Philippe, The Postmodern Evangelist

What if Phillip (Acts 8) had been an "emerging" evangelist? The Sacred Sandwich imagines the conversation:

"Once there was a man named Philippe. He was a spiritual guide in an emerging community. One day he decided to go on a journey. So, he did. As he was walking along the road, focusing on the journey and not the destination, he found himself alongside the chariot of an African official. The man in the chariot was reading from a parchment scroll. He was reading aloud, so Philippe was able to overhear what the man read.

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb before the shearer is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
Who can speak of his descendants?
For his life was taken from the earth.”

Philippe caught up to the chariot and said, “You read that text beautifully. It made me feel significant and connected to ancient traditions to hear you read it.”

“I just wish I could understand it,” the man replied.

“Understand it? You don’t need to understand it. Just to experience it. Read it again, more slowly this time. I want to hear the poetic forms and imagine myself in the context of the ancient tradition,” said Philippe.

“Who is he talking about?” the man persisted. “Is the prophet writing about himself or about someone else?”

“I think he is writing about all of us,” said Philippe. “I think we are all a part of the larger story.”

“But what story?” asked the official. “It seems to me that the writer is talking about something in particular, and I sense that it is important. I just wish I knew what it was. What exactly does this mean?”

“What do YOU think it means?” asked Philippe.

“I don’t know. That is why I am asking YOU.”

“Well, it is true that I am a Christ-follower, and my tradition does impose certain meanings on this text. But I would not want to force my truth claims on you. Your truth claims would be equally valid. As you see, we are both on a journey; and we both find ourselves on the same road. So, it follows that our destination is also the same. So, let’s just enjoy this time of community and not divide ourselves by discussing meanings and dogma,” said Philippe.

After awhile, they came to a pool of water by the side of the road. There was also a fork in the road at this point, and the official chose the road to the right. Philippe planned to take the road to the left, but first he sat down by the edge of the pool to journal his experiences of the day. He was delighted that he had had an unique opportunity to engage in a dialogue with a person of a culture so diverse from his own.

Meanwhile, the African official went on his way, still searching for the meaning of the text that could have brought him eternal life."

A Devastating Theological Takedown

Tim Challies' devastating take down of Brian McLaren's newest book A New Kind of Christianity (and the theology behind it) can be found here -A New Kind of Christianity :: books, emergent, reviews :: A Reformed, Christian Blog. His conclusion:

"Here, in A New Kind of Christianity it’s as if McLaren is screaming “I hate God!” at the top of his lungs. And swarms of Christians are looking at him with admiration and saying, “See how that guy loves God?” I don’t know what McLaren could do to make the situation more clear. In fact, his book is nearly indistinguishable from many of the de-conversion narratives that are all the rage today. Compare it with Bart Ehrman’s God’s Problem and you’ll see many of the same arguments and the same misgivings; you’ll find, though, that Ehrman is at least more honest. He at least has the integrity to walk away from faith altogether rather than reinventing God in his own image.

McLaren says he would prefer atheism over belief in the God so many of us see in Scripture. Well, he is not far off. This new kind of Extreme Makeover: God Edition Christianity is no Christianity at all. It is not a faith made in the image of Jesus Christ, but a faith made in the image of a man who despises God and who is hell-bent on dragging others along with him as he becomes his own god."

Well, I guess this is one book that I will not have to spend any time reading. Or, maybe I will read it just to see if it is as bad as Challies claims.

I read, enjoyed and benefited from McLaren's earliest books. They helped me understand postmodernism and our evolving culture, as well as how that changing cultural matrix colors transmission and reception of the message of the Bible. However, over more recent years and his later books (as well as articles and web based writings) I have noticed that McLaren appears to have gone off the deep end theologically, as described by Challies above.

Such a shame.

Update - Kevin DeYoung weighs in:

"Brian McLaren’s latest book, A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions That Are Transforming the Faith, is two steps forward in terms of clarity and ten steps backward in terms of orthodoxy."

Update - Trevin Wax on Why McLaren's book is good for the "Emerging Church."

"This book will hopefully lead to soul-searching (and maybe even Scripture-searching!) for those who still claim the Emerging label. McLaren’s proposal makes people decide whether they view Christianity the way he does, or whether they stand with Nicea, Chalcedon, and the Reformation. You are either with him or against him."

The Second Coming of Emergers?

I've noticed much discussion in the blog-o-sphere this week on the future of the Emerging Church movement, the utility of using the term "emerging," and distinctions between "emergent" and "emerging." On that subject, C. Michael Patton has another one of his fascinating diagrams up at Parchment and Pen » The Second Coming of Emergers. His post accompanying the chart gives a historical overview of the movement and projections on where things are going. If you are interested in or confused by the Emerging Church movement, I recommend Patton's post to you for a complete read.

Understanding Emergers

For good theological writing that is well-presented, shows respect for those with different opinions and convictions, and demonstrates insight and deep thinking, I recommend C. Michael Patton's Parchment and Pen.

He had a post up this past week called Will the Real Emerger Please Stand Up? on the subject of differences and distinctions within the Emerging Church movement. If the term is unfamiliar to you, follow the second link in the previous sentence. His diagrams I have copied above were especially helpful. The ranking in the diagram of various writers by name is his, not mine - so no letters or e-mail please.

If you are interested in this subject, you should read the whole article. A little lengthy (can be printed as a PDF File), but well worth the effort.