Reclaiming Our Baptismal Identity: A Call to the Episcopal Church
Walter Brueggemann’s prophetic critique in A Way Other Than Our Own: Devotions for Lent serves as both a warning and a call to action:
For I believe the crisis in the U.S. church has almost nothing to do with being liberal or conservative; it has everything to do with giving up on the faith and discipline of our Christian baptism and settling for a common, generic U.S. identity that is part patriotism, part consumerism, part violence, and part affluence.
Brueggemann exposes a painful truth: many American Christians have allowed their faith to be co-opted by cultural idols that dilute the radical, transformative call of baptism. This crisis is not a matter of political alignment but one of spiritual identity.
In the Episcopal Church, our Baptismal Covenant provides a powerful framework for resisting these temptations and living into the fullness of our calling. It challenges us to reject the false gods of patriotism, consumerism, violence, and affluence, and to embrace a life of justice, peace, and love.
The Temptation of Cultural Christianity
Patriotism: A Competing Allegiance
Patriotism, when properly ordered, can reflect a healthy love of one’s community and a desire for its flourishing. But Brueggemann critiques the form of patriotism that demands ultimate allegiance, rivaling our loyalty to Christ. The Baptismal Covenant begins with the question, “Do you renounce all sinful desires that draw you from the love of God?” (The Book of Common Prayer, 1979, p. 304). Misplaced nationalism is one such desire, tempting us to prioritize national identity over our primary citizenship in God’s kingdom (Philippians 3:20, NRSV).
This misplaced allegiance manifests in the church’s complicity with empire, where Christian symbols and rhetoric are co-opted to legitimize political agendas. The prophetic tradition in Scripture challenges this, calling leaders and nations to accountability. Consider the words of Amos: “Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24). The baptized life insists that our love of country must never come at the expense of God’s justice or our commitment to the global body of Christ.
Consumerism: The Gospel of More
Consumerism undermines the gospel by equating human worth with material success. In baptism, we reject this narrative, confessing that our ultimate fulfillment comes from God. Jesus’ warning in Luke 12:15, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed,” reminds us that possessions cannot give life. Yet consumerism seduces us with the promise that we can buy our way to happiness or security.
The Baptismal Covenant’s call to “seek and serve Christ in all persons” and to “respect the dignity of every human being” directly challenges consumerism’s dehumanizing effects. When profit is prioritized over people, dignity is diminished. The church is called to model an economy of generosity, where resources are shared and the needs of the vulnerable are met, as in the early church’s practice of holding all things in common (Acts 4:32-35).
Violence: The Denial of Peace
Baptism calls us to renounce violence, affirming our identity as peacemakers. Yet violence pervades American culture—not only in physical acts but also in systemic injustices, speech, and attitudes of domination. Jesus’ words, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (Matthew 5:9), challenge us to confront violence in all its forms, from interpersonal conflict to the structures of racism, sexism, and economic exploitation.
The Baptismal Covenant explicitly asks, “Will you strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being?” This vow is not abstract; it demands active resistance to the systems that perpetuate harm. Following the example of Jesus, who responded to violence with love, we are called to embody nonviolence in our actions and advocate for systemic change.
Affluence: A Blinding Comfort
Affluence creates a spiritual blindness that insulates us from the suffering of others. Jesus’ mission, as proclaimed in Luke 4:18, centers on the poor and marginalized. The baptized life calls us to align with this mission, rejecting the comfort of privilege when it distances us from the needs of our neighbors.
In Matthew 25:31-46, Jesus identifies himself with “the least of these”—the hungry, the sick, the imprisoned. Our baptismal promise to “strive for justice” is a commitment to solidarity with those who are oppressed, recognizing that their liberation is bound up with our salvation. Affluence is not inherently evil, but it becomes an idol when it is hoarded rather than used to advance God’s kingdom.
The Episcopal Church’s Baptismal Covenant: A Radical Vision
The Baptismal Covenant provides a countercultural manifesto for living as God’s people in the world. Its promises echo the vision of Micah 6:8: “What does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” This is a call to a life of humility, compassion, and justice—a life that rejects the idols of culture and embraces the values of God’s kingdom.
Each vow of the covenant challenges us to embody our faith in concrete ways. To “continue in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship” means immersing ourselves in Scripture and the sacraments, drawing strength from the community of faith. To “proclaim by word and example the Good News of God in Christ” requires courage to speak and live out the gospel, even when it is countercultural.
The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting.
G.K. Chesterton
It has been found difficult; and left untried.
Reclaiming Our Baptismal Identity
Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s concept of “costly grace” in The Cost of Discipleship provides a crucial lens for understanding baptism. Grace, Bonhoeffer writes, is costly because it demands our whole life. Baptism is not merely a symbol; it is a lifelong commitment to die to self and rise with Christ.
Brueggemann’s critique forces us to ask whether we have settled for “cheap grace,” allowing our faith to be shaped by convenience rather than conviction. Reclaiming our baptismal identity requires courage, intentionality, and a willingness to be uncomfortable. It calls us to resist the idols of patriotism, consumerism, violence, and affluence, and to live as a community shaped by the radical love of Christ.
Living Into Our Baptism
Living as baptized people is a communal endeavor. The church must hold one another accountable, offering both encouragement and challenge. This work is sustained by the Spirit, who empowers us to fulfill our vows. As a prayer in our Baptismal service proclaims, “Sustain them, O Lord, in your Holy Spirit… the courage to will and to persevere” (The Book of Common Prayer, 1979, p. 308).
May we, as the Episcopal Church, embrace Brueggemann’s challenge and live into the full depth of our Baptismal Covenant. Only then can we embody the kingdom of God, bearing witness to justice, peace, and love in a world desperately in need of transformation.
References
Bonhoeffer, D. (1995). The cost of discipleship (R. H. Fuller, Trans.). Touchstone.
Brueggemann, W. (2016). A way other than our own: Devotions for Lent. Westminster John Knox Press.
Chesterton, G. K. (2007). What’s wrong with the world (Dover ed.). Dover Publications.
Hauerwas, S., & Willimon, W. H. (1989). Resident aliens: Life in the Christian colony. Abingdon Press.
The Episcopal Church. (1979). The Book of Common Prayer. Church Publishing.
New Revised Standard Version Bible. (1989). National Council of the Churches of Christ.