The Christian Middle Way: The Case Against Christian Belief But For Christian Faith

by Robert M. Ellis

The Middle Way is the practical principle of avoiding both positive and negative absolutes, so as to develop provisional beliefs accessible to experience. Although inspired initially by the Buddha's Middle Way, in Middle Way Philosophy Robert M. Ellis has developed it as a critical universalism: a way of separating the helpful from the unhelpful elements of any tradition. In this book, the Middle Way is applied to the Christian tradition in order to argue for a meaningful and positive interpretation of it, without the absolute beliefs that many assume to be essential to Christianity. Faith as an embodied, provisional confidence is distinguished from dogmatic belief. Recent developments in embodied meaning, brain lateralization from neuroscience, Jungian archetypes and the Jungian model of psychological integration are drawn on to support an account of how Christian faith is not only possible without 'belief' in God or Christ, but indeed puts us in a better position to access inspiration, moral purpose, responsibility and the basis of peace.

328 pages, Paperback

Published July 27, 2018

About the author

Robert M Ellis is the author of more than 20 books on Middle Way Philosophy, which is a practical philosophy focused on making the most of our experience in all our judgements. Initially inspired by the Buddha's Middle Way and Buddhist practice, he completed a Ph.D. on the Middle Way in 2001 that marked the beginning of his work exploring the universal Middle Way in relation to Western philosophy, psychology, systems, embodiment, and a range of other disciplines. He is now on the second wave of development of Middle Way Philosophy, in a new series being published by Equinox, beginning with 'Absolutization' (2022) and 'The Five Principles of the Middle Way'. (2023) He has also published books about the Middle Way in relation to Buddhism, Christianity, and Jungian archetypes, as well as the introductory book 'Migglism' (2014), the short argument 'Buddhism and God' (2021), parable fiction, and poetry. He now lives in Wales, where he runs a retreat centre and is cultivating a forest garden.

Reviews

[Tiffany Murphy · Rating 1 out of 5]

The Christian Middle Way talks about “the practical principle of avoiding both positive and negative absolutes, so as to develop provisional beliefs accessible to experience.” I first found it on Netgalley and the concept sounded interesting, but I’ll be honest, my initial thoughts prior to reading this was “There’s no way the synopsis means what I’m reading.” Do, I signed up to review it, and began reading with every intention of enjoying the book and keeping an open mind. I have to be honest, but while the author does have talent and I can tell that he put a lot of work into this, it’s just not for me. I spent much of my time reading this, thinking, “surely I read that wrong,” only to read it another time or three and find that I had, indeed, read it right. I’m not saying that I disagree with everything the author has to say. I did agree with him on some points. For instance, yes, I think there’s a lot that even nonbelievers can gain by studying the teachings of Jesus, even if they view Him as merely a good man, or a teacher. But, I wholeheartedly disagree that you can be a Christian without believing in the existence of God and faith in Jesus, as the only begotten Son of God. I’m sorry but those, among other things are basic tenets of the Christian faith. I think I’m going to stop here, as I don’t like being negative. The author really is a good writer, but this is just not my kind of book. I don’t usually post negative reviews, but usually just send my feedback directly to the author. But, Netgalley wouldn’t let me submit my review there without having posted on another site. I wish the author all the best.

I’d like to thank Robert M. Ellis, Christian Alternative Paperback, and Netgalley for providing me with an electronic copy of this book. I understand that receiving it in this manner doesn’t obligate me to leave a positive review.

[Bethany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I waded through this Middle Way with an open mind, aiming to appreciate the author's approach to belief and meaning. The academic tone calls for attention and study. I found myself reading but frustrated, receptive but annoyed. While I disagree with the author on many points, I did find value in the call to bring out the best in Christianity.

An excerpt:
At its best, Christianity heals. “Make me an instrument of your peace,” prays St Francis, “Where there is hatred, let me sow love.” If Christians are serious about this, it is imperative for them to address the conditions that prevent peace and love. These are conditions found primarily in the human brain, in the dominance of one part of the frontal left hemisphere that too often believes it knows the whole story. You can remain stuck in that story and continue to rationalise the beliefs of the past, or you can begin to examine alternatives. The kind of love of which Jesus spoke cannot occur without opening our minds to these alternatives, and for that reason it is crucial that Christianity stops undermining its own objectives.

I received a NetGalley reader copy; all opinions are my own.