experiential christianity

SUMMARY
(of the book)
- Experiential Christianity -

As stated on the 'Home' page, when the teaching stories and parables of Jesus were first spoken there were no Christian beliefs and constructs to evaluate them. Thus, this book analytically reexamines those teaching stories and parables as they were initially presented, free of developed constructs and beliefs, to demonstrate their experiential intent. This reexamination unveils a covert direction within those stories and parables that is concealed in full view. Rediscovering and unveiling that direction opens doors to reveal an empirical foundation for living that is available to everyone. In brief, the message of Jesus is examined as it was given.

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Humankind appears to be heading toward an age where polarization of ideas, beliefs, and constructs create defining boundaries that control the very people that propagate them, without those individuals being aware of that control. The result is border wars - idea versus idea, belief versus belief, and construct versus construct - on multiple levels of existence. Those 'border wars' arise as the held content is transformed into both a weapon and a shield: protecting itself from any real or imagined attack while simultaneously used to attack others holding dissimilar content. The result of these 'bordered content wars' is the slowing, or even halting, of a potentially enlightened civilization from developing to its absolute capacity. Everyone, in some manner, knowingly or unknowingly suffers because of that underdevelopment as ethical standards slowly erode because moral guidelines underpinning the ethics are equally underdeveloped. With deficient moral guidelines and ethical standards no one is safe; creating communities that mentally, and potentially physically, survive in various forms of insecurity and fear.

Ideally, religions are expected to develop a moral foundation allowing each to establish individual ethical standards. In turn, that ethical stance becomes the testing ground for the moral foundation, making both experiential. However, is that ideal an actuality or have religions trapped themselves within their historically developed doctrine by a restrictive interpretation of the content it was founded upon? That entrapment can occur as the content maintained and protected by ritual and devotional methodology establish self-containing borders that define the doctrine making the doctrine self-sustaining. For all its value, and there is value to restriction, can those restrictive borders potentially deprive their parishioners from discovering experiential pathways that would confirm what they believe? Or, has devotional religion, relying upon ritual and dogma, developed into a 'construct' that no longer connects with the practical needs of a population that has acquired mental freedom but has no experiential appreciation of an underpinning responsibility for that liberty beyond legal consequences?

In today's world, religion appears to be losing its controlling power and is gradually being replaced by various forms of new age spirituality and/or inquiry. As well, many and varied psychological methodologies have developed as relief to new forms of stress and distress. In addition, the vacuum created when religious control departs is potentially filled with superficial stimulation provided by various forms of visual, mental, and sensual gratification, which is an endless form of entrapment. Does this gradual move away from a religious fraternity, which solely relies upon restrictive doctrine and ritual, suggest a need for non-restrictive experiential processes to be incorporated? And, if such an inclusion did occur how would it be integrated and function? Also, would that addition appeal to those who have drifted away from religion as well as to those that are spiritually inquiring? Accordingly, how would a non-restrictive inclusion revamp a restrictive doctrine to establish a universally acceptable instructional foundation for existence that is logically and experientially self-confirming? Meaning, what form must any new non-restrictive content take to make restrictive doctrine acceptable or unobjectionable to those that cannot intellectually and/or emotionally accommodate that form of control. This is where the original teaching stories and parables of Jesus once again become relevant as they can be restrictively or non-restrictively interpreted. Consequently, restrictive content that is devotionally focused upon the messenger can be aligned with non-restrictive experiential processes that are exclusively focused upon the message. In this manner, both restriction and non-restriction can be contained within one doctrine without one dominating the other, illuminating the wisdom of how those teaching stories and parables were presented.

Thus, for two thousand years the answers to all of the foregoing questions and problems have remained buried within devotional Christianity. Its devotional and ritualistic practices focusing upon the messenger and relying upon restrictive doctrine have ignored the experiential arm of that religion. This does not make devotional Christianity wrong, just self-contained and so potentially self-limiting. Meaning, a single-minded devotional focus tends to lean toward locking thought into fundamental avenues establishing conditions that can destroy in the guise of preserving, which is contrary to the teachings of Jesus. That form of focus potentially blinds its adherents to its experiential foundation, which is why those individuals are not even aware such an arm existed. However, the experiential arm is where the answers to those preceding perplexing problems, questions, and life in general, exist.

Devotional Christianity officially began in 325 AD, which is the same time experiential Christianity was buried, and has remained interned to the present day. Hence, the answers to the foregoing difficult questions have remained unanswerable because of that internment. Even though experiential Christianity and devotional Christianity, if the devotion is applied with unrestricted honesty, head toward an identical destination they appear to run on parallel tracks until that end is reached where they eventually merge as one. Observing that divergence - focus upon the messenger or focus upon the message - reveals two different worlds founded upon the same thing. Thus, are actualized differently, exposing the differentiation between devotional and experiential Christianity as devotional Christianity can be perceived to be for the general populace whilst experiential Christianity is for the individual.

An example of experiential Christianity is revealed by Jesus when he stated, 'God is within you', which is an astonishing statement. Devotional Christianity generally skims over the surface of that statement making it 'one of the many elephants in the room'. However, Experiential Christianity delves into the heart of that statement to discover its meaning which is where genuine understanding is achieved. Raising the questions where does God reside within and what does that entity do? The book resolves those questions: as well, it explores the experiential intent within the teaching stories and parables of Jesus. That investigative process, without relying upon any form of restrictive dogma, delineates how to use the teachings of Jesus to develop experiential moral guidelines preventing ethical standards from being manipulated by self-interest. This is achieved by what can best be described as using resolution psychology standing upon a foundation formed from experiential philosophy to unveil the 'how' and 'why' of existence. Meaning, a statement such as 'God is within you' must be logically and/or analytically understood and contain sufficient experiential information to confirm the logic. This entails knowing the structural makeup of consciousness, subliminal and activated self-awareness, and the components of mind, creating a framework to know how those elements function and interrelate. Hence, the book Experiential Christianity provides the tools to investigate, and so know, your existence; its beginning, middle, and what the end brings, which is what Jesus taught by way of teaching stories and parables.

Those analytical tools also expose why Jesus left nothing in writing. That deliberate omission is a veiled clue pointing at the essence of all his teachings. When you are aware of those 'tools' and use them correctly the teaching stories and parables are 'brought to life' by understanding their concealed experiential meaning. This new insightful vision reveals an entirely new vista of existence that was shrouded under heavy layers of dogma and ritual. Like a breath of fresh air that revitalizing vision reinvigorates life with the discovery of an internally embedded direction within consciousness. That discovery is identifying the 'living' truth that 'God is within you'. Hence, the importance of experiential Christianity as it redefines your life: experienced as being reborn. This 'living' definition provides a safe pathway through life as you effortlessly become a reflection of his teachings, which is the message.

This experiential approach to Christianity will appeal to those who have abandoned their religion by themselves feeling experientially abandoned by it. It will also appeal to those who have never been an active participant in any religion but are searching for directional meaning in their life that is founded upon logic and is experientially verifiable. It also supports devotional parishioners as it provides an experiential foundation for their beliefs that will not twist ethical standards by the deceit hidden within self-interest and self-aggrandizement. This new or rediscovered foundation provides stability in life as it reveals an impersonal direction innate with consciousness. That direction is a gift that only requires you to open it. Once opened its intrinsic direction is revealed making what is impersonally embedded within consciousness personally yours. That connection opens internal doors that may initially have appeared permanently shut. Therefore, it is endlessly surprising that that gift is generally left unopened as most are not even aware it exists. However, by knowingly releasing the restrictive 'strings' that bind and contain it you discover the reality that 'God is within you', which is the gift. Hence, the need for experiential processes to learn how to open that gift and this book provides all the tools for that internal adventure. Using them is your decision.

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Summary-Table of Contents

Glossary

The manuscript is written progressively. Meaning, each section builds upon the content of the previous section. Thus, the synopsis below only includes aspects of a section that is free of that progression.

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Experiential Christianity

A small section of the 'Introduction'

In one of his many directives, Jesus stated, 'Neither do men pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst, the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.'

In 325 AD by order of the Roman Emperor Constantine bishops of the relatively new religion, referred to as Christianity, gathered at Nicaea in Asia Minor to resolve some perplexing difficulties associated with that growing religious movement. As a direct result of that meeting Christianity formally initiated its theological foundation by formulating and adopting the Nicene Creed . Up to that date, the followers of Jesus practiced multiple forms, or ideas, of Christianity using a variety of texts. With the adoption of the Nicene Creed Christianity became the 'state' approved religion for the Roman Empire.

The Creed formed the fundamental core of Christianity but, at the time of its instigation, it was not universally accepted or preached. The Bishops of that era continued to expound their own versions of Christianity. It took centuries before the Nicene Creed was collectively accepted as a doctrine. Within those following centuries the doctrine of Original Sin, plus other regulatory dogma, were added and Christianity gradually turned in on itself by those doctrines forming restrictive borders that contained and protected its content. With the passage of time those restrictive borders fossilized the content by restricting its 'movement' to within those boundaries. This self-imposed restriction established, what is referred to as, devotional Christianity as it is primarily focused upon the messenger (Jesus). That self-protective restrictive theology is what blocks any form of non-restriction from entering into its content, potentially fossilizing it, transforming devotional Christianity into the 'only way'.

Christianity did not begin as the 'only way'. Early Christians formed a communion of likeminded individuals with each group following the teachings of Jesus that were interpreted and expressed by how a particular Apostle, disciple, or devotee assimilated them. Meaning, the nature of the individual, presenting those teachings, would have influenced how those teaching were portrayed. Each presenter could emphasize any particular aspect of the teachings that held the greatest meaning for him or her. Any group forming around that individual would be influenced by that emphasis, establishing a wide variety of approaches to understand the teaching of Jesus. That variety had the effect of reaching or attracting a diverse population, cutting through cultural and social barriers.
However, all of those presenters felt, held, and expressed one thing in common, the freedom experienced within the 'Good News' teachings of Jesus. It revealed a freedom from tedious rituals, and covetous Gods inducing fear, as the teachings expressed a model of a loving and forgiving Father rather than a demanding and punitive overlord. Those teachings replaced fear with trust releasing unrestricted hope from the bonds of restrictive practices established to appease and please. That new hopeful unrestricted openness allowed the new burgeoning religion to 'move' in all directions. It attracted men and women of all social positions and cultural backgrounds because the unrestrictive 'Good News' provided a 'living' foundation to experience what was being preached, making the 'Good News' experiential. Meaning, the teachings stories and parables related directly to those listening. They had individual relevance, encased within an experiential reference, making them personal. That personal reference 'touched' and so opened, or revealed, a direction for each of those listeners as the teachings related directly to individual thoughts and actions within daily living.

As the book develops it will demonstrate the essential importance of both the restrictive and non-restrictive arms for all religions, as one contains what the other illuminates. That balance allows participants to use either or both according to their disposition and requirements at any one time. Ideally, restriction maintains textual continuity by staying within self-imposed borders with non-restriction continually revealing new information to expand or open those borders. The combination provides for the safe evolution of the textual information by its data continually being refreshed, preventing it from stagnating. However, the ideal rarely works as the restrictive arm normally overpowers and blocks the non-restrictive arm from functioning, which is a self-protective action, preventing the flow of experiential methods used to illuminate. One reason for that lost ideal is that restrictive doctrine can be used by one to control many, whilst unrestricted or experiential processes can take many to support one.

A part of section 'Seeing with logic'

Everything begins and ends within infinity. To ignore or discount that fact establishes a black hole in your life, potentially wreaking havoc within it, without you being aware of the initiating source of that suffering. Infinity has no beginning and no end and somewhere within its endless vastness, our universe exists. It has been suggested that the universe began with a big bang and all the elements (energy) to create that event always existed within its endless expanse. When the correct convergence of elements aligned, the big bang event occurred, which began the formation of the universe. However, there are major issues with that concept.

1- How did all those pre-existing energy elements appear, apparently out of nothing? Is it a logical position to hold that 'something' can appear out of 'nothing'?
2- How did those energy elements converge, or move, allowing them to converge? Or, what was the 'catalytic force' that initiated 'movement'?
3- What set the direction of that movement: why celestial order and not chaos?
4- How did 'consciousness-life' appear apparently out of non-conscious elements: stimulating the question 'who am I and why am I here'?
5- How could the intricate complexity of human biological DNA (the map of life) arise out of elemental-energy without some form of creation or directing 'hand'?

A part of section 'The human family'

The appearance of a human upon earth is the source of contention between creationists and evolutionists. To suggest that both are correct may not be accepted by either, but the suggestion has a spirit-logic foundation. The problem between those two conflicting viewpoints arises from the fact that both use the human body as its reference. However, the human body is a transitory physical object and only has life as long as the physical structure is maintained. The physical form is not permanent. It is a temporary acquisition. Therefore, the focus for both creationists and evolutionists should be upon what has permanent capabilities, never alters, and is formless, which is consciousness.
It is generally believed that consciousness arises from neurological connections within the brain, but, that belief has never been substantiated, and it never will be. It will be demonstrated shortly that the brain is biological and consciousness is non-biological, making consciousness separate from the biology. Before that separation is discussed it is imperative to outline how a human arrived upon this planet, and that can only be accomplished with the use of spirit-logic.
When plants and animals populated this planet it was ready for the first human to make its appearance. To suggest a human suddenly appeared within that environment is a belief that cannot be spirit-logic pattern substantiated. To suggest a human evolved from an animal into a human without any additional or 'extra' spirit-pattern input also cannot be spirit-logic substantiated. However, an animal form that has physically evolved through a variety of spirit-patterns to eventually be standing upright, with no tail and have opposable thumbs, is an animal consciousness that is on the threshold of accessing the pattern of human consciousness.

A part of the section 'The separation of consciousness and mind'

Having an intellectual appreciation of the structure of one's self-referencing consciousness provides a framework to plumb the depths and breadth of personal existence. Individual self-referencing is the observer and knower referencing each other. The observer witnesses by its innate illumination (light) allowing the knower to know what is illuminated, which is subliminal self-awareness or your 'I am' existence. That understanding separates non-biological consciousness from the biological mind. However, the separation is also causation for endless human dramas, which is the 'sword' of existence.
For neurological investigators to make any real advances in their particular discipline the separation of consciousness and mind must become an experiential reality. Those neurological investigators have enormous difficulty agreeing upon precisely what consciousness is and where it abides. They cannot 'lay hands upon it' allowing them to metaphorically slice and dice it. The reason for this ongoing failure is that consciousness is not biological. This misunderstanding sets the circumstances for the term 'mind' to be used incorrectly as it is assumed that consciousness is formed by the brain and therefore an active constituent of the mind. This incorrect assumption will continually misdirect research until those researchers change their underlying assumption that consciousness and mind arise from the same source. When they finally realize that consciousness and mind are separate, but interdependent aspects of your existence, then real investigative progress will be made.

From this page onward a new understanding, with new terminology suiting that understanding, is developed to explain the experiential processes in the book. Consequently, it is difficult to include any more pages as that new terminology permeates the remainder of the content. Without knowing how that new understanding is formed misunderstanding easily arises.

Part of the last page

The intent of this book was to provide the reader with information to investigate one's existence. Religions rely upon belief and educational institutions appear to be focused upon careers, leaving you to fathom your existence on your own. There is a plethora of spiritual teachers and advocates of one system or another that provide a variety of philosophies and meditation practices for you to connect to a 'higher' source. They provide a beginning and 'point' at an end, but rarely do they give you the middle, where all the work exists. This book was designed to provide that 'middle', establishing a structural foundation to experientially use, allowing you to appreciate or understand both the beginning and the end by the connective 'middle'. This is not implying you must use that constructed 'middle' but it does delineate a logical process that binds the 'beginning to the end' and will support any investigative method or practice you resonate with or choose to use.
To suggest you need to be fearless in your investigations is an understatement as most normally live within, and controlled by, the secondary reality ignoring or discounting information discoverable within the primary reality. The fearlessness arises as during those investigations you will discover you must walk upon a pathway that others may fear to tread.
In the final determination you create your own destiny by your choices in life. Within that self-created destiny it is imperative to achieve an experiential reference (nature of The Good) for your existence. Then everything else in life is effortlessly referenced against it, making decisions and choices easy as they are centered within a direction that can be logically explained and experientially revealed. It releases a freedom that will always astound you as that experiential awe-inspiring vision of existence is self-liberating, if you allow it to be. That enlightening process you must experience on your own, by your own effort and determination, which is standing-aside or being 'passers-by' to the control of the secondary reality. Then life has meaning, purpose, and direction that no one anywhere can ever devalue or undermine. It makes for a more joyful, happy, and internally secure life. Arriving and living within that liberated position is the journeyless-journey of life upon this planet. Getting there takes resolve and determination.
As long as the majority live within the shadow of their existence, its darkness will always block the 'light' within, potentially obliterating it within others. The courage it takes to reveal your 'light' within that darkness will normally never receive medals, commendations, or even acknowledgment. However, it is acknowledged in a place where secondary reality acknowledgment can never reach. If you 'trust' the resolve, the tenacity of self-arising faith in the 'trust' will follow and a 'trusting-faith' is unstoppable.
Moving one pebble from the pathway of life, preventing others from stumbling upon it, is moving mountains by that 'trusting-faith'. The pebble may not be recognized as a mountain, but it is, as to some the pebble is perceived as a mountain. Enjoy the challenge and privilege of moving mountains.

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