Da Vinci and McLaren
The Problem With Kevin: Da Vinci and McLaren: "In a recent interview with Sojourners (a pseudo-Christian far-left magazine with growing appeal), Brian McLaren describes the appeal of The Da Vinci Code (bestselling literary dreck appealing to the lowest common denominator). Find it here.
In an answer to a question as to why this book has achieved such popularity, McLaren has this to say:
'I think a lot of people have read the book, not just as a popular page-turner but also as an experience in shared frustration with status-quo, male-dominated, power-oriented, cover-up-prone organized Christian religion. We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown's book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church.'
This is nonsense. The reason this vision of Christ is so intriguing is that it allows people to believe that Christ was just some nice dude. Of course, the notion that Christ is just some nice dude is appealing because it doesn't require anything of us.
So we have a book that requires nothing intellectually or spiritually. Sounds likes the makings of a hit in the U.S.
McLaren is correct that people are fed up with the status quo, and the antics of the Catholic church have certainly been outrageous. However, there exist a number of well-attended, well-supported Christian churches that have nothing to do with the status quo, pedophilia, the 'religious right', or any of the other bogeyman McLaren is so bent on attacking.
Brian McLaren rose to prominence by stepping back, approaching scripture from a fresh persepective, and sharing that perspective, however controversial. His first major book 'A New Kind of Christian' helped to solidify what I believe about Christ and what I am to do in obeying him.
Since that time, however, McLaren has become embroiled in a battle with borderline strawmen. He can barely make it through an interview without evoking tired rhetoric about Pat Robertson and televangelists, as though they are the thought leaders of the modern church. "
There is more at this post, and nothing that other bloggers have been criticizing him for.
In an answer to a question as to why this book has achieved such popularity, McLaren has this to say:
'I think a lot of people have read the book, not just as a popular page-turner but also as an experience in shared frustration with status-quo, male-dominated, power-oriented, cover-up-prone organized Christian religion. We need to ask ourselves why the vision of Jesus hinted at in Dan Brown's book is more interesting, attractive, and intriguing to these people than the standard vision of Jesus they hear about in church.'
This is nonsense. The reason this vision of Christ is so intriguing is that it allows people to believe that Christ was just some nice dude. Of course, the notion that Christ is just some nice dude is appealing because it doesn't require anything of us.
So we have a book that requires nothing intellectually or spiritually. Sounds likes the makings of a hit in the U.S.
McLaren is correct that people are fed up with the status quo, and the antics of the Catholic church have certainly been outrageous. However, there exist a number of well-attended, well-supported Christian churches that have nothing to do with the status quo, pedophilia, the 'religious right', or any of the other bogeyman McLaren is so bent on attacking.
Brian McLaren rose to prominence by stepping back, approaching scripture from a fresh persepective, and sharing that perspective, however controversial. His first major book 'A New Kind of Christian' helped to solidify what I believe about Christ and what I am to do in obeying him.
Since that time, however, McLaren has become embroiled in a battle with borderline strawmen. He can barely make it through an interview without evoking tired rhetoric about Pat Robertson and televangelists, as though they are the thought leaders of the modern church. "
There is more at this post, and nothing that other bloggers have been criticizing him for.
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It would be interesting to read blogger's articulated response and bragging about chrisitan way of peaceful "aggression".