We all must believe in something. Our beliefs shape the way we see the world, ourselves, and others. They are tools that help us to live meaningful lives. I believe in many things: love, grace, peace, hope. I believe in these things because I know in an indescribable way that they are beautiful, and they make the world a better place.

Yet I wonder how it is possible that Evangelical Christianity remains obsessed with the affirmation of certain propositions? This obsession extends to the idea that people’s stance on these propositions may determine the eternal destiny of their souls. I know this because I too used to cling to these “essential truths” for my salvation, but I have come to realize that there is something much deeper at play than adherence to a set of beliefs.

Historically, the Christian church has referred to a list of essential beliefs as a “creed.” Each of the ancient creeds had value in a certain context at a particular time, but they were never the point. Creeds should be nothing more than a mechanism for steering us toward the real thing which may include but also transcends intellectual beliefs. But too often the creeds have become a mechanism for marginalizing or at least alienating people that are different than us.

“Preter” is a Latin prefix that means “beyond” so the term “pretercreed” is getting at this notion that we must move beyond mere belief toward something which is deeper. At the core of our humanity there is a shared sense of meaning and beauty that unites us and transcends the arbitrary lines we’ve drawn. Genuine truth is not handed down to us in a list of propositions that divide us. Rather it is something that is discovered by connecting in a deeper way with the divine presence that unifies us. I am convinced that this presence is in us and all around us yet utterly beyond us. Whether we refer to it as God, Spirit, the Universe or something else when we experience this presence we are changed.

Let’s journey together beyond belief.