Where to now for the Christian Story?

Kevin Treston

Introduction

The Christian Story is entering a third phase in its evolution. The first phase, early Christianity, from New Testament times until the beginning of the fourth century, encompassed flexible faith communities who broke bread, shared their faith, served the poor and celebrated their faith experiences of God in Jesus and the Spirit. This was followed by the second phase, beginning after the Constantine era of the fourth century and continuing until the last decades of the twentieth century, seeing the gradual emergence of a structured church, patriarchal and pyramid in authority. A Christian culture flourished. The European centred church, influenced by the Council of Trent (1545-63), carried the Good News all over the world. However, the church’s unity was fractured by the split with the Eastern Orthodox churches (1054), the Reformation (1517) and the pluralism of Christian churches. The gradual rift between the Enlightenment and a monarchical model of the Catholic Church widened. The churches generally struggled to come to grips with a modern industrialised world.

With Vatican II this second era is passing away and we are embarking on a third phase. What is happening and why? What forces are shaping Christianity in this emerging third era of the Christian Story? I suggest that the following themes are relevant as a response to these questions.

1. The Core Teachings of Jesus

A fundamental theological/faith question relates to how people experience their Christian faith and find ultimate life meaning in it. If their faith stance understands how their Baptism calls them into active participation to experience, promote and live ‘life in abundance’ (John 10:10), then experiencing their faith necessarily involves participating in the whole of the cosmic story and especially the human condition. Within such a faith perspective, religion and science would always be partners, although they would seek the quest for truth from different modes of consciousness and methodologies.

If, however, Christians hold that the Church is a divinely ordained entity existing parallel to the human condition, then matters of science and evolutionary consciousness in such matters as gender fluidity, climate changes, feminine inclusions, quantum physics, economic systems and political ideologies are peripheral to the essential mission of a hierarchical church.

Which of these two views do you think should prevail?

2. Refounding or Renewal?

There is growing interest in the question, ‘Can the church with its current structures and governance - which reflect a medieval feudal context - be transformed through a process of renewal, or should the reform go right back to the beginnings of church life in a refounding movement? For example, is the canonical dualism between clergy and laity so deeply embedded in church life and entrenched in church legislation that we cannot acknowledge the foundational belief that we are all equal in our shared baptisms?

There will always be challenges within the imperative of doctrinal unity when addressing issues in the Christian heritage. We are always evolving in consciousness and gaining new wisdoms. God is not static but a Divine Spirit infusing the whole of creation. Safeguarding the core of Christian heritage while courageously being open to a Spirit discerned future must be a given for evangelisation. The church exists within an evolutionary unfolding of history, never outside it.

It is very understandable why people resist change when they see something so precious as their faith apparently being eroded by perceived new-fangled theologies. There is no easy answer to this position except to hold a deep respect for people’s faith while allowing the Spirit to open doors to new rooms of spiritualities.

The problem for some faith communities arises when they become entrenched in beliefs which ignore communal discernment and invitations to live their faith more in accord with the essence of the gospel. Those who endorse a resistance to any prospect of change, especially if they are in positions of ecclesial power, accentuate fractures in the Body of Christ.

These questions highlight the problem of adult religious literacy. From my experiences of a ministry of over fifty years in several countries, I have been saddened by the abject failure of so many local faith communities and dioceses to nurture adult faith development. A basic issue is helping people appreciate the relationship between ‘mythos’ and ‘logos’; how a Western literalism interpreted biblical texts from ‘logos’ but then failed to be enriched by the ‘mythos’ of the texts. An increasingly educated population, at least in many countries, will be less than impressed by the proclamation of the gospel which ignores the ‘mythos’ of texts and insists on literalism. For example, associating Mary with ‘Virgin Mother’ should evoke the archetypal Great Mother of birthing and procreation of all life, rather than debates about Mary the mother of seven children (Mark 6:3). We do not leave our intelligence at the church door. Faith is always ‘seeking understanding’. Using the language of Charles Taylor, we are ‘seekers’ not simply ‘dwellers’ in our faith journeys.

3. Beyond a Greek, Roman, European Christianity

Early Christianity rapidly became European in its doctrinal format and liturgical celebrations. By medieval times Christian theology was basically shaped by the philosophies of Greeks such as Plato and Aristotle. Roman law and jurisdiction became the way that societies were constituted.

In the emerging third era of the Christian Story, Christianity will be more non-European, non-white and generally drawn from the poorer sections of society. The philosophical and cultural diversity emanating from Asia and Africa will demand theological, philosophical and liturgical pluralism. For example, how will we formulate our doctrines in the light of anthropologies drawn from Buddhism, Hindu and Chinese philosophies of the human person? As Western Christianity becomes more and more multicultural, how flexible are faith communities in the styles of celebration, theological formulation, rituals, spirituality and characters of faith communities? What leadership endorsement for inculturation is given to faith communities in Asia and Africa?

A Christianity of the future must ensure its mission is one of active ecumenical partnership in the World Council of Churches with the great religions and spiritual traditions of the world, especially Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and ancient Chinese wisdoms. A future Christianity, while celebrating its own faith heritage, must always honour the abiding presence of the Great Spirit within the whole of creation.

4. A Cosmic Vision for Christianity

A basic challenge for Christianity now is the reframing of the Christian Story within the overarching Story of the Universe. For most of Christian history this vision was traditionally formulated in a Greek, Roman, medieval character and Newtonian physics world but is now experienced in a new paradigm of consciousness and life meaning.

We live in a vast universe 13.7 billion years old. There are billions of galaxies with billions of stars. In more recent years scientists have shown how everything in the universe is interconnected, dynamic and evolutionary. Quantum physics has overturned the static physics of Newton where outcomes and fixed laws could be anticipated. Quantum physics now introduces us to new understanding of our universe including:

• the connectivity of all things,

• how matter is focused energy,

• how evolution is a basic movement in all of creation,

• how emergence mysteriously brings new creations into being,

• how chaos leads to extinctions and innovations,

• how morphogenetic fields carry information beyond space and time,

• how relationships are recognised as being integral to everything and,

• the mystery of it all, alerting us to the rather radical implications for celebrating God’s revelation in Jesus.

Is our Christian faith life fully integrated into this holistic vision where we strive to live towards wholeness and connectivity? Does connectivity shape our responses to the well-being of all within the web of life? What is our attitude to new knowledge including evolution, emissions, population, economic justice, migration, communal cooperation, life-enhancing technology and many other features of integrated living? Does it include all of nature and not just humankind? These are not extra options to Christian living. Our responses to such happenings should be grounded in faith commitments to living the gospel. Recognising our foundational Christian belief in God as Trinity, a communal God as Father, Son and Spirit with love and relationality the core in God’s very being.

Any theology which proposes that our brief time on earth is really an interim time of testing to see if we are worthy of meriting eternal time in heaven has to be consigned to history.

The First Peoples and indigenous groups have much wisdom to share about relational living within our interconnected world. A growing awareness of the identity and historical heritage of indigenous people has raised many questions about learning from the wisdoms of traditional land care. The global movement to enhance earth care and combat debilitating climate change is one which must be fully endorsed by the Christian Story as it is experienced in this third era. We could heed Pope Francis’ wisdom in his encyclical ‘Laudato Si’.

5. Lighthouses

Within the limits of this article some significant themes have been identified with only minimum comment, even though each theme could be fully addressed for future vital faith communities.

A. Inclusive gender

The age of a patriarchal church has long passed its use by date. The movement for full involvement of women in society and church life is surely energised by the Spirit of truth. The exclusion of women in all dimensions of faith communities and society has nothing to do with God who is beyond gender, but rather a consequence of a long historical heritage of patriarchy. Inclusive gender respects the dignity of LGBTIQ and transgender people. In Galatians we are reminded, ‘There is no longer Jew or Greek, there is no longer slave or free, there is no longer male and female, for all of you are one in Christ Jesus’ (3:28).

B Justice In the teachings of Jesus, a critical sign of authenticity for discipleship is an absolute commitment to justice, especially for the most deprived and socially disadvantaged. Throughout Christian history this commitment has been implemented through outstanding services and theologies such as liberation theology. However, the global situation of inequity in wealth distribution is now at scandalous levels, for example, about thirty people now possess wealth equal to the wealth held by half of the world’s population who barely subsist on meagre living resources.

At this beginning of the third era of Christianity, how might our society change to exhibit more equitable distribution of wealth?

C Compassion In a world significantly anaesthetised by 24/7 media, does Christianity always give witness to compassion? Sadly, the revelations of sexual abuse by church personnel and cover-ups by some church leaders and church systems have blighted the church rather than demonstrating compassion for the victims. Nevertheless, the plethora of church agencies committed to compassionate care does reflect the heart of God in Christ. There should be a concerted effort by faith communities to expand such services in cooperation with all social groups in promoting justice, support for DV sufferers, networks for immigrants, aged care and all those in need. Christian communities should vigorously confront social trends and ideologies which denigrate the dignity of people and wellbeing of the earth. Has the dominance of individualism in more recent Western culture diminished communal relationships and commitment to the common good? Has the pervasive secular ideology eroded an inner sense of God and spirituality? Does my Christian life give me ultimate purpose in living?

D Synodality The movement towards synodality is a return to the primal traditions of discipleship (e.g., read Acts 15) where our shared baptisms call all followers of Jesus as the Christ to be actively engaged in the proclamation of the Good News. Synodality is a commitment of co-responsibility by the People of God to celebrate God’s revelation in Jesus and certainly not the exclusive preserve of the clerical hierarchy. In the movement towards synodality there is an essential ongoing process of discernment which listens attentively to diverse voices seeking how God’s revelation in Jesus might be more fully realised. All too often, the wisest contributions to faith communities emanate from the ‘nobodies’! I think it is wise advice that it you want to see the future of Christianity, then find out what is happening on the margins of church life and spirituality. If you look at the history of the church, notice that it was prophetic voices on the margins who eventually energised faith communities and showed new pathways for living the gospel.

Conclusion

The future of the Christian Story begins with what is happening now. The everyday lives of Christians - the sacraments, rituals, the bible, commitment to promoting the common good, Eucharist, relationships in faith communities, interfaith engagements, participation in the well-being of the wider community, nurturing membership of the earth community - all these and living a wholesome life are hopeful movements towards fulfilling the core mission of Jesus which was to transform our birth gifts and our potential for the ‘abundance of God’ (John 10:10).

Yes, we do need to ‘read the signs of the times’ through study, discernment, actions, conversations and prayer to educate ourselves about the new paradigm of consciousness brought about by new knowledge in quantum physics and contemporary cosmology, gender, AI, genetics and so on.

Ultimately a possible gateway into the future of Christianity is the way of mysticism. The wise words of the 20th century theologian, Karl Rahner SJ, might well offer a Spirit path for the future: ‘The devout Christian of the future will either be a mystic, one who has experienced something, or cease to be anything at all’. Mystics lead us to the heart of all things, to the heart of God. Perhaps the mystic, Julian of Norwich (1342-1416), says it all with her concept of ONEING, that everything and everyone is interconnected.

Finally, it is assumed that although Christians live their faith in such diverse cultures and political situations such as Eastern Rites, China, Nigeria, Pentecostals in Brazil, I would suggest that many of the trends noted in this article would eventually impact on a global interconnected future Christianity.

Discussion Questions

Your agreements and disagreements with themes raised in this article?

What other aspects of a future Christianity would you identify?

What are signs of hope in this emerging era of the Christian Story?

March 2023