This is my current “read”. It’s good! What’s most interesting about it is the stir that McLaren has caused among the conservative evangelicals who can’t fault his emphasis on grace, but are deeply uneasy at his refusal to inhabit a particular “position”. One subtext among his critics is that he’s too gracious! He blurs boundaries and refuses to be sufficiently judgemental (in their view) about other positions and opinions. The book belongs within the sort of ructions caused by Steve Chalke’s criticisms of penal substitution.
McLaren is a postevangelical. Insofar as I would consider myself defintely post - and postevangelical rather than postliberal - what rings bells with me is the stress on passionate faith, personal encounter with God but the conviction that God doesn’t actually go in for the big, safe, theological systems that we’re far happier inhabiting. For those of us with a Reformed heritage, “system” is strongly characteristic of our theology! Yet Brian isn’t a “system” theologian - which is not to say that he isn’t systematic! It’ a good read - mischievous, deliberately provocative, tiresomely self-conscious, ironic, passionate and faithful. I like what he’s saying - but mainly because he agrees with me! Yet here’s the thing: he has a way of seeing faith andf the missionary and evangelical tasks in ways that will communicate with the millions of people for whom Church as they have known it just doesn’t scratch where they itch.
Here’s another good book that’s on my bedside table at the moment. It’s the Archbishop’sofficial 2006 Lentbook (so what’s it doing on my bedside table, rather than his???). Miroslav Volf is the Henry B Wright Professor of Theology at Yale Divinity School. He’s a Yugoslavian.
It’s a great read. There’s much that echoes Yancey’s What’s So Amazing About Grace? He sees western culture as graceless, and suggests that what we need is to relearn giving andf forgiving. Intensely personal and magnificently readable, it would be a good book to have as a discussion basis for a Church group.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Brian Holmes 03.21.07 at 8:05 pm
Hi Lawrence, just to let you know that I, too, am reading ‘A Generous Orthodoxy’ and am about halfway through.
At present, I have to say that his writing style is grating on me so much, I can’t really focus on what he’s saying too much, although I really liked the coverage of the 7 Jesus’ he has met: very informative and useful.
When you say “I like what he’s saying – but mainly because he agrees with me!” I think that you have hit the nail on the head. In some ways, my feeling is that his greatest innovation and contribution is having the guts to say it and to take the flack from the conservative evangelicals.
Anyway, I shall keep on reading it and then try to revisit it to be a bit more positive, especially as everybody is raving about it.
Alastair 03.27.07 at 8:31 pm
Lawrence - hi, long time no see, thanks to Brian’s link on his blog I found this. I recently read ‘a generous orthodoxy’ and liked what he said, but then we always like the stuff that (as you said) we agree with! I think that his content isn’t as radical as he thinks it is, at least in a UK context, but that he puts quite well lots of ideas that have been floating around in the Church for some while and makes a coherent argument for it.
I like it! And unlike Mr Holmes, I like the style, though perhaps it is a little self important whilst proclaiming humility.
As for Miroslav Volf, its one of those books that I bought a while back and keep meaning to read, but am stuck on some heavy Theological tome at the mo…
Alastair 03.30.07 at 4:45 pm
hmmm
left a long comment on this which seems to have disappeared
may have to try and remember what i said so i can rewrite it
Alastair 03.30.07 at 4:45 pm
and now it’s reappeared, but at least you have lots of comments now
Monte 04.09.07 at 6:16 pm
Hello Lawrence, I enjoyed this one, too. It seems to me that his generous spirit captures a sense of confidence in God’s presence and work that evangelicalism has often lacked. We have opposed so much because we have been afraid.
McLaren seems to actually believe that God is God enough to take care of things, and that it isn’t up to me to straighten everyone out.
And in that courage, I am emboldened to admit that there’s plenty to be straightened out in my own outlook.
“Perfect love casts out fear.”
Loffers 05.18.07 at 10:19 pm
Found both these books very useful. McLaren writes really well and has a generous spirit. Volf has a real depth to his theology and helps you look at even some fundamentals from a new perspective.
Check out my book recommendations for other books I’ve found helpful (in the Books section of ‘Loffers Lair’).
Loffers