What I believe...

My theology is probably pretty clear from my posts, but I wanted to make a relatively concise statement just so you know where I stand in case you were wondering. I'll also mention theologians I like.

I believe in the universality of the gospel--that is to say the gospel is for everyone. There is no such thing as people who are predestined and people who are not--there are only people who are living fully in the resurrection of Jesus today and people who are not. I believe that heaven is not a place with angel choruses and white clouds and hell is not a place with fire and brimstone. I believe that the difference between heaven and hell is a moment in time, and that we all live in hell even as we are transformed into new creations (until Jesus comes again). We live in the "now and not yet" paradox. Hell is suffering, evil, hatred, violence, and all the things that are not rooted in the encompassing and radical love of Jesus Christ. Heaven is a state of being in which we live in the present earth with hope for what it will be someday. The kingdom of God is here and now and to come. This paradox is hard to explain and understand, but what it means for me is that even though I'm very much present in a suffering world, experiencing it myself, that I know Jesus is also present now and can restore, will restore, and is currently restoring it.

I believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and the literal resurrection of the body. I do not think this resurrection is reserved for people who profess that Jesus is alive, but that this resurrection is something that happens to all of creation without us doing anything to make it happen. The difference between a Christian and a non-Christian is the experience of resurrection right here, right now, each and every day, and non-Christians can live into that and Christians can be not living in it. I believe suffering, pain, illness, and death are the place in which Jesus most profoundly enters into our lives, and being a Christian is about recognizing that entry and then going out and revealing that to others by being the face of Jesus in the midst of a dark world. That is ministry, and that is the ministry that each and every Christian is called to. If you are not showing the radical, life changing love of Jesus Christ, you're not doing it right. Christianity is not about a ticket to heaven, but about living in heaven right here, right now, so that we have the strength to hope for the kingdom which is not yet here.

I believe that the Bible is the inspired Word of God which was written by humans and reveals and points to Jesus Christ. I believe that God has been and is revealed in many different ways and is evident in many traditions, beliefs, and philosophies. I believe that what God wants if for all to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim 4:2) and that God gets what God wants. As Rob Bell says: "Our eschatology shapes our ethic." Because of that, I think it's very important for us to think about how are beliefs work for us right now, not only after we die.

 My theology evolved over a long period of time. I am a Christian first, but I belong to the Lutheran tradition which professes salvation by grace. My universalist bent, if you want to call it that, is based on my reading of the book of Galatians and Luke. Here are a few theologians who have inspired me:

Martin Luther
Karl Barth
William James
Martin Luther King Jr.
Gerhard Forde
Rob Bell

I recommend:

A More Radical Gospel by Forde
Love Wins by Rob Bell
On Christian Liberty by Martin Luther