Why come to church if you don’t believe in God? Robert Jensen is a self-described “Christian atheist” who just published a memoir, All My Bones Shake, about his experiences at church.
Jensen drew attention a few years ago when he wrote this article about his decision–perplexing, for Christian and secular folks alike–to become a member of a local Presbyterian church. The University of Texas professor said he “didn’t convert in a theological sense but joined a moral and political community.”
We could talk about how ridiculous it is for any congregation to affirm someone with Jensen’s atheistic convictions as a fellow believer, but I’d be preaching to the choir here. (Speaking of which, Jensen was apparently even invited to preach one Sunday.) Instead, let’s look at the most interesting line from Jensen’s 2006 piece:
In a depoliticized society such as the United States – where ordinary people in everyday spaces do not routinely talk about politics and underlying values – churches are one of the few places where such engagement is possible.
Jensen is another reminder that the church must be on its guard about being co-opted for political purposes. But, if I’m not mistaken (I haven’t read his full-blown memoir), Jensen wasn’t just drawn to church to gain leverage for his agendas. It sounds as if the primacy given to big questions–how should we live, what does the world need–was refreshing to him.
Churches need to remember, then, that their emphasis on “underlying values” can be very attractive in a world full of trivial distractions. The challenge is leading people like Jensen to confront the biggest question of all: “Who is God?”
