conjectural navel gazing; jesus in lint form

finally got around to it

Last night I finally finished Brian D. McLaren's A Generous Orthodoxy. For those of you who don't know, it is a book heralded to be the first thing you read if you want to know about the Emergent church movement. For those of you who thought I was part of the Emergent movement, now you can be assured that I have actually read McLaren. Aren't we all happy? I've been orbiting around the Emergent folk for so long. It's good to have finally read this book. My overall impression? It's worth your time to read it. I did not find it challenging per se, as much as I found it hopeful...difficult and hopeful.

When I was in college (I graduated in 1992.), I met Christians who were talking about some of the stuff that McLaren, Doug Pagitt and others (see: Ekklesia Project) have become famous for of late. The best thing I read in the book was that these guys were part of those early conversations. Nice. So, in a sense, there was nothing new in this book for me...and for many of you who read this blog, you might have the same experience. But McLaren says the things that I have been trying to say for so long. I am thrilled he has. I am glad people are listening. I hope that the Emergent church stops where it is before it becomes another evangelical protestant denomination known for walking away from those who gave them Jesus in the first place. I'm just sayin'.

So, get thee to thine favourite bookmonger. Buy it, check it out of the library. The next book I am gonna tackle is An Emergent Manifesto of Hope. It's a series of essays from several in the movement. We'll see what they have to say. And, as soon as the words untangle in my brain, I'll tell you a little more about McLaren's theology and why I like it.