By Biblical Monotarian. WELCOME to my new site!
The owner of this website identifies himself as a “Biblical Monotarian” (ie. a Christian Monotarian and/or Christian Monotheist).
Does that make me a “Unitarian”? Well yes, but I personally do not use the label “Unitarian” and I think that other Unitarians, Christian Biblical Monotheists and Biblical Monotarians should consider avoiding the term “Unitarian” when talking to Protestants, Catholics (Eastern & Western), Trinitarians, Jews, and Muslims as much as possible to describe our beliefs mainly because of the barriers and historical baggage that comes with the term.
Barriers
REASON 1. When a semi-knowledgeable Christian person (especially among Protestant evangelicals, Roman and Eastern Catholics) hears the word “Unitarian” they almost instinctively think of a movement that also has its roots in the so-called 16th century Protestant Reformation. Immediately among the majority of Christians “Unitarians” are viewed as those “non-orthodox heretics” that arose after the 16th century (most active in the 18th), and immediately an intellectual barrier immediately goes up. That was true for me as a previous Trinitarian and a Pastor whenever I heard the word “Unitarian.” Because the word and identification was also rooted from the “Reformation” I could only compare it and judge it within the “Reformation” mindset.
REASON 2. “Unitarianism” with its roots in the “Reformation” carries all the same inclinations, dangers, and nature of Protestantism itself. Protestantism unlike ever before in Church history argues about EVERTHING. Everyone who disagrees with another group or person is considered a heretic. As one writer said in a FB group post recently :
“It seems that Unitarians are just as divided on nearly all Biblical issues as are Trinitarians. Whether it’s concerning just what the term “Unitarian” means and who all it includes, the fulfillment of prophecy, the proper (if any) pronunciation of God’s name, the literal/non-literal existence of the devil & demons, the role of spiritual gifts and their applicability/non-applicability to today, Biblical “inspiration, infallibility, and/or inerrancy,” the role of all or various OT laws and prescriptions for the Christian, just what it takes to “get saved,” endless quarrels based on Hebrew/Greek/Aramaic words/phrases, etc. & ad infinitum—It’s no wonder that the average moral but non-religious person would look at modern Christianity—in ALL its forms, creeds, branches, & offshoots—as just being one giant tumbleweed of confusion and misdirection.”
I responded that being rooted in the “Protestant” “Reformation,” Many “Unitarians” sadly have succumbed to the same spirit of that “Protestantism” and the 16th century when all these disputes also arose. As I said, it sadly is simply the nature of Protestantism since the “Reformation” to argue over such non-salvific things and miss, or better yet NEGLECT, the actual CORE FOCUS of our Faith – that is that there is only One True God, His Son is the Messiah Jesus, the Resurrection of the Dead, the Gospel of the Kingdom, and LIVING OUR LIVES ACORDINGLY to those truths NOW.
This Monotarian believes that Unitarians, being in the minority during ALL of Christian History, need to unite around those mentioned core essentials if we are to have any effective influence in the Behemoth of Roman Catholicism, Eastern Catholicism, and Protestantism. The person I quoted is right – “Unitarians” are as divided over as many minute things as “Trinitarians” are. I reiterate, however, that this divisive spirit arose in the “Reformation” period and has continued creating the mess and confusion we have in the Church today. It is no surprise that on the human level Christianity has lost all respect in our culture, and in the world. People have made the Gospel irrelevant.
NOTE : Thankfully, God still works in the world despite us, but that should not be used as an excuse in making the word “null a dn void”.
REASON 3. The doctrine of “The Trinity” has created an unbiblical additional layer of barrier with Jews and Muslims. We are to convince Jews that Jesus is the Messiah – not prove the unbiblical doctrine of “The Trinity.” It is a stumbling block that closes the door to Jews receiving Jesus as the promised Messiah. We are to convince Muslims that Jesus actually died for our sins and rose from the dead – not prove the unbiblical doctrine of “The Trinity.” Using the term “Monotarian” more easily opens a door to have better dialogues.
REASON 4. The word “Unitarian” (as any simple Google search will reveal) in the average Christian’s mind TODAY is also mostly associated with the group calling themselves “Unitarian Universalists,” but they are a group that has practically departed from any resemblance of authentic biblical Christian faith. Words like “heretics” “liberals” “leftist etc are thrown out. Immediately in the majority of minds another intellectual barrier goes up.
REASON 5. Our Monotarian faith (Unitarianism) did not begin in the 18th century . . . it is rooted in the OT, the NT, the Apostolic age, and was the predominant view in some form PRIOR to the Council of Nicaea of 325 and after. It is the Scriptures and the Gospel of THAT time period prior to Nicaea that we need to present our Monotarian faith from, because that is where it is rooted.
SUMMARY : AVOID THE BARRIERS!
So, as a “Biblical Monotarian” I simply choose to remove those barriers by deciding not to use the label “Unitarian” in conversation outside of Unitarian discussions. It is because of my background and my audience I wish to reach. I do not see any need to root my Biblical Monotarian Monotheistic Christian Faith and worldview within the 16th-18th century so-called “Reformation time period;” and I do not have a need to (and won’t) identify myself as a “Protestant” either. I simply desire a return to our Biblical and Pre-Nicean Christian roots about who God is, who Jesus is, and what the essence of the Gospel is, and live accordingly to that.
I further want to focus on the essentials that bind and unite us, our message, a message that we obviously believe is the essential core truths of Christianity itself. Also, by not using the word “Unitarian” I am not associated with any modern misconceptions. By avoiding the term “Unitarian” altogether the barriers associated with the word are immediately avoided, and a more fruitful conversation about God and His Son and the Gospel of the Kingdom can occur easier. In other words, less time is spent trying to overcome the historical and modern objections and barriers to the word “Unitarian” that will inevitably arise. To non-Christians (like Muslims and Jews) it is not a word I have to use with them either.
As a personal example, I have become friends with a Muslim who was shocked that I, as a Christian, did not hold to Trinitarianism but also did not hold to any of the above barriers I mention. Modern Christianity is all he was familiar with. He actually told me that I was the “only Christian he actually ever had sat down with and was able to have a reasonable conversation with.” That was humbling and opened a door of dialogue. In my dealings with him I only stick to the Biblical and Apostolic essentials – The One True God, Jesus’ death on the Cross for our sins, God’s Resurrected Messiah Jesus, the essential core of the resurrection for us (1 Cor 15), and the incredible hope we have in the Gospel of the Kingdom.
Obviously, this not using “Unitarian” label is simply my personal opinion and preference. I do not take any issue OF COURSE whatsoever with those who prefer to still use the term “Unitarian” and with whom I would share the same Christian beliefs . Christians who identify as Biblical “Unitarians” have been extremely helpful to me on my journey – so many individuals, authors, websites, books, podcasts, philosophers, and blogs have been incredibly helpful to me in arriving at this final end of my theological journey. We are on the same page theologically, but I call for unity among us and don’t want to really argue about ANY labels whatsoever.
MY PERSONAL JOURNEY
I have been a Christian for 36 years and during that journey have been “Reformed,” “Baptist,” (I pastored three Churches in the Baptist tradition) “Independent” AND even “Eastern Orthodox” (Eastern Catholicism) to which I include the “Coptic Christians” (that was a dumb schism between those last two groups). I understand Roman Catholicism pretty good and the schism of 1054 between Eastern and Western Catholics. What they all have in common is that all these branches are based on Nicaea and beyond Trinitarianism. I have pretty well seen a large spectrum of Christian groups in my journey, likely more broader than most. I do not regret any period of my journey in those previous traditions because it has simply strengthened and solidified what my Biblical Monotarian beliefs are NOW. I would not have my present convictions IF NOT for those previous times of my Christian journey. This is not just another ‘tradition change,’ or another ‘paradigm shift’ for me, but as I said it is an end to a long theological journey in my life. Christianity is certainly diverse, but I believe Christianity has gone off the rails (yes, some on the crazy train) in WHO God is, WHO Jesus His Son the Messiah is, and WHAT the Gospel of the Kingdom FULLY is.
Thankfully God is faithful despite the mess and confusion.
For me, however, Biblical Monotarianism fully answers all those and other important questions more biblically.
CONCLUSION : ROOTS
The Biblical Monotarianism that this site hopes to represent is fully rooted in the Old & New Testaments, rooted in the Monotheist revelation of the One True God (Deut. 6:4-5; 1 Cor 8:6) as given to God’s people in all of Holy Scripture and the Apostolic age, rooted with Christians that existed in some form or another PRIOR to the Constantinian Nicean-Chalcedonian “ecumenical councils” (so called) of the 4th century and beyond. It is those councils that codified novel Trinitarianism while anathematizing (condemning) anyone as heretics who dared to disagree with the new “Orthodox” Dogma. Things are not much different today. The “Reformation” simply did not go far enough in returning to Biblical and Apostolic foundations, but in my opinion actually made things worse with novelties. We live in a day of absolute confusion in regard to Christianity. I am convinced God is not pleased, but again thanks be to Him that he still works bringing people in union with His Son despite us and our folly.
One final note : Biblical Monotarianism can consider itself to be fully Orthodox despite the protests of the majority of those in Christendom who will vehemently disagree. Trinitarians call us “heretics” while I would respond that Trinitarians are “simply ignorant” of reality. I would not call them heretics. What we see in Christendom is a natural result of Church history and the direction it went. As for me being labeled a “heretic”? Thankfully, God in His Son alone is our judge, Holy Scripture is our only guide and our ultimate authority, and no individual or council of men of any age has authority to dictate to my conscience otherwise what I see so clearly and plainly in the holy scriptures – well, when one clears away all the man made creeds and traditions.
Again, WELCOME to my site.