How I Started Thinking Outside The Box of Religious Fundamentalism

For all those who are lost, for all the doubters, here are some answers.

Religious fundamentalism comes in all shapes and sizes: Westboro Baptist Church, Al-Qaeda, street preachers with microphones and bibles. But it doesn’t always manifest in violent ways.

I grew up in a small town and went to a small church. They gave me a world view. I accepted it. But during 2014–2015, I went through a dark night of the soul, wrestled with heavy existential and spiritual topics, and eventually deconstructed many misguided ideas and restricting concepts.

I know there’s a bunch of other people like me who grew up in similar situations.

Maybe you’re still searching for answers. Maybe you’re trying to reclaim your faith. Maybe you want to break down doctrines that have harmed you. Maybe you’re just curious. Maybe you can’t accept Atheism or agnosticism. Maybe you’re not ready to leave the Christian tradition behind.Maybe you just want to believe in a God that is good, a God that loves unconditionally.

If that’s you, I've compiled a list of resources that have helped me overcome my own fears, breakdown false doctrines, and open my eyes to a more universal truth, a more loving God.

While I can’t say I agree with every author on every point of view, each has been pivotal in my own spiritual walk. I hope to provide a list of resources that may help assist you in your own lifelong journey of discovery.

Authors/Books

Joshua Tongol — So You Thought You Knew: Letting Go of Religion

• Josh is a young guy who grew up in Christianity and knows the ins and outs of the struggles of ministry. He speaks on healing, quantum physics and challenges many of the traditional views of doctrines in a convincing way. Read this if: you’re burned out of Christianity but still want to be spiritual.

Jonathan Welton — Raptureless: An Optimistic Guide to the End of the World

• This is the book that literally shattered my illusions of doomsday prophecies that I had held growing up. Jonathon breaks down the false interpretations of Matthew 24 and Paul’s writings. I wish someone introduced me to this book when I was going through my own personal doomsday meltdown in 2011/2012. Read this if: you’re fearful of current world events and how they may align with biblical prophecy.

W. Paul Young — The Shack

• Young writes a fictional story that will challenge the way you think about the Trinity, about salvation and about the love of God. Young has experienced tremendous trauma in his own life and has discovered the healing power of God’s love. He packages it quite nicely in the form of a gripping tale about loss and redemption. Read this if: you’ve struggled trusting God in the midst of extreme pain, loss and grief.

Derek Flood — Disarming Scripture: Cherry-Picking Liberals, Violence-Loving Conservatives, and Why We All Need to Learn to Read the Bible Like Jesus Did

• Have you struggled with interpreting the violence of the Old Testament? What if there was a radically different way to approach these scriptures instead of trying to force conflicting verses to work together? Derek gives us a methodology used by even Paul the Apostle to wisely discern between the God of Love and the God of our own creation. Read this if: you want to learn how to interpret the Old and New Testament in a way that promotes Christian themes of love, mercy and non violence.

Robert Capon — Kingdom, Grace, Judgment: Paradox, Outrage, and Vindication in the Parables of Jesus

• This three part book will take each parable of the gospels and twist them and change them in ways you’ve never heard! A very refreshing take on much of the Evangelical interpretations recycled over the years. Read this: for a paradigm shift on the most classic and most challenging parables of the Gospels.

Rob Bell — Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived

• The debate on hell had been heating up for a while when Rob released this book tackling one of Christianity’s most divisive doctrines. It’s a solid overview of the different perspectives and terminology that plague modern scholars, theologians and philosophers alike. Rob asks big questions that will make you re-think your position, whatever it may be. Read this if: you want to understand the biblical basis for the doctrine of eternal conscious torment in hell and whether or not there is room for a different interpretation.

Podcasts

Here are several podcasts that have absolutely changed the directory of my spiritual walk. Each is enlightening and yet challenging, with a plethora of authors and ideas to mull over as you commute to work, walk your dog or fold your laundry.

Beyond the Box

• One of the first podcasts that took me “out of the box”, theologically speaking. Contains great interviews about non-violence, the death penalty, the Satan, hell, and the future of Christianity.

Nomad Christianity

• From across the , a UK perspective and interviews with famous authors such as N.T. Wright and Phyllis Tickle.

Newsworthy with Norsworthy

• Another great podcast by Norsworthy contain interviews with Richard Rohr and many others.

The Flipside Podcast

• Josh Tongol’s podcast with interview with authors such as W. Paul Young, Brad Jersak, and Frank Schaeffer. Although he may not always agree with their viewpoints, he brings on authors who have challenged his spiritual walk and introduced him to revolutionary ideas.

Youtube

The Jesus Trip with John Crowder

• John Crowder is a pastor, teacher, author and founder of the New Mystics ministry. In his video series called The Jesus Trip, he brings up questions that plague the every day believer and provides a refreshing perspective in a way that is easily digestible and deeply moving. John covers many topics so be sure to scroll through all his videos!

Joshua Tongol

• Super laid back guy who’s been on the spiritual path. Super recommended. He also has several sermon jams, podcast videos and Q&As.

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