Limited Posting During the Week of March 25

I don’t expect to post much, if at all, this week. Next week, my plan is to write about resurrection and the Christian faith, starting on Palm Sunday, and continuing each day through Easter.

Wright’s Resurrection of the Son of God has been an incredible experience to read, and my posts – which will draw from the early part of I Corinthians 15 - will be largely inspired by his research and theological framework.

Crossroads 2

Crossroads 2, the Battlestar Galactica season finale was – I thought – very nicely done. Here are my kneejerk reactions:

1. The plot (mostly) seemed to go where I expected: 

(a) Gaeta testifies? Check.

(b) Baltar acquitted because it just wasn’t fair to punish him for what the Cylons ultimately imposed on New Caprica? Check.

(c) Adama casts the deciding vote? Check.

(d) Most of the final five revealed? Check. With an additional surprise: Tyrol is the fourth!

(e) Starbuck assumes the spiritual role of leader to Earth? Check.

2. Baltar is about to become a spiritual leader/figurehead among a bunch of fleet chicks? Wonder where that is going? Already, the sci-fi channel forums are filling up with “Cult of Baltar” posts.  They’re hilarious!

3. The stage is now set for Act III. There are more than enough plot points bouncing around, now. They need to be resolved, not further complicated. Season 4 should provide more than enough time to accomplish this. Then, the series should end.

3. Counting Tyrol’s kiddo, we now have TWO human/cylon hybrid children onboard galactica. How freaky is THAT?

4. Baltar’s arrogance after he was acquitted is enough to make me vomit. I think he is now on the journey toward the power-hungry megalomaniac that we knew in the old series. I would love to see him ultimately in command of the “evil” Cylon forces.

5. How much time will be spent parsing the lyrics to All Along the Watchtower during the next eight months? Any early interpretations?

6. And while we’re on the subject…I thought switching to a rock soundtrack when the ships launched at the end of the episode was sheer briliance from a musical standpoint. Again, it signals the ushering in of a new act.

7. The most surprising line in the whole thing: Starbuck, who says of earth, “I’ve been there.” I’m really, truly intrigued to find out how and when and what she found.

8. The thing I liked most was, again, Starbuck’s line: “Everything’s going to be okay.” Could it be that we are now going to turn from a dark, bleak story to one of hope? I think a bold move in this way: shifting the dark tone of the series to something more hopeful, would be great.

The Post-Evangelical: Searching for a Crossroads

Evangelicals reacted to the period of modernity by assuming a largely defensive posture. They chose to react to skeptical, rationalistic criticisms of scripture’s astounding accounts of miracles, massive floods, resurrections, and such by defending the literal meaning of the text. They also concluded that, while such fantastic events are not generally visible today, that does not mean that there is not a profound spiritual experience that is available for the individual believer. Thus, teachings about individual foregiveness of sins and the promise of a greater, more wonder-filled afterlife became dominant.

This change of viewpoints worked out well in many ways. By the end of the twentieth century, evangelicalism was arguably the most dominant form of Christianity in the United States.

However, not all Christians took the path of evangelicalism. Another set of Christians, sometimes referred to as the “mainline churches,” took another route through modernity. Much to the consternation of evangelicals, they concluded that most of scripture’s fantastic accounts were, probably, mythical or exaggerated, but they contended that – even if those stories were not “true” from an historical viewpoint – the real power in Christianity was in its teachings. Thus, the “mainline” road emphasized the importance of love for fellow man, as exemplified by Jesus. Their gospel, in other words was not a spiritual one, but a social one.

I mention this road not taken by evangelicalism because it is an important pathway on the post-evanglical map. In a sense, what the post-evangelical is looking for is a grand re-unification theory - a place where the roads of evangelicalism and mainline Chrisitanity can again converge and continue along together. In other words, we are seeking a way to re-join two ways of knowing Jesus that somehow became separated during modernity. (In some ways, describing it as “two ways” is deceptive since it is really “one way” of knowing Jesus that somehow got split in half!)

In a similar way, as a post-evangelical, I am interested in discovering how the practice of my faith can re-join with other ways of practicing Christianity. The Charismatic movements of the twentieth-century, a particular “branch” of evanglicalism which emphaiszed the immediate experience of God’s spirit and movement in the world, are important to the post-evangelical. Likewise, post-evangelicals are interested in re-discovering and re-integrating ancient, time-tested liturgies and prayers into their devotional and worship life. 

As you can probably guess, the post-evangelical is not the only form of “post” that is floating around in Christendom. There are post-mainlines, post-charismatics, and post-liturgicals out there. While they all continue to be influenced by the churches and belief systems from which they come, they tend to get along with each other, and with the post-evangelicals, much more readily than you might imagine! In a sense, one who becomes a post-anything is on a journey to find a place where many different paths come together into a larger roadway on which the benefits of all of these perspectives can be experienced.

Prior posts:
1. Defining evanglicalism
2. Why “post-evangelical” is a term of continuity, not a term of protest

The Legal Nit-Picker’s Guide to Baltar’s Trial

Well…Baltar’s trial is off and running, and – as much as I love the new BSG – I am again reminded of why I can’t stand courtroom novels, courtroom movies, and courtroom TV dramas. They never get the details right.

So…while I love the larger plot developments in Crossroads 1, I find myself largely dissatisfied with the details of the goings-on in the courtroom. Here are a plus and the (bigger) minuses:

PLUS: The overall prosecution and defense strategies are dead on. The opening statement focused everything right where it should be – on the post-New Caprica body count. Likewise, the defense – in a move similar to Robert Redford in Legal Eagles – begins by faking an “I give up” approach – may as well just plead guilty, thats what the mob wants. It forces the tribunal to reflect on whether they are going to seriously consider the case or whether it is just a superficial show of justice, the outcome of which has already been determined.

MINUS: President Laura as a star witness? Sure, she may be respected, but she doesn’t know anything. She wasn’t there when Baltar signed the death order. All she can say is that the new-Caprica police took her to a place where she was supposed to be executed by Cylons.

MINUS: Where is Gaeta? Monitoring draedis while all this is happening? C’mon! He’s the guy who can brand Baltar as a Cylon-kissup-weasel.

MINUS: Lee’s cross-examination of Laura was horrendous. And perhaps that was the point, from a plot standpoint. It should have been an easy set up and knock-down. Get her to commit to certainty about her testimony, discredit her with all of her alleged drug-induced “visions,” and then ask her whether she is currently taking the drug. Instead, she gets away with seemingly endless sidebars about how disappointed she is in him. Likewise, he doesn’t object to her goading him into asking her about her cancer. Bad marks for Lee. He should return to being a CAG.

PLUS: The cross examination/discrediting of Saul, easy though it may have been, was thoroughly devastating to the prosecution. Every lawyer’s dream is to cross-examine a witness who is so angry that he would readily admit to his extreme bias against a client. (‘Course, it also didn’t hurt that he was drunk at the time.)

MINUS: Adama shouldn’t even THINK he gets to make evidentiary rulings. He is obviously not the head of the tribunal, and his legal expertise is virtually non existent.

MINUS: The prosecution doesn’t have a case with the two witnesses we’ve seen so far. We don’t even know that Baltar ordered any of the killings. The case could be thrown out without more evidence. But…

There is a more intrinsic problem with the case: even if the it could be proven, everyone knows that Baltar had no real control over what was happening on New Caprica. He was nothing more than a powerless figurehead. He was a coward and a weasel, but it probably is true that his actions saved more lives than were lost. The security breaches that brought the Cylon attack on the colonies, on the other hand, are deserving of severe punishment, but totally un-proveable.

I think this will be the central plot point in Crossroads 2. Will they kill Baltar for things that can’t be proven? It is a test not only of the system but of humanity itself. Will they eschew civilized systems of justice to satisfy the clamorings of the mob?

My prediction is still this: on a 3-2 vote (hinted at in the trailer for Crossroads 2), the tribunal will acquit. I also (still) contend that Adama, discovering a new-found respect for Lee and re-discovering a respect for his own father, will cast the deciding vote.

Then, as we all know…its going to hit the fan. The Cylons will strike, another cryptic clue about Earth will be discovered, three of the final five will “wake up” in the heart of the Galactica, and we will all get to wait about nine months before we know what happens next.

Is "Post-Evangelical" a term of Protest?

I am a post-evangelical.

In a prior post, I defined “evangelicalism.” Now, I want to address a remark which I often hear about the term, which is to characterize it as a term of “protest.”

Some people who characterize themselves as post-evangelical will, in fact, proudly declare that they are protesting against evangelicalism. However, I don’t think of it that way. To the contrary, I like the term because it implies some sense of continuity FROM evangelicalism while also speaking about a future that may – in some respects – differ from evanglicalism. (Jedi Master Dallas Willard is fond of saying that “post-evangelical” does not mean “ex-evangelical”; as usual, he is right).

As a post-evangelical, my faith finds its origin, its “roots” in evangelicalism. My spiritual forefathers and foremothers come from this rich tradition. I am not ashamed of this fact. Rather, I am grateful for what they did in faithfully carrying the gospel through a very difficult century, in which the world was viewed through the harsh lens of modernism. Evangelicalism played an important role in demonstrating how the gospel was fresh and relevant, even in a world that was influenced almost exclusively by scientific and rationalistic thinking.

Having said this, I also like the term “post-evangelical” because it says something about the future that I and my children will face. Just as my spiritual ancestors had to deal with understanding how the gospel was relevant to the particular circumstances of their day, so I have to recognize the same need in my own circumstances. To truly honor what they have done, I – like them – must continue moving forward, and I must also teach my children that they should keep moving.  Thus, rather than simply being what my ancestors were (i.e., an “evangelical”), I must – in my own day – come to understand what it means to be a post-evangelical.

The Final Five Awaken

[Nerd alert: Hard-core BSG fan commentary follows. Some of you may want to move on to your next feed.]

The rumors were true. There is no question in my mind after seeing Crossroads (pt. 1 of 2): we are witnessing the “awakeninig” of at least three of the final five cylon models (Saul, Tory, and Anders). Kara/Starbuck is probably the fourth one, but I’ve got no clue as to who the fifth one might be… Perhaps that will not be revealed until a future date.

My theory is that the “awakening” is being triggered because: (a) Kara has been resurrected somewhere and is bringing it about OR (b) they are getting close to the nebula, which is somehow “designed” to trigger it.

But who are they? What are their intentions?

I can already tell that its going to be a LOOOOONG wait until Season 4 premiers in January 2008.

Defining Evangelicalism

In a series of posts during the winter, I walked through the various Christian theologies of hell (as well as I understood them), and indicated that I am not fully satisfied by any of them, though (a) I have rejected exclusivism and (b) I am somewhat sympathetic toward universalism.

Now, I am going to talk about a term that does describe where I am on my spiritual journey. That term is “post-evangelical.”

To get things started, we need to define “evangelical” as a theology. (In other words, I’m not going to talk about the sociopolitical nature of evangelicalism – instead, I am going to talk about the theological foundation on which evanglicalism is built).

Here, as I see them, are the basic tenets of evangelicalism:

1. God – God is holy and just. He cannot be in the presence of sin. Indeed, because he is just, he must punish all sin.

2. Sin – all people are sinful. Therefore, there is a great gulf between each individual and God. Unless an individual crosses that gulf, he will face eternal punishment for his sin.

3. Gospel – the gospel is this: by dying on the cross, Jesus bore the punishment that was meant for each of us.

4. Salvation – people are saved from hell by acknowledging that Jesus has borne the punishment for their sins on the cross and accepting him as their personal Savior.

5. Exclusivism – (4) represents the exclusive means of salvation. People cannot be saved in any other way.

6. Ethics – evangelicalism expects that, in order to maintain one’s status as a saved individual, one must commit to certain ethical standards. Normally, these ethics involve avoiding inappropriate sexual activity, avoiding offensive language, avoiding certain vices (sometimes, but not always, smoking or drinking alcohol), regularly praying, regularly studying the bible, and regularly attending church.

7. Scripture – the Christian canon of scripture (Genesis to Revelation) is considered to be authoritative and inerrant.

Beautiful Peace 6: Children of God

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
- Matthew 5:7

Ultimately, we can accomplish two things in our relationships: we either bring people together or we break them apart.

The tools that are available for breaking apart relationships are numerous. They range from slander, gossip, and hurt-filled acts of passive-aggression to assault rifles, lawsuits, and thermonuclear devices.

Pick your poison. Its not difficult to sabotage human relationships, including your own relationships, if you work at it hard enough. Some of us don’t even have to try very hard to get the job done. We have relationship-destroying behaviors built into our psychological makeup.

But peacemakers – people who are truly gifted in bringing harmony and reconciliation to broken relationships – are more than folks who are doing something that God asks. They are more than ambassadors who speak for God. They are his children.

The way of God is the way of peace. It is this simple: God is present when people are at peace with each other, and he is absent when they are not. To bring people together is to do the very work of God.

Which brings me to my rant for the day.

I’m not an absolute pacifist. But – if you are a pacifist – I’m usually leaning in your direction. Christians and churches who become cheerleaders and flag-wavers for war just don’t get it. At the very least, we should be profoundly saddened when our government concludes that war is necessary – and always, always we should be a voice that advocates the return of peace as quickly and as certainly as is possible.

Yet a lot of us have become experts at hatred – not just of the sort that leads to bloodshed, but of all sorts: hatred of expecting mothers who are making difficult, confused choices, hatred of people with sexual orientations that offend us, and hatred of people who advocate policies that actually protect and care for God’s creation.

If I could identify the single most colossal failure of conservative protestants in America, it would be just this: we are no longer people of peace.  We are bunkered down within our increasingly small margin of society, (literally) broadcasting our disapproval of everything from Islam to gay rights to every corner of the earth.

God’s love is important in theory. But all we seem to be concerned with is making sure that everyone’s sin (as we would define it)  is neatly and properly labeled. 

We may be experts in the theology of love, but we have perfected the speech of hatred – hatred that is tearing apart the relationships between Christians and the rest of the world.

Luke’s account of the life of Jesus  tells us that he once spoke these words:

When you enter a house, first say, “Peace to this house.” If a man of peace is there, your peace will rest on him; if not, it will return to you.
- 10:5-6

The despirate need of our generation is to re-discover this way of announcing God’s kingdom – a way which tells everyone that, whoever they are, whatever they do, with us – and with God – they can be at peace. 

Beautiful Peace 5: Practicing Peace

Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work…. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
- Exodus 20:8-11

There is much to be said for work. It brings meaning to life. It generates money. It allows us to contribute something to the world. It provides us with an outlet for creative expression. It is a part of what makes us like God.

Yet work cannot be everything. Work – whether it be of the sort that earns a paycheck or of the sort that simply offers and gives of onesself to others and the world – can never define our lives.

When I am all about work, I am not at peace. I am too wrapped up in making sure that I get things done – and too worried about them not getting done – to have any rest. I become distrustful of God and I begin to operate on the assumption that I am somehow ultimately responsible for other people’s well being.

That is why the disipline of rest is so important to me. It is more than simply an excuse for me to kick back and fire up WoW or the latest Galactica for a few hours (though I often do these things during my “rest” times). It is a time to let God be in charge of the world. A time to remind myself that, in spite of my occasional delusions, all does not depend on me. 

It is a time to be quiet, to listen to others, and to – literally – do nothing. Nothing productive anyway. It is a time to reflect on what I’ve been doing, where I am going, and why I am doing it.

But rest, I’m finding, does simply happen. Peace, it seems, has to be practiced. In the rhythms of every day, every week, and every year. And more and more I find myself defending – keeping holy (to use the Old Testament term) – certain places and times in my life: fun Friday nights with the kids, quiet Sunday afternoons at home, the tranquil hours after 11 pm.

These are sacred times and spaces: places where I turn loose of my anxieties and let the world go on without me for a while.

Baltar on Trial: Some Thoughts

The time has come to put Gaius Baltar – the “Judas” of the Galactica universe – on trial. Here are a few reflections:

1. As is the case with most crime drama, the lawyer side of my personality is having trouble suspending disbelief. Adama as one of the tribunal?! Out of the question. He is simply too much involved, personally and politically, with Baltar’s situation to make a fair jurist. He should be recused.

2. And while we’re on the subject: Lee as an assistant defender? With no law license? And knowing what Baltar has done? And with his father of all people on the tribunal? It would never, ever happen in an American courtroom – even a military courtroom.

3. Nevertheless… here is a tantalizing possibility: Baltar skates, based on Lee’s defense and a deciding vote that is cast by Adama (perhaps, all of the other four members vote to convict, but Adama refuses). The fleet then goes into rebellion as a result of what wrongly appears to be a conspiracy between father and son to spare Baltar’s life.

4. Equally tantalizing: a part of the fleet, sypathetic for Baltar, is outraged when he is convicted, alleging that Lee, in conspiracy with Adama, sabotaged the entire defense.

5. Does Caprica Six get to testify? If Cylons aren’t human, as the colonists claim, how can her testimony have any weight in a courtroom? You can’t put a machine under oath.

6. Law-nerdly note: actually, with a sponsoring witness, you CAN use a machine as an exhibit, and a jury can rely on things that it can learn from the machine. If I were a lawyer, and I couldn’t use her as a witness, I would offer her as an exhibit with a human scientist as a sponsoring witness.

7. Is it my imagination, or is Baltar looking more and more like a haggard, trial-weary Saddam Hussein, resigned to the gallows?

8. One thing is for sure: Baltar will live. If he’s convicted, you can count on him being “rescued” (by Cylons or by a colonial/rebel faction).

9. Even more intriguing: what if he is acquitted? What then? Will Adama and Roslynn just turn him loose in the fleet as a free man? Very unlikely. And what an interesting dilemma!

10. I’m also not sure on what he is being tried for: is it signing off on the order to kill certain colonists on New Caprica?… or giving away the colonial defense codes to the Cylons before the attack on the colonies? Or both? (Probably, this is because I’ve missed a few key bits of dialog).

11. I can’t help but feel for Baltar. I think this is part of the power of the show. He is very much like all of the other characters: flawed and confused. The only difference between his very serious, carnal sin and the sins of the remaining characters are its cataclysmic consequences. I find myself, in spite of all that Baltar has done, hoping for his ultimate redemption.