McClaren, Brian, D. Everything Must Change. Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope. Thomas Nelson. 2007.
Comment. Henry.
It has been some time since my first reading of McClaren, it was ‘A Generous Orthodoxy”. There is nothing generous about this resource. It is very much ‘in your face’ kind of stuff. This does not endear Brian with many who feel targeted. I do not find fault with his message, however I cringe at some of his attacks on interpretations of scripture that have very much been a part of my spiritual journey. I feel badly when I interact with Brian’s uncle who is a resident in our condo complex and see the hurt that he is experiencing because he feels his nephew is into heresy. My read of this resource was a learning experience. I appreciate the challenge put before me and I don’t take my personal responsibility to truth discovered lightly.
The dysfunctions of our planet stem from, “four global crises; the prosperity crisis, the equity crisis, security crisis, and the spirituality crisis.” (5) This book is Brian’s answer to two life-long questions that he has wrestled with, “What are the world’s top problems, and what do the life and message of Jesus have to say about them?” (13) Experiences in Burundi and South Africa brought some answers to these questions.
Brian presents some helpful information about the story of postmodernism. He Book Review.
explores some identified global problems. He expounds on our “societal system machine driven by prosperity, security, and equity”. (55) These interdependent systems demand huge resources from our environment. Since these resources are limited the ‘machine’ is heading for self-destruction. “Our societies are driven by a dysfunctional framing story.” (73)
At the center of an alternative framing story is Jesus. The gospel is this alternative framing story. There are two views of this story, “the conventional view and the emerging view”. (78) Unfortunately these are contrasting and even conflicting views. In the time of Jesus the framing story was about Rome and its controlling emperors. “The Bible is the story of the partnership between God and humanity to save and transform all of human society and avert global self-destruction.” (94) Jesus focussed on the issues of the day and things relevant, not just on future salvation and eventual (heavenly) bliss. His kingdom is not OF this world but it is IN this world.
The ‘discrepancies’ in the teachings of our postmodern times are the result of conflicting interpretations of scripture. Our ‘framing story’ must change. Prosperity, security, and purpose in our global community come at too great a price. We need “the sacred ecosystem of God (which is) a transforming framing story”. (134) This requires a revisiting of scripture to get a better understanding of who Jesus really was (a volatile topic).
Brian invites his readers to the imagining of rebuilding the “three primary systems of our society (security, prosperity, equity)” (151) The cost of security is too great. The agenda of violence used to attain security must be replaced with justice attained by love.
“Theocapitalism” (192) is destroying the concept of valid prosperity. Good deeds and gratitude are Jesus’ measurement of prosperity. God’s kingdom is a kingdom of justice. “Both the poor and the rich need saving- from poverty and addictive wealth- a kind of kingdom of co-liberation.” (220)
“Systemic injustice” (238) is the cause of extreme poverty and extreme riches. Inequity is rampant. Economic reform “in trade, aid, debt, wages, justice, and community,” (257) has to happen.
When it comes to meaningful change “believing an alternative and transforming story may turn out to be the most radical thing any of us can ever do”. (270) The call to action that will result in the correct kind of change must happen at different levels; personal, community, public, and global levels. Jesus said, “Nothing will be impossible for you”, (by faith).
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Father & Son Finding Freedom
Book Review
Wangerin, Walter, Jr. Wangerin, Matthew. Father & Son Finding Freedom. Zondervan. 2008.
M.W.- is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on issues of faith and spirituality. He is writer- in- residence at Valparaiso University, Indiana.
Comment. Henry.
From time to time I will pick up a few books from the ‘discount table’ at our local Christian book store. This book caught my attention because of the title. I have four sons. The author-ship, father and son, intrigued me. The flyleaf summary was a ‘seller’.
The Wangerin family is made up of six members, mom and dad, two boys and two girls. One boy and one girl are adopted. This story is about the adopted boy and his father. Since both are authors of the book the bi-generational appeal of the story is strong.
In the story, Walter communicates a wealth of sound parenting advice that is required when relationships become challenging. Not only family relationships are dealt with but a number of cultural issues come up. Racial prejudice impacts this family since both adopted children are inter-racial.
The story speaks for itself. I will not include a “review” as such. This is a touching, very readable story that has a multi-generational, multi-racial appeal.
Wangerin, Walter, Jr. Wangerin, Matthew. Father & Son Finding Freedom. Zondervan. 2008.
M.W.- is widely recognized as one of the most gifted writers writing today on issues of faith and spirituality. He is writer- in- residence at Valparaiso University, Indiana.
Comment. Henry.
From time to time I will pick up a few books from the ‘discount table’ at our local Christian book store. This book caught my attention because of the title. I have four sons. The author-ship, father and son, intrigued me. The flyleaf summary was a ‘seller’.
The Wangerin family is made up of six members, mom and dad, two boys and two girls. One boy and one girl are adopted. This story is about the adopted boy and his father. Since both are authors of the book the bi-generational appeal of the story is strong.
In the story, Walter communicates a wealth of sound parenting advice that is required when relationships become challenging. Not only family relationships are dealt with but a number of cultural issues come up. Racial prejudice impacts this family since both adopted children are inter-racial.
The story speaks for itself. I will not include a “review” as such. This is a touching, very readable story that has a multi-generational, multi-racial appeal.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Metavista
Book Review.
Greene, Colin. Robinson, Martin. Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination. The church after postmodernity. Authentic Media, 2008.
C.G.- theological consultant, author, and former professor of theological and cultural studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle.
M.R.- international speaker, writer, and director of ‘Together in Mission’.
Comment. Henry.
I am ‘borrowing’ some language from the endorsers of the book when I say that this is a ‘theologically stimulating, meticulously researched text’. With reference to a changing world this resource reflects ‘skillful scholarship and rigorous cultural analysis’. My own experience in reading this book was one of being in over my head because of the level of literacy. That should not be taken as a negative comment on this book. I am sure that it has a strong appeal to those who have a capacity to appreciate the literacy of the authors.
Effective missions must consider the culture of the 21st century and focus on actual “cultural engagement” (intro) Callum Brown comments on cultural engagement in the U.K. He identifies five ‘criteria’ of cultural engagement. The post-Christian status of the U.K. is quite different from the post-Christian status of the U.S. Cultural engagement is assessed based on “societal imagination, cultural icons, and the nature of and encounter with the Bible as Scripture”. (intro)
We have not yet totally passed through modernity. Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, and Robert Callum have expressed significant ideas of modernity. Globalization is the story of how an “emancipation narrative (changed) to an imperialistic metanarrrative”. (15)
The movie ‘The Matrix’ illustrates the elements of postmodernity. To understand the modern requires “a new aesthetic”. (27) We are continually bombarded by consumerism with overt and subliminal messages. Reality is called into question. Change is impacted by “rules of engagement when it comes to cultural transformation”. (63)
Christendom has survived the attacks during the twentieth century, i.e. Christianity is dead, the non-Christian values of the American Dream and the “secularization of society”. (76) The problems of post-colonialism are still prevalent.
“The Bible has never been central to the life and witness of the church during the whole Christendom project.” (97) The “Biblical Theology for cultural engagement” (113) is developed around four stories: “creation, Israel, Jesus the Christ, and the church.” (118) From biblical theology we move to political theology.
Some deconstruction is done on the concept of secularization as part of modernity. What is needed today is a ‘Metavista Missional Community’. We (the church) can and should “imaginatively engage the future based on present experiences in mission, (and a) call to the Christian community to act in a counter-cultural manner”. !83 “A manifesto to the contemporary church” (225) is presented surrounding the narratives of scripture, tradition, and culture.
Greene, Colin. Robinson, Martin. Metavista: Bible, Church and Mission in an Age of Imagination. The church after postmodernity. Authentic Media, 2008.
C.G.- theological consultant, author, and former professor of theological and cultural studies at Mars Hill Graduate School, Seattle.
M.R.- international speaker, writer, and director of ‘Together in Mission’.
Comment. Henry.
I am ‘borrowing’ some language from the endorsers of the book when I say that this is a ‘theologically stimulating, meticulously researched text’. With reference to a changing world this resource reflects ‘skillful scholarship and rigorous cultural analysis’. My own experience in reading this book was one of being in over my head because of the level of literacy. That should not be taken as a negative comment on this book. I am sure that it has a strong appeal to those who have a capacity to appreciate the literacy of the authors.
Effective missions must consider the culture of the 21st century and focus on actual “cultural engagement” (intro) Callum Brown comments on cultural engagement in the U.K. He identifies five ‘criteria’ of cultural engagement. The post-Christian status of the U.K. is quite different from the post-Christian status of the U.S. Cultural engagement is assessed based on “societal imagination, cultural icons, and the nature of and encounter with the Bible as Scripture”. (intro)
We have not yet totally passed through modernity. Adam Smith, Thomas Paine, and Robert Callum have expressed significant ideas of modernity. Globalization is the story of how an “emancipation narrative (changed) to an imperialistic metanarrrative”. (15)
The movie ‘The Matrix’ illustrates the elements of postmodernity. To understand the modern requires “a new aesthetic”. (27) We are continually bombarded by consumerism with overt and subliminal messages. Reality is called into question. Change is impacted by “rules of engagement when it comes to cultural transformation”. (63)
Christendom has survived the attacks during the twentieth century, i.e. Christianity is dead, the non-Christian values of the American Dream and the “secularization of society”. (76) The problems of post-colonialism are still prevalent.
“The Bible has never been central to the life and witness of the church during the whole Christendom project.” (97) The “Biblical Theology for cultural engagement” (113) is developed around four stories: “creation, Israel, Jesus the Christ, and the church.” (118) From biblical theology we move to political theology.
Some deconstruction is done on the concept of secularization as part of modernity. What is needed today is a ‘Metavista Missional Community’. We (the church) can and should “imaginatively engage the future based on present experiences in mission, (and a) call to the Christian community to act in a counter-cultural manner”. !83 “A manifesto to the contemporary church” (225) is presented surrounding the narratives of scripture, tradition, and culture.
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Future of Faith
Book Review.
Cox, Harvey. The Future Of Faith. The rise and fall of belief and the coming age of the Spirit. Harper One. 2009.
H.C.- professor of divinity emeritus, Harvard Divinity School. Past faculty of Arts and Science, Harvard.
Comment. Henry.
Cox divides church history (Christianity) into three periods. The first three centuries, the early Christianity, he calls the Age of Faith. From the fourth to the twentieth century he uses the term, the Age of Belief to describe church history. About fifty years ago there began what he calls the Age of the Spirit.
He is a very strong opponent of ‘fundamentalism’ of any kind, especially in Christianity. This probably impacts the legitimacy of his message in evangelical circles. He makes an interesting distinction between faith and belief that becomes the foundation for his thesis.
There is much food for thought in this resource as we seek to understand what is happening in our global religious communities.
The global interactions of religions are bringing about profound changes in ‘religiousness’ and what it means to be religious. The debate about God (gods) is all about beliefs not about faith. “Faith is about deep-seated confidence. Belief is more about opinion. Beliefs are more propositional than existential.” (3)
Christianity began with Jesus and the early church. This was “the age of faith”. (4) It was not long before there developed a group of leaders who felt that beliefs needed to be to be organized and recorded in manuals. It was Constantine who brought in major changes to Christianity when he made it a state religion. These changes focused on control of what people believed and this marked the beginning of the “age of belief”. (5) Christians, worldwide, are now into a transition into the “age of the Spirit”. (8)
Experiencing the mysterious is awesome. “Faith starts with awe”, (22) giving meaning to mystery, which is never solved just discovered. “Faith is a basic posture toward the mystery, and it comes in an infinite variety of forms.” (35)
All religions are not the same. A Christian atheist is not the same as a Buddhist atheist. The Judean-Christian explanation of mystery (faith) includes the “Hebrew Cycle, the Christmas Cycle, and the Easter Cycle” (39-50) note: Cox suggests that the term Kingdom of God would be more accurately translated, ‘Reign of God’.
During the first three centuries Christianity changed “from a movement generated by faith and hope into a religious empire demarcated by prescribed doctrines and ruled by a priestly elite”. (55) (That sounds a lot like Judaism.) Christianity has gone global in our age and we have the opportunity to leave the ‘Age of Belief’ and transition into the ‘Age of the Spirit’. To understand this change requires some deconstruction of early Christianity, i.e. apostolic authority was not part of early Christianity. The ‘Age of the Spirit’ is akin to not similar to the ‘Age of Faith’, of the early church.
There were no theologies, creeds, or doctrines in early Christianity. Christians were followers of ‘The Way’ not followers of dogmas. When hierarchies were erected and creeds were fabricated the foundation was laid for fundamentalism.
The Council of Nicaea called by Constantine in 325 has been called ‘Constantine’s Last Supper’. “A change in how we understand the past can generate a change in how we view the future.” (113) When we understand the ‘age of Faith’ we begin to understand how the Christianity of our age is changing. Some changes in the Roman Catholic Church are examples of that change.
The greatest threats to needed interfaith conversations come from fundamentalists from every religious persuasion. In spite of this, there are encouraging signs of increasing dialogue. Cox’s invitation to Jerry Falwell to be a part of a Harvard dialogue is such an example. He goes on to explain his personal experience with the fundamentalist movement of which he once was a part. He explains his attitude as one of sadness (critics might call it arrogance) for the fundamentalists. Closely related to this ‘conflict’ are the attitudes about the various Bibles and their differing translations of the most original manuscripts.
Liberation theology marks the beginning of the ‘age of the Spirit’ in Catholicism. Pentecostals are seen as another group that show evidences of ‘the age of the Spirit’. It is being suggested that there is indeed a return to matters of faith (at the expense of belief) in many of the world religions.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Cox, Harvey. The Future Of Faith. The rise and fall of belief and the coming age of the Spirit. Harper One. 2009.
H.C.- professor of divinity emeritus, Harvard Divinity School. Past faculty of Arts and Science, Harvard.
Comment. Henry.
Cox divides church history (Christianity) into three periods. The first three centuries, the early Christianity, he calls the Age of Faith. From the fourth to the twentieth century he uses the term, the Age of Belief to describe church history. About fifty years ago there began what he calls the Age of the Spirit.
He is a very strong opponent of ‘fundamentalism’ of any kind, especially in Christianity. This probably impacts the legitimacy of his message in evangelical circles. He makes an interesting distinction between faith and belief that becomes the foundation for his thesis.
There is much food for thought in this resource as we seek to understand what is happening in our global religious communities.
The global interactions of religions are bringing about profound changes in ‘religiousness’ and what it means to be religious. The debate about God (gods) is all about beliefs not about faith. “Faith is about deep-seated confidence. Belief is more about opinion. Beliefs are more propositional than existential.” (3)
Christianity began with Jesus and the early church. This was “the age of faith”. (4) It was not long before there developed a group of leaders who felt that beliefs needed to be to be organized and recorded in manuals. It was Constantine who brought in major changes to Christianity when he made it a state religion. These changes focused on control of what people believed and this marked the beginning of the “age of belief”. (5) Christians, worldwide, are now into a transition into the “age of the Spirit”. (8)
Experiencing the mysterious is awesome. “Faith starts with awe”, (22) giving meaning to mystery, which is never solved just discovered. “Faith is a basic posture toward the mystery, and it comes in an infinite variety of forms.” (35)
All religions are not the same. A Christian atheist is not the same as a Buddhist atheist. The Judean-Christian explanation of mystery (faith) includes the “Hebrew Cycle, the Christmas Cycle, and the Easter Cycle” (39-50) note: Cox suggests that the term Kingdom of God would be more accurately translated, ‘Reign of God’.
During the first three centuries Christianity changed “from a movement generated by faith and hope into a religious empire demarcated by prescribed doctrines and ruled by a priestly elite”. (55) (That sounds a lot like Judaism.) Christianity has gone global in our age and we have the opportunity to leave the ‘Age of Belief’ and transition into the ‘Age of the Spirit’. To understand this change requires some deconstruction of early Christianity, i.e. apostolic authority was not part of early Christianity. The ‘Age of the Spirit’ is akin to not similar to the ‘Age of Faith’, of the early church.
There were no theologies, creeds, or doctrines in early Christianity. Christians were followers of ‘The Way’ not followers of dogmas. When hierarchies were erected and creeds were fabricated the foundation was laid for fundamentalism.
The Council of Nicaea called by Constantine in 325 has been called ‘Constantine’s Last Supper’. “A change in how we understand the past can generate a change in how we view the future.” (113) When we understand the ‘age of Faith’ we begin to understand how the Christianity of our age is changing. Some changes in the Roman Catholic Church are examples of that change.
The greatest threats to needed interfaith conversations come from fundamentalists from every religious persuasion. In spite of this, there are encouraging signs of increasing dialogue. Cox’s invitation to Jerry Falwell to be a part of a Harvard dialogue is such an example. He goes on to explain his personal experience with the fundamentalist movement of which he once was a part. He explains his attitude as one of sadness (critics might call it arrogance) for the fundamentalists. Closely related to this ‘conflict’ are the attitudes about the various Bibles and their differing translations of the most original manuscripts.
Liberation theology marks the beginning of the ‘age of the Spirit’ in Catholicism. Pentecostals are seen as another group that show evidences of ‘the age of the Spirit’. It is being suggested that there is indeed a return to matters of faith (at the expense of belief) in many of the world religions.
www.henrydirksen.blogspot.com
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