Success with interreligious dialogue and with interreligious mission depends upon an agreed upon definition of “religion.” We must not define “religion” in such a way that Christianity is a religion and Buddhism is not. Therefore, belief in a Person-like Supreme Being cannot be our definition of religion. Let me suggest, therefore, the following definition of religion:

Religion is a temporal, humanly-created, down-to-Earth practice that points beyond itself in expression of an ultimate devotion to that which is Ultimate.

This definition requires understanding what we mean by “Ultimate,” but first a few examples of practices that are an expression of an ultimate devotion to that which is not ultimate. Nationalism is an example of an ultimate devotion to a nation, a reality that is not ultimate. Similarly, humanism is an example of an ultimate devotion to the human, a reality that is not ultimate. Communism is an example of an ultimate devotion to a theory of economic history—again an ultimate devotion to something not ultimate. These three widespread devotions might be called quasi-religions, for what they do takes the place of religion, if religion is defined as an ultimate devotion to that which is Ultimate.

I will claim that Christianity, at its best, is a religion, but many practices parading as Christianity are not religions. For example, when so-called “Christians” give ultimate loyalty to a specific theology, or a specific organization, or to a specific book, like the Bible or parts of the Bible, that is giving ultimate devotion to that which is not ultimate. The best of Buddhism, on the other hand, is a religion, because its understanding of enlightenment and its devotion to being enlightened and acting on the basis of that enlightenment amount to an ultimate devotion to that which is Ultimate.

The best of Christian practice has parallels with humanism, for the profound humanness that is the Holy Spirit of Christian talk is an incarnation of the Ultimate in down-to-Earth human flesh. The true human in Christian understanding is both (1) a good creation of the Ultimate Source and (2) an embodiment of a “family” connectedness to that Ultimate Almightyness. This amounts to an ultimate loyalty to that which is Ultimate and to being a human being in that overarching context.

The best of Christian practice has parallels with communism, for Christian loyalty to the Ultimate is an understanding of the meaning of history. The Ultimate encounters the human in historical events—all events, cultural history as well as economic and political history, natural history as well as human history. Every event in the life of individuals and peoples includes an encounter with the Ultimate of Christian revelation and loyalty.
Obedience to this ongoing historical encounter with the Ultimate has parallels with the Marxist concern with history and with justice in obedience to that history.

The best of Christian practice has parallels even with nationalism, for Christian loyalty to the Ultimate also gives meaning to our sense of place. We live our lives in some place of sleep, some table of eating, some neighborhood of residence, some bioregion of planet Earth, and yes some set of political districts, including a nation. Our obedient responses to the Ultimate Almightyness are carried out in these locals and within these networks of humans, animals, vegetation, soils, atmospheres, water tables, sunlight, rainfall, and so on. Love of our nation can be a penultimate loyalty within our ultimate loyalty to the Ultimate.

So at its best, Christianity is a religion; for true Christian faith expresses ultimate loyalty to the Ultimate, rather than manifesting some quasi-religion substitute that expresses ultimate loyalty to that which is not ultimate.

This definition of religion and of true Christianity depends on some experience of the “Ultimate.” In our culture there is often a complete loss of personal experience of the Ultimate, or even the inclination to experience Ultimacy. The Final Reality that is the Source of our lives as well as the Tomb of all temporal processes can seem to be only a power of negation to this temporally addicted population. Little revelation has come to most people that this Final Reality is like a devoted parent who is doing all things well. Therefore, most people have no willingness or even right to call this Final Reality their God, their ultimate loyalty. They have not heard that there is no forgiveness anywhere else, no fresh start in authentic realism anywhere else. So they are stuck with quasi-religions of some sort—filling the place in their social lives that belongs to a religious practice with substitutes for religion, with ultimate loyalties to that which is not ultimate—perhaps to a pantheon of temporal loyalties that will only disappoint these “worshipers” with the absence of Ultimacy.

For a further exploration of this understanding of the Christian religion I recommend my recently created each-to-teach course on Christian theologizing. You can download it free of charge with this URL:

http://www.realisticliving.org/UR1/0ChristiansWhoAreWe.pdf

And for a whole book on Christian theologizing, I have written nothing better than The Love of History and the Future of Christianity. If you want this long view of the past and future of Christian theologizing send me $20 and I will will rush you a copy postage free.

And for a book on religion generally, I have just published The Enigma of Consciousness: a philosophy of profound humanness and religion, a book that fully defines and illustrates the philosophical undergirding for seeing religion as a vital part of every society. If you want further clarification on this complex topic send me $25 and I will will rush you a copy postage free.

Both of these recommended books are also available from i-Universe as e-books for $3.99.

And don’t hesitate to correspond with me about any of these crucial topics.
jgmarshall@cableone.net

One of the ways that a vital next Christianity comes into being is through vigorous discussion.