Post 6 – Rethinking Nihilism in Religious Thought

What Would Become of Our Systems of Thought?

What would become of our various systems of thought if we were to remove from their core the nihilistic persuasion? To a certain extent, we have already explored that, but let us now get a bit more specific, perhaps starting with religion and spirituality.

First, a brief review of what lies at the root of religious and spiritual experience. Apart from the body of doctrines, beliefs, and ideas, there is a more foundational and harder-to-explain component.

We have already discussed the existential dread that drives humans to seek refuge from the fear of death and answers to what lies beyond the world of their sensory perceptions. Beyond that search for answers that may give reassurance about our final destiny, there is also the need for community, for a sense of belonging and an ordered destiny within a comprehensive metaphysical system, as expressed in most religious beliefs.

A Fundamental and Extraordinary Perception

Beyond that, there is yet another, perhaps more relevant, reason for the religious or spiritual experience. In a way, it connects to what we have already said about our empirical and transcendental selves, one within the other.

Though eternal, we live in time, and that empirical, material, and sensible experience overshadows the timelessness of our being. The timelessness is there; we wouldn’t exist without it. Yet we don’t feel it—or so it seems. In truth, we do, because it is the unobserved background in which everything happens.

Each of us, aside from our bodily senses, also has that enduring and unshakable sense of “I,” of being eternal—a sense often referred to as intuitive, spiritual, psychic, or the sense of the infinite. It is our natural, intrinsic awareness of being in relation to the structure or totality of Being.

The Universal and the Particular

This structure of Being is so complex and vast, like the universe, that it appears impersonal and universal. Yet we are part of it, and since we are persons, any experience we have of it is inevitably personal. While it is an infinite totality, it is a totality of particulars, many of which are directly connected to us in the great web of Being. Consequently, we may say that the universal is always experienced at the particular level: God makes Himself man; the totality connects to us as we are, where we are.

Because these experiences are deeply personal and difficult to articulate, they are often dismissed as fanciful or unscientific. The limitations of language further complicate their expression, leading to assumptions and speculative theories. Yet their universality is undeniable, as evidenced by the multitude of religions and spiritual traditions devoted to them.

Unlike empirical or philosophical truths, which can be mathematically or logically verified, transcendental truths are deeply personal and unverifiable through external means. They are encountered directly, experienced as the sense of Being itself. Though not easily grasped, they are a constant and undeniable reality.

Our Connection to the Whole

We could perhaps consider our connection to this transcendental side of life as analogous to our connection with the global internet. Billions of people are connected to it and use it daily to communicate, access information, and accomplish countless tasks. Yet only a few truly understand its underlying complexity—its interconnected networks, protocols, and technologies.

Most of us interact with the internet through devices—computers, smartphones, or tablets—without understanding their inner workings. We rely on icons and symbols on our screens to activate specific functions, connecting us to the vast, unseen network.

In a similar way, we interact with the transcendental through icons, symbols, and tools that help us connect with its deeper, unseen dimensions and functionality.

Religion and Spirituality

Religious and spiritual traditions function as operating systems, each with its unique set of icons and rituals. These symbols serve to connect practitioners with the transcendental. However, not all systems are equally effective; some are outdated, flawed, or prone to “crashing.” None are perfect, as they are never the reality they point to but rather intermediaries—sometimes far-removed representations—of what they aim to represent.

In Western traditions, all systems of knowledge—including religion—are influenced by nihilism, the belief that things originate from and ultimately return to nothing. This raises the question: What would happen if we stripped away the nihilistic elements from the valid intuitions within religions, particularly those that facilitate genuine interaction with the transcendental?

Concepts of God

To explore this, we could begin by examining the Western concept of the Christian God. If Being has no beginning and no end—because Being is and cannot not be, and non-being is not and can never be—then the notion of creatio ex nihilo (creation from nothing) becomes untenable. Similarly, if God is infinite, nothing can exist outside of Him; otherwise, His infiniteness would be limited by something external.

These contradictions have not gone unnoticed by theologians, many of whom have attempted to resolve them with varying degrees of success. Both theologians and mystics have emphasized the need to move beyond common, contradictory assumptions about God, particularly those influenced by nihilism.

For instance, Lutheran theologian Paul Tillich offered this perspective:

“It is as atheistic to affirm the existence of God as it is to deny it. God is being-itself, not a being… The being of God cannot be understood as the existence of a being alongside others or above others. If God is a being, He is subject to the categories of finitude, especially to space and substance… As the power of being, God transcends every being and also the totality of beings—the world… Being-itself infinitely transcends every finite being. On the other hand, everything finite participates in being-itself and in its infinity.”

Mystics have echoed similar sentiments. Thomas Merton observed, “Our idea of God tells us more about ourselves than about Him.” Thomas Keating remarked, “When you say God, you don’t really mean God. You mean your idea of God… Whatever we say about God is more unlike who God is than saying nothing.” And the medieval mystic Meister Eckhart famously prayed, “I pray God that He frees me from God,” a plea to be liberated from mistaken conceptions of God.

Christianity’s Profound Intuitions

Christianity, despite its integration of certain nihilistic elements, offers some of the most profound insights into the relationship between the immanent and the transcendental, as well as the eternity of all beings. These themes are reflected in numerous scriptural passages, such as:

• “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you.” – Jeremiah 1:5
• “In Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them.” – Psalm 139:16
• “Known to God from eternity are all His works.” – Acts 15:18
• “Whom He foreknew… He also predestined.” – Romans 8:29
• “Chosen before the foundation of the world to do works that were prepared.” – Ephesians 2:10

These verses point to a non-linear understanding of time and predestination, suggesting an eternal framework in which beings and their purposes preexist their manifestation in time.

Christianity also offers a striking depiction of the connection between the immanent and the transcendental, particularly in the relationship between the Son and the Father:

• “The Father and I are one.” – John 10:30

The dual nature of Christ—both divine and human—exemplifies the intimate link between the finite and the infinite. This relationship is further illuminated in the paradoxical statements of Jesus, such as:

• “The kingdom of God is already here, within you.” – Luke 17:21
• “Before Abraham was, I am.” – John 8:58

These statements highlight a timeless, preexisting dimension of being that transcends human concepts of temporality and existence.

Furthermore, the Book of Revelation presents Christ as:

• “The Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.” – Revelation 13:8

This imagery underscores the eternal and unchanging nature of the divine purpose, challenging nihilistic interpretations of Christianity that emphasize redemption from a fall into death or nothingness. Instead, Christianity tempers these ideas with the profound intuition of apokatastasis—the ultimate cosmic restoration. This is reflected in passages from Peter, Paul, and the prophets:

• “The restoration of all things, which God has spoken… since the world began.” – Acts 3:21
• “Creation itself also will be delivered.” – Romans 8:20
• “All shall know the Lord, from the least of them to the greatest of them.” – Hebrews 8:11
• “Every creature which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them.” – Revelation 5:13
• “All the ends of the earth shall see salvation.” – Isaiah 52:10
• “All flesh shall see it together.” – Isaiah 40:5
• “He will swallow up death forever.” – Isaiah 25:6
• “Where sin abounds, grace abounds much more.” – Romans 5:20

These scriptures emphasize an ultimate restoration and unity within the infinite totality of Being. They challenge nihilistic presuppositions about creation, fall, or redemption by presenting a vision of eternal harmony and fulfillment within the divine order.

What Christianity Might Become

We could explore this topic for many more pages and still only scratch the surface. It is a question best left to theologians, some of whom are actively addressing it and have already published a number of books and papers. It will likely take decades before any tangible results emerge.

Theirs is no easy task, made especially challenging by the fact that the clearest intuitions about the eternal structure of Being are deeply embedded within the most orthodox and traditional forms of Christianity. Removing nihilistic elements, therefore, does not equate to making Christianity more “progressive.” Indeed, progressive Christianity has often diluted its profound insights in an effort to remain relevant in the modern and postmodern eras.

To shed its nihilistic assumptions, Christianity must confront significant challenges. On the one hand, it will require a transformation analogous to the shift between the Old and New Testaments. On the other, it demands unwavering fidelity to its foundational intuitions—those that illuminate the structure of Being.

The outcome of such a transformation is difficult to predict, but it might involve reinterpreting salvation as humanity’s eternal participation in Being, with Christ as its ultimate model. While preserving its original iconography, a renewed Christianity could also deepen and expand its interpretations, empowering those who are ready to move beyond symbols.

By emphasizing the present and eternal reality of the Kingdom of God (Being) within each individual, it could encourage the direct experience of transcendence. It might also integrate empirical, logical, and transcendental truths into a harmonious vision of reality—profoundly personal yet universally resonant.

Freed from nihilism, Christianity could rediscover its most profound intuitions and evolve into a spiritual framework capable of embracing even the non-religious. Such a framework could inspire awe, wonder, and purpose in a vision of reality that is whole, eternal, and alive.

“And I saw no difference between God and our Substance.”
— Julian of Norwich,

Revelations of Divine Love