I've decided to stop reading Brian McLaren's book A New Kind of Christianity. The reason would be obvious if asked why I stopped eating onions and switched to cherry pie. My reasons are as follows:
1) I've read enough of it to see that the reviews I've read of it were substantially correct. Mike Wittmer, Scot McKnight and Kevin DeYoung are spot on in their critiques. From what I read I saw no serious misrepresentations.
2) I have a growing number of books vying for my attention and some are too tempting to put off any longer. Among these is the book I'm reading now in preparation for a blog tour next week on Your Church is Too Small. I'm also happily skimming Peter O'Brien's new commentary on Hebrews. And with reviews like this of the Pillar series it's even harder to refrain any longer. I'm also well into N. T. Wright's newest book After You Believe. (So at least HarperOne still has my attention with one of their books.)
3) My time is too valuable to continue reading something with which I have such significant disagreements. With all due respect to McLaren he will have to wait till another time.
4) There is a tone to McLaren that quickly pushes all the wrong buttons in me. This causes me to react with more emotion than reason and at that point I know it's time to put it down.
So for now I'm giving up on the onions and eating some cherry pie.
2 comments:
My friend, Kevin Bywater (PhD candidate, Durham) just posted this on his Facebook:
"It is good to see, finally, McLaren showing his colors in the light of day. For too long he has twiddled about with a rhetorical veneer that has convinced some that he's rather harmless and merely attempting to "emerge." Well, enough is now out in the open to bring us clear warning that his path is not the path of life and truth and divine favor."
Who needs rhetorical veneer (= onions) when you could have literary excellence mixed with depth of insight and practical, soundly biblical advice on living the Christian life (= cheery pie = After You Believe)?
;-)
I found the reviews you mentioned helpful too. Enjoy the pie.
AR
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