A Heretic's Guide to Eternity

by Spencer Burke, Barry Taylor, Brian D. McLaren (Foreword by)

Distinguishing between religion and spirituality, Burke offers what he calls a new way of looking at God, one centered on the idea of grace. He emphasizes a God who is looking to save the world, not a God who seems more intent on condemning certain practices . . . . For Burke, God is to be questioned, not simply obeyed. His challenging thesis will appeal to many people today who have given up on organized religion but still seek some connection to spirituality.

Genres: Theology, Religion, Christianity, Nonfiction

288 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

CAN ‘HERESY’ BE A ‘POSITIVE FORCE’ IN OUR SPIRITUAL JOURNEY?

Spencer Burke is founder of ‘TheOoze’ website and online community, and serves/served at RockHarbor church in Costa Mesa, CA.

He wrote in the Introduction to this 2006 book, “we have already lived through the demise of one great revolution of the human spirit [the Enlightenment/modernity] and currently find ourselves entering another… The second great shift is … a reversal of sorts… God is now back in the picture, but in very different manifestations than before. Some people call this new period of time postmodernity… the West is reordering itself. There seems to be a general sense in our culture that something went wrong during the last revolution. Modernity did not deliver on all of its promises. A world built on scientific achievement alone has proved not to be sufficient. Just because science can affirm what is before our eyes in nature does not necessarily mean nature is all there is.” (Pg. xvi)

He continues, “Why pick the word ‘heretic’ as a device for a book on the future of religion? The word itself conjures up images of much darker times… In these days of consumer choice and religious pluralism, the idea of heresy might seem somewhat out of place. But I believe we need heretics today. What’s more, heresy can be a positive rather than a negative force in our spiritual journey. Of course, it can be argued that there is no orthodoxy today---no one way to practice religion anymore, and hence heresy no longer exists. Instead, individuals only adopt opinions or positions that suit them.” (Pg. xxiii)

He adds, “I will approach the idea of heresy from two angles. First, heresy as a means of dissent. I will show how heresy can be a way out of our present state of affairs…. Second, heresy also implies new thought. Using this angle, I will offer readers another way of looking at the issues I have raised and a new pathway to expressing their faith.” (Pg. xxiv).

In Chapter 1, he observes, “For the most part, Christianity seems to be frozen in history… When it comes to Scripture and its interpretation, modernity rules. Try as they might, most Christians today can’t seem to get out of the quagmire of modern views regarding the role and function of religion… We need to move past religion. I believe the time is right for another way of looking at the Christian message, freed from the confines of religion and open to the possibility of a radical new incarnation and manifestation. The message of Jesus needs to evolve for our times.” (Pg. 15-16)

He argues, “There are few atheists left in the world these days, it seems… more and more people have turned toward faith to find meaning and give shape to their lives. But interestingly enough, this rise in faith has not necessarily resulted in greater religious participation. Why? Because there is a growing sense that how we practice our faith is culturally and contextually defined…. Our religions reflect our cultural understanding of what we think God is like. The problem with religion these days is that for many people, it simply no longer reflects the way they understand God.” (Pg. 41-42)

He suggests, “Maybe the greatest gift the Christian religion can offer the world right now is to remove itself from the battle for God. Perhaps it’s time to release the claim to universal privilege it grants itself as the only ‘true religion.’ I realize that this may sound mad to some people, but I trust that others will be excited by the prospect of encountering the message of Jesus without the baggage of brand Christianity.” (Pg. 48)

He notes, “There are many within the Christian church who still wish to pressure people to convert to their peculiar view of things. But like it or not, the shifts we have experienced over the past century or so have made these attempts far less successful than they might otherwise have been. Religion cannot be advanced by compulsion, and wherever that tactic is attempted, it is usually rejected by all but the weakest of souls… More and more people are turning away from the church and looking for other options. The economics of grace and the economics of religion have little in common…” (Pg. 113-114)

He points out, “Jesus changed the playing field. Where the law produced judgments for those who betrayed God, Jesus produced love as betrayal’s remedy. Whether or not you believe Jesus is God is not important to this story. The fact is that Jesus assumed a ‘God posture’ and defined a code for HIS followers to live by. Love in the face of betrayal. Love in the face of disappointment and loss. This is what is written in stone for those who would follow Jesus. The Jews were identified … by the regulations of law: ‘Thou shalt’ or ‘Thou shalt not.’ Jesus transformed a covenant of law into a community of love.” (Pg. 167)

He states, “An exclusivist theology is based on a clear line between the insiders and everyone else. People are easily labeled and categorized, based on where they fit in the particular theological view. The theology advances by converting outsiders into insiders. It’s an opt-in version of religion that turns faith into a necessary requirement in order to receive grace. Faith becomes a work, and grace is the carrot held out in front of the person’s face. Faith is many things, but it is not a requirement. It is faithfulness, the giving of oneself, trust in God, and belief that something greater than the material world exists for all of us. Any other interpretation of faith diminishes the gift of grace and places hurdles between God and humanity. In reality, nothing stands between us and God’s grace.” (Pg. 184-185)

He admits, “I’m attracted to universalism insofar as it acknowledges that many of the world’s religions contain true and valuable insights. On the other hand, universalism, as it is traditionally understood, still focuses on religion as the way forward, and I do not. I don’t believe any single religions owns heaven or God---even a religion that tries to include everyone. When I say I’m a universalist, what I really mean is that I don’t believe you have to convert to any particular religion to find God. As I see it, God finds us, and it has nothing to do with subscribing to any particular religious view.” (Pg. 196-197)

He continues, “If you think about it, there is a certain madness to the idea that members of only one religious group can make it to heaven because they happen to know Jesus or some other authority figure. If you are religious and do not hold to some kind of universalist view, then you have two options. You can either believe that heaven will be filled exclusively with people of your particular faith… or you can find a way to reconcile your belief in a … loving God who works things out in ways beyond our understanding… I also believe that we must take the concept one step further and realize that grace is bigger than any religion." (Pg. 197-198)

He adds, “I may be a universalist… but I also believe in hell. Do I mean a place filled with fire, brimstone, and flames that burn bodies forever in eternal torment? No. If I did, that would run counter to everything I have said about God so far…. And yet I do think it’s possible to resist God’s grace…” (Pg. 198-199)

He concludes, “everyone should be a heretic. Our times demand it. These are not the times for conventional wisdom. New ideas for new times are needed now… To be a heretic means to question the status quo… Don’t just search for information---seek wisdom… Break your own rules… Get connected…” (Pg. 224-227)

This book will be of great interest to those studying the Emerging Church, and related topics.

[Shae Cottar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a stretch for me initially, that I told many of my friends (as I was in the midst of reading the book) that they should never read it and that it was quite possibly the most dangerous book I had ever read.

Then I finished it.

And while I was still certain it was the most dangerous book I had ever read, I went out and bought a dozen copies of it to give to my closest friends.

While it is a challenge and very much a theological stretch for many, I believe this could be one of the most important books written in the span of the last 25 years....easily. Perhaps longer.

[DJ Dycus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, gotta say: I’m not a fan. I’ll start with the positives, though. The authors are right on the money when it comes to assessing the spiritual climate today. It IS very pluralistic. It IS more open to spiritual things than in decades past. And the Church certainly does need to adjust to meet the needs of the changing culture. And I’m not sure that there are THAT many churches that are doing this successfully. They’re also accurate with their descriptions/assessment of fundamentalism.

As far as their description of the Church, I’m torn. On the one hand they seem to describe the Church using only congregations that are narrow–minded and judgmental. And I know that there ARE those churches out there. However, when I think about all of the churches that I’ve attended and that I’ve had experiences with, their descriptions don’t really do justice to any of those. I mean, sure, all congregations have issues, but I’ve never attended a church that used fear to intimidate its members or a church that placed more emphasis on the end times and the end of the world than on THIS present life. So, I think they give the Church––overall––a bad rap, as one that props “itself up by capitalizing on people’s fear” (89).

My primary gripe is that these guys are, essentially, Bahai. They seem to believe that everyone out there is fine and that they’re all on their way to God anyway. The only problem--according to Burke--is that the institutional Church is hanging on to grace and not letting go unless people pay up first. Instead, they prefer the idea that “‘God loves everyone, like a mother loves her son, no strings at all, unconditional.’ Did you catch that? No strings, not even religious ones” (53). And they’re right, God does love everyone, but God’s love doesn’t mean his approval or his acceptance. Right? They’re two different concepts. God loves us but he also wants us to repent and become more like him, which was embodied in the life and teachings of Jesus.

They write that maybe “it’s time [for Christianity] to release the claim to universal privilege it grants itself as the only ‘true religion’” (48). For me, that’s going a bit too far. They make a similar statement on p.100, “I’m concerned when Christianity is presented as the only way to God.” (And others as well.)

Finally, early in the book, when I was starting to get nervous already, they said that in order to keep from “wallowing in some sort of postmodern spiritual narcissism,” “this temptation is remedied by remaining deeply committed to the teachings of Jesus” (36). Good idea; I was glad to hear this. But, then, they go on to shoot down the statement by Jesus, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” They can’t accept that Christianity isn’t the only way to God. They explain away that statement by saying that it’s a metaphor––a metaphor? where?––and also by saying that “no one actually recorded Jesus’ words at the time he spoke them, so we have no proof that they are indeed his words” (107). Then how in the WORLD can they be “deeply committed to the teachings of Jesus” if we have NO idea what those teachings actually are?

I just thought that whole argument was weird. If you question the authenticity of his teachings because they weren’t written down until later, fine, I can understand that objection. But, if you raise that question, then you have to throw out everything as suspicious. Don’t you think? There’s no reason to pick and choose because all of it has been determined to be unreliable.

Recently I read Viola’s Reimagining Church, which is a much better critique of institutional Christianity. This guy has a problem with the money we spend on SO many pastors’ salaries, and utility bills, and mortgages. THIS book challenged my ideas about the way that we do church and left me thinking, unlike Heretic’s Guide. Heretic’s Guide isn’t challenging the Church so much, but instead is challenging the basic tenets of Christianity itself. Which IS heresy.

I don’t regret reading this––I’m really glad to know about it––but I quit reading at p.112. Since I think the authors are flat–out off base, I just didn’t want to give them any more of my time. If there are specific things later in the book that you would like me to look at and reconsider my view, I’d be happy to do that. I just can’t imagine how they could fix the damage that they did to my estimation by mid–point in the book.

[Joey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spencer Burke does an outstanding job critiquing the church's understanding of God's grace, pointing out that Jesus invites us simply to follow Him rather than subscribe to a set of propositions about himself, and demonstrates what it means to have salvation. In order to grasp grace, salvation, and life, Burke understands that he first needs to demonstrate how we understand the concepts today and how we arrived at those beliefs historically before we can wrap our mind around each concept's original message. He accomplishes this with ease. The only reason the title warrants the word "heretic" is because our understanding of God's grace, salvation, and life is so far removed today from what it meant 2000 years ago. I also appreciate this book because it asks many questions that many people will not ask about their own faith; as a result they live with what Burke calls a "consensual illusion".

[LaLa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one where I can never get past the first couple chapters because I must keep reading it over and over again sure that I have not squeezed every last bit of pulp out.

I love that he makes me feel like God is outside the box. I always forget that God is outside gender, outside complications, outside the box.

Spencer Burke is super cool, check out theooze.com for more of his brand of splendid ness. Or join me in the Bahamas for our Spiritual Learnings Parties in late Oct!!!!!!!

[Ami Kismet · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book, but there were parts that felt like it was written for the 'lowest common denominator' and ended up coming off as boring. Never insincere though and I really enjoyed his take on what a 'church' should be.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is ten years old now and the emergent movement is well underway.
I, however have not been a part of it, except in my own spiritual life. This book has reinforced my own thoughts on many institutional church issues.

[Melanie]

Given the title how could I not read this book and stock it.
That said it is not nearly as heretical as the title sounds, though overall a good read, though a tad bland if judging by the title.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

See http://www.BillDahl.net for the review

[Christina Bjenning · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome thought provoking book, amazing read!