I am not an overly superstitious person, but I am a strong believer in serendipity and synchronicity. When I encounter the same word three separate times from three separate sources, I perk up and take notice. Reading a novel from the late 17th century, a work of theology from the 18th century, and a history of the early 19th century, I happened upon the word “notionist.” Looking it up in a number of dictionaries, I find that the word does not exist – at least, no definition exists. But in context to the three writings, here are three definitions of a “notionist”:

1. one who holds a vague, imperfect, or incomplete understanding.
2. one who is so convinced that they are right that they cannot entertain contrary facts, evidence, or information.
3. ignorance masking as knowledge; foolishness pretending to be truth.

We are living in a notionist age, in a notionist culture, in a notionist country, being poorly impacted by a notionist Christianity. Let me explain.

We have a cultural hegemony dedicated to misinformation, confusion, misdirection, manipulation, and an insatiable hunger for power and control. We also have a culture no longer honoring education, honesty, intelligence, trust, loyalty, and/or compassion. Reading, reflection, study, critical thinking, systems thinking, philosophy, and rigorous analysis are viewed with suspicion at best, abject contempt at worst. We are living in a notionist country, regardless of the definition you prefer.

What is worse? We are subject to the whims, warfare, imbecility, and bastardization of the Christian faith promoted by notionist thinkers using bits and pieces of ancient scripture to validate hateful, hostile, and destructive power abuses. Christian nationalism is a notionist Christianity. The prosperity gospel is a notionist Christianity. The horrendously immature and unreflective notionist theology used to hate LGBTQIA+ is a case in point. Anything being used to attack DEI, universal healthcare, guaranteed income, accessibility to adequate food, shelter, safety, and protecting the human rights of all people in the name of “the Christian faith” is notionist.

Why are evangelical Christians (by and large) so resistant to open theological discourse and biblical reflection? Why are so many supporters of the demonization and dehumanizing of immigrants and the poor so unwilling to engage is deep scriptural study and interpretation? Three memories come to mind when I encountered a notionist approach to our faith. I remember the day before graduation from seminary, one of my classmates brought all of his textbooks to a trash bin where he tossed them, doused them in lighter fluid, incinerating them with the declaration, (fists raised to the heavens) “I will never read another (biblical) commentary as long as I live!” He told me, “I came here (Drew Theological Seminary) knowing what I believed, and none of their liberal crap has changed my thinking one little bit.”

Another encounter with a young man emerges as a notionist experience. He was dead set on a condemnation of gay and lesbian people as abominations and I invited him to sit with me and do a deep dive into the scriptures, acknowledging culture, context, mythic/magic thinking, ancient worldview, and engaging with the scriptures in their original languages. Rather than accepting the invitation to explore and discover together, he was outraged, reminding me that “homosexuality is condemned in plain English in the Bible!”

The last encounter is perhaps the most relevant today. A woman recently shared her outrage and contempt for my anti-Trump call to assess his words and actions through the teachings of Jesus. “We have never had a more Christian president,” she explained. “Everything Jesus predicted is coming true through Trump. Trump is ushering in God’s kingdom on earth.” All I did was ask her to provide me with one or two examples. Her response was to unsubscribe.

If you listen to many of our politicians claiming to be “Christian,” you will note that it is a notionist Christianity. Most of what Jesus taught and what Paul preached and proclaimed is absent from their thinking. Solid theologians, biblical scholars, critical thinkers, and spiritual directors are ignored simply because they proclaim the gospel as Jesus taught, and not as our power-hungry American culture wishes. Pastors and preachers who are opposed to solid scholarship, respect for the authority of scripture, intensive biblical study, and critical theological reflection should be considered notional at best, false prophets more accurately, and manipulative heretics at worst. There is nothing to fear from truth, knowledge, wisdom, veracity, intelligence, and integrity. Here’s a notion: let’s start using common sense when we listen to people saying things we know are ignorant, irrational, or hateful.