Seeking a Better Theology
A Meditation by Rev. Cameron Trimble
“God saw everything that God had made, and indeed, it was very good.” — Genesis 1:31
As a congregational consultant, I spend a great deal of time in faith communities shaped by theology—often unconscious, but always present. One of the most deeply embedded theological frameworks in Western Christianity is the doctrine of original sin.
Rooted in the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis, this doctrine teaches that humanity’s story begins in disobedience. According to this interpretation, when Eve and Adam eat the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, they commit the first sin—disobeying God’s command. As punishment, they are cast out of the Garden of Eden. From this moment, says the doctrine, all human beings inherit a sinful nature. We are born broken. In need of rescue. Dependent on divine intervention—often mediated by hierarchical systems of power—to be saved, loved, or redeemed.
But the doctrine of original sin is more than a theological concept. It becomes an ontological frame—a way of seeing and sensing what it means to be human at all. It doesn’t merely say we’re flawed; it teaches us to narrate ourselves as fundamentally untrustworthy, spiritually bankrupt, and inherently shameful.
This cosmology seeds a deep sense of:
Inherent inadequacy
Dependency on external (divine or hierarchical) authority
Binary moral logic: saved vs. lost, good vs. evil, chosen vs. damned
Here’s the deeper danger: if your foundational story is that humans can’t be trusted, then of course you’re primed to welcome the strongman, the paternal figure, the “divine proxy” who can make the world right for you. That’s not just bad theology—it’s epistemic grooming for fascism. Sound familiar?!?
The psychological infrastructure shaped by sin-based theology—especially when paired with fear, scarcity, and shame—conditions us to surrender authority and prioritize control over compassion.
If I’m inherently bad, I can’t trust my own discernment.
If I can’t trust myself, I’ll outsource that power.
If the world is fallen and dangerous, I’ll trade freedom for protection.
Enter: authoritarianism—not just as a political ideology, but as a spiritual posture.
Gratefully, there is an older, truer story, a theology rooted not in shame, but in sacredness and a cosmology not of exile, but of blessing.
My teacher and colleague, Rev. Dr. Matthew Fox, offers us the liberating frame of Original Blessing—a view that centers goodness, creativity, and interconnectedness as the base note of existence.1 In this theology, we begin not in sin, but in sacred belonging.
This orientation reorganizes the relational field entirely:
From control to communion
From punishment to participation
From hierarchical domination to shared stewardship
In this frame, salvation isn’t about being rescued—it’s about remembering. A re-membering of ourselves back into the web of life, the sacred community of all things. If we are to build a more just, liberated, and generative world, then this theological shift isn’t optional—it’s essential.
The old story of sin and seperation has brought us to this point. A better story, just as old, can lead us back into life. Let’s tell a better, truer story.
We are in this together,
Cameron
Reflection Questions
What foundational story about humanity were you taught growing up? How has it shaped your self-understanding?
Where in your life do you notice yourself seeking external validation or control in response to fear or uncertainty?
What shifts when you imagine yourself—and others—as inherently blessed, sacred, and trustworthy?
A Prayer for the Day
A Prayer for Remembering Our Sacredness
Holy Source of Life, You who knit us together with care and intention, We come to you weary from stories that diminish and divide. We have carried the weight of shame too long. We have believed that we were not enough— Not holy enough, not good enough, not worthy enough to belong. But today, we remember. We remember that before there was sin, there was blessing. Before exile, there was belonging. Before the story of brokenness, there was a garden of sacred possibility. Help us reclaim our place in the web of life. Help us trust the wisdom that lives within and between us. Let us rise with the dignity of those who know they are loved— Not because of what we earn or believe, But because of who we are: Original Blessing, made in the image of Love. Amen.
Spiritual Practice
Rewriting Your Origin Story
Spend time reflecting on the story you’ve internalized about being human.
Find a quiet space. Place one hand over your heart. Breathe deeply. Then, on a piece of paper or in your journal, complete the following prompts:
“The story I was told about what it means to be human is…”
“That story taught me to believe…”
“But I am beginning to see that the truer story is…”
Don’t rush this. Let it emerge slowly. You may wish to read it aloud when you’re finished. Notice how it feels in your body to speak this new story.
If it feels right, write a simple blessing for yourself at the end. Something like: “I am made of goodness. I belong. I trust my voice.”
Let this be a gentle act of spiritual rebellion: To tell a better story. To live as if it’s true. To invite others into the remembering.
Upcoming Events That Might Be of Interest…
September 4, 5:30pm ET - I will be collaborating with the Anderson Forum for Progressive Theology to host a conversation with Thomas Jay Oord on Open and Relational theology. It’s a FREE event. Register here.
October 23, 30, November 13, 20 2025, 7pm ET - In Search of a New Story: Reimagining What Comes Next, A 4-Part Online Series with Dr. Matthew Fox, Cameron Trimble, Ilia Delio, Diana Butler Bass, Caroline Myss and other Special Guests. We are living through the unraveling of many old stories—about who we are, why we’re here, and how we are meant to live together on this Earth. As these inherited narratives collapse under the weight of climate crisis, social fragmentation, and spiritual disconnection, the question becomes clear: What story will guide us now? REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!
I drafted a Strategic Framework for Congregations as we move into the coming years of increased authoritarianism around the world. If interested, you can download it here.
If you are a leader or member of a congregation looking for consulting support in visioning, planning, hiring or staffing, please consider Convergence.
Thank you, thank you...my heart leaped for joy as I read this reflection ....a long time ago as a young child I knew in my heart that I was born in and of Love, and today as an old woman in her eighties I am still being transformed by that birthing process, and loving that I am LOVE.
How I wish we all could embrace this theology of connectness without the pejorative frame. It's as if you crawled into my head. Thank you for this morning dose of grace.