Takeaways

• Faith can provide an organizing center, meaning, and purpose in life.
• Gushee's journey of faith involved a conversion experience as a teenager and a broadening of perspectives through studying Christian ethics.
• Democracy is a system of government that belongs to the people and is based on a constitution and the rule of law.
• Authoritarianism poses a threat to democracy and can be fueled by religious or ideological beliefs.
• It is important to defend and uphold democratic principles, including free and fair elections, an independent judiciary, and the protection of individual rights. Support for democracy among Christians has eroded since the 1960s, leading to a sense of alienation and fear among conservative Christians.
• Conservative Christians perceive culture and politics as dominated by their enemies and feel oppressed, which has been exploited by political figures like Donald Trump.
• Identity-oriented politics and the rejection of pluralism are not aligned with the teachings of Christianity.
• The rise of authoritarianism in countries like Hungary and Russia follows a pattern of a once-dominant majority group feeling threatened by societal changes and mobilizing for action.
• Preserving the rules of democracy and the constitutional order is crucial to prevent further erosion of democratic values.

Chapters

• Introduction and Background
• Gushee's Journey of Faith
• Broadening Perspectives
• Defending Democracy from Its Christian Enemies
• The Threat of Authoritarianism to Democracy
• The Erosion of Support for Democracy Among Christians
• The Rise of Authoritarianism and the Threat to Democracy
• Preserving Democracy and the Constitutional Order

Links:

www.DavidpGushee.com

Buy His Latest Book [click here]

Support Links:

Square 2 Course from Quoir [click here]

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• Reinterpreting scripture passages can help avoid harmful and wounding interpretations that have been used in a religious and fundamentalist context.
• Understanding the cultural context in which scripture was written is crucial for interpretation.
• Every good and perfect gift comes from God, and it is important to recognize and appreciate the goodness in the world.
• Being quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry can lead to better understanding and more compassionate interactions.
• Religion should be demonstrated through actions, such as caring for those in need and avoiding power schemes.

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Links

• Pre-order Chuck's New Book: [click here]
• Chucks Author Page: [click here]
• Chuck's Amazon Page: [click here]

Takeaways

• Chuck DeGroat's faith journey was shaped by a mix of embodied spirituality and disorientation due to brokenness in his parents' marriage.
• He found a broader understanding of faith through the contemplative tradition and the mystics, which opened up a more expansive language for his experience of God.
• Chuck DeGroat's work as a counselor, spiritual director, and author is rooted in his own experiences of pain and the desire to help others navigate their own wounds.
• Narcissism in church communities can lead to alienation, disconnection, and the multiplication of pain and abuse.
• Self-awareness is crucial in navigating narcissistic tendencies, and it allows for growth, transformation, and the ability to acknowledge and repair the impact on others.
• The dynamic between narcissistic leaders and followers is often characterized by mirror hunger and ideal hunger, where the leader seeks validation and the follower seeks fulfillment of certain needs. Being drawn to authoritarian leaders can be a result of feeling a sense of alignment and connection with them, especially for those who have experienced shame and insecurity growing up.
• Hypermasculinity is often a defense mechanism to disown shame, and many hypermasculine individuals have experienced profound pain, trauma, and powerlessness in their past.
• Paying attention to the inner dashboard, which includes thoughts, emotions, body sensations, behaviors, and interpersonal relationships, can help identify symptoms of trauma and the need for healing.
• Deconstruction and the dark night of the soul are similar phenomena that involve questioning and reevaluating one's beliefs and experiences of God, often leading to a sense of disorientation and abandonment.
• Being anchored in a state of calm and presence, rather than being stuck in survival mode, allows for genuine connection, curiosity, and engagement with ideas.

Chapters

• A Journey of Faith and Disorientation
• Exploring the Contemplative Tradition
• Navigating Narcissism in Church Communities
• The Importance of Self-Awareness
• Transformation in the Midst of Pain and Suffering
• The Dynamic Between Narcissistic Leaders and Followers
• Hypermasculinity as a Defense Mechanism for Disowned Shame
• The Inner Dashboard: Identifying Symptoms of Trauma
• Deconstruction and the Dark Night of the Soul
• Anchoring in Calm and Presence for Genuine Connection

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Introductions

Climbing Mt. Whitney

Facing Internal Demons on the Mountain

Spiritual Roots in Catholicism

Grace in Community & Abuse on Church Staff

Abusive Leadership Embraces Power and Causes Trauma

Using Your Voice with Clarity and Humility

Spiritualizing the Poor is a Hermeneutic Mistake

The God of Mammon, Power, Money, and Economy

What “Love of Money” Actually Looks Like

Exposing Undercover Idolatry

Mammon’s Weapon is Fear of Death

What Really Causes Inflation

Gatekeepers of the Bible Don’t Actually Like the Bible

Mammon “Works” and Why We Can’t See It.

How to Love our Neighbor

Conclusions

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Chapters

Introductions
Cherokee roots
My Oppressive Missionary Colonizer Years
Colonialism woven into the Christian faith
The Violence of Christian Supremacy
Conservative politics picks up the torch of colonialism
The Problem of Disembodied Theology
Shalom and the Failed Western Experiment
Decolonizing the Faith
Colonial Theology that needs to Go: Hell, Exclusivity, and Original Sin
The Practice of Vulnerable Conversation
Conclusions

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Chapters

Introductions
Good Coffee
Spiritual Roots in the Korean Church in Chicago
Renting church space and false hospitality
Rethinking Hospitality as the Church
Loving Disagreement what it is and is NOT
Love is not nice
Toxic Positivity
The Moving Goalposts of expectation
False apostolic authority used to create exclusive dogma
What loving your enemy can look like
Conclusions

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Chapters

Introductions

Faith Rooted Organizer

Anthony vs Confederate Statue

An Ecumenical Exorcism of White Nationalism and Racism

An Apocalyptic moment and call

Christians call to apocalyptic action

Hyper individualism and its damage on society

The Gospel and White Jesus made an atheist

The Gospel evolve to meet us

White Christian Nationalism is a form of bad Atheism

Christianity as ideology for the nation state is bad news

A Heart attack and an existential crisis

The Sound of the Genuine

Don’t live apologetically

Pay attention and find purpose

Conclusions

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Chapters

Intro

Theology and Art

Where does art come from?

What does art do?

Art involves us in the truth

Art opens us up to truth

Imagination and Faith

Sweaty Pentecostalism

Knowing more about demons than about God

Bonhoeffer

A true place to belong

Incarnation shows us what God is like

Conclusion

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