Categories: uncategorized
Date: 24 April 2006 08:05:40
Ok, so we have all heard bits of the theory relating to post-modernity, and various interpretations of this theory being applied to Christianity, and to be honest it's normally a simplification because we can't do anybetter, but a simplification without life and one which often throws the baby out with the bath water. I heard another interpretation this weekend though, an interpretation which wasn't theoretical and didn't know that it related to post-modernity but somehow got to the centre of alot of the issues. For want of a better term I had Collage Christianity explained to me.
So here it is Collage Christianity:
As you read the bible, listen to your parent(s) attend Sunday school, youth group, Christian events and other stuff you start to pick up materials. You put these in two compartments in your brain:
1. The nice stuff which is attractive, makes sense to you and you have no problem agreeing with
2. The stuff that's not so attractive & you don't always like but you know is useful.
What you do is put your faith together and work out what you believe by using these materials. As the collage grows you put each new bit in the corner to see how it fits with what you've already got. You know that some bits will have to go in whether you want them or not and other bits may seem really attractive on their own but don't fit with the rest or somehow just don't seem right & so you ditch them.
Once you have the collage you don't push it in people's face 24/7 but just let it hang there in the background, so people know it's there but it isn't a big deal. However, you do get it out to work on sometimes, particularly on Sundays when it's ok for the collage to be special.
So it was that I had something which sounds very like post-modern Christianity explained to me, but with an understanding that aswell as the pick 'n' mix bit it also involves keeping some bits you don't like and your faith is an expanding, ever changing picture.
So who explained their faith in this way? Well it was a certain not so ickle anymore person who I realise I have alot to learn from.