I have been trapped in the clichéd, superficial, proposition based form of Christian religious life in North America for some time. I have also been familiar with Joseph Heller’s Catch–22 for many years but it was not until a recent reading that I had an insight that provided me with a way out of this propositional, religious trap. The insight was that religious claims, as opposed to scientific or ethical claims, should be expressed only as Catch–22s because these paradoxes do not make straightforward claims about the world that can be believed or rejected. Catch–22s are a form of paradox which establishes conditions that cannot be escaped. Because of this, one cannot find hope in a Catch–22. This means that our only options are despair and transcendence. One cannot obtain freedom without risking despair. This is the only kind of risky invitation we should expect from any religious path that is worth living. As I reflected upon this insight, I realized that in some respects, common or traditional religious language has always used Catch–22s, though this has gone unnoticed. I persisted in an investigation whereby I translated theological claims into Catch–22s. I felt a freedom that comes when one realizes that the only way to escape a larger trap is through triggering a smaller trap. This paradox lies at the heart of ZeroTheology.
New Book from John Tucker