“Christless Christianity does not mean religion or spirituality devoid of the words Jesus, Christ, Lord, or even Savior. What it means is that the way those names and titles are employed will be removed from their specific location in an unfolding historical plot of human rebellion and divine rescue and from such practices as baptism and communion. Jesus as life coach, therapist, buddy, significant other, founder of Western civilization, political messiah, example of radical living, and countless other images can distract us from the stumbling block and foolishness of ‘Christ and him crucified.’ This gospel may even be tacked on to the end of sermons. The question, however, is whether we are preaching the Word from Genesis to Revelation as a testimony to Christ or as a resource for writing our own story. In other words, the drift toward Christless Christianity can happen through addition as well as subtraction.” 144
