Unironically Christian

prowling round the scene for the real real Jesus

In honor of our event at the Catholic Worker Maryhouse on 12/13, we’re unlocking this very spicy piece. RSVP to the event here.

A young lady in flapper garb came up to me and another friend to tell us she heard about our writing and—surprisingly enough—had no interest in schmoozing or networking. Rather, she asked us if we were “unironically Christian.”

“Ummm…yeah,” I said. “I like, actually love Jesus…at least I try.” She exploded with excitement, sharing that she’s been on a spiritual journey and has been looking for a church to go to. Needless to say, unironic Christianity is hard to come by in such a scene.

[this is our ungenerous take on scenester Catholicism…for the generous take, read this piece]

As the #tradcath trend continues making its way around subversive layers of internet discourse, many forget that the traditionalist Catholicism has been a “thing” for years.

Many were initially drawn to this trend because they felt disillusioned with the weakest parts of the Vatican 2 reforms. And it is worth noting that a significant portion of this crowd experiences some type of neurological and social challenges.

The latest brand of trad Catholicism—the subject of numerous think pieces ad nauseum (including my own)—that doesn’t hide its performative, ironic nature. And I must admit, it’s certainly quite compelling on an aesthetic level.