The Changing Face of Christianity

The death of liturgical Christianity is upon us. In a way, it was a death several hundred years in the making. But now, as we look upon the spiritual condition of our society, it has become abundantly evident as Christianity has slowly shifted towards a scriptural literalism that I believe is both dangerous and ill-conceived. Why has this happened? And what factors have contributed to this happening?

Central to this problem are many erroneous correlations currently being made by large groups of individuals with a specific agenda (i.e., the media). However, rather than spend more time on these entities than they are worth, it is best to simply consider the image they have projected to the rest of us. For example, the Roman Church is usually the first thought that comes to mind when one considers liturgical Christianity. After years of holy wars, religious intolerance, genocides, and child abuse scandals, society isn't as convinced that these ancient rituals of the Church lead one to a condition of holiness. In fact, it appears to such individuals that it does quite the opposite.

Next, we have the growing problem of immediate gratification. In a stress-based society such as ours where people thirst for instant results, expedient efficiency, and maximized utilization, three and a half hour liturgies don't make sense. I've watched Roman Catholics struggle to get through a 45 minute Mass on Sunday, a Mass that has been largely stream-lined to remain relevant to the weakening minds of the general population. I'd be a rather rich man if I could charge such people a nominal fee every time they walk out right after communion. Even that last six to ten minutes is so precious to them that they could not possibly allow the liturgy to conclude in its natural time. It's not good time utilization, you see.

Finally, we have the ever increasing problem of empiricism. In a world obsessed with scientific fact and historical certainty, the world has become less connected to mythological and archetypal truth. This again goes back to this absolute literalism that we so often see in the "feel-good" practices of modern evangelical Churches. To such people, symbolic truth isn't a truth at all.

In the first instance, one must remember that sacramental grace is not the same as a life of holiness. Ritual doesn't make one holy. The Sacraments provide a grace that is freely given, but must also be freely accepted in order to bring about a condition of holiness. While I would say that it is true that the power of a Sacrament is contained within the Sacrament itself, this power can only be activated by the faith of the individual. And honestly, faith is a condition terribly contradicted by our modern world.

The second and third issues are a defect of modern consciousness and are not easily resolved. Homosapiens are pack animals. Most people prefer to follow than to lead and right now we have a classic example of the blind leading the blind. Corporate America with its insatiable drive for ever greater expressions of absolute efficiency has indirectly (or maybe even directly) contaminated the human psyche. Now we have perfect little examples of the American Dream, no longer just in the world of consumerism, but in the very heart of the Church itself. Asinine doctrines like "prosperity theology" sell millions of people on the idea that God will write the checks as long as you continue to believe. When that doesn't work, people become victims to their own fear of hell and find themselves believing in God not because they love him, but because they want to get the most out of their afterlife. It's all about good business sense.

Like we have seen in our own history of western civilization, I believe that in the end, liturgical Christianity will be preserved only in the monasteries, by the monks who understand what great treasure it is that they have. As the Roman Church continues to disintegrate and the mass exodus of their congregations into the realms of blind evangelicalism and atheism endure, we will see a time where the mysteries of Christ are once again preserved for only those who "know" And this is fine. In a way, I almost prefer it this way. What Gnostic wouldn't?

Fr. Bryan