A New Kind Of Christian
Brian McLaren
So I finally got to finish reading Brian McLaren's "A New Kind Of Christian". Yeah I know, I'm really late in getting to read this. Anyway, when I first heard about this book, I have to admit I started feeling nautious. I thought, "Oh great. Another 'how to' book on being a Christian in a postmodern age. More principles, lists, and cool ways of being a Christian. What the hell is a 'new kind of Christian' anyway?!?!" So I avoided it for a while, thinking it was the newest fad in Christianity. Then I started hearing all the harsh criticism directed at Mr. McLaren. You know, things like heretic, gnostic, son of the devil, etc. Then I thought, "Ok, now I'm interested in reading this!"
So, like I said, I just finished it. And I loved it. It was like reading in a book all the thoughts that have been floating around in my head for a long time. So, for me, this book wasn't so "shocking" or "radical" as some make it out to be. For all the criticism I've heard about what McLaren wrote, I could pull out passages in the book to refute what the critics said. You just have to look deeper into what he's saying to see where he's coming from. To sum it up, he takes all the sacred idols within Christianity, and questions them. Yes people, isn't that so (sarcasm inserted here) radical! And what's great is that it's written as a fiction book, a majority of it being a conversation between the 2 main characters, Dan and Neo. For anyone who's constantly fed up with being religious, and for anyone who's not a Christian and is constantly annoyed by them, then this book is for you. I will end this with one of my favorite quotes in the book, when Neo told Dan:
"Look, Dan, I believe Jesus is the Savior, not Christianity."
7 comments:
Then I started hearing all the harsh criticism directed at Mr. McLaren. You know, things like heretic, gnostic, son of the devil, etc. Then I thought, "Ok, now I'm interested in reading this!"
Sounds like the criticism they leveled against Jesus. I guess maybe I should be more interested in reading the gospels...
I like that quote..I like it a lot.
did not mean to be anonymous...
I haven't read the book but I will. I'm a fan of Jesus and I like reading what other people have to say about him but like Mark Driscoll I think some of the leaders of the "emergent" "conversation" like questions more than answers and I'll have to admit they've led me on a rabbit trail that only the Jesus of the Bible can draw me back from. Shalom
I think some of the leaders of the "emergent" "conversation" like questions more than answers
I couldn't agree more. The emerging world is addicted to their own struggle. And while I have enjoyed the "conversation" many times, it can get pretty confusing when you're actually trying to live life, and all you have are questions (although they do a great job of awakening Christians to social justice issues...).
Jesus said He was the Way, the Truth & the Light. That doesn't sound very subjective to me. I think you're right. He's the only One who can truly draw any of us back.
I am punk rock. I have problems with movements, even non movement movements. They are still movements. To quote Switchfoot, "Love is a movement". I don't want a philosophy of life, I don't want theology, I don't want anymore questions other than this one...Why not love? Show freaking love, show mercy, invite losers into your life. Don't make them feel less than you. Give away whatever you don't need. Help people, not just the poor. Everyone is poor. If you want to be emergent, emerge from your insular little bubble and open yourself up to other people. That would really be something if we just looked to do that. Think about all the time we waste trying to find THE ANSWERS. Love is the answer.
"To quote Switchfoot, "Love is a movement"."
I remember reading that inside the cover of "A Beautiful Letdown". At the end of the day, that's all that matters.
"Help people, not just the poor. "
BB, you're on to something. I've always felt guilty for not wanting to "only" help the physically poor and those in other countries. Of course they do need help, and we should! What about the people here? What about your next door neighbor? What about someone who is depressed, bipolar, lonely, scared, going through a divorce, having a damn hard time raising their kids, emotionally abused/ neglected, and just had it with life? To me that is "poor". Just as someone is in a 3rd world country.
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