It was the testimony of a priest and spiritual director who explained how it was that on a dreary morning in winter when he was feeling depressed he determined to open himself up to the 'present moment'. He writes: "I began to experience a warm sensation slowly moving through my body. Then, from somewhere within, a deep knowing said, 'This is holy ground. Let go. Trust. You are not alone'." As a guide for such an experience he then recommended a meditation he adapted from the practice of Sharon Moon. Having found a quiet place, with spine straight and mind relaxed, I am to follow these instructions: "Imagine yourself in a safe place, a healing and empowering place. Picture yourself standing in front of a presence who is very important to you. It could be the Spirit, Jesus, a significant person in your life, or a guardian angel. Whoever it is, see them showering you with healing light, and unconditional love . . ." As I read the advice, I wondered if and at what point it would be appropriate to ask how I know that the reality I encounter is from the living God.

Some months ago I watched the documentary Hecho en Mexico ("Made in Mexico"), which according to one review "looks to show a brighter side of America's southern neighbor". That neighbor is the enchanting nation of my youth which in recent years has seen so much drug-related violence. As a celebration of talent and display of the concerns and hopes and imagination of Mexicans today, there was certainly a bright and festive side. And running through that was a reasonably coherent message. I learned that humanity has emerged from the Virgin of Guadalupe, and that we live in hope of a new world because She is pregnant again. Until that day comes, I'm to learn to live in the present moment, guided by my intuition and mental powers, which I can assume are quite reliable, and I'm to think of myself as the Author of my own destiny. Through life's difficulties, I am to make use of whichever medicine or habit helps me to cope with the darker side of human existence, because, I am told, 'we all have our addictions'. And I shouldn't fear death, because it's not real, but only a shadow through which we pass into another room.

Questions arise, I believe, from encounters. I once asked an Episcopal nun back in the United States why she felt the need to promote yoga as a spiritual discipline, given that the practice is bound up with Eastern religions. She replied that my question was motivated by fear. Information on her website today explains why I had asked the wrong question, because there she states that "The growth of understanding between the various [religious] traditions results not from debate or endless discussion of doctrinal differences but through observing silence together . . ."

Silence. How to questions are evidently welcome in that context: How do I experience kundalini awakening? What form of breathing helps me still the mind? Which end of life ceremony will ensure that uncle Tony's spirit is at peace? Why and whereforequestions are plainly out. I think I'm beginning to understand why this is so, and it has something to do with the confusion of means and ends. Some of us inhabit a world where it still makes sense to ask: What is culture for? Others take it as an end in itself, something we just celebrate for its own sake. To ask what is its purpose is to pry apart things we have decided are not only inseparable, but the same reality. So Mary the mother of Jesus, who by her humility and example points us to her Son, becomes the Source of Life through whom the New Creation is emerging. So too the 'present moment' becomes eternity, the Church becomes Christ, and indeed I become Christ. It must have been G. K. Chesterton who said that when Jones worships 'the God within' he ends up worshipping Jones.

I grew up Evangelical, and I have no reason to disown the badge. The reason for this is not that I've come to think that the term means whatever folks want it to mean. Rather, I happy to own it because I'm increasingly persuaded that it is not meant to represent -- and historically was never intended to represent -- a coherent ecclesial entity or identity. I assume (following C.S. Lewis, I think) that 'evangelical' refers to that common space where Christians of different denominations might meet, interact and even go about being Christians in the world together, united by a commitment to certain core beliefs that are outlined, say, in the Statement of Faith of the World Evangelical Alliance. What troubles me about the movement today is that its ecclesiological incoherence (which we tolerated as a matter of principle) is becoming theological incoherence. And the reason is not through subtraction, as a far as I can tell. As I interact with Evangelicals in various parts of the world I don't encounter too many who openly question the final authority of Scripture, the centrality of the Cross, etc. But I do meet some who through careless addition threaten one or another core belief, say, when, the new 'apostles' claim, or are given, authority equal to that of Scripture, or when this or that gift of God is offered for sale, threatening (of course) the finished work of Christ on the cross. In other cases a kind of dogmatic or rigid minimalism allows for the Biblical and apostolic foundation that the Evangelical movement has historically assumed slowly but surely to be undermined. This is ironic, since it was the minimalism itself which was meant to safeguard orthodoxy in the 'common space'. But the new minimalism is taken by many to mean that some ideas and practices are alright as long as they do not explicitly contradict core doctrines. So I've had evangelical missionaries come through my home who think that same-sex unions are something we do well to embrace. I have evangelical colleagues who have no particular trouble with panentheism (more below), or with the idea that Christ is present in a secret but saving way in and through non-Christian religions. And I have evangelical friends who are opening their minds and hearts to profound religious confusion through an uncritical acceptance of methods that promise deep experiences of warmth and peace and light.

As an exercise, I set myself the task of outlining how the Evangelical movement might be dismantled, even while leaving its basic form or structure intact. It would be a project of domestication of the Gospel, because the aim would be to make sure that our message became something everyone else took for granted as a generally accepted truth, or at least as something which was very possibly already present within their own culture if they were to dig hard enough. To that end I offer nine steps towards that end, and will conclude with a statement of faith that might be confessed by evangelicals twenty five years from today.

Step One. We might start with Jesus himself. That's always a good starting point as evangelicals. Find some way to convey the idea that what matters most about Jesus is the idea of mediation between God and humanity. When it comes to his death and resurrection, don't dwell for long on discussions about the tomb, and whether it was emptied or not. In the first place, no one was there to watch the resurrection as it happened, so that even if he was raised physically what matters is that he lives: 'he lives within my heart'. You might point to the various ways all cultures have developed the idea of God becoming man, and how the life, death and even resurrection of Jesus illustrates a powerful truth about God's love. If you have a chance to talk about your faith in Jesus with a Hindu, mention the example of theologian Raimon Pannikkar, who as a Hindu and Christian was able to speak of the 'hidden' Christ who is already there in Hindu religion.

Step Two. The conversation about Jesus may lead to a conversation about God. Be very clear at the outset about the problem of language. Point out that it's best to avoid too many positive statements about God (like God is all-knowing, all-powerful, etc.), since we can so easily confuse our ideas about God with God as God is in Godself Try to emphasize that what we need is a rich variety of metaphors for God to avoid idolatry. Since we all know that God the 'Father' is not male (since there is no gender in God), point out how beneficial it would be to pray to God as our 'Mother' as well, to emphasize the way God nurtures us and cares for us. Apart from this, explain the link between patriarchal religion and the abuse of the land (and, conversely, how 'earth-centred' religions have had a greater respect for creation). When it comes to thinking about God's relationship with Creation, try to balance the idea that God 'made' heaven and earth with the metaphor of creation as God's body. Some evangelicals may shy away from that one, so remind them that all you're trying to do is convey the idea of closeness between God and creation. Say you're trying to avoid the idea that God is 'up there and out there', in some far region of the universe (or maybe even beyond it), since (as Paul said), 'in him we live and move and have our being' (Acts 17:28).

Step Three. When the question of the Holy Spirit comes up, here's where you can really deal with any misgivings that may have emerged thus far, especially among folks who come from a more Pentecostal background. Some (but not all) Pentecostals have been fond of saying things like we live in the age of the Spirit, as if 'Father' and Son belonged to the past with their works of creation and redemption, while now, in the present, it is the Spirit who is at work, leading us into all truth, sanctifying us, etc. You can let such folks know that we need a more Trinitarian theology: one that insists that if we have the Spirit then we have the Son and 'Father' also. From there, however, make it clear that the Spirit is the 'immanent' one (that's a big word for the member of the Trinity who is 'in' creation). Here the idea is that God the 'Father' is the one above us (transcendent), the Son 'beside' us (or who has gone ahead of us), and the Spirit is the one 'in' us, in creation (immanent). So the Spirit works 'from below', if you like, and we can think of it (or better, her, since it's not unbiblical to say that it's by the Spirit that the New Creation is birthed) as the force that animates the world.

Step Four. At some point folks may want to know how we claim to know these things. After all, there are atheists who make a pretty solid case against God based on the fact that there is no evidence out there to prove or disprove God's existence. Point out how modern the atheist is in relying so heavily on his reason and scientific method. Speak of the mysteries of life and death, sexual intimacy, and the sense of eternity that seems to be engraved on our hearts. Speak of how the human quest for knowledge has to go hand in hand with the yearning for wisdom. As the Spirit works in us 'from below', convey the idea that knowing is in its most basic sense about intuition. This is better than 'feeling', which can become ultra-subjective and in any case is now over-used. Intuition can be much stronger, and suggests authentic yearning for what is ultimate in life. When asked how this relates to what we learn in the Bible, explain that intuition is deeper than mere 'word' or 'head' knowledge. Yes, we need the Bible as a kind of primer for the Christian life, but once we have internalized it we need Spirit-guided intuition in order to know the things of God.

Step Five. Take intuition from the personal to the wider cultural dimension, acknowledging that what we know we know as part of communities. In this broader sense, intuition can be seen as a kind of well-spring of imagination, invention, reflection and industry -- all those things that lift up, draw together, and ennoble a culture. When discussing the nature of culture, which at its deepest level is open and embracing of others, point out how much destruction has come about in the name of cultural and religious superiority, and how multiculturalism, as instituted by various advanced societies in our day, can safeguard the integrity of the individual cultures that make up a society.

Step Six. Still on the topic of true knowing, explain the virtues of living 'in the present moment'. Antonio Machado's poem, Caminante, no hay camino, which means something like, Pilgrim, there is no road as such, since roads are things we ourselves make as we walk, contains a lot of wisdom about what we can reasonably know. The past is for all practical purposes gone, and the future is radically open. In other words, discourage the idea that we should somehow look for God 'in the past' (as if we could grasp the meaning of this or that historical event) or 'ahead of us' (since it is in the 'present' that we know God). Point out that religion that over-emphasizes God's work 'in history' (at the expense of personal experience), tends to get stuck in endless doctrinal disputes, when authentic religion is about now, and about appreciating what is in front of us.

Step Seven. At this point there may be a question about problems we face all around us. Why is there so much suffering and injustice? What can we hope for when it comes to violence and corruption? Here you can give a well-rounded answer by pointing out that we are in some sense 'fallen', as the Bible teaches, which means that there's a struggle in each one of us: sometimes the goodness in us wins, and sometimes it loses. Many of our wrongs are done out of ignorance. As we know, we need discretion as we make choices in life, since it is often the case that what two people agree to do together only becomes a problem if they become indiscreet. Other things we can, quite properly, call 'sin', particularly when we think of the many evils which ought to be eradicated (racism, sexism, poverty, caste, homophobia, etc.). In all our efforts we aim of course to share with others the good news of God's love as illustrated in Jesus.

Step Eight. When it comes to the question of hope beyond this life, emphasize what our deepest intuitions tell us: that death is merely a transition from one room marked 'time and space' to another room marked 'eternity'. In some mysterious way, death marks the release of the 'I' into the 'We', so that we reunite with the Reality from which we came, and enter into the new world that is emerging through the work of the Spirit. This deep unity is found in Jesus' prayer for his disciples, that "they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us' (John 17:21).

Step Nine. Finally, when it comes to the rites and ceremonies of religion, try to encourage experimentation that is grounded in tradition. The ideal is for adherents of the various traditions to remain within their own traditions, so that if change is to come about (as it should, organically and gradually) it will happen from within. Dialogue, say with a Muslim friend, should be aimed at helping her to be a better Muslim. Religion will be truly dynamic and progressive, open and orthodox, only through this grounded openness. So encourage evangelical Christians to borrow practices from other religious traditions, even while humbly inviting others to experience God through the relaxed and informal waiting on God which has characterized evangelical worship.

An Evangelical Affirmation of Faith (2040)

Giving thanks to God for God's love and God's gifts of God's abundant life, yet acknowledging that doctrine divides while unity in mission and service unites, as global evangelicals from a great multitude of Christian denominations and organizations gathered from many nations during this month of January, 2040, we just want to declare our unity in the following fundamentals of our faith:

I. God.
We believe in God. God is awesome and mysterious.

II: Christ.
We confess that Jesus is Christ for us.

III: The Spirit.
We trust in the Spirit and feel her moving in us, with us, and through us.

IV: The Church.
We acknowledge the invisible body of all those who believe in Jesus, implicitly or explicitly, whether in or beyond our various institutional bodies.

V: Salvation.
We confess that we experience God's warmth and healing power by faith: through times of silent waiting and vizualing exercises.

VI: Christian Mission.
We invite others to have a personal relationship with God, and we embrace the Millennium Development Goals as God's mission in the world in our times.

VII: The Last Things.
We believe the New World is coming and has come, for it is growing in us and through us.
Signed,

( . . . )

Dr. Steve Griffin is affiliated with Ryle Theological College in Ottawa (formerly Ottawa Theological College). He is currently living in India, where he teaches theology and apologetics at a seminary in Dehradun. He earned his PhD in historical theology at McGill University in 2011. His research interests are in Reformation thought (especially Spanish) and world Christianity.