Another high-profile Christian personality has announced that he is no longer part of the faith, a report says.
Paul Maxwell, formerly a writer for John Piper's Desiring God, has announced that he is no longer a Christian, the Christian Post reported.
Maxwell made the announcement via a post in Instagram, saying "What I really miss is connection with people."
"What I've discovered is that I'm ready to connect again. And I'm kind of ready not to be angry anymore. I love you guys, and I love all the friendships and support I've built here. And I think it's important to say that I'm just not a Christian anymore, and it feels really good. I'm really happy."
He didn't explain the reason why he departed from the faith, but indicated that he is still figuring out what to do next.
"I can't wait to discover what kind of connection I can have with all of you beautiful people as I try to figure out what's next," he said. "I love you guys. I'm in a really good spot. Probably the best spot of my life. I'm so full of joy for the first time. I love my life."
People tried to reach out to Maxwell regarding his decision. While some of them warned him about the results of his turning away from the faith, some of them expressed their sadness at his decision to turn his back from Jesus Christ. The fitness buff, who owns a Facebook account named "TheoFitCo," acknowledged the love that they have for him, but stopped at merely "respecting" their comments.
"I just say, 'I know that you love me.' I know, and I receive it as love. I know you care about the eternal state of my soul and you pushed through the social awkwardness of telling me this because you don't want me to suffer. And that is a good thing," he said. "That's a loving thing to do. And I hear where you're coming from, and I respect your perspective."
Maxwell has a Ph.D. in theology and has written various articles talking about theology, trauma, and fitness. In his website, he invites interested people into a journey of gaining more "theological clarity."
"My calling is to provide theological clarity for myself. I invite you into that journey with me," he wrote.
The theologian was meant to give fans and interested parties "all access" to his books, premium articles and courses come April 15.
"My goal is to build a healthy community of self-paced adult learners," he wrote. "If you would like to support high-quality online theological education, I invite you to join the hundreds of others who will begin these courses with me April 15th."
He ended his invitation with what appears to be a very warm salutation -which contradicts his recent Instagram post:
"Your friend in Christ, Paul Maxwell, Ph.D."
Maxwell's recent book, "The Trauma of Doctrine: New Calvinism, Religious Abuse, and the Experience of God," delves into the "effects of abuse trauma" that a Christian can experience when faced with Calvinist belief.
While the book looks into the effects that Calvinist belief have on a "traumatized Christian" who "negatively internalizes" its doctrines, it also "charts a way toward meaningful spiritual recovery." Various personalities offered praise to the book and consider it a must-read.
It's currently unclear as to why Maxwell suddenly decided to leave the Christian faith. Christianity Daily reached out to him for answers.
Believers are urged to pray for Dr. Paul Maxwell.
