📘 Lexicon Entry: Practical Atheism

A theological mutation where orthodox Christian beliefs are maintained intellectually but have no practical impact on daily life, decisions, or ethical behavior

Practical Atheism represents a theological mutation characterized by the disconnection between professed theological beliefs and lived practice. While maintaining orthodox doctrinal positions intellectually, this mutation functions as if God is absent from practical decision-making, ethical choices, and daily life. Unlike theoretical atheism which explicitly denies God’s existence, practical atheism affirms God’s reality while living as if divine presence and purposes are irrelevant to actual life. This mutation undermines the integration of faith and practice that characterizes authentic Christianity, creating compartmentalized religion that serves primarily social and cultural functions rather than transformative spiritual purposes. Practical atheism often provides the theological foundation for Dominative Christianism and MAGA Christianism, enabling the use of Christian identity for political purposes while avoiding the demanding ethical implications of actual discipleship.

Theological Mutation

theory-practice divide, compartmentalized faith, cultural Christianity, nominal belief, spiritual formation, discipleship, ethical integration

Geevarghese-Uffman, Craig. “Practical Atheism.” *Political Theology Lexicon*. https://www.commonlifepolitics.com/p/lexicon. Accessed [date].

Faith and practice integrated through discipleship that transforms daily life

Theological beliefs expressed through ethical behavior and spiritual formation

Divine presence acknowledged through worship, prayer, and moral decision-making

Christianity as comprehensive way of life rather than compartmentalized belief system

Orthodox beliefs maintained intellectually while having no practical impact on daily life

Faith compartmentalized away from business, politics, relationships, and ethical choices

Christian identity used primarily for social and cultural positioning rather than spiritual transformation

Reduction of Christianity to intellectual assent without embodied discipleship

Disconnection between professed beliefs and lived practice

Compartmentalization of faith away from practical decision-making

Use of Christian identity for social positioning without spiritual transformation

Resistance to ethical demands of gospel message

Emerged from Enlightenment separation of reason and faith

Reinforced by American individualism and privatization of religion

Accelerated by consumer culture and prosperity-focused spirituality

Institutionalized through cultural Christianity that emphasizes identity over transformation

Separation of justification from sanctification in daily life

Reduction of salvation to personal insurance policy rather than life transformation

Minimization of discipleship costs and ethical demands

Instrumentalization of faith for non-spiritual purposes

Ignoring Jesus’s call to take up the cross and follow him

Separating faith from works in ways that eliminate practical implications

Reducing great commission to cultural transmission rather than spiritual transformation

Missing integration of worship and justice throughout biblical narrative

Business practices that contradict professed Christian values

Political allegiances that override gospel priorities

Lifestyle choices indistinguishable from secular materialism

Church attendance without life transformation or spiritual growth

Supporting policies that contradict Christian teaching about immigrants and refugees

Prioritizing political loyalty over gospel demands for truth-telling

Embracing narratives of vengeance and retribution while professing forgiveness

Using Christian identity to justify cultural dominance without embodying Christian virtues

Claiming divine blessing for national policies while ignoring their impact on vulnerable populations

Asserting chosenness while avoiding ethical responsibilities that come with election

Reducing providence to divine endorsement of existing cultural arrangements

Separating God’s sovereignty from demands for justice and mercy

Undermining of Christian witness through hypocrisy and inconsistency

Reduction of Christianity to cultural marker rather than transformative faith

Alienation of seekers who observe disconnect between beliefs and behavior

Weakening of church’s prophetic voice in public life

Studies of belief-behavior gaps in American Christianity

Research on secularization and compartmentalization of religious faith

Analysis of cultural Christianity versus transformative discipleship

Dallas Willard

Lesslie Newbigin

Related Primary Concepts: Dominative Christianism, MAGA Christianism, Christianism

Key Mutations: Primitive Biblicism, Binary Apocalypticism, Tribal Epistemology

Contemporary Movements: Christian Nationalism

Theological Alternatives: Being With, Relational Receptivity

Historical Context: Civil Religion, Cotton Evangelicalism

May 22, 2025

*This entry is part of the Political Theology Lexicon, accessible exclusively to subscribers. View the complete lexicon to explore related concepts and the full theoretical framework.*