Confronting Religious Judgmentalism

Christian Humanism and the Moral Imagination

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality
Cover of the book Confronting Religious Judgmentalism by Catherine M. Wallace, Wipf and Stock Publishers
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Catherine M. Wallace ISBN: 9781498228886
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers Publication: May 23, 2016
Imprint: Cascade Books Language: English
Author: Catherine M. Wallace
ISBN: 9781498228886
Publisher: Wipf and Stock Publishers
Publication: May 23, 2016
Imprint: Cascade Books
Language: English

Come to church or go to hell. That's religious bullying. It's judgmentalism. And it's a theological distortion, a distortion insisting that shame and self-loathing are morally appropriate. In Christian humanist tradition, God is not some cosmic judge eager to smite all of us for our sinfulness. God is compassion. We are cherished by God beyond our wildest imagining. We are called to radical hospitality, not to crass judgmentalism. So where does this religious judgmentalism come from? It is the heritage of medieval theocracy: a violent, vindictive God of command and control was far more useful politically than a God of compassion, hospitality, and forgiveness. It comes from literal-minded misreading of the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, a story about shame, not disobedience. And it comes from political success in exploiting deep-seated liabilities in the American soul: we spend our lives trying to "prove ourselves," a hopeless task. There's an alternative. In the Christian humanist tradition, authentic moral judgment is rooted in conscience as a creative process. Morality is an art demanding both rigorous consideration of the facts and thoughtful introspection. Conscience properly understood and thoughtfully practiced is an antidote to shame, incessant self-criticism, and chronic self-doubt.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Come to church or go to hell. That's religious bullying. It's judgmentalism. And it's a theological distortion, a distortion insisting that shame and self-loathing are morally appropriate. In Christian humanist tradition, God is not some cosmic judge eager to smite all of us for our sinfulness. God is compassion. We are cherished by God beyond our wildest imagining. We are called to radical hospitality, not to crass judgmentalism. So where does this religious judgmentalism come from? It is the heritage of medieval theocracy: a violent, vindictive God of command and control was far more useful politically than a God of compassion, hospitality, and forgiveness. It comes from literal-minded misreading of the story of Adam and Eve and the forbidden fruit, a story about shame, not disobedience. And it comes from political success in exploiting deep-seated liabilities in the American soul: we spend our lives trying to "prove ourselves," a hopeless task. There's an alternative. In the Christian humanist tradition, authentic moral judgment is rooted in conscience as a creative process. Morality is an art demanding both rigorous consideration of the facts and thoughtful introspection. Conscience properly understood and thoughtfully practiced is an antidote to shame, incessant self-criticism, and chronic self-doubt.

More books from Wipf and Stock Publishers

Cover of the book Lutheran DNA by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Luke-Acts and Empire by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Embracing Our Inheritance by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book A Guide to St. Symeon the New Theologian by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Living Existentialism by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Hearing the Voice of God by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book The Tangled Bank by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book What to Expect in Reformed Worship, Second Edition by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book To Hear the Word - Second Edition by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Inaugurations by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Postcoloniality, Translation, and the Bible in Africa by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Jesus Unleashed by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book Living Spiritual Praxis by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book The Devil behind the Surplice by Catherine M. Wallace
Cover of the book The God We Proclaim by Catherine M. Wallace
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy