A metaphor or image for Post-Christendom is a dessert cart, filled with a variety of wonderful treats, but lacking balance and substance. The upside of our current reality is what our group labeled Neo-Christianity. Unique to this paradigm is the recovery of early Christian images of journey, community, service, and meaning. God is known and better understood through relationships with others. A pervasive sense of larger meaning and purpose drives believers to seek an understanding of what God calls them to do.
Faith is defined primarily as that which is reasonable and makes the most sense.
Relationship with God is deeply personal, but shared with others. While Neo-Christians draw beliefs and teachings from a variety of sources, the Bible is the primary touchstone by which the purity of all other sources is determined. Neo-Christians pursue an integration of faith, psychology, science, philosophy, and values. Spirit is viewed as a dynamic presence, at work not only within individuals, but within whole groups and communities as well. An image or metaphor for this group is a smorgasbord, where the meal is created anew each time by blending nourishment from a variety of sources.