Comments on: Brian McLaren: A New Kind of Christianity?

By: Tim Moore

Tim Moore — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 14:20:32 +0000

I don’t know enough about the book to comment on its content, but from what I’ve read about it, it looks like the sort of title “progressive” Christians would be happy to claim as their own. Like Rodney, I have seen progressive Christians take a dismissive attitude towards Evangelicals as a whole, often failing to differentiate all Evangelicals from what might otherwise be described as “fundies”.

I share Gladys’s observation that the “emergent” Church is moving itself away from its institutional church roots. I think the current polarised debate struggles to find a place for the growing number of “radical” or “emergent” Christians who differentiate themselves from Evangelicals and Liberals.

Radical or Emergent Christianity is not a “combination” of liberalism and evangelicalism, but may contain characteristics of both. With the overlap between these three identified groups, they cannot be boxed very neatly.

By: rodney neill

rodney neill — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 08:29:06 +0000

I too have followed the debate about this book with interest….imho brians book is a stetement of classic liberal or ‘progressive’ theology which is then recieved against the very polarised and contentious evangelical vs progressive debate within the Christian tradition in the States…hence the very negative reactions in the evangelical camp. There are very significant differences at stake in the theology of both which is easy to downplay.

I have encountered quite patronising, sneering (dismissed as fundies) and arrogant attitudes towards evangelicals from progressive Christians both in NI in conversation and reading blogs from the States…I been guilty of this myself. It is sad but the reality of the situation

Rodney

By: Gladys Ganiel

Gladys Ganiel — Wed, 31 Mar 2010 15:32:44 +0000

So much for debate between evangelicals and emergence Christians …

I’ve just seen this blog post by ‘Mason’ in Grand Rapids, who says of his plans to attend Peter Rollins’ upcoming Insurrection tour:

While discussing the upcoming tour with friends, I was struck by the fact that some were insistent that their potential attendance was kept ‘off the record’ as it were, because of their ministerial positions.

In other words, they were concerned about the response if they listened.

Not if they went back and taught what Rollins teaches, not if they endorsed him to the church, but if people knew they simply listened.

You can read the complete post here: http://newwaystheology.blogspot.com/2010/03/can-we-listen-to-rollins.html