Book – Christ of the 21st Century by Ewert H Cousins

Introduction

This is an important book especially for investors in spirituality particularly Christians in the global North and those heavily influenced by global North cultures. It is a well-intentioned Eurocentric attempt by a US-based academic, male and Christian theologian to reconcile imposed oppositions and eliminate unjustified contradictions inserted by powerful interests in the course of western history of religion. The issues are normalised by time and unresolved historical injustices. Having said that it is our position that religion is an enduring agency and vehicle of authenticity with the implication to be hijacked and diluted for nefarious reasons. Let us now summarise the text.

Summary

Cousins is primarily concerned with the recovery of genuine Christian spirituality and higher consciousness in 21^st century Europe and North America. To embark on this complex task he adopted Karl Jasper’s Axial Period hypothesis to delineate global history of religion and explain consciousness to European sensitivity. The first problem with this approach is the limitation of human history to mere 4000 years. The second problem is the elimination of most humankind i.e. the indigenous peoples and their religious achievements particularly in the global South. Third, is the powerful silence on Christianity/Islam ascendancy underpinned by their global epistemic violence against other religions. 

The first axial period ( 800 – 200 BCE) is placed roughly around the emergence of Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He argued that the first axial age set the stage for the processes of atomisation of identities and individuation of persons leading to a consciousness that deprioritises mystery and the collective. Connections to mystery, cosmos and rituals were cut, in a sense religion was devalued. This meant that pre-axial age consciousness focused on the collective, interconnected and integrated framework of man & Spirit, and doesn’t deny the individual towards consistency and coherence of the community. This consciousness is inherently global in outlook particularly in appreciating the universality of human dignity. Amnesia of ancient non-European achievements affects his erroneous qualification of ‘global’.  

The second axial age is placed in the 20^th century’s mechanised, anti-religious, despiritualised and human-alone enterprise in Europe and North America. Under the glow of scientism and technological imperialism, the atomised individual is presented as globally consciousness only through those agencies. The Other is not a given and is not respected ab initio. Consciousness is arrived at by rational, intellectual, academic and bureaucratic intervention. It is in this context that Christ’ question is repeated to a 21^st century Christian, “Whom do men say that I am?” (Mark 8: 27)

Conclusion

The richness of the text draws from the author’s personal investment in authentic spirituality including immersions into First Nations and Islam, and genuine ecumenical/interreligious dialogic-dialogues with other Christians and Hindus. This double-stream of self-transcendence opened valued understanding of the Gospel and Christ’ deep offering while validating a respectful appreciation of filaments of divinity/mystery/Spirit in other traditions and religions. Through the mystical theology of Bonaventure, St Francis and Meister Eckhart; he extracted complex expressions of the Spirit and the unlimited/inexhaustible treasures of the Trinity. Direct experience as a phenomenological evidence of human contact with divinity was grasped with humility while its aridity and discouragement in Christianity of the previous 1000 years is lamented.

He admitted that indigenous religions are respectable, credible and authentic. As possessors of rich wealth of religion, spirituality and wisdom; they inherently bear complex dimensions of the Spirit, mystery, consciousness, cosmologies, symbols and rituals. Above all they deserve apologies for their long persecution by persistent waves of religious imperialism as their survival testify that human existence is impossible without mystery. This imposes serious lessons on Christian theologians to humbly and respectfully learn the Spirit/mystery in their own traditions, understand consciousness and invest in direct experience to complement intellectual and rational endeavours.

This signals that a dynamic and interpenetrative relationship between spirituality and theology, praxis/experience and reflections is the authentic Christian path. Theology is dry without spirituality precisely authentic interiority. Raimon Panikkar is cited as a Christian theologian whose religious-led reflection unveiled the relevance of cosmos-human-transcendence in exploring creation and divinity connection with other religions.   

Finally, appreciating that humankind is always both multidimensional and resides in community is critical for advancing enhanced spirituality in the 21^st century. Therefore, an undiluted openness to shared essence and mutual responsibilities to resolve global problems with other Christian traditions and other religions including indigenous religions/spirituality is inevitable. This demands healed Christian viewing of them as true and comprehensive vehicles of authenticity, consciousness and integration. Faith is a wonderful gift of God that cannot be imposed by anyone or group.  

Life is beautiful!