Transcending Patriarchical Christianity

David Kantor

Introduction

It is important to realize that the fifth epochal revelation is not confined to readers of a stack of paper between two blue covers. The revelation is dawning in widespread areas of the larger culture with no overt (as yet) connections to The Urantia Book. The Spirit of Truth and the Seraphim appear to be pulling out all the stops.

One of the problems with Christian (and Islamic) fundamentalism is that their sacred texts are used in a self-referential manner for all discussions. One part of the text is used to support or explain a different part of the text. There are no external referents drawn upon to pull these arguments into a broader world of recognized intellectual and theological discourse.

I believe the same thing is widely true of readers of The Urantia Book—the book is so comprehensive that nothing else is needed. While this may be a reasonable attitude when it comes to individual spiritual growth, it fails when we start considering ways to share the book outside the community of readers. Only by going outside of The Urantia Book and familiarizing ourselves with discourse and exploration being done on related concerns can we begin to really appreciate the book and educate ourselves to be more effective ambassadors.

Preparation for The Urantia Book

In the revelator's post-Enlightenment preparation for The Urantia Book we can see the fostering of three primary developmental streams in Christian theology which form the background for the revelation. Although begun as early as 1750, Albert Schweitzer catalyzed the quest to discover the historical Jesus separate from its centuries of doctrinal encrustations (1906). There was Karl Barth precipitating a renaissance of Trinitarian theology (writing between 1932 and 1959), and there was Alfred N. Whitehead's development of Process Theology (published in 1929—precursor to The Urantia Book cosmology of Supremacy).

These developmental streams have been expanded and brilliantly integrated in the fifth epochal revelation into a coherent theological synthesis, a foundational world view and platform for development into the 21st century and beyond. These developments paved the way for an emerging consensus regarding Christianity as primarily a relational religion and the rapidly growing theology of Personalism.

Significantly mobilized by Borden Parker Bowne (a Urantia Book "source author") in the late 1800s, there is a growing understanding of all reality as a relational process, an effort to understand relationship, personality and interpersonal relationships as the foundation of reality, a key element of Urantia Book cosmology and theology. "Life is a process which takes place between the organism and the environment."

The Growing Contribution From Feminist Theology

In addition to this are important advances being made by feminist theologians. Far from simply changing pronouns, mainstream feminist theologians are forging important new insights into our understanding of God and having an impact on core Christian theology. The question is asked, "If the goal of human spiritual striving is to become like God, how do women do that if God is masculine?"

One of today's leading feminist theologians is Anne Carr who has done some relevant writing related to Trinitarian theology. Why Trinitarian theology? She concludes that the social model of an interpersonal God as trinity enables us to deepen and enrich our concept of God while transcending partriarchal models of God from our past. In her book, "Transforming Grace," she writes:

"The mystery of God as Trinity, as final and perfect sociality, embodies those qualities of mutuality, reciprocity, cooperation, unity, peace, mutual relationship in genuine diversity that are feminist ideals and goals derived from the inclusivity of Jesus' message. The final symbol of God as Trinity thus provides women with an image and concept of God that entails qualities that make God truly worthy of imitation, worthy of the call to radical discipleship that is inherent in Jesus' message."

The classic introductory text to many feminist theological perspectives is Sally McFague's 1987 book, "Models of God"—highly recommended for any Urantian woman concerned about gender issues and The Urantia Book.

Can we Feed the Ferment in the Christian World?

There is healthy, widespread ferment in the Christian world around concepts that are core to The Urantia Book. I believe the book has an important contribution to make to this conversation. But it can't happen without our educating ourselves; what we do must be made relevant and it must exhibit integrity vis-a-vis current understandings.

Jesus spent long nights with the Apostles in the synagogue library studying before they ever began any public work. Go online and look at the curriculum of any seminary and you'll appreciate how far behind Urantia institutions are in creating infrastructure for propagating an epochal revelation.

It is primarily into the global infrastructure of the Christian world that the book needs to find its way in order to catalyze the spiritual renaissance already being fostered in that environment by the Spirit of Truth and being promulgated by tens of thousands of dedicated Christians working only from the Biblical revelation.

Do you take time for prayer and worship each day? How much time do you take for fostering intellectual expansion (outside of reading The Urantia Book)? Without this expansion into the fuller world, Urantia Institutions cannot rise above being self-centered cults seeking members.

"When the development of the intellectual nature proceeds faster than that of the spiritual, such a situation renders communication with the Thought Adjuster both difficult and dangerous. Likewise, overspiritual development tends to produce a fanatical and perverted interpretation of the spirit leadings of the divine indweller."