The Aaron Renn Show

Urban Christian Buddhism

November 18, 2020 Aaron Renn
The Aaron Renn Show
Urban Christian Buddhism
Show Notes

Catholic neoreactionary writer The Social Pathologist drew on the work of G.K. Chesterton to note how and de facto form of Buddhism had grown in the Christian church, more as a result of a loss of balance or a particular temperament or feeling than outright theological error. 

This manifests itself concretely in many parts of both the Catholic and Protestant Churches today, including the urban church. We see it in how any desire that causes people to become upset can be defined as a form of idolatry. This is true especially for the supposed "idolatry of the family."  A large number of people, especially women, in churches who deeply desired to be married and have children did not. Their grief over this is not evidence of idolatry but of legitimate loss. Similar things are true of teachings about dealing with things such as career failures or not getting into someone's desired college.

In essence, to be very hurt or upset by desires unfulfilled is treated as evidence that we've put our hope in something other than Christ. The answer is thus to purge ourselves or desire or to moderate them to low levels so that this does not happen. Thus the path of righteousness is similar to the Buddhist emptying oneself of desire

The Social Pathologist on Christian Buddhism
Part One: https://socialpathology.blogspot.com/2019/06/christian-buddhism.html
Part Two: https://socialpathology.blogspot.com/2019/07/christian-buddhism-ii.html
Part Three: https://socialpathology.blogspot.com/2019/07/christian-buddhism-iii.html
Part Four: https://socialpathology.blogspot.com/2019/07/christian-buddhism-iv.html

The Litany of Humility: https://www.theamericanconservative.com/dreher/christianity-rachel-held-evans-the-power-of-being-wronged/