I’d suggest that there are, ultimately, four expressions of Christian faith:1
- There is the conservative expression. This, at its best, embodies the idea of what it means to conserve – or, where things have been lost, to seek to return to or restore those lost things. It holds onto what it sees as good, it moves slowly around change in order to be sure that progress doesn’t crush that which is life-giving. It doesn’t give itself over to the ebbs and flows of cultural trend nor popular thought – at least when those are perceived to counter to that which is good or beautiful. It seeks to hold to the tried-and-true; to the olden ways of life, of reading texts, culture, family, work, of tilling the earth or working with our hands – and of ritual and tradition.
- The next is the liberal expression. This expression seeks to embody inclusivity, progress, change, education, rationality, social justice and equality. These are primarily to be brought about by well-meaning institutions with whom, the liberal expression would suggest, we should place our trust. The liberal expression embraces science and the good in popular cultures – and believes that God works both in us and others – that is, both within and outside our tradition or ‘tribe’. It emphasises diversity, rights and question-asking.
- A third is the radical expression. The word radical literally means rooted and the radical expression seeks to be a small, grassroots counterculture rather than try and influence or sway dominant culture. It thus roots itself in practices like embodied hospitality, public witness, direct action and intentional community as alternatives to the broken systems around us. It eschews big institutions as agents of change or transformation – and believes that small and local and personal is beautiful.
- Finally, there is the mystical expression. As its name suggests, this expression delves into the ancient mysteries of faith. It believes that there is a Divine Mystery that can break through the polarities and distractions and ideologies and theologies – and even the limitations of words and ideas – to get to the very Heart of grace and mercy and love. It embraces God in profound silence, listening, contemplation, experience, art, nature, wonder and awe.
As you can see, when I’m speaking of expressions, I’m not talking here about the number of denominations in Christendom. I would suggest, that all four of these expressions exist in many, if not all, of the world’s denominations or divisions.
Though the word fundamentalist is colloquially applied most often to the conservative expression2, I would humbly suggest that there are actually fundamentalists present in each of these expressions; that is, those who hold their expression to be the best – or, yes, even the only way. I’ve met fundamentalist conservatives, fundamentalist liberals, fundamentalist radicals and, yes, fundamentalist mystics.
I’d imagine that most, if not all of us, have an expression or two that we most naturally lean into. I’d also posit that there are people who hold more than one of these expressions in beautiful tension. I’ve met conservative or liberal or radical mystics, or conservative or liberal or mystical radicals. I think I’ve possibly even met a conservative-liberal-radical-mystic or two.
I can’t help but wonder if part of growing into wisdom is to experience the importance of all of these expressions in a holistic and dynamic tension.
That is, to engage each of the expressions in a dance of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ.
- Though I’m speaking here of my own tradition, Christianity, I suspect that these expressions might speak into many, if not all, of the world’s spiritual and religious traditions. ↩︎
- I’d suggest that, at least in my country / context, this is because of the lingering effects of the fundamentalist-modernist splits of the 1920’s which still influence the various divisions of the Christian church.
↩︎