The Rising “Religion of Life” Today: Philosopher of Religion Don Cupitt's Thoughts on This and My Critical Reactions to It

 

This blogpost is closely based on a lecture given by David Warden of the “Dorset Humanists” on "The Religion of Life,” (DCRL link below), a way of life advocated by British Philosopher of Religion Don Cupitt

SOURCE:  Don Cupitt and the religion of life – a lecture by David Warden

link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK7pWPVV7LA (Hereafter referred to as DCRL)

Note well also the following works as further references:

·         Philosopher-Kings: http://www.philosopherkings.co.uk/doncupitt.html

·         The Fountain: https://iai.tv/video/the-fountain

·         Cupitt, Don. Turns of Phrase: Radical Theology from A to Z. London: SCM Press, 2011. (Hereafter referred to as TP)

·         See also the overview of Don Cupitt’s thinking at: http://www.philosopherkings.co.uk/doncupitt.html

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Don Cupitt and Religion 

Don Cupitt is a British philosopher of religion and theologian who has reflected deeply and written extensively on the state of religion in the contemporary Western world.

Cupitt thinks that “God” (the image of God) as traditionally conceived of in the West (namely, a supernatural Being who is all-powerful and controls all things) is fundamentally a myth (not an objective reality). However, “religion” which upheld this idea of God in the West for a long time, can still be deeply meaningful. He has called this position “non-realism.”

Besides, Cupitt also teaches that this life is (apparently) all that there is and that there is nothing else beyond this present existence. Hence, our main task is to live this life to the fullest and make the most of our limited existence here on earth.

Here in the West, religion is usually thought of as a belief in and worship of a supernatural God. Let us not forget though that there are other meanings of the word “religion.” For example, in everyday usage, “religion” is sometimes meant as an “all-consuming passion” (such as baseball or football, hence, expressions such as “Hockey is my religion”).

In parts of the East though, religion has often been understood primarily as a practice or applied philosophy that can deliver enlightenment and bliss to those who undertake its practice. In this understanding of religion, “believing” is not too important. Rather, the emphasis is on praxis: practicing and living according to teachings that are immensely practical and are geared to achieving a greater wholeness in the practioner and in the world. These teachings can actually be called—in the words of spirituality teacher Roger Walsh—"psycho-spiritual technologies” that can and do deliver bliss, happiness, and well-being. Spiritual-wisdom traditions such as Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism (among others) best exemplify this type of religion. There is a tendency in the West though to look down upon such non-theistic forms of religion and consider them as “mere philosophies” (mere human thinking) and not true religions, which are thought of as being directly revealed by the Divine Being. Needless to say, I do not agree with this condescending attitude toward Eastern spiritual-wisdom traditions.

It is fair to say that Westerners are generally not used to an understanding of religion that puts great import on practice (praxis) instead of believing. As mentioned above, it is usually thought that monotheistic religions are the only “authentic” forms of religions. Because of the prevalence of this idea in the West, there is still a strong tendency to equate religion with supernatural beliefs or with believing in things that one cannot really prove but have to be, as the popular formula goes, “taken on faith.” Many of these matters that are to be taken on faith have mythological features in common with other ancient myths. Many Westerners find it hard to see that a largely “beliefless” kind of religion that puts the emphasis instead on praxis can be interesting, let alone legitimate (cf. Cupitt, 2000: Philosophy’s Own Religion).

[jkk annotation]

In line with Cupitt, I propose that even in the West, it is high time to understand and practice religion in the abovementioned manner frequently associated with Eastern spiritual-wisdom traditions (Eastern religions). I say this because of my work with young adults at the university, many of whom identify themselves as MRB (‘Multiple Religious Belonging’ people), SBNR (Spiritual but not Religious), Dones (We’re “done” with religion), and/or Nones (We have “no” religion). This may very well be the reason why Buddhism, a tradition that has no explicit belief in God, is so popular in the West today.

Psychiatrist and spirituality teacher Roger Walsh (UC-Irvine) has called an understanding and practice of religion (that emphasizes the practical dimension) “transconventional religion.” This is contrasted with “conventional” Western religion which puts the emphasis on believing on faith (the creed, the Bible, biblical principles, etc.) and linking one’s eternal salvation with such an act of believing.

[end of jkk annotation]

The Secularized West – Source of Immorality and Godlessness or (Flawed) Embodiment of “the Kingdom of God”?

This is a long essay that deals with the general theme of secularization in the West and how to understand that. It is part of a major research project of mine that seeks to plot what kind of spirituality-religiosity might be relevant to people in the 21^st century

The Secularized West – How Do We Evaluate It?

It is plain to see that, in many areas (perhaps even in most areas), the so-called “western world” (or simply “the West”) is by and large “secularized.” The word “secular” comes from the Late Latin word saeculāris (meaning “temporal”) which, in turn, comes from the Latin word saeculum (“an age”). Defined more precisely, "secular" refers to a public order where there is no one particular kind of religious hegemony. It includes the separation of church and state. It also means the existence and acceptance of a plurality of opinions (including religious opinions). Seen in this way, the secular order is an open-ended, polymorphic, polyvocal order of diverse sorts of people saying all sorts of things. And, ideally, anyone in the secular society has the right to ask any question (from philosopher John Caputo’s helpful description. See bibliographical link at the end).

     When we say though that the West is largely “secularized,” we mean that it (that is, a great number of people living in it) is largely focused on this world, this life and how humans and their habitat could exist and flourish in the here and now. The flip side of this secularization is that, in general, western society pays little or less and less attention nowadays to God, religion, the supernatural or the next life (particularly, heaven or hell). What is more, even many self-professed religious believers in western[ized] societies, although nominally “religious,” live their daily lives by and large without really being much aware of God and the supernatural realm.

     Meanwhile, some others (especially, more “seriously” religious people) bemoan this secularized western world and see it as the source of godlessness, immorality and of the many present-day evils that beset us. It is thought that this secularized world spawns a godless and hedonistic milieu as well as a loss of traditional “godly” values. It is common to encounter voices saying that the West is lost in a crisis of meaning because of the loss of the authority of religion (read “Christianity”) which supposedly held everything together once upon a time (cf. e.g. Carroll 2004, p.1).

     For a very long time, I (especially my younger, more conservative self) also thought of the secularization of the West in those above-mentioned negative ways. That drastically changed when I encountered and studied more deeply the philosopher of religion and radical philosopher-theologian Don Cupitt. Cupitt, I think, is one of the most creative and insightful philosophical-theological minds today and he deserves to be read and studied more widely. He has a startlingly different take on this phenomenon of secularization. Cupitt has argued in many of his writings (in particular, in The Meaning of the West [MW]) that this so-called secularized West is actually something like the logical and evolved form or grown-up, more mature version of Christianity! In fact, I think it is fair to say that he suggests that the postmodern, humanistic West (which many Christians consider as the evil antithesis of Christianity) should actually be considered <Christianity as it was meant to be>! In short, it is the realized (and important to add) “yet very flawed” “Kingdom of God.” How about that for a change?

     I think I have some say in this because I am an immigrant here in the West who came originally from a staunchly Catholic-Christian developing country (the Philippines, which happens to be westernized in many ways) and who also lived for a long time in a non-western country (Japan). Moreover, I did graduate studies in Western Europe, the heart of “the West” for six years. I freely chose to leave my homelands to resettle and live in the West (now in Ontario, Canada). In the course of my life, I have seen the differences between the West and some non-western countries.

     Based on personal experience and study, let me begin by saying that there are so many genuinely good things in western societies. This is why so many of us have decided to uproot ourselves, migrate, and settle here. In a blog post in Australia’s Sea of Faith website, Greg Spearritt said,

There are plenty from elsewhere … who desperately want to live in the West. And for good reason. They may not be perfect, but Western societies look after their own like no-one else does, including their weaker members and even those who dissent from prevailing political or social views. (Would you rather be gay in Abuja, Riyadh, Beijing or Sydney?) Western technology is the envy of the rest of the world, even of people like Osama bin Laden who use it to attack the West. Western medicine gives us an ever-longer, healthier lifespan. Western governments actively seek the moral, physical and intellectual improvement of their people and contribute to the well-being of the world’s poorest through (relatively) string-free aid budgets. (That’s not to mention the work of Western NGOs such as Oxfam, Red Cross, Amnesty International and Médecins sans Frontieres) The West is innovative, constantly on the move, and – most important of all – it loves life wholeheartedly (Spearritt, 2008).

     Before anything else, I would like to say unambiguously at the outset that it is definitely not my intention here to unilaterally and uncritically glorify the West. There are many negative, even downright evil things to be found in the West today. To name a few: unbridled capitalism, the staggering gap between rich and poor, a superiority complex (white privilege in most cases), racism, and so forth. I happen to be completing this essay in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Jr., at the hands of police officers in Minneapolis (June 2020). This event has led to widescale demonstrations and public unrest in the US and other places around the world in order to highlight the evil of racial discrimination against black people. It is heartbreaking to see such a damning instance of social dysfunction in 2020 in the West! This is to say: Yes, I am well aware of the many dysfunctions of western societies. Despite that and in the face of all that, I still think that it is important not to forget that so many good and wholesome things in life that we do widely enjoy here in the West can only be dreamed of by many people in many non-western countries. Let me reiterate: take that from someone who has left his original countries, decided to live here in the West and is very happy to have done so. That’s my personal context.

     In this essay, I would like to ask and explore the question: Is the secularized West really all that evil as conservative religious believers think it to be? Let me get a little ahead of myself and answer with (a cautious and qualified) “No”. A more careful examination of the matter with some guidance from philosopher-theologian Don Cupitt will surprisingly show that the secularized West actually shares as it were the very DNA of Christianity in striking ways and we have to say that, indeed, that much maligned secularized, irreverent, and irreligious West is actually Christianity’s child … but all grown-up now!