Review of McLaren's A N EW KIND OF CHRISTIANITY

Brian McLaren’s new book A New Kind of Christianity is now out. McLaren is now a veteran of what is called the “emerging church movement” (whatever exactly that is!). This book is a kind of consolidation of his questions, insights, and experiences of moving among many groups of people around the world who are disaffected with the church as they/we have experienced it. McLaren distills this wealth of “data” into ten questions he believes captures the spirit that’s “blowin’ in the wind” among these folk. Assured of a wide readership, A New Kind of Christianity is worth spending some time on in the next few days.

In the first chapter McLaren sets the table by recounting some of his own journey from evangelical certainty to awareness of “appearanccs” (a Medieval term for anomalies [discrepancies] in observing the movement of stars and planets to a deconstruction and reconstruction of his faith. Or, as he prefers to put it, “a new way of believing.”

If you are reading this book you probably do not need to be persuaded of the sins and follies of the church through the centuries and millennia. McLaren invokes the Woody Allen line that if Jesus were ever to see what his church has done in his name, he’d “never stop throwing up.” (12) And he’s right! The message of the risen Christ to the church in Laodicea in Revelation 3:14-22 suggests biblical precedent for such an image!

Chapter 2 provides an introduction to the “ten questions” Mclaren intends to raise for consideration and conversation. He prefaces these questions with a general statement:
“It’s time for a new quest, launched by new questions, a quest across denomin ations around the world, a quest for new ways to believe and new ways to live and serve faithfully in the way of Jesus, a quest for a new kind of Christian faith.” (18)

The ten questions follow:
1. What is the overarching story line of the Bible?
2. How should the Bible be understood?
3. Is God violent?
4. Who is Jesus and why is he important?
5. What is the gospel?
6. What do we do about the church?
7. Can we find a way to address human sexuality without fighting about it?
8. Can we find a better way of viewing the future?
9. How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?
10. How can we translate our great quest into action?

Without having read more than these first two chapters, a couple of things struck me. First, there a basically two questions McLaren raises, questions 5 and 10. Questions 1-4 are sub-questions of question 5 while questions 6-9 are sub-questions of 10. I hope McLaren will work toward some integration around these central issues rather than simply treat each as discrete questions. Second, I dooubt if “quest” is the best image or metaphor for what we need?

I have just completed a manuscript entitled “The Incredible Shrinking Gospel: The Crisis of Evangelism in the 21st Century.” In it I have been occupied with many of the concerns and issues McLaren addresses. However, I am persuaded that it is not our quest for “a new kind of Christianity “which finally matters as it is our enlisting in God’s purposes and following God’s intentions. As I worked my way through what I believe is the central question for evangelism, “What is the Gospel?” (Brian’s question 5), I was led to the image of the church as God’s “Counter-Revolutionary” movement to re-establish God’s rule over his world. I find this dynamic and urgent imagery raises in an acute fashion issues of gospel and mission that need to be re-thought anew in North America. This image also suggests that the current structuring of the church in our land is not hospitable to this kind of gospel and self-understanding of the church. Thus, much needs to be re-imagined and configured differently for us to act faithfully on what the Bible calls the “good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mark 1:1).

I look forward, then, to reading McLaren’s work in tandem with my own and see what new insights or understandings emerge. I’ll be back in couple of days with some reflections on ch.3:”A Prayer on the Beach.”