Breaking Bad Faith

Exposing Myth and Violence in Popular Theology to Recover the Path of Peace

De: Michael Camp

Narrado por: Adam Lofbomm

Ever wonder why much of American Christianity is pro-spanking, pro-tough-on-crime, anti-gun control, pro-war, and hell-affirming, even though Jesus taught mercy, non-violence and enemy love? When Michael Camp started deconstructing his evangelical faith, he noticed a pattern. The doctrines he questioned—original depravity, substitutionary atonement, God-ordained genocide in the Old Testament, the doctrine of hell, etc.—were all tied to retribution and violence. Evangelicals believed in a retributive god who required corporal punishment, punitive justice, militarism, the death penalty, and eternal conscious torment of unbelievers.

Breaking Bad Faith uncovers how bad faith—belief in a duplicitous, retributive, and violent god—is entrenched in today’s popular theology and American culture. Using forgotten history, it debunks 12 myths most Christians believe that impact how people act in society. It then shows us what matters most: Jesus’ subversive way of peace and restoration apart from religion. You’ll learn contemporary examples how this path works, many outside Christianity. A perfect antidote for those deconstructing evangelicalism and encouragement for those yearning for a peaceable, historically honest path. Step out of retributive and unhistorical chains into the light.

©2023 Michael Camp (P)2023 Michael Camp

A non-political case about/for non-violence

A good, unpolitically biased perspective on the benefits of pacifism and restorative initiatives over retributive violence.

Essential reading for the early 21st-century!

An excellent, compassionate, persuasive, and well reasoned book. I would highly recommend to most people. A few caveats: The author could’ve gone further in addressing aspects of the retributive God, often seen in the Old Testament, and also addressing similar problematic passages in the New Testament, particularly the book of revelations; and the recording is choppy in several places in which the narrator repeats a phrase multiple times, or a noise is hurt in the background of the recording (though, admittedly, these are few and far between, and do not distract from the overall quality of the narration, it’s simply some poor editing). All around, the book remains a thought provoking, heart-stirring, work of intellectual and spiritual humility, honest and integral soul-searching, and presents a profound challenge to all who consider themselves followers of Christ, to reconsider what the core of Christ teachings truly is, and what it means to follow this radical, peace-affirming, first century rabbi in present times.

Compelling, an Important Book

A challenging and life-changing call to examine and turn from bad faith beliefs that characterize American (and much of Western) conservative Christianity. This book reveals how terribly God is portrayed as both loving and cruel, forgiving and vengeful. Michael Camp presents a strong case for following the true God as revealed in Jesus: loving (including your enemies), forgiving, restoring, pursuing peace and rejecting violence, promoting equality and justice for all.
Camp highlights key myths from modern conservative Christianity that in essence promote retribution, encourage violence, and badly misrepresent God. Michael Camp looks at many convincing examples of peace-making. He also refers to Bible passages and Christian history, contrasting the way of Jesus and His early followers with the corrupted Empire Christianity that has come to characterize the Christian Church for centuries and to this day. This book and the excellent audiobook are compelling.