Joe, great article! I appreciate the reordering of your cosmology. I agree that Christianity is an “end times” Jewish religion. Jesus was an end times prophet. He envisions a golden age (the year of God’s favor) where the creation is renewed & peace is established on earth. John calls this the millennium or 1,000 years. It’s not literal. It’s a symbol of God’s reign upon the earth.
Please consider writing "A Brief History of the Devil." I am a former atheist-turned-Mormon-turned-Deist(ish), and Mormons have some peculiar ideas about Lucifer. Since I am no longer a believer in the teachings of Joseph Smith, I have wondered where the concept came from. Should you take this up, thank you in advance. Your posts are fabulous.
Such a thoughtful, interesting post. Is it okay with you if I share your article on my podcast, Curious Cat? I will give you full credit and provide links to your Substack in my show notes? It would be a wonderful addition to the episode on the Bridge to Heaven I'm working on now. Regardless, well done and thank you for sharing your story.
Great summary! I came to faith via a Billy Graham telecast in the 70s. I was from a nominally religious household and my early instruction in the faith came via Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth). I also devoured Lindsey audiotapes and was immersed in pre-trib dispensationalism. I went on to a dispensational college, Bible college, and seminary. It wasn't until the early 2000s, after I left pastoral ministry to become a writer, that I began to seriously rethink my eschatology. I didn't know it at the time but that was the first step in my deconstruction.
I appreciate the thoughtful explanation on the origins of these concepts. It cultivates my own freedom of thought and all the wonder that goes with it! So much appreciation. ☺️🙏
The am I saved or not question haunted me in my 20s. Was part of my spiritual OCD. I didn't have a conversion story. Did I say the right prayer? Did I remember the date? Was I doomed for hell? The terrible anxiety I felt.
Goodness me too. I even got baptized again to “seal” my thoughts or “nail it down”. That was twenty years ago. Thankfully Jesus never shamed me over my doubts.
This was heavenly—and I don’t mean that in the harp-and-halo sense. More like a long-overdue exorcism of that suffocating theology where heaven is an escape room for the saved and Earth is just God's waiting room wallpaper.
I grew up with the same cosmic carrot-stick theology: behave or burn, sing or sizzle. But reading this felt like the clouds parting over something truer. That Jesus wasn’t offering celestial real estate—he was cracking the concrete so the Kingdom could seep in now. Among us. In spite of us.
Also, thank you for naming the quiet trauma of realizing the afterlife you were promised was just Plato in a choir robe.
Heaven as “arrival, not escape”? That's a theology I can breathe in.
My church is teaching the idea of Heaven coming to Earth, but that it still exists outside the visible plain now and my loved ones who have already died are there waiting for us to be reunited someday. I also grew up with the kid version of the Left Behind books. (I read all 40 of them too. I was better at reading more then than I am now.) Now, I like to think my loved ones are still with me. I just can't see them anymore right now. As far as Heaven existing on Earth one day, I like that idea better than a rapture. I'm still unpacking the rest as far as a belief in Hell goes. Though leaning toward it *maybe* *hopefully* not actually existing. Gosh this is a hard one since I do believe in an unseen spiritual realm. I just can't imagine what it looks like and admittedly apprehensive about finding out when I die.
I grew up Church of Christ, attended a c of c university, and got my masters in theology at DTS where we were taught dispensationalism full on… whew, now the last 5-6 years have been through a refining season where I too am relearning so much of what I thought was right/true/the answers. Spending a lot of time now in the “I don’t know” and learning to be slowly more at peace with all the mystery. And trying to focus on what Jesus did tell us explicitly to do and not do. Anyway, you articulate and summarize well here a lot that I couldn’t quite work out in my own head, so thank you for this piece.
This is pretty much what I have come to think. No one knows what happens when we die. I like to think we will be with God, or perfect love no matter where that may be.
Very interesting article. I now understand why I relate so much to your posts. You mention being from the Independent Christian Church / Churches of Christ. I was part of the International Churches of Christ (an offshoot of the CoC) for 40 years and left 18 months ago.
"Eternity might be a cosmic now" that's something to chew on.
I didn’t hate it when I wrote it :)
It's quotable.
Joe, great article! I appreciate the reordering of your cosmology. I agree that Christianity is an “end times” Jewish religion. Jesus was an end times prophet. He envisions a golden age (the year of God’s favor) where the creation is renewed & peace is established on earth. John calls this the millennium or 1,000 years. It’s not literal. It’s a symbol of God’s reign upon the earth.
Please consider writing "A Brief History of the Devil." I am a former atheist-turned-Mormon-turned-Deist(ish), and Mormons have some peculiar ideas about Lucifer. Since I am no longer a believer in the teachings of Joseph Smith, I have wondered where the concept came from. Should you take this up, thank you in advance. Your posts are fabulous.
Thank you! It’s on my list. I’ll bump it up for you.
I too appreciate your wisdom and insights. I'm beginning to feel not so crazy and/or alone. Thank you.
❤️
Such a thoughtful, interesting post. Is it okay with you if I share your article on my podcast, Curious Cat? I will give you full credit and provide links to your Substack in my show notes? It would be a wonderful addition to the episode on the Bridge to Heaven I'm working on now. Regardless, well done and thank you for sharing your story.
Of course!
“Maybe heaven is what happens when we stop trying to escape one life for the next one…” Yes!!! 🙌🏼
Great summary! I came to faith via a Billy Graham telecast in the 70s. I was from a nominally religious household and my early instruction in the faith came via Hal Lindsey (Late Great Planet Earth). I also devoured Lindsey audiotapes and was immersed in pre-trib dispensationalism. I went on to a dispensational college, Bible college, and seminary. It wasn't until the early 2000s, after I left pastoral ministry to become a writer, that I began to seriously rethink my eschatology. I didn't know it at the time but that was the first step in my deconstruction.
I appreciate the thoughtful explanation on the origins of these concepts. It cultivates my own freedom of thought and all the wonder that goes with it! So much appreciation. ☺️🙏
The am I saved or not question haunted me in my 20s. Was part of my spiritual OCD. I didn't have a conversion story. Did I say the right prayer? Did I remember the date? Was I doomed for hell? The terrible anxiety I felt.
Goodness me too. I even got baptized again to “seal” my thoughts or “nail it down”. That was twenty years ago. Thankfully Jesus never shamed me over my doubts.
This was heavenly—and I don’t mean that in the harp-and-halo sense. More like a long-overdue exorcism of that suffocating theology where heaven is an escape room for the saved and Earth is just God's waiting room wallpaper.
I grew up with the same cosmic carrot-stick theology: behave or burn, sing or sizzle. But reading this felt like the clouds parting over something truer. That Jesus wasn’t offering celestial real estate—he was cracking the concrete so the Kingdom could seep in now. Among us. In spite of us.
Also, thank you for naming the quiet trauma of realizing the afterlife you were promised was just Plato in a choir robe.
Heaven as “arrival, not escape”? That's a theology I can breathe in.
—A recovering escapist learning to dwell here.
Virgin Monk Boy
My church is teaching the idea of Heaven coming to Earth, but that it still exists outside the visible plain now and my loved ones who have already died are there waiting for us to be reunited someday. I also grew up with the kid version of the Left Behind books. (I read all 40 of them too. I was better at reading more then than I am now.) Now, I like to think my loved ones are still with me. I just can't see them anymore right now. As far as Heaven existing on Earth one day, I like that idea better than a rapture. I'm still unpacking the rest as far as a belief in Hell goes. Though leaning toward it *maybe* *hopefully* not actually existing. Gosh this is a hard one since I do believe in an unseen spiritual realm. I just can't imagine what it looks like and admittedly apprehensive about finding out when I die.
I grew up Church of Christ, attended a c of c university, and got my masters in theology at DTS where we were taught dispensationalism full on… whew, now the last 5-6 years have been through a refining season where I too am relearning so much of what I thought was right/true/the answers. Spending a lot of time now in the “I don’t know” and learning to be slowly more at peace with all the mystery. And trying to focus on what Jesus did tell us explicitly to do and not do. Anyway, you articulate and summarize well here a lot that I couldn’t quite work out in my own head, so thank you for this piece.
This is pretty much what I have come to think. No one knows what happens when we die. I like to think we will be with God, or perfect love no matter where that may be.
Very interesting article. I now understand why I relate so much to your posts. You mention being from the Independent Christian Church / Churches of Christ. I was part of the International Churches of Christ (an offshoot of the CoC) for 40 years and left 18 months ago.
Really enjoyed your brief history! So many good points how we’ve gotten here. I was all into the rapture!