Beyond Religion Introduction

Beyond Religion: Post-denominationalism, Reconciliation and the Reclamation of the Christian Faith

A Call to Unity, Peace, and Purity

Steven W. Williams, Ph.D.

This manifesto is dedicated to my entire family who has faithfully been an encouragement to me whatever the season and in honour and remembrance of all our family throughout the generations who have sacrificed so much to reconcile the Church and reclaim the Christian Faith from the Christian Religion in the blessed inheritance that we all share in Christ (I Peter 1:3-5). 

Steven W. Williams, Ph.D.    Canterbury     New Zealand

*(All Scripture quotations are from the English Standard Version of the Bible)

Contents

A Word from the Author

Prologue

Section:

1       Where Did It All Begin?

2       The Age-Old Problem - The “Garden Problem”

3       A Bit of Background - Why Has the Church Been So Divided?

4       Hope for the Church - Returning to the Scene of the Crime

Concluding Remarks: The Christian Faith vs The Christian Religion

Epilogue

Appendices

Appendix A: Criticisms

Appendix B: Common Depictions of Christianity

Appendix C: Thinking Outside the Box

Appendix D: The Concept of a “Multiverse”

Appendix E: Community Fellowships of Christ’s Church

Appendix F: Example of a Statement of Faith

Appendix G: Example of a Post-denominational Church

References

A Word from the Author

When I first embarked on this journey, I intended to write a treatise—a formal exploration of a single subject. However, as my pursuit deepened, I realized I was crafting a manifesto: a declaration and a call to action. Unapologetically, this has become my burning passion—a fire that only grows with time—to see the Church restored to unity, peace, and purity.

Through this pilgrimage, I have discovered that the only viable hope lies in God’s people rising above man-made traditions and embracing His Revelation as wholly sufficient for the Christian life, regardless of time or culture. If God had given us only a fragment of the knowledge necessary for this, leaving the rest for us to discern on our own, then what would be the point?  This would not make sense in that this would only encourage human beings to devise and set forth their own “authority” vis-à-vis God’s Revelation.

It is essential to recognize that God intentionally provided sufficient knowledge to counter any claim by individuals or communities to speak with authority equal to His. To allow otherwise would be to endorse Humanism—an unyielding adversary of God in this fallen world. Humanism is fundamentally a worldview asserting that truth originates from human experience, expressed through two primary forms: philosophy and religion. As I will explore in greater detail later, both serve as Satan’s typical modus operandi as counterfeits to God’s Revelation, captivating humanity and fostering a false sense of identity and security. This dual expression is often categorized as either "philosophical or secular" humanism or "sacred or religious" humanism.

Understandably, any critique of philosophy and religion may provoke defensive reactions, especially from those well-versed in these disciplines. Such individuals may dismiss these concerns as narrow-minded or rooted in an overly simplistic worldview. However, a deeper reflection on the purpose of God’s Revelation reveals the need for a robust apologetic against Humanism.

This manifesto is not intended to discourage education in philosophy or religion. Instead, it emphasizes that neither is the foundation for understanding the Christian faith. Historically, philosophers and religionists—often including Christian theologians and clerics—have, in their zeal to advocate for their causes, contributed more to division than to promoting unity, peace, or purity. In this manifesto, my focus is on religion, which has been the primary means of deceiving God’s people throughout history. Religion, originating from humanity, seeks to understand, explain, or experience God and the spiritual realm through human effort rather than relying on God’s Revelation. Ultimately, religion is Satan’s counterfeit, transforming the genuine faith of God’s people into a human-orientated system.

As many of us were taught as children, Christianity is often presented as one among many religions from which one might choose. The popular Latin phrase “In necessariis unitas, in dubiis libertas, in omnibus caritas” (In essentials unity, in non-essentials liberty, in all things charity) has in times past been invoked to navigate religious conflict. Yet, it continues to be a fruitless task to find agreement on what constitutes “essentials” versus “non-essentials.”

While growing up in my family, we were taught to respect all people and to avoid speaking negatively about other religions. Privately, however, we held that Christianity was the “best” of all religions. Later, in theological circles, I encountered arguments defending Christianity as the “true religion,” quoting esteemed figures such as John Calvin in his Institutes of the Christian Religion or Jonathan Edwards in Religious Affections. Even Jesus, it was argued, participated in the religious practices of Judaism. Religion seemed inseparable from the Christian tradition, deeply embedded in our minds and culture.

It wasn’t until much later that I began to understand more accurately what “religion” truly entails, despite its historical usage among Christians. The realization dawned on me like a sudden epiphany: my previous efforts to defend the “Christian religion” had been misguided. What began as the simple faith of God’s people had, by the second century C.E., gradually become institutionalized and "religionized"—a transformation driven by well-meaning but ultimately misguided Church leaders.

This realization brought me sorrow. What once felt like a justified defence of Christianity now felt like a tragic misunderstanding. To my surprise, I found myself agreeing with the criticisms of “religion” often voiced by narrow-minded fundamentalists whom I had previously dismissed. While my perspective may differ from theirs, I now sympathize with their complaints and even share common ground with the so-called “nones” and others who criticize religion for its role in much of the world’s strife.

Satan often uses religion to deceive the Church, exploiting its appeal to our spiritual instincts. Religion encourages us to view the Church as a human institution, governed by worldly structures and rules, rather than as an organic family led by God-ordained leadership. It exalts individuals with a reputation for being "religious" instead of fostering singular devotion to God. Religion seduces us with rituals, impressive buildings, and worldly trends, diverting our senses from the truth revealed in God’s Word. Ultimately, religion is humanity’s distortion of the Christian faith—a counterfeit orchestrated by Satan.

From the beginning, Satan has attacked God’s Word, as seen in the Garden of Eden’s question: “Did God actually say?” This pattern persists today, whether through liberal reinterpretations that conform to culture or legalistic additions that claim Scripture is insufficient. Both approaches undermine trust in God’s Revelation, replacing it with human constructs and corrupting the true faith with religious humanism.

We are living in the latter days, witnessing increasing ungodliness in the world and a growing divide between true believers and nominal Christians. One unprecedented example of this decay is the attack on humanity as God’s image-bearers, specifically in the rejection of binary distinctions of male and female. Such a blurring of God’s design is a profound fundamental distortion of His creation never encountered in the past.

Scripture warns of a great delusion leading people away from truth (II Thessalonians 2:11), and Christ foretold that even believers would face deception (Matthew 24:24). At the heart of this delusion lies Humanism, both philosophical and religious, which threatens those who identify as Christians yet remain captive to a counterfeit faith.

Historically, I see the Christian Church as passing through four great C.E. epochs: 1) First - 5th Centuries – The Foundational Years of Christian Theism and the Encroachment of Christian Humanism 2) Sixth - 15thCenturies - Institutionalism and the Medieval Church 3) Sixteenth - 20th Centuries - Reformation and the Rise of Denominationalism and 4) Twenty-first Century and Beyond - Post-denominationalism, Reconciliation, and the Reclamation of the Christian Faith.  Each epoch has and will have both hopeful as well as challenging forces to encounter.

The good news is that today Christ is reclaiming His Church, uniting true believers in faith and truth while exposing the divisive doctrines of man-made religion. It is imperative that Christians align themselves with God’s Revelation rather than human traditions, as history will ultimately vindicate those who stand on His Word.

In this manifesto, I will lay out indictments against much of organized Christianity. While this will undoubtedly provoke anger or dismissal among many, there will, however, be a remnant who will increasingly acknowledge these arguments as common sense. Too often, theologians and clerics have focused on preserving their reputations rather than addressing the practical needs of the Church. Many believers, weary of denominational divisions and institutionalized religion, have become “dones”—walking away from the organized Church—or “nons,” embracing non-denominational faith.

The Protestant world, like Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Oriental churches, faces significant challenges in retaining believers. Mainline liberal churches have haemorrhaged members, and even committed evangelicals are losing patience with traditions and denominations. While denominationalism once served as an effort to correct past errors, the future may lie in a post-denominational Christian Faith—a reclamation of the faith and reconciliation of the Church. After half a millennium and over 40,000 denominations, could the Church dare to hope for a future beyond these divisions? A new expression may emerge, not as a “restoration movement” attempting to merely recast first century Christianity, but as a purified community united in faith, free from the constraints of religion, and reconciled to Christ’s vision for His Church.

Effective communication requires a clear understanding of one’s audience. In this case, my primary audience consists of two groups: the Shepherds of the Church and the Sheep of the Church. However, my main focus and loudest voice will be directed toward the Shepherds.

Throughout history, it has been the leaders who have overwhelmingly led the Sheep astray, not the other way around. Shepherds bear the responsibility for equipping the saints to stand firm against the Enemy’s attacks (Ephesians 4:12; 2 Timothy 3:16–17), yet many have failed in this critical task. As a result, the average Christian today often lacks even the most basic tools for spiritual battle—both offensive and defensive (Ephesians 6:10–18).

Many believers struggle to hold confidence in absolute Truth, leading to a fragile faith. They often have a poor grasp of the Gospel, resulting in little assurance of salvation and an incomplete understanding of righteousness. Knowledge of Scripture—the believer’s primary offensive weapon—is frequently shallow, and even when acquired, believers often lack the interpretive skills necessary to properly understand and apply what they read.

When Shepherds lead their flocks astray with false doctrine or misguided practices, the consequences are devastating. These saints are often left vulnerable to a hostile, deceitful world or burdened with religious expectations that ultimately serve the leaders more than the Sheep. This betrayal of trust leaves many defenceless and disheartened, unable to stand firm in their faith.

To the Sheep of the Church, I urge you to grow in the Christian Faith and recognize that placing excessive devotion on a particular tradition, denomination, or movement does nothing to further God’s Kingdom. Instead, rise above these divisions and invest in the unity, peace, and purity of the Church. Fixating on institutional loyalties perpetuates division, often turning these institutions into idols that replace Christ in daily life. While well-meaning, such attachments stem from humanity’s carnal nature, seeking security in religion rather than in Christ alone.

You may face resistance from leaders invested in preserving the status quo rather than pursuing the bold changes necessary to heal the Church. Nevertheless, respectfully encourage them to think beyond their current frameworks and join you in seeking a more unified and faithful future. Ultimately, it may fall to the Sheep to guide their Shepherds.

It’s important to emphasize that the Christian Faith begins at home, not in the organized Church. Families bear the primary responsibility for raising future generations of believers. Parents, grandparents, and all relatives must embrace this role, as God has entrusted them—not institutions—with the future of the Faith.

For those who may not desire to read this manifesto in full, here is its essence: The root cause of division in the Church originates in the "Garden Problem"—the conflict between two opposing worldviews born from Creation and the   Fall: Theism versus Humanism. Humanism manifests as either "philosophical" or "religious." Today’s depiction of Christianity often falls into one of two categories: the Christian Faith or the Christian Religion. Understanding this foundational dichotomy clarifies the line between Christian Theists and Christian Humanists.

The challenge for the Church is to purge herself of "religion" and reclaim the pure "faith," grounded in Theism. This reclamation is the only path to true unity, peace, and purity in Christ's Bride. Humanism, with its man-made Christianised religion, sacrifices one or more of these essential elements. Only by adhering to God’s Revelation through Theism in the reclamation of the Christian Faith can the Church hope to achieve reconciliation. As the apostle Paul writes:

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.  All of this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us.  We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. (II Corinthians 5;17-20)

Although this passage speaks primarily of reconciliation between God and humanity, it also applies to humanity within Christ’s Church. Reclaiming the Faith and reconciling the Church is essential for reflecting God’s truth and glory in the world.

While it is true that “positionally” we as Christians have been reconciled to God through Christ, this does not mean that at times we cannot offend God or dishonor Him in our lives and become estranged from Him, thus, requiring confession, repentance, and reconciliation.  Similarly, it is also true that people can become estranged from one another; also requiring confession, repentance, and reconciliation.  Throughout this manifesto, it will be reiterated that the Church, by embracing Religion and Philosophy in varying forms and to varying degrees, has become increasingly poisoned by humanism and in great need of cleansing.  As Christ “purifies” His Church from these toxins, reconciliation can not only take place between Christ and His Bride, but we as His Bride can become reconciled one to another and better attain the peace and unity that He desires for His Church.  Far too long have too many of us spent too much time and energy protecting and promoting our particular tradition, denomination, or movement.  It is long past time for Christians to grow up in the faith and begin to spend increasing time and energy in seeking to unify Christ's Church as He longs to see us do.  How can we think that we can stand before our Lord on that fateful Day if all that we can do is explain and defend to Him how we spent all our days promoting our particular group rather than striving to unify His people in all purity and peace as a witness before a lost and dying world.   We must do this if we are to ever expect anyone to gain an interest in the Gospel.  We have no one to blame for failing to do so but ourselves.

As we approach these latter days, there are signs that Christ is actively moving to purify His Bride, breaking down the walls of division that traditions, denominations, and movements have erected. This is cause for celebration! Yet, it also presents a profound challenge for those who have placed their identity and security in these constructs. For many, this will lead to a crisis of faith as they grapple with the realization that no single tradition is the "true church" or the "fullness" of Christianity.

This transformation will require patience and gentleness (Ephesians 4:1-7). It will be a monumental adjustment for those deeply entrenched in institutionalized religion to release the bonds of human constructs and embrace the freedom and light of the Gospel. Such a shift will not happen overnight; it will be difficult and unsettling for many.

In a world growing increasingly humanistic, dark and challenging days lie ahead. Yet, as we anticipate the coming of the New Jerusalem, we can rest assured that our King and His Church will prevail. This is not the time to lose heart. Instead, let us hold fast to the great hope set before us, trusting in the Lord's power to purify, unify, and glorify His Church for His purposes and eternal kingdom.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by

               the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.” (Romans 15:13)

Prologue

Since Étienne could first remember squinting his eyes to behold the stained-glass windows of his childhood church sanctuary, he had longed to see Christians united in one Lord, one faith, and one baptism (Ephesians 4:5). Growing up among culturally religious folks, he often wondered what God must think of a group of people who called themselves “Christians” or “Christ-followers,” yet seemed to find little in common beyond Christ Himself. Worse still, even Christ was sometimes misconstrued.

All around him, Étienne saw people representing various groups, denominations, and traditions—each somehow finding a reason to blame the others for the disunity or the "scandal" of a divided Church. Often, these groups proclaimed themselves as the "true Church" or the "fullness" of the Body of Christ. Each had its own apologetic formulations to defend its position, clinging tightly to what were no doubt well-intended but flawed human constructs. As a child, Étienne sat puzzled: What in the world happened all those years ago? Could the Apostles have been so confused as to leave us with this mess? No wonder anyone in their right mind would hesitate to become a Christian.

Indeed, who could seriously consider Christianity if they first understood how fractured and flawed its adherents have been? Despite long-standing traditions, colourful vestments, and splendid dwellings, the Church seemed a divided house. Adding to the disillusionment were those who prided themselves on remaining “pure” from such divisions, often pointing fingers in self-righteousness while blind to their own religious inventions. At Pentecost, the Church was one—no traditions, no denominations, no movements. And in the New Jerusalem, it will be the same: there will only be Christians. How, then, did we get so sidetracked? How did we end up where we are today?

And yet, Étienne knew he could not only accuse others. He had to confront his own shortcomings. Along with all the saints, he too had at times misunderstood and misrepresented the Christian faith. All have fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). There are none righteous—not even one (Romans 3:10). All stand guilty of following distorted notions of Christ, His Church, and the precious faith in which they are called to partake. With this realization comes the desperate need for confession, repentance, and the humbling awareness of humanity's frailty before God's Truth.

So how can the Church attain unity without demanding uniformity, allowing for differences in culture, space, and time? How can the Church pursue peace without compromising Truth? And finally, how can the Church seek purity while continually needing grace? These questions remain, as does the hope of His marvellous grace to help us rise above our many shortcomings. Thus, the prayer must continue for the unity, peace, and purity of His Church, that it may reflect His glory in this broken world.

While most theologians agree on the dates and events of Christian history, few seem able to explain why Christianity has developed as it has over two millennia. What shaped the thinking of the early Church Fathers, and what environmental influences led to their conclusions? Was their thinking always accurate, or were they, like us today, susceptible to the pressures and influences of their time? What presuppositions gave rise to the concept of “sacred” tradition? After all, did not Christ Himself question—and at times condemn—the religious traditions of the Jewish clerical authorities of His day? Why, then, should the religious traditions of Christian clerics be considered any more valid?

Could the Church’s continual struggle to claim “legitimacy” against competing ideas and heresies in its early centuries have led to the development of a hierarchical and authoritarian system, whether in Rome or Constantinople? What does it truly mean to be “catholic,” “apostolic,” or “orthodox”? And what of Protestantism—protesting what, and why? In their protests, could Protestants have unwittingly “thrown the baby out with the bathwater,” reacting against what they saw as the evils of a Roman religious empire? Is there a difference between the “Christian religion” and the “Christian faith”? What, after all, was originally meant by “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 19:9)?

It is one thing for Christian communities to celebrate cultural distinctiveness, but quite another when such “distinctiveness” becomes doctrinal division. Over the centuries, the Church has witnessed movements that have swung God’s people from one extreme to another, searching desperately for new experiences, insights, or ways of living. At times, believers have found themselves spiritually empty, going through the motions or following a set liturgy each Sunday.

It is not surprising that God’s people would yearn for something more real and meaningful. Scripture itself promises a genuine and intimate relationship with God, where believers can cry out, “Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:6). This yearning has driven many to seek heroes of the faith, leading to the rise of Christian gurus with devoted followers. Revivals, pilgrimages, and retreats have sought to provide encounters with God. Others have pursued mysticism, social action, or even mass gatherings filled with fervour, “jamming for Jesus.” Still others have sought solace in intellectual pursuits—devouring books, sermons, seminars, and conferences—or by returning to “old traditions,” crossing the Tiber or the Bosporus in search of spiritual security.

Amid this vast landscape, a central question remains: Is it possible to preserve cultural distinctiveness in expression without sacrificing doctrinal truth? Thankfully, we can trust that Christ has a plan for His Church, even amid its brokenness.

The following brief manifesto attempts to address some of these enduring questions. It does not presume to be the first or final word on the complexities of Christian history, nor does it claim to resolve the mire of division that characterizes modern Christianity. It is not aimed at the academic elite, who may dismiss its conclusions as naïve, simplistic, or fanciful (see Appendix A: Criticisms). Rather, it is written in plain language for ordinary believers, offering straightforward reflections and practical hope.

The goal is to inspire believers in Christ to see a way forward in bringing healing to a fractured Church. The prayer is particularly for those who tenaciously cling to their denominations or traditions, that they may grow in maturity and move beyond these divisions for the sake of Christ and His Church. A watching world deserves to see the light of the Gospel and understand why Jesus came into the world. Ultimately, it is not about us. It is about Him.