About Us
Statement of Purpose:
The purpose of simplifiedtheology.org is: simplification and then application.
Simplification-removing anything: pretentious, ambiguous, superfluous. Our focus is to strip the hot mess of Churchianity, Inc. back to the studs and only focus on the sine qua non of the faith.
Application-putting those simple principles into practice without becoming utilitarian.
One thing for which I have a great disdain is someone who needs to be the center of attention. There may be a time and a place for such things, but it should be very rare and very limited. Unfortunately, our society is centered around the self-promoter who is interested in their own celebrity status above all else.
Another thing for which I have a great disdain, is religious leaders who use the faith to build an income stream from merchandising. I know of one who is a celebrity in his religious organization, founding member of this fellowship and the like. His website is named after him (fair enough, it lets you know you’re in the right place if you’re looking for his content). However…
Instead of a simple list of his qualifications, we’re treated to an uncomfortably long history of his justification for his role as a leader. Just for fun I hit ctrl+P (print) to see how many 8.5 x 11 pages it would take to relay this information. 3.5 pages. That’s…too many. It started with him “hearing the call” at a young age and chronicled EVERY leadership function he’s ever performed throughout his life, starting with being leader of the band in jr. high. His biblical teaching website is obviously less about the Bible and more about himself and his a priori opinions. The Bible is just a convenient tool to validate him. This seems to be true across Churchianity, Inc.
What are my qualifications? Read my content and decide for yourself. This isn’t about “me”. I don’t even refer to simplifiedtheology.org as “my” website. I simply call it “the” website. I’m debating if I’ll put up a photo of myself or just leave the placeholder. Who knows…
What are we about?
What’s the answer to the current state of “Churchianity, Inc.”?
It seems there’s always some new gray area. Things which were at one time clear are now obscure or ambiguous. Why is this? I believe it’s by design. Why? Market driven theology. Perhaps it began with good intentions (perhaps not) the result however is to make a mess of everything. It’s a perfect storm of opportunities for narcissists, those with a savior complex and wolves in sheep’s clothing to come in, carve out a niche market and make a “kingdom” in their own honor. For those wanting to simply live their faith, this is disorienting, disenfranchising, alienating and undesirable. There is an answer. What is it?
The answer…
If we strip the Christian Industrial Complex back to its studs and create a clean palette, what will be left? If we remove every form of pretense, obscurity or obfuscation and all the theological hipsterism and clutter, what will we find? What are the foundational, fundamental, core principles upon which Christianity is built? Is it possible to know? By pursuing this endeavor, will I be seen as violating my own stated principle? Will I be accused of trying to carve out a niche (little kingdom) of my own? Probably. Nonetheless, this needs to be done. It needs to be done now! I wish to create a clean spiritual palette for myself and for others.
Simplicity, Fundamentalism, Orthodoxy
Simplicity: the state of being simple, uncomplicated or uncompounded. Nothing is gained from creating complexity where none is needed. We are told to let our ‘yes’ be ‘yes’ and our ‘no’ be ‘no’ in Matthew 5:37. This is a principle reinforced throughout the Bible. Be very VERY cautious with someone who wants to complexify things. Chances are (best case scenario) they will simply position themselves as the “expert” to whom you must then defer for guidance. Worst case scenario…You may find yourself impossibly entangled in things you never agreed to nor wanted to be a part of.
Fundamentalism: adhering to the fundamentals: one of the minimum constituents without which a thing or a system would not be what it is. If someone objects to this, you need to press them on why. There ARE certain principles that are intrinsic to creation and everything we know. They are not fashion statements. They can’t be “old fashioned” because they are infused into everything we know today. Without these items we could not have anything.
Orthodox: conforming to established doctrine. God has established the doctrine for mankind. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus says his words will never pass away. God’s doctrine will not be changed. Our job is to discover what it is and then conform our subjective selves to his objective standard. There IS a way that things should be. There’s no way to get around it.
It’s not as bad as it sounds. Let’s begin the journey together…