Ever wonder why much of American Christianity is pro-spanking, pro-tough-on-crime, anti-gun control, and pro-war even though Jesus taught 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 destruction 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 measures, the death penalty, and eternal conscious torment for unbelievers
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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.
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“Breaking Bad Faith is a book our fractured society desperately needs right now.”
Heather Hamilton
Michael Camp is a former missionary to Muslims and aid worker in Africa. He spent twenty-five years in the evangelical movement in Baptist, charismatic, and independent churches before having a huge faith shift. Michael was trained in missions and international development at Fuller Seminary and William Carey University. He received his M.S. degree from Eastern University with a concentration in global economic development. He later worked in the Microsoft business software channel in marketing and sales for 19 years. Today, he is a faith deconstruction coach, podcaster, amateur historian, craft beer enthusiast, Rotarian, and bad golfer. He is the author of Craft Brewed Jesus and Confessions of a Bible Thumper. He lives in Poulsbo, WA with his wife, Lori, and serves as international service director for his Rotary club in Bainbridge Island, WA.
If you love your child, you will discipline them, and there’s nothing wrong with owning a gun to protect your family, or with criminals being held accountable for their crimes. Thankfully, most of us would go to war, as a last resort, and like Israel, we would do what was necessary to protect our innocent women and children from being raped and burned to death by evil terrorists.