In this episode of Snarky Faith, Stuart talks with Gregory T. Smith about bringing the teachings of Jesus into conversation with the wisdom of Lao Tzu.
Gregory is the author of Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Way of Love (https://amzn.to/4AeuraU), a devotional-style exploration of Christianity and Taoism that invites readers to consider where the two traditions resonate without collapsing one into the other. After more than twenty-five years in ordained Christian ministry, Gregory now works in social services in the Pacific Northwest and writes the Breathing Space blog at Patheos.
The conversation begins with Gregory’s long relationship with Taoism, stretching back to a ninth-grade history class and later his discovery of The Tao of Pooh. He explains how Taoist ideas such as humility, trust, non-striving, and going with the flow gave him another way to think about the teachings of Jesus.
Stuart and Gregory discuss what Gregory calls the rise of “muscular Christianity” in North America—a version of the faith increasingly shaped by aggression, dominance, certainty, and political power. Gregory contrasts that with the gentleness and non-coercion he sees in both Jesus and the Tao Te Ching, arguing that Christianity may need voices outside itself to remember what it has lost.
They also explore Christianity’s grasp for power and the temptation to prioritize cultural influence over the way of love. Gregory connects that impulse to the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness and argues that much of the modern church has become more interested in winning than following the example of Jesus.
The conversation turns toward certainty, truth, and humility. Gregory argues that certainty can become a barrier to genuine conversation when being right matters more than listening, learning, or encountering another person honestly. As he puts it, the opposite of certainty is not uncertainty—it is humility.
They also discuss interfaith dialogue and what it looks like for Christians to learn from another religious tradition without trying to convert, absorb, or claim ownership of it. For Gregory, encountering Taoism is not about replacing Christianity, but allowing another wisdom tradition to hold up a mirror to it.
Topics include:
• Christianity and Taoism
• Jesus and Lao Tzu
• The Tao Te Ching
• Muscular Christianity
• Christianity and political power
• Humility versus certainty
• Nonviolence and non-coercion
• Interfaith dialogue
• Spiritual control and religious power
• The Tao of Pooh
• Rediscovering the teachings of Jesus
• Choosing love over domination
About Gregory:
Gregory T. Smith is the author of Jesus and Lao Tzu: The Way of Love, coming September 22 from Quoir Publishing. He spent more than twenty-five years in ordained Christian ministry and now works in social services in the Pacific Northwest. His book brings the teachings of Jesus into conversation with the Tao Te Ching and has been endorsed by Wm. Paul Young, Rabbi Rami Shapiro, and Brad Jersak. Gregory also writes the Breathing Space blog at Patheos.
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