Chapters 2 and 3

Happy Memorial Day!

We are off and running with our book discussion.  We had a couple of great comments/contributions last week.  Thanks to Sharon and Robin.  How about just checking in and letting us know what you're thinking too?  There is no trick to it.  Just click on comments below  If you don't have a google ID, just use the anonymous option and end your comment with your name.  Thanks!  --Kurt and Jeff

This week's discussion starters:

Diana presents statistics suggesting that, as she says, “American beliefs about the Bible, the book from which many people draw their conceptions of God, faith, and salvation, have changed considerably in recent decades.” (p.51)

Have you experienced in your congregation, any impact from religious pluralism and diversity among people and their understanding of Scripture, religion, and spirituality?  If so, perhaps you could share and experience or two.

Pastor Paul expressed his discontent as he reported that he had left the church. (p. 76)  Does anything in his statement resonant with you?

Diana describes 2000 to 2010 as “the horrible decade.”  She describes five major events, which “revealed the ugly side of organized religion.”  How did you react to her assessment?  See pages 76 to 83.

Have you observed in your congregation the tension between “religion” and “spirituality” as describe by Diana?  If so, how has it manifested itself?

Away We Go

This week we are discussing pages 1 - 37 of Christianity After Religion.  Here are a few questions to get the discussion started.

1.  Diana tells the story of Ellen and her journey to and from mainline churches and evangelical churches.  In each instance, Ellen finds the church lacking in “living out the love of God”.  Diana says:”…Ellen criticized churches for being too inner- directed and institutionally absorbed.  Religion, she contended, fails when it forgets the oppressed, the marginalized, the poor, and the dispirited.  Although she eventually found herself on an individual spiritual path, Ellen is still reaching for connection” (p. 25)

How are we as a denomination and as congregations providing ways for people to make connections with their faith?  In other words, how is a transition taking place from being an institution to a faith community?

2.  Diana suggests that we are in a time of paradigm change.  But the change is not one of endings but of awakenings.  What signs of awakenings do you see in your congregation?

3.  "We live in a time of momentous historical change that is both exhilarating and frightening" (p. 31).  Does the prospect of momentous change exhilarate or frighten you? Why?

4.  Did you find yourself going back to Dietrich Bonhoeffer's quote?  In the context of this book, did "religionless Christianity" startle you?

Add your comments, your own questions, and your observations below. If you are commenting without your identity, please add your name to your comment.  Let the discussion begin!

Schedule

Here's what we are thinking in terms of our discussion of Christianity after Religion.

For the week of May 21 - May 27:  The Beginning and Chapter 1

For the week of May 28 - June 3:  Chapters 2 and 3

For the week of June 4 - 10:  Chapters 4 and 5

For the week of June 11 - 17: Chapters 6 and 7

For the week of June 18 - 24: Chapters 8 and 9

Starter questions will be posted on Mondays.

Are you reading yet?  We start next week!

Ready, Set, Almost

We will be kicking off our book discussion next Monday, May 21.  This is how we are envisioning it.  Kurt Nordby and I will generate a couple of questions to get the discussion going, but you are free to offer whatever questions, comments, observations and applications that you see fit to share.  Because this is an open forum, we will be moderating the comments so nothing is posted that shouldn't be public.  Therefore, there will be a delay between the time you post and the time your comment is posted.  It also means that you will need to take a look at the comments on a regular basis.

We are hoping this will be a workable way of handling an online book discussion.  It will be a work in progress and we will make adjustments as we go along.

Remember, we're reading Christianity After Religion, Diana Butler Bass, 2012.  We're starting off with the introductory material and Chapter 1.