Adventures In Missing The Point

Book Review.
McLaren, Brian D. Campolo Tony. Adventures In Missing The Point. How the culture-controlled church neutered the Gospel. Zondervan (Youth Specialties) 2003 Emergent YS
Comment.
This resource is in the form of a number of short ‘essays’ on specific topics. After each essay there is a response from the ‘other’ author. In most cases this response is a confirmation. An easy read with information that supports the views of the authors. (I will indicate authors and topics in each paragraph.)
Brian: (evangelism) To think salvation means (only) missing hell and going to heaven is missing the point. It is a life-style of being part of the Kingdom of God on earth.
Tony: (theology) “Everyone has a theology” (32) and every theology is incomplete. All theologies must be put to the test of the Scriptures. (Kingdom of God) To bring about the establishing of the Kingdom of God on earth through human power and ingenuity is missing the point. It is a project completed by Christ. (End times) “The Second Coming is the promise and expectation that God will create a new heaven and a new earth and that all the good that is hoped for will be realized.” (64)
B: (the Bible) Brian presents some challenging provocative suggestions about how we need to approach the reading of the Bible to understand it. (evangelism) Evangelism is viewed through the lense of apologetics.
T: (social action) Tony defends social action as a valid function to bring about relief for the needy.
B: (culture) Some good suggestions are made on how we can be in the world but not of the world in order to be a positive influence on culture.
T: (women in ministry) Women should be in ministry, ordained.
B: (leadership) There are many myths of modernity about leadership especially in church organizations.
T: (seminary) Although there are many advantages of a seminary education there are many things necessary in ministry that are not provided in seminaries. (environmentalism) “Environmentalism should be a Christian concern.” (167) “Save the earth without worshipping it.” (173) (homosexuality) Tony distinguishes between “homosexual orientation and homosexual behaviour (eroticism)” (178) A “homosexual covenant” (186) is a relationship without eroticism.
B: (worship) The themes (lyrics) of worship need to be expanded to include themes like “eschatology, mission, spirituality, God, and lament”. (205-208) Presently there is too much focus on feeling. (doubt) Doubt is not a virtue but it can certainly be a positive force resulting in learning and the growth of genuine faith. “Doubt can be a doorway to spiritual growth.” (223) (truth) This topic has being significantly impacted by the paradigm shift has happened from modernity to postmodernity. (postmodernity) Postmodernity is simply a word that is used to indicate what is following modernity. It is actually the process of this change and it is by no means complete yet. We are experiencing the impacts of that change.