A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith

by Brian D. McLaren

Hardcover, 2010

Status

Available

Call number

230

Genres

Religion & Spirituality

Nonfiction

General Nonfiction

All Topics

Collection

Your library

Publication

HarperOne (2010), Edition: 1, 320 pages

Description

Examines ten questions facing Christianity today, including questions about authority, God, Jesus, how to articulate the faith itself, and the nature of the gospel, and lays out a vision of what the church will look like for its next five hundred years.

User reviews

LibraryThing member gdill

"A New Kind of Christianity" seems to be a bit different than McLaren's previous works. Aside from a few ethical issues he touches upon (i.e. sexuality, pluralism), this work seems to be primarily about a new hermeneutic rather than emergent theology. I was struck by McLaren's insightful analysis

of Romans, along with a cursory review of Genesis, Exodus, and Jonah. It quickly became obvious that McLaren seems to interpret Scripture from a metaphorical perspective rather than a literal interpretation commonly held by many evangelicals today. I believe this is a good thing since literal interpretations of Scripture have led to many evils wrought upon world history (slavery, Crusades, witch hunts, Manifest Destiny, racism, etc.) and not to mention the damage it does to the context for which the Bible was written (i.e. 1st century Judaism). Instead, McLaren encourages his readers to begin reading the Bible through the lens of a continuous story narrative rather than from a deterministic, Greco-Roman, constitutional style. Thus, allowing the Bible to essentially read us rather than us trying to read it with our own biased views. In most part I agree with his principles, however, I believe McLaren took license with some of his interpretations (i.e. associating the eunuch of Acts as a homosexual). I don't think this is McLaren's best work, but it's certainly not his worst. He put a lot of thought and effort into this work, most of which had an impact on the way I now view the Bible along with its meaning and application to my life. I didn't agree with everything (I never do with any book), but in typical McLaren fashion, there was a lot of fresh new insight into how we should live amongst other believers, what the kingdom of God should look like, and how we should incarnate that kingdom on earth... now.

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LibraryThing member jlhilljr

I've previously read a couple of different books by McLaren, including "A Generous Orthodoxy," which I found both helpful and, at times, a little forced in its methodology. However, this new contribution is a much needed voice in the Christian community. On a couple of rare occasions McLaren will

over-simplify to allow a concept to fit a mold, but on a whole this book begins discussions which simply must happen in 21st century Christianity. I highly recommend this work, both as an individual read and a group discussion starter. I will grant it a rare 5 stars.

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LibraryThing member michelleannlib

I liked the ideas in this book, but I felt the ideas were a bit over explained at times. The writing could have been stronger, and a little less dense. But this is a good read for those truly interested in thoughtful conversation about faith.

LibraryThing member keylawk

McLaren tracks Biblical themes to contemporary life, and works hard to present religion as something that actually "works", if only more people would try it. For example, the "peaceable kingdom" is a powerful and persistent theme in scripture--promised by the God of the Tanak, ushered in by Jesus,

and repeatedly evoked by St Paul. [63, 65, 150]. And yet the contemporary "Churches" -- now almost extinct as a result of "Mega" syndication by media entities -- have almost entirely ignored this powerful message. McLaren to his credit, tracks this theme into our lives from its Biblical roots.

Another theme which McLaren beautifully lifts up from the Scripture is the importance of an inclusive, diverse and "beloved community". McLaren tracks this theme as a continuing process from the earliest Biblical roots, and manages to pull it through the martyrs of the Reformation to the fractious present.

McLaren devotes one section to a study of Book of Job, which all who love the Word will favorite. He notes that the Book is the oldest of the Hebrew Canon and that it is meant to begin, not end, the great dialogue in which we are all engaged. [87-95].

Christianity has been stained and discredited by so-called conservative Christians. [6-7] However, McLaren spends little time on the Ralph Reed political fund-raising and the Roger Ailes Luntz-Rovian focus-groups who were paid by Neo-feudalist billionaires to convert "Christians" into haters. McLaren does not go negative. He steps directly forward with the truth of the gospel teaching -- with our sacred lives expressed in wonderful processes of lived theology, and an evolving understanding of the divine.

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