> Okay, perhaps you want to say that this isn’t an example of me being intellectually interested by a Christian idea, per se. That I could’ve found this example at a philosophy conference. But my point is that going to church makes me think about all kinds of intellectually interesting things. That it’s not just that I remain intellectually interested in Christian theology, but that I also find church services — and particularly, the philosophical seriousness of their texts and liturgy — a valuable and particular source of non-theological intellectual stimulation.
In fact, this is the ONLY reason I enjoy occasionally attending church - particularly cathedrals even though I'm not religious in the slightest. When I was traveling through Mexico, many of the cathedrals I visited had beautiful architecture and encouraged the random wandering visitor. I love the quiet nature from the hallowed hallways.
I also enjoy attending the occasional Methodist service because there’s a good chance they’ll have a pipe organ, and listening to the works of Dietrich Buxtehude performed on these majestic instruments creates an atmosphere that allows me to be genuinely contemplative.
For me, religion without the pageantry, historical continuity, and ritual is just a big null reference - hence why I could never identify with non-denominational Protestantism in the United States.