Pub Theology 4/22/25 -- WWJI?

Peter Trumbore • April 21, 2025

I imagine we're all familiar with the slogan WWJD, or, What Would Jesus Do. In fact, it's so familiar that it's turned into a cliched bit of pop culture replicated on wristbands, inspirational posters, bumperstickers, and so on. But have you heard of WWJI, What (or Who) Would Jesus Imitate? OK, true confessions time, I made that one up. But stick with me for a minute.


I got to thinking about this after reading an article at the website Mockingbird titled "Are you a Follower or a Fan: Imitation vs. Participation." The piece starts off by acknowledging the very real challenges of being modern people trying to do as Jesus did. The author writes:


"A few Sundays ago, I listened to a homily that drew a sharp distinction between being a mere fan of Jesus and being a true follower. The preacher’s message was clear: admiration is not enough; commitment is required. And yet, as I sat there, I couldn’t help but think that this framing, while stirring, glossed over the profound complexities of discipleship. After all, what does it truly mean to follow a first-century prophet who renounced self-protection, rejected wealth, and issued radical moral demands? It’s one thing to nod along in agreement; it’s quite another to live as he did. After the service, I mentioned to a fellow congregant that I don’t consider myself a follower of Jesus — just a fan. And only on my better days."


A little further on, the author raises what is a profound and I think fundamental question about the nature of Christianity and what it means to be a Christian. "Is Christianity about imitating Jesus or participating in Jesus? Is it primarily following a moral example or being swept up into an unfolding mystery?" As the author notes, this is about the fundamental tension of Christian life. The idea of imitation is that Christian life is about emulating Jesus, replicating his actions, embodying his virtues, and modeling our behaviors after his. Hence the WWJD paradigm. But there's a problem there. This mindset reduces "Christianity to a moral project focused on individual actions and ethical conduct. While imitation is undeniably valuable, when it becomes the core of the Christian journey, it risks turning faith into little more than a moralistic exercise — a set of rules to follow rather than a living, transformative experience." This approach is also, at its core, a specifically individual exercise. In short, how can I be like Jesus?


Participation, the author writes, is a radically different approach that reframes the Christian experience. "It’s not about striving to mimic Christ’s life, but about engaging in the ongoing mystery of his presence in the world. The believer isn’t just a disciple learning to imitate an ancient figure but a participant in a larger, living story — a story that transcends time and encompasses both the individual and the collective."


While imitation offers a clear moral framework, it risks reducing our faith to a checklist of behaviors. Do these things (what Jesus would do), replicate these actions, and we're set. Participation, the author writes, "pulls believers into something dynamic and ongoing. It’s not about asking 'What would Jesus do?' but 'What is Jesus doing right now?' It’s about recognizing that faith is not just a story to be retold, but a mystery to be lived and actively engaged with in the present."


So where are you in this mix of imitation vs. participation? How different are the two? Does participation mean we discard imitation? Or does participation give meaning to imitation. If imitation is about me, myself, and I, who is participation about? Are you a fan or a follower?


We will wrestle with these questions in our discussion this week. Join us for the conversation tomorrow evening, Tuesday, April 22, starting at 7pm at Casa Real in downtown Oxford.


By Peter Trumbore September 22, 2025
Every now and again, your friendly staff here at PubTheo pays attention to the Sunday sermon, and in the process gets a little topic inspiration. Fr. Andy was preaching on the parable of the shrewd manager, Luke 16:1-3, (or unjust steward, depending on which list of parables you are looking at), and he made an interesting point about the trouble with taking the parables at face value. This is something that we spent some time talking about in the early days of Pub Theology conversations. Basically, why can't Jesus just give us the message straight rather than talking in riddles and stories that leave key points up to our own interpretation? In short, why doesn't he just tell us what to do already? One of Andy's points, or at least from my vantage point in the pews, is that the simple interpretation of the parables of easily digested morality tales can lead us to draw some very odd conclusions about what kind of behaviors are or are not in line with the Gospels. In the case of the parable in question, you could walk away believing that God will reward you for profiting from dishonest business dealings. This tells us something, I think, about both the perils and promise of stories, which is what the parables are. Stories with a purpose. Storytelling is probably one of the oldest, if not the oldest (along with song) of human cultural practices Those entrusted with the responsibility of handing down stories hold exalted roles in society, whether bard, or skald, firekeeper, or griot. It's still left to the listener, though, to draw meaning from those stories. Neuroscientist Emily Falk, in this episode of the podcast Hidden Brain , (this part comes at about the 40-minute mark) argues that stories have the ability to help us avoid defensiveness when presented with information we might otherwise perceive as criticism or negative feedback. She argues that our brains reason differently when challenging ideas are presented in a story rather than stated directly to us as facts. We're going to spend some time in our conversation this week talking about the power of stories and the lessons we learn from them. What role have stories played in your life? What's the first story you remember hearing, or reading for yourself? When you hear or read a story, or for that matter see a play, or watch a TV show or film, are you attuned to the possibility of meanings beyond the straightforward lines of the narrative? Is it just entertainment, or is there something deeper going on? If you look for meaning in stories, or if you unexpectedly get smacked in the head by a meaning you weren't anticipating, what are the lenses that bring those meanings into focus for you? If someone asks you to share your story with them, what do you think they are looking for? Join us for a discussion of stories and more tomorrow evening, Tuesday Sept. 23, starting at 7pm at Irish Tavern in downtown Lake Orion.
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