A Responsibility for Our Tradition
Friday, October 24, 2025
To be part of a life-giving tradition brings with it a moral responsibility to make it even better as we pass it on to future generations.
–Brian McLaren, “Engaged Contemplative Christianity”
In the latest issue of the CAC’s journal ONEING, Brian McLaren reflects on the moral responsibility we carry toward our traditions, inviting us to discern if they are life-giving, death-dealing, or somewhere in between:
Traditions are cultural communities that carry on, from generation to generation, ideas and practices (what I call treasures) in which they see great enduring value. Like everything in this universe, traditions are constantly changing, even if the change occurs at a glacial pace. (Though these days we know that sometimes even glaciers change quickly.) Sometimes they change for the better. Sometimes they change for the worse. Even if a tradition were to stay exactly the same, to be the same thing in a different environment is not the same thing….
We have no choice as to the tradition into which we were born. As we grow older, we must decide: Is this inherited tradition life-giving, death-dealing, or a mix of both? If it is in an unhealthy condition right now, is it improvable or salvageable? Does participating in it perpetuate harm? Is it time to migrate to a new spiritual tradition?
When we choose to invest our precious time in the most life-giving tradition we can find, we have a responsibility—we might call it a moral responsibility—to understand the tradition’s core treasures: its deepest values, vision, practices, and insights; its origins, history, and leading figures. We also have a responsibility to face its shortcomings, missteps, imbalances, and current needs for growth, so we can someday, if possible, pass on an even better version of the tradition than we have received.
McLaren describes the healing power of discovering contemplative Christianity:
Every day, more and more of us find ourselves unable to perpetuate the religious traditions in which we were raised. We have experienced them as taking more than they give, or, in some cases, we fear they do more harm than good. We have made a great spiritual migration: We have left, often with tears, beloved inherited traditions we considered death-dealing and stubbornly resistant to change. If we hadn’t found (or been found by) the tradition of engaged contemplative Christianity, many of us couldn’t consider ourselves Christians anymore. We would find ourselves spiritually homeless.
As we rejoice in this growing, life-giving, living tradition, we face important questions: How will we help our tradition to grow, mature, and expand its influence for good? How will we enrich and improve the tradition as it stands? How can we discern its present weaknesses, not in order to criticize and condemn the tradition, but in order to heal, strengthen, and energize it for greater fruitfulness in the future? What might the growing edges of our tradition be?
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| Hello Friends! Okay, so I want to let you in on something. I am typing this right now, next to my wife. And she frequently jokes that I have “storytelling grandpa vibes.” Just because I enjoy root beer floats, a slow start to the morning, sitting down to talk with people over lemonade or beer, and wanting a lovely porch or a backyard for a good bonfire. I have little desire to be flashy or to look super professional. I am good with a few pairs of the same pants in different colors because they fit well. As I said, I have “grandpa vibes.” And I own it. I always smirk a little when she reminds me of the aura or milieu I create because it’s spot on. It’s okay, though. A humble, small life that is meaningful and sprinkled through and through with quality people sounds lovely to me. Well, jokes on you, Jess. You give off “cute grandma vibes.” I think we belong together. Good thing we got married back in June. Anyway, I hope all of you enjoyed this week’s introduction. Just a little windown into the absurdity of my life. As always, thank you for reading! |
 (This was part of my workday on Wednesday, sitting on this porch with a beer and talking about upcoming work. I know, I know, it’s a rough life.) 1.“The renewal of creation has been the work of the self-same Word that made it at the beginning.”- Athanasius of Alexandria, 4th Century Church Father In Christian theology, there is the idea that Jesus is the Logos, the “word, logic, rationale, blueprint, or principle” by and through and in which all things were created and sustained. The Logos was a fundamental concept for Philo of Alexandria, a very influential Jewish philosopher. And so, for Athanasius, who was also a formidable figure of Alexandria, it makes sense that for his understanding of the renewal of all things, the Logos would be just as intimately involved as He was in the beginning. 2.”The Inner creates the Outer, and the Outer molds the Inner.”- Jiddu Krishnamurti, 20th Century Indian Philosopher Honestly, I forgot where I heard this from this past week. It might have been from a podcast episode that I listened to. However, it has stuck with me since. Our Inner world/soul/values create the Outer world, including how we organize society, our jobs, our family lives, etc. Then, this Outer world molds (but does not dictate) us in turn, and certainly the next generation as well. If we are unhappy with the Outer world, the first thing we should stop and evaluate is our own Inner world. It is one thing to try and force the Outer world to be better, but it is another thing entirely to turn inward and see where the blame might be. Fascinatingly enough, The Sermon on the Mount is a rather brutal and honest evaluation of the Inner world. 3.”A sophiological Christianity focuses on the path.”- Cynthia Bourgeault, Episcopal Priest One of the most important paradigm shifts I have experienced is valuing the sophiological side of Christianity —the incarnate wisdom of it all. I have been around people who only emphasize the soteriological side of Christianity, who tend to prioritize the question of “What must I do to be saved?” It is not that such a question is bad, but it now feels limiting to me.Why?Because if all you care about is being forgiven and being saved, then you are not really allowing yourself to be confronted with how Jesus teaches us to forgive our enemies, fight for those being sacrificed on the altar to the empire, push back against injustices, be more marked by generosity than stinginess, and display hospitality more than hostility. 4.”Your accumulated offenses do not surpass the multitude of God’s mercies; your wounds do not surpass the great physician’s skill.“- Cyril of Jerusalem, 4th Century Church Father Hope. There is always hope. No one is beyond the reach of the Good Shepherd, and nothing is beyond the scope of reconciliation. So, again, there is always hope. 5.”The theologian who labors without joy is not a theologian at all. Sulky faces, morose thoughts and boring ways of speaking are intolerable in this field.”- Karl Barth, Swiss Theologian This is a good one. Fortunately, I have been under the teaching/preaching of joyful people more than staunch, serious, or dreadful ones. This is why I enjoy reading Karl Barth. Despite all the complexities and paradoxes of the man, he brings a particular kind of relief and joy after having read him. If at the end of the day, the way the Gospel is being presented does not foster relief, then it ain’t the Gospel.If God truly is infinite, outpouring, co-suffering Love, then I don’t think we have much to worry about in life. |
