Militant Evangelism and Commercial Pietism

What we as church have inherited from the culture of the last 500 years are militant evangelism and commercial pietism. These historical developments work in tandem, pietism to numb people and evangelism to take political advantage of them; these ploys characterize the dynamics of imperial Roman Catholicism from the 15^th Century to the 20^th. The challenge confronting global peoples is to expose and reverse the global terrors and havoc wreaked on the world by commercial pietism and evangelized colonialism. Underlying “pious” violence is idolatrous male self-elevation and politicized patriarchy. Today’s corporate capitalism, the outgrowth of commercial colonialism, is the controlling religious politic fiercely espoused by the Political Right and the Religious Right. Characteristic of Rightist theology and politics are the control and exploitation of people (most notably women and indigenous people) and nature.

Until the mitigating grace of femininity stands with equal authority against male overreach religions will enable the assaults of pretentious righteousness. Cultic dualism, centrism and sexism constitute an antithetical trinity rooted in ignorance, arrogance and obsession. The enlightenment of evolution can take us out of the hold of these and open the way of reconciliation and redemption from the night of self-desecration. The commercial ploy of selling indulgences still holds power over traumatized souls unsure of their own true self.

In our time we are experiencing the end of the imperial papacy, that is, of popes chosen from colonizing countries. For the first time we have a pope who has the lived experience of colonized people. He is in a position to witness the real life tragedy of colonial overreach to people and nature. Change is in the air. Maybe the “vox populi” will have church's ear for a change. Through history, Jesuits have been enablers of pietism and evangelical colonialism. Is the “Jesuit” pope in a position to expiate for the violent complicity of his Order in the past?

(ET)11; That All May Be One

CHRISTIAN EVANGELICAL ECUMENISM: “That All May Be One”

OPEN LETTER: 26 June 2013

Most Reverend Archbishop Michael O. Jackels, S.T.D.

ARCHDIOCESE OF DUBUQUE, IOWA

Dear Archbishop Jackels:

A WAY FORWARD: The global work of Ecumenical Evangelization faces increased challenges in local churches and in global communities. What should the response of churches be?

A new vision of justified faith and reason, as one family of one Creator God, challenges all to respond in the common purpose of meeting the challenges to common life. Religious divisions have never been deeper and more challenging; the world has never been more bent on destruction; and yet, perhaps we are now, at this moment closer than ever to finding workable answers. Instant global communication of people-to-people facilitates universal consciousness and opportunity, as never before. This new reality needs to be capitalized in promoting works of Peace and Justice, the “New Evangelization”.

At the present time, churches are losing membership even though people search for communal joining. Vocational choosing of traditional priesthood and religious life are on a decline at a time when the need is greater than ever. These problems call for grassroots solutions. People and churches everywhere need to awaken locally to the task of peace-making if peace is ever to become global.

A PROPOSAL: Vacant churches in local communities are resources waiting to be used by communities as places where solutions to common problems can be sought, problems confronting faith, nature and people stretching life’s fabric to the tearing point. Local repair is needed for local hurt; global repair is needed for global hurt.

The continued existence of the Church of Saint Mary of the Visitation, here in New Hampton, Iowa, is at issue in the moment; its future is in question as is that of closed churches in other places; which opens to the broader consideration that society needs for churches to flourish rather than diminish. So, how can/ should present resources (closed churches) be put to constructive and creative uses? Our prayer should be “let violence end and let peace begin, with me, with us, here, in this place, at this time”, wherever on Earth we are.

Specifically, my prayer and request are that in concert with the ecumenical vision of Church Universal, and in concert with Francis I, Bishop of Rome, that here in New Hampton, Iowa, in the Dubuque Archdiocese, an ecumenical response is embraced as to the obligation of making peace with one another in our divided churches, here and globally, and to advance the promise of Peace and Love in the ever-new teaching of Jesus, The Christ. For this to happen, church leadership should enable people locally and globally to join in the reflective experience of Eucharistic Ecumenism.

Your blessing is asked in support of Saint Mary Church of the Visitation becoming an INTER-FAITH CENTER for EUCHARISTIC ECUMENISM, here in Chickasaw County, where  people of good faith can work and pray together to find remedies to cultural violence, and so that “all may be one” in and with the “New” Evangelical mission of Christianity open to all.

Respectfully,

Sylvester L. Steffen
www.WordUnlimted.com

(ET) Item 10: Dialogic Evolution

The Aboriginal Mechanisms of PROPHETIC DIALOGUE

In evolutionary nature’s quantum-electric paradigm (i.e., plus/ minus charged electrical energy), the dynamics of divergence, convergence and emergence are at play. Like-electrical charges (plus/ plus, minus/ minus) repel and cause energy divergence (chaos); opposite-electrical charges (plus/ minus) bond (transform); convergent (bonding) transformations set in motion ongoing diversifications and complexly emergent transformations (evolution).

Staticism, centrism and sexism are repellant religious/ cultural fixations (like-charged) that diverge into chaotic dead-ends. Centrism is mono-polar, as is sexism. Diverse life on Earth and the “Trinitarian” nature of the human person witness the com-munity and com-unity of individual life from female/ male originality, emergent plus/ minus energies. Antithetical trinity (staticism-centrism-sexism) negates aboriginal quantum-electricity. Cultural/ religious fixation in centrism and sexism takes religions and cultures to chaotic dead ends. The mass wasting of nature and global internecine violence, now so evident, document the chaotic trajectory of religions and cultures.

ET Item 9: COSMIC SACRAMENT

Experience and self-reflection tell us we have an “inside” and an “outside.” The (sacred) remembrance of experience and self-reflection inform us that Cosmic Sacrament (sacred remembrance) is about “insideness” (soul, energy) and “outsideness” (matter, form) — we can’t have one without the other! Together, insideness and outsideness are the “selfness” of divine/ human understanding, the work and consciousness of Evolution Theology.

We arrive at understanding only gradually, as individuals and society. The process of gradual understanding is the process of evolution, of entering into the graced Wisdom of Divine Intelligence in the Order of Sacred Remembrance, otherwise called SACRAMENT. Intelligent design is the unfolding Word/ Work of evolution, of theological consciousness.

ET Item 8: Public Domain Theology

Theological thinking/ writing belong not just to individual thinkers/ writers, but to the intuitional well of cosmic insights inspired and transmitted from generation to generation.

All humanity, all life subsists in the common Amniotic Waters of Cosmic Authenticity. While there are conventional claims of copyright, they should work to stimulate creativity, not stifle it, and redound to common wellbeing. For this reason, the godtalkonline writings here are meant to be open, for general discussion and use, in religious/ civil circles.

The natural avenues of grace belong to all and should have the respect of all.

ET Item7: Equality of Persons

Human beings in common are agents and outcomes of evolution. This is true also in terms of being “religious” agents and outcomes.

As a distinction of interpersonal relationship, religion pertains to moral sense and responsibility. Just as the word religion roots in two (Latin) words, religere (to read, study) and religare (to bind, oblige), and supposes intelligence and obligation, so the distinction of interpersonal relationship supposes intelligence and obligation, gift and task.

“Doing” religion like “doing” theology is equally the prerogative and obligation of every person. Institutions (churches) “do” religion and theology “secondarily;” individual persons do them “primarily.”

Evolution Theology is about owning religious intelligence and obligating moral relationship, not letting them be subsumed by institutions but authenticating institutions by maintaining personal ownership of them.

ET Item 6: To Evolutionize Theology, not Revolutionize

Better to evolutionize faith and reason than to revolutionize. Evolution preserves prior grounding in faith and reason, revolution may destroy prior grounding. Non-violence and gradual growth into change are associated with evolution; revolution implies the failure of evolution and forced change.

What results from failed evolution is maladjustment, for example, when consciousness is fixated in cultural dogma that has lost its credibility. The correction of failed evolution and cultural maladjustment causes upheavals and violent revolution. Eucharistic Altruism, as exemplified by Jesus, the Cosmic Christ, is the spiritual insight that renews the symbiotic purpose of every generation.