’ death are said to be of this type. I oft quote the Acts 2: 41-47 church as our model church: 

 41 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added. 42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. 44 All who believed were together and held everything in common, 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. 46 Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, 47 praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved. 

In last week’s post, I talk about several spiritual practices observed in Jesus’ being. Connections and his insistence on engaging with everyone despite who they were and how they identified has always stood out to me.  

This is the church we must become and indeed, this is most often the church many of the young people I talk to would like to be part of. To be a kind church means doing ministry with the people around you, not for the people around you. The former suggests a form of superiority. Superiority is where the Jewish/Christian church of Acts 2 went wrong when it got in bed with the empire.