"A generous orthodoxy" by Brian McLaren

[h***@geneva.rutgers.edu]

A number of people, several of them Orthodox, have asked me what I thought
of Brian McLaren=92s book A generous orthodoxy. I=92ve now, at last, managed
to get hold of a copy of the book, and I=92m busy reading it. I've written
some preliminary impressions on my blog here
http://khanya.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/a-generous-orthodoxy/

I recommend his blog entry, as much for what it tells us about Steve
as McLaren.

I've read a few of McLaren's books. I recommend them. As far as I can
tell, he's theologically a generic liberal Protestant. But because of
his evangelical background, he still thinks of liberalism as alien. So
he thinks he's invented it all himself.

He's one of a number of people trying to look at the practical
implications of ideas from N.T. Wright and other current NT scholars.
It's an enterprise to be encouraged.

[Steve Hayes]

Post by h***@geneva.rutgers.edu

A number of people, several of them Orthodox, have asked me what I thought
of Brian McLaren=92s book A generous orthodoxy. I=92ve now, at last, managed
to get hold of a copy of the book, and I=92m busy reading it. I've written
some preliminary impressions on my blog here
http://khanya.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/a-generous-orthodoxy/

I recommend his blog entry, as much for what it tells us about Steve
as McLaren.
I've read a few of McLaren's books. I recommend them. As far as I can
tell, he's theologically a generic liberal Protestant. But because of
his evangelical background, he still thinks of liberalism as alien. So
he thinks he's invented it all himself.

That's rather a good way of putting it, though I think there's a bit more to
it than that.

Liberal Protestants have written such books of pop theology, which tend to
have a very different direction to MaLaren's.

I do think that McLaren is writing primarily for fundamentalists, and hopes to
get them to rethink what the fundamentals are. Unfortunately when he himself
tries to say what he thinks the fundamentals are, i think he fluffs it.

[Catherine Jefferson]

Post by h***@geneva.rutgers.edu

A number of people, several of them Orthodox, have asked me what I thought
of Brian McLaren=92s book A generous orthodoxy. I=92ve now, at last, managed
to get hold of a copy of the book, and I=92m busy reading it. I've written
some preliminary impressions on my blog here
http://khanya.wordpress.com/2008/12/23/a-generous-orthodoxy/

Steve, you have kept company with some *interesting* people and groups
in your life. This blog looked more like a small autobiography than a
book review -- of any particular book. But it was very much worth
reading. Thanks for writing it.

Post by h***@geneva.rutgers.edu
I recommend his blog entry, as much for what it tells us about Steve
as McLaren.

I'd say great minds think alike, but my priest is already after me for
thinking too highly of myself. ;-)

Post by h***@geneva.rutgers.edu
I've read a few of McLaren's books. I recommend them. As far as I can
tell, he's theologically a generic liberal Protestant. But because of
his evangelical background, he still thinks of liberalism as alien. So
he thinks he's invented it all himself.
He's one of a number of people trying to look at the practical
implications of ideas from N.T. Wright and other current NT scholars.
It's an enterprise to be encouraged.

Okay.... I might not have been paying enough attention here, but this
name is new to me. Would you post a list of books you think are
important works by important writers in the Protestant world right now?
Maybe, with it, could you post a couple of lines describing each of
them?

I'm realizing, after a couple of years being married to an Evangelical
Protestant man who reads widely, that my experience with the Evangelical
world was rather narrow. (Not surprising; people from the conservative
wing of the American Restorationist movement didn't tend to mix much
with other Christians at the time I was involved with them.) It's time
I built a better foundation.

Thanks!