Edgework

In this final essay in dialogue with Brian McLaren about his book, A New Kind of Christianity, I will be sharing what this dialogical journey has meant to me. In my first essay in this series I noted that McLaren and I come from similar backgrounds and have had similar experiences. So it is not surprising, I suppose, that the wrestling we have done concerning matters of faith and life run somewhat parallel to each other. While I am not ready to suggest that McLaren has all the answers, I am prepared to say that, for the most part, I find myself comfortable on the page he is on.

One general observation I have made repeatedly is that McLaren has articulated well at least some of the broad brush strokes of a Theology of Anabaptism. I see this, for example, in his focus on the gospel of the kingdom which inevitably leads to a life of discipleship steeped in the ethic of the Kingdom of God as taught by Jesus. I also see it in his insistence that God is Love writ large; not vindictive or retaliatory. Like Anabaptists, McLaren holds that the Old Testament must be read through the eyes of Christ. Also that we must read Paul in light of Jesus, not Jesus in light of Paul as evangelicals are prone to do. These Anabaptist bases are basically what I have taught in my courses in Anabaptist History and Theology at Steinbach Bible College for many years. So I feel affirmed by the thought that some of the key elements of Anabaptism are finding a broadened audience in the 21st century.

Another important contribution McLaren makes is to suggest that the Bible should be read as “library” instead of “constitution.” In a sense this is the direction in which I have been moving for quite some time, but McLaren helped me put this idea into a more concrete perspective. Constitutional reading tends toward proof texting which inevitably leads to a secularization process within the church. With no chapter and verse to answer many modern ethical questions, it is very tempting to adopt the “common sense” of our prevailing culture without careful thought given to the larger kingdom principles rooted in Jesus’ life and teaching. Reading the Bible as library provides a broader perspective of what God’s vision is.

The chapters that were most challenging for me were The Sex Question, The Future Question, and the Pluralism Question. While I have given considerable thought to all of these questions in the past, McLaren’s writing helped me to focus my thinking more sharply in these areas.

With respect to the sex question, I must admit that I am still on a journey. But McLaren’s thinking has helped me to deconstruct some of my defenses of the status quo position of most evangelicals. I find it helpful to think of homosexuality, for example, in the context of wider sexual issues. Perhaps we are having more problems with heterosexuality than with homosexuality in our churches. I was particularly moved by the thought that the Ethiopian Eunuch was fully accepted by God even though he was sexually “other.” More work remains for me on this file.

With respect to the future question, I found it helpful to follow McLaren’s thinking about the concept of judgment as “putting things right” instead of always implying condemnation. This puts end-time perspectives in a more positive light than most evangelicals are willing to allow. I am not really prepared to accept the parousia (the return of Christ) as having taken place at the time of the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70 as McLaren suggests. But I do agree with him that we do not have to be waiting around with idle hands for Christ’s return before we can engage in purposeful kingdom living. Still, from my point of view, McLaren would do well to incorporate into his thinking greater attention to the concept of resurrection as N. T. Wright does in his book, Surprised by Hope.

With respect to the pluralism question, I have come a long way from the narrow view I was raised in. For example, I can affirm that God is at work in many other “versions” of Christianity than my own. This gives me opportunity to “fellowship” with believers on a wide front and in a deep way. But beyond that, McLaren has helped me to think more clearly about the possibility that God is at work beyond the confines of Christian circles. Not only does the Bible affirm this in various places, but I have begun to take note of the ways God is at work in the whole world. McLaren’s advice to apply the Golden Rule when relating to people outside one’s faith tradition is appropriate: Treat others like you would like to be treated.

At the end of the book, McLaren offers some sage advice about what to do with new insights gained in the quest for authentic Christianity. “Don’t force this quest on anyone, and don’t hide it under a bushel either.” “Outside of your church you can find a local or online cohort for mutual support and encouragement, but inside your church just be as much of a joyful presence as possible.” “Bless people. Don’t try to lead them or challenge them until you have truly blessed them.” “I think that in many cases established congregations and informal faith communities can learn to coexist and in fact develop a real synergy together.” “We need to show that what we seek is more true, not less, to our primal living tradition as found in Scripture.” “Keep your short-term expectations low and your long-term hopes high.” “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to far, go together” (245-250).

Lots to do and lots to think about as our quest for authentic Christianity continues!

For On-Going Dialogue:

1. In what ways does Brain McLaren’s journey compare or contrast with yours?
2. Is it appropriate and correct to see in McLaren’s writings a renewal of Anabaptist understandings? Why or why not?
3. How has this study affected the way you read the Bible?
4. What topics that McLaren raises do you find most challenging? Are you prepared to continue questing for a renewed faith in the 21st century? Or are you content with where you are at right now?