CROSS Cultural Christianity
An increasing number of thinkers and celebrities seem to have been turning away from secular humanism towards a wholesome, robust Christian worldview in recent years. The phenomena is well described in Justin Brierley and Belle Tindal’s podcasts. Jordan Peterson, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Tom Holland, Francis Spufford, Louise Perry etc etc all turning from empty atheism towards some kind of biblical framework of life. Their stories differ widely, but they have in common a shedding of secular humanist thoughts and an acceptance of at least some aspect of traditional biblical Christianity. The term “Cultural Christianity” has been used to describe their new position. Even Richard Dawkins, whilst distancing himself from Believing Christianity calls himself a Cultural Christian these days. The question is: where is the dividing line between cultural Christianity and believing Christianity? Belief, obviously! But belief in what exactly?
I’ve been pondering this question further as I have read Alexei Navalny’s post-humously published autobiography, Patriot (which is brilliant, buy it, read it!). Navalny’s Christian journey begins with the birth of his daughter in 2001. He had been an atheist, like all the other folks around him in the former Soviet Union, but then he felt that blind evolution couldn’t account for personhood as he witnessed in Dasha’s face. To his colleagues at the anti-corruption foundation Navalny’s faith was a cause for mockery, but he found it gave strength to his campaign for justice and personal backbone to endure Novichock and IK-3. His autobiography descends into brief, well composed scribbles from solitary confinement. In the end, he says, two things kept him going: acceptance that the worst thing he could imagine was likely to happen and the belief that Jesus died for his sins, so he would live beyond death. Navalny asks himself: “are you a disciple of the religion whose founder sacrificed himself for others, paying the price of their sins? Do you believe in the immortality of the soul and the rest of that cool stuff? If you can honestly answer yes, what is there left for you to worry about?”
There is no mention of prayer, little of regular bible reading or sacraments and nothing about the church or the coming judgement in the book. Navalny is doubtful about Old Testament miracles. To what extent is his faith authentically and personally Christian? Richard Dawkins described Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s faith as political Christianity. Is that what’s going on here with Navalny? Maybe, but then again Ali had long emerged from the physical danger posed by Islamists in the East Africa of her youth and by right wing haters in Dutch politics into faith via post-traumatic existential crisis in the land of the free. It was both psychologically healthy and culturally congrous for Ali to embrace some aspects of Christian faith. Navalny was headed into increasing oppression and danger from the beginning of his political career and sealed his own fate by returning to Russia post-novichock. His faith bolstered his commitment to walk a counter-culturally cruciform path. There are traces of penitence, biblical discipline and ultimate fealty to divine authority in Patriot and in Navalny’s court statements. The above statement of the efficacy of the cross for forgiveness and hope of life beyond death points to a worldview incorporating the supernatural.
Of course I want to recruit Navalny to my cause. He’s a high profile political martyr and we all want famous goodies for our posters and sermon illustrations. But it seems to me that the CROSS-Cultural Christianity of Navalny’s memoirs is suggestive of genuine personal repentance and faith. At the end of days, it’s the lamb's book of life rather than any opinion of mine that counts, but I wouldn't be at all surprised to see Alexei bringing the borscht to the feast in the kingdom.
For more of Tom and Matt’s ponderings on Christianity and Politics, have a listen to Two pastors in a pub episodes 31 and 48