Book Review :: A Meditation Worthy of Attention :: Timothy Keller’s The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith

This week I gladly received The Prodigal God: Recovering the Heart of the Christian Faith through the mail (book website here).  What a blessing.  The book arrived yesterday during the 9:00 o’clock hour and I read through it in one sitting.  Written in a warm and engaging style, Timothy Keller’s reflection on the story traditionally known as “The Parable of the Prodigal Son” contains a challenging message for individuals and the church corporate as followers of Jesus Christ.

Keller’s book opens with a brief word on the popularity of this short parable and a justification for the author’s preference to title this story “The Two Lost Sons.”  Keller explains the power of this narrative as he has experienced it in his own life.  He tells of his hearing Edmund P. Clowney preach this text some thirty years ago and awakening him to a new and deeper understanding of the Christian faith, coming to find that within this short story the abundant grace of God is revealed not just to the younger brother, but to the older brother as well.  This grace did not only come at a cost to the younger brother, who carelessly wasted his inheritance, but cost the father as well.  The older brother was not exempt, either, as humbly welcoming the younger brother back home would have cost him a great deal.  The insight gained by reflecting on this passage has greatly informed Keller’s ministry at Redeemer Church in Manhattan, helping their community better embody the message of grace which is found in this famous utterance of Jesus.

Following a translation of the parable, Keller’s book is divided in to seven parts.  First, Keller explains the biblical and cultural context in which this story takes place, helping the reader to better recognize the finer nuances of Jesus’ storytelling.  Keller points out the type of people who had come near to hear this story, showing that the crowd consisted of religiously devout and religiously marginal persons.  He demonstrates how each segment of the crowd would have identified with a different brother in the story.  Here Keller muses on “why people like Jesus but not the Church,” pointing out that Jesus seemed to draw unto himself all kinds of people–particularly those in his culture of the lowest piety who are depicted as the “younger brother” in Jesus’ story.  Keller muses, “If the preaching of our ministers and the practice of our parishioners do not have the same effect on people Jesus had, then we must not be declaring the same message that Jesus did.  If our churches aren’t appealing to younger brothers, they must be more full of elder brothers than we’d like to think.”

Keller’s discussion then moves to the Two Lost Sons.  He explains the way in which each son had developed a wayward relationship with their father.  Both elder and younger son are fair game for critique.  Keller questions why this passage has not received a more well rounded treatment, noting that many times this story is told in a way that emphasizes how the younger son was welcomed home by the father to the neglect of the father’s appeal to the elder brother.  From here, Keller explores how Jesus’ story redefines both sin and lostness, noting that the text is revolutionary in this regard.  In his discussion of sin, Keller notes how each son had rebelled, “but one did so by being very bad and the other by being extremely good…It’s a shocking message: Careful obedience to God’s law may serve as a strategy for rebelling against God.”  Keller moves us to a deeper understanding.  Rather than regarding sin as a list of wrongs, Keller points out that rebellion takes many forms, including those who in the tradition of the elder brother seek to be obedient for their own gain rather than for the glory of God.  Keller sees the older brother’s obedience in the story as undertaken for the purpose of controlling the father.  How often we also fall in to a similar pattern of behavior.

Keller’s chapter on redefining lostness was perhaps the most poignant, bringing forth a deep sense of emotion in my own soul.  Here he explores the anger and superiority of the elder brother and the “joyless, fear-based” faith which can come to typify religious belief when one seeks to control God rather than express love and devotion for the Divine.  This chapter, which stands at the heart of the book, may be the most important for those of us who stand within the church, and perhaps have obtained the attitudes and posturing of elder brothers.  Keller’s reminder that elder-brother lostness is just as wrong and destructive as younger brother lostness is important.

From this point Keller explores the nature of the gospel. Keller uses this parable to demonstrate God’s relationship to us and how we might repent in a well-rounded way.  In the story we are often reminded of how the younger brother turned from those things that he did wrong, and we feel compelled to do the same.  Keller reminds us of the other extreme, saying, “To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons that we ever did anything right.”  The gospel calls us to acknowledge all that God has done for us freely and by grace.  Christ has accomplished all things necessary for our salvation.  Even the faithful need a reminder that our hope ultimately rests in God; we should not seek to become our own Savior and Lord.  According to Keller it is Jesus, our true elder brother, who leaves us in a state of awe and wonder concerning the grace of God.

Keller’s book closes with a two part reflection on the nature of our longing for home and an eschatological vision for the redemption of individuals and for all creation which will be celebrated in a heavenly banquet described in this parable and elsewhere in Scripture.  Keller is very clear in presenting a view of the atonement consistent with his heritage (Presbyterian), and does an excellent job of painting a picture of the experiential nature of salvation in the here and the hereafter.

Keller’s book is a gift for those of us longing for deep reflections on Scripture.  This book is worthwhile reading for those seeking insight in to one of Jesus’ most well known parables, and will serve as a challenge to your faith.  I would recommend this book.

Read Full Post »

Thoughts on Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence

Before The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why appeared on the shelves at the local bookstore it was on my radar screen.  I’ve read Phyllis Tickle’s work in the past and have been amazed at her command of the language.  Her ability to translate complex ideas and vivid images into captivating prose is undoubtedly impressive, and her latest work is no exception.  The ideas contained in The Great Emergence cannot be ignored, and will surely be of vast importance for “emergers,” “emergents,” and the “hyphenateds” (Presby-mergents, Metho-mergent, etc.) as the church charges into the future.

After naming the historical reality in which we stand “The Great Emergence,” Tickle states her task as answering three questions, “What is this thing?”, “How did it come to be?”, and “Where is it going?”  The church, according to Tickle, stands in the midst of a giant rummage sale.  This rummage sale is not the first of its kind, as each of the great Abrahamic faiths have been through this before.  These moments have come about in history at approximately five hundred year intervals.  Quoting the Anglican bishop Mark Dyer, Tickle states, “about every five hundred years the empowered structures of institutionalized Christianity, whatever they may be at the time, become an intolerable carapace that must be shattered in order that renewal and new growth may occur.”  Now, Tickle believes, is one of those times.  Tickle generalizes three results each time one of these historic shifts has occurred.  According to her analysis: (1) a more vital form of Christianity emerges, (2) organized expressions are reconstituted into a more purified expression of the former self, and (3) the “the range and depth of Christianity’s reach” expands.

To support her argument Tickle provides a broad historical sketch.  Her markers in history include the rise of Gregory the Great and the monastic movement in the 500s, the Great Schism which occurred near 1000 AD, the Great Reformation of the 1500s, and, now, the Great Emergence.  During each period she uses a tethered cable as a helpful analogy which consists of four components.  The exterior of the cable is a mesh sleeve, represents the common imagination of the time.  Once punctured, lying beneath that common imagination are three strands representative of the spirituality, corporeality, and morality of the age.  Tickle’s examination of each designated time period show how an individual, a group of individuals, or some historic event punctures the common imagination and brings about the reexamination of each of these three strands, raising new questions pertaining to authority, reality, and meaning in the world.  When challenges arise, a new common imagination must be formulated which will guide existence within reality.  As this occurs, the process can be painful and discomforting.  Yet, purgation leads to purification.

According to Tickle, the two central questions of the Great Emergence are: “(1) What is human consciousness and/or the humanness of the human? and (2) What is the relation of all religions to one another–or, put another way, how can we live responsibly as devout and faithful adherents of one religion in a world of many religions?”  Tickle further asserts, “the other great truth here is that we can not be said to have truly entered into any kind of post-Emergence stability until we have answered both of them.”  Interestingly for Tickle the question is one of plurality, or the truth of plurality.  In order to negotiate this question one must wrestle with the location of authority.  The dilemma of authority today is present not only in Christianity, but in the world at large.  Tickle is right to point us in this direction.

In an attempt to explain how we got here, Tickle traces important philosophical, sociological, theological, scientific, and technological developments including Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, Einstein’s theory of relativity, the advent of the automobile, the shifting relationship of families, the rise of the drug culture in the 1960s, the quest for the historical Jesus, and the rise of Pentecostalism.  All of these factors, in a way, eroded the Reformation foundation of authority, sola Scriptura.

To address her final question, “Where is it going?”, Tickle provides a quadrilateral to serve as a guide.  In each of the four quadrants (moving from upper left, clockwise to lower left) she locates Christians on Liturgical, Social Justice, Renewalist, and Conservative terrain.  The Great Emergence has brought about a stirring in each of these four quadrants, drawing leaders in each area in to a gathering center.  As this gathered center begins to draw more and more people of like mind together the church becomes primed for renewal, though this new reality is turbulent and challenging.  The church together must navigate these new frontiers, with traditionalists, re-tradition-ers, progressives, and hyphenateds engaging in constructive dialogue which paves the way forward.

As this pattern emerges, Tickle turns to the sources of authority in this new environment.  Here she defines and explores two terms, “orthonomy” (correct harmony & beauty) and “theonomy” (only God can be the source of perfection in action or thought).  Under this context she explores how Christians in the Great Emergence will define authority underneath these categories, offering that authority is established in Scripture and Community.  Authority becomes a dynamic conception based on a network theory or crowd sourcing, and levels hierarchical structures which have carried the day in the past.  Christian communities will become a centered set rather than a bounded set, will emphasize narrative, and will return to Hebraic roots of the Christian faith, purging Hellenistic influences which have defined certain aspects of Christian belief and doctrine.  Tickle’s ideas are complex and defy simplification.  I recommend you read them.

Tickle’s book is a good one.  At times I found places where her argument could be strengthened, though not to the detriment of the whole.  This book should be read by practitioners and church leaders seeking a way forward and then discussed with fervor.  There will be moments when one may strongly agree or disagree with her argument, but Tickle must be contended with.  We stand at the precipice of a new age, which in and of itself is not a new dilemma.  Christian people must seek to be faithful in that age.  A debt of gratitude is owed to Tickle for how her ideas might sharpen our thinking, strengthen our practice, and spur us on to greater deeds.

Read this book.

Read Full Post »

Book Reaction :: Brian McLaren’s Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices

Published this year, Brian McLaren’s Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Spiritual Practices marks the beginning of a series of books published by Tommy Nelson.  The Ancient Practices series will address disciplines such as fasting, contemplative prayer, fixed hour prayer, simplicity, spiritual reading, solitude, etc. for the purposes of transformation.  According to the book jacket, “ancient practices are the means by which we prepare for grace to surprise us.  They are the habits by which our souls grow weighty; actions of mind, body, and will that close the gap between the character we want to possess and the character we currently have.”

Though I’ve written reviews and reports in the past, I can call this written response neither.  It is a reaction.  I have termed it such because I do not intend to provide chapter breakdowns, line by line analysis, or even a sure fire positive or negative endorsement.  This is a book that I’m rather lukewarm about.  I’m also classifying this review as a reaction because of my disposition toward the author, toward whom I have rather strong feelings.  I finished reading the book a couple of weeks ago, enjoyed it in part, found it distasteful at times, and have kept it near my computer in recent days contemplating what I might have to say about this recent work.

I met Brian McLaren through A New Kind of Christian in the spring of 2002.  My wife, whom I had just begun dating at the time, suggested that we pick up that book and use it as a primer for discussion about the Christian life.  I devoured the book, she read most of it, and through it both of us were introduced to”postmodernism” and how this perspective is shaping and may still shape Christianity.  I credit McLaren with shifting my thinking in a new direction, I’ve read most of what he has published, I’ve tracked “Emergent” carefully over the past 6 years, and might be considered a friendly, though not entirely sympathetic, critic of McLaren and those who are of like mind.

Finding Our Way again begins with a true to life parable, in which McLaren recounts an interview which he conducted some years ago with Peter Senge, one of the pioneers of systems thinking.  This interview took place at a conference for pastors.  McLaren had prepared to introduce Dr. Senge.  He was surprised to find out the evening before that his actual task was to interview this brilliant man.  At the beginning of the interview he remarked that this audience must be rather unconventional for someone like Senge, and asked, “What would you like to say to a group of five hundred Christian ministers?”

Senge responded thoughtfully, agreeing that he did not typically speak to such audiences.  It so happened that the day before Dr. Senge had been present in a bookstore and learned that the second most popular genre of books where those on Buddhism, ranking behind books on how to earn wealth quickly in the new information economy.  In light of this recent experience, he responded to McLaren with a question.  Senge asked the group, “Why are book on Buddhism so popular, and not books on Christianity?”

McLaren asked for Senge’s answer to this question.  He responded by saying, “I think it’s because Buddhism presents itself as a way of life, and Christianity presents itself as a system of belief.  So I would want to get Christian ministers thinking about how to rediscover their own faith as a way of life, because that’s what people are searching for today.  That’s what they need most.”

McLaren’s presentation flows from this parable.  First, McLaren chronicles why spiritual practices matter.  On many points I agree strongly with McLaren.  McLaren affirms that becoming a person of character does not happen instantaneously.  Rather, becoming a person of virtue takes years of practice and development.  McLaren argues that spiritual practices matter because they are the means by which God transforms our character into the likeness of Jesus.

Next, McLaren discusses specific practices which stand at the root of character transformation.  In his discussion he attempts to address Christianity, Judaism, and Islam as ways of life that need to be recaptured for the good of the world.  McLaren notes how fasting, fixed hour prayer, Sabbath, the sacred meal, pilgrimage, observances of sacred seasons, and giving are all rooted in the story of Abraham–a common root for each of these major world religions.  Whereas I would see this as a central theme of any book on spiritual practices, McLaren only devotes one chapter of focus to these disciplines.

After rooting spiritual practices in the Abrahamic narrative, McLaren turns to both Jesus and Paul.  To be brief, McLaren’s discussion of Jesus is mainly centered on the kingdom of God, a topic which McLaren has written about extensively in his book The Secret Message of Jesus.  When considering Paul, McLaren asserts that the apostle has been commonly misread and must be seen as someone working out the teachings of Jesus.  Said differently, Paul must be read in light of Jesus rather than through Wesley, Calvin, Luther, Aquinas, or Augustine.  McLaren describes Paul’s ministry as teaching the way of love, highlighting the apostle’s teaching on the ingrafting of Gentiles into God’s people through Christ (a form of radical inclusivity) and the way in which we are called to practice love as persons “in Christ.”

Moving forward from here, McLaren discusses the importance of spiritual community, paints a picture of “open-source spirituality” (taking what is good from a variety of traditions), and the need for a commonality between the Activist and Contemplative ways, two polarities which have existed historically in Christianity.  McLaren describes the Contemplative way as emphasizing the personal gospel, private piety, the future-reality of heaven, and the avoidance of sin.  The Activist way is focused on the social gospel, the common good, present-reality of earth, and the avoidance of injustice.  McLaren sees the need for these polarities to converge in a balanced spirituality which engages communally, contemplatively, and missionally.  These three ways of being, which I will not treat in detail, constitute McLaren’s “Holy Trinity” of a healthy spiritual environment.

In the final 1/4 of his book, McLaren presents three other ways of thinking about spiritual practices.  Katharsis (via purgativa), Fotosis (via illuminativa), and Theosis (via unitiva) are explained through a story of an interaction with a nun.  In short, these practices work together to yield a healthier and more vibrant life with God. Through Katharsis the soul purges the junk, the dust, and the cobwebs which have cluttered our lives, opening the way for a fresh engagement with God.  In Fotosis practices such as lectio divina are engaged so that God might lead the individual to new insights.  In Theosis one moves to a place where one’s heartbeat falls in rhythm with the heartbeat of God.

McLaren concludes his book with an exhortation to the three great monotheistic faiths to find their way again so that character might be developed, persons might be more awake to the world, and individuals may testify to an experience of God.  Lastly, McLaren wishes to see these practices undertaken in hope they will lead to peace.  He states,”What if there is a treasure hidden in the field of our three great monotheisms, long buried but waiting to be recovered?  And what if that treasure is a way…a way that can train us to stop killing and hating and instead to work together, under God, joining God, to build a better world, a city of peace, a city of God?  What if our suffering and fear are not intended to inspire deadly cycles of defense and counterattack in a vain search for peace through victory and domination, but instead, what if they can serve to break and soften us like a plowed field after rain so that the seed of God’s kingdom–a few notes of God’s eternal harmony–can grow within us and among us?”

Most people would agree that peace is a worthy hope.

While many of the things McLaren describes in this book are worthy, good, hopeful, encouraging, and, on some points, true, as I read the book I continued to be plagued by the thought that something was missed, or amiss.  Why is it, I asked, that Christianity continues to be pigeon holed as a “system of belief,” and not as “a way of life”?  All I have ever known of Christianity has come to me within the lived context of a people.  Could it be that persons in the American context are not drawn to Eastern religious traditions because of their presentation as a way of life?  Could it be, rather, that as people seek after a way of life and search for an option which seems truthful, Christianity as it is being expressed in America has been found wanting?  Perhaps the problem is not with our way of life or our emphasis on information to construct a system of belief.  Perhaps the problem lies beneath those categories.  I tend to think that it does.  I tend to think that our problem has greatly to do with our theology as it is both expressed and practiced, the erosion of our capacity to be serious in the middle of an amusement culture, and the absence of vision and leadership which reflects the grandiose nature of the Kingdom of God.  The problem with Christianity is not with it’s emphasis on one aspect (cognitive) or another (practice), it is that both the system and the way have become hollow and cheap, rather than weighty and costly.

One last issue: McLaren ends his treatment of spiritual practices with an appeal to the three Abrahamic faiths, petitioning them to become more disciplined in their historic rhythms for the purpose of forming people who exhibit God’s shalom, or peace.  McLaren wants to see us all get along, whether we be Christian, Jew, Muslim, Buddhist, or whatever.  While I agree with McLaren that within each historic religion rest resources for peaceful coexistence, I wonder if he fully realizes the magnitude of his vision.  A peaceful relationship between people of varying traditions is hard work.  Just because it is hard does not mean that it is not possible. Yet, religion deals with matters of “ultimate concern,” constructs maps of meaning, and makes claims of truth about existence.  Sometimes religious claims come in to conflict both within and between traditions.  To me, it seems that McLaren’s hope for peaceful coexistence for a “city of peace, a city of God” reflects an eschatology that minors on certain central particulars.  I’m not saying that it isn’t a worthy hope.  I am saying that I have questions for how this works itself out eschatologically.

Though I read this book over the course of about three days and did find some nuggets within, in the words of Homer Simpson I could only grant “Five Thumbs Up” on a scale of 10 Thumbs.  Good, but not great.  If you have found some of the ideas I’ve outlined here interesting and can obtain it from your public library, check it out.  I wouldn’t recommend dishing out dollars to add this to your personal collection.

Keep learning.

Read Full Post »

A Short Book Report :: Adam Hamilton’s Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White

Today has been enjoyable.  This morning we had a thunderstorm pass through De Soto, and I sat outside in my garage and watched the rain for a while.  The storm developed slowly–progressively graying skies, increasing winds, and shorter intervals between thunder and lightning fed the senses of sight, sound, touch, and smell.

On another note, this past week I read Adam Hamilton’s Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White.  Rev. Hamilton is senior pastor of the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection, with their central campus located in Leawood, KS.  He is an excellent orator, an author, blogger, visionary, and important voice in mainline Christianity.  He is passionate about evangelism, leadership development, and the Methodist denomination.

In Seeing Gray, Hamilton casts vision for a Christianity that is able to undertake civil discourse in the public and the private square.  Along with many other leading Christian voices today Hamilton is disturbed by the venomous manner in which discourse takes place between secular and religious persons, conservatives and liberals, fundamentalists and mainliners, Democrats and Republicans.  Rev. Hamilton believes that Christianity possesses within its tradition the resources by which persons may avoid the polarities of black and white and meet in the middle, or at the “radical center,” embracing ”gray” as a possible way forward.  After constructing a theology of “gray,” Hamilton explores how this paradigm might be applied to such hot-button issues as Abortion, Homosexuality, War, and how we elect persons to public office.

For the sake of brevity, here is my take on this book.  It is satisfying at times, unsatisfying at others.  Here are a few brief notes and reactions:

1. Hamilton begins his book with the question, “Are Jerry Falwell and John Shelby Spong our Only Options?”  As a Christian who has been swimming in an American Christianity plagued by the culture wars, I can answer firsthand that the answer to that question is “no.”  Having grown up in a world where those seem to be the only choices, I am one among a number of young people who has sought out something all together different.
2. Throughout his book, Hamilton adopts categories of “liberal vs. conservative,” “fundamentalists vs. modernists,” ”progressives vs. traditionalists,” “social gospel vs. evangelical gospel,” and most fully “black vs. white.”  Throughout his work I found that I could not accept these categories.  Because I cannot accept “black vs. white,” I cannot accept “gray.”  I would rather opt for “true,” which may result in holding a conservative or liberal position on a particular issue while maintaining civility with persons who disagree.  Rather than a mix between positions of “white” and “black” which result in “gray,” I’m looking for something with a bit more color.
3. For attempting to forge a middle way Hamilton should be commended.  This book is highly pastoral–his heart is for the church, particularly the church found in the United States.  In my opinion his  description of ”gray” on some issues is more successful than in other areas.  If you are a United Methodist, this book may inspire you to create a type of church environment where persons of divergent viewpoints may maintain unity despite their differences.  This book may also encourage you to think more deeply about your own convictions and how they relate to those who hold different perspectives, challenging you to interact with your verbal sparring partners in a more Christ-like manner.  Lastly, Hamilton will challenge you to remain humble, as he points his readers to the ancient wisdom that tells us we now ”see though a glass, darkly.” (1 Cor. 13:12) I eagerly await that day “shall I know as also I am known.” (KJV)

May we hear Hamilton’s call to be persons of Christ-like love, even when we disagree.

Read Full Post »

Book Review :: Timothy Keller’s Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Everyone likes a good book that provides tools for apologetics, right?  Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, has provided an articulate, readable, and helpful book for thinking people who seek to better understand and explain Christian belief.  In this work he provides answers to some of the most common objections raised concerning the existence of God, and the ”reasons for faith” found in the Christian tradition.

In his introduction, Keller begins by saying:

There is a great gulf today between what is popularly known as liberalism and conservatism.  Each side demands that you not only disagree with the other as (at best) crazy or (at worst) evil.  This is particularly true when religion is the point at issue.  Progressives cry out that fundamentalism is growing rapidly and nonbelief is stigmatized.  They point out that politics has turned toward the right, supported by mega-churches and mobilized orthodox believers.  Conservatives endlessly denounce what they see as an increasingly skeptical and relativistic society.  Major universities, media companies, and elite institutions are heavily secular, they say, and they control the culture.

Which is it?  Is skepticism or faith on the ascendancy in the world today?  The answer is Yes.  The enemies are both right.  Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence.  But at the same time, robust, orthodox belief in the traditional faiths is growing as well. (ix)

Following this acknowledgement that both religious and secular outlooks are gaining adherents and are at an impasse, he recognizes the need for an alternative to the increasing polarization between these two extremes.  Keller’s own ministry has found that what may be emerging is a “spiritual third way.”  He believes younger Christians, who have wrestled with doubt and come out the other side, “are the vanguard of some major new religious, social, and political arrangements that could make the older form of the culture wars obsolete”(xix).

The book has two major divisions.  The first part, titled “The Leap of Doubt,” addresses these concerns:

• There Can’t Be Just One True Religion
• How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
• Christianity is a Straighjacket
• The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
• How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
• Science Has Disproved Christianity
• You Can’t Take the Bible Literally

In this portion of the book, Keller draws from philosophy, theology, and examples from his ministry to address these objections to religious belief.  Each chapter begins with a quotation from persons expressing these objections–presumably persons that could be met on the streets or in cafes in New York City (and perhaps your community).  Keller is not afraid to engage leading atheist thinkers, including Ricard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.  His responses to these objections are well-reasoned and invite conversation.  Because many of these objections are so common, I found Keller helpful.  At the very least his answers provide a platform from which one might develop their own responses to thinking people who may have objections to the existence of God.

In the second part of his book, entitled “The Reasons for Faith,” Keller presents reasons one might at least consider the existence of God, and whether the truth concerning that God might be found in the Christian story.  Here are the chapter headings:

• The Clues of God
• The Knowledge of God
• The Problem of Sin
• Religion and the Gospel
• The (True) Story of the Cross
• The Reality of the Resurrection
• The Dance of God

As I hinted above, this book is good.  Throughout the book you hear excerpts from Keller’s story and ministry, largely drawing from his experience of planting a church in an area thought to be devoid of hope for the proclamation of the Gospel.  When Keller told others of his desire to plant a church in NYC, people scoffed.  Over time, Keller’s church has reached over 5,000 persons.  When Keller tells his story, it makes sense.  He is an intelligent, thoughtful person. 

Dr. Keller, in his preaching and in his ministry, has sought to create a welcoming space for thinking people and provide them with reasoned, compelling answers for believing that the Christian story was true.  The worship services which take place at Redeemer have no frills, and are simply composed.  In his book Keller describes the impressions of church gurus who visit Redeemer and are surprised at the lack of flash. 

Substance seems to drive Keller’s ministry at Redeemer.  He knew that citizens in New York are thoughtful, creative, energetic, and inquisitive people.  Therefore, Keller made it a practice to remain in their worship space following services so that people could ask questions about the sermon.  Sometimes discussion would last over an hour following the conclusion of the service.  In these spaces Keller could provide answers, allow his heart to be made known, and challenge his interlocutors when they raised objections.  These conversations also allowed Keller to better understand the city in which he was conducting his ministry.

Keller is Presbyterian, though he does his best to make this book accessible to persons from a broad range of the Christian tradition.  I appreciate Keller’s book because it is open, thoughtful, and articulate.  His telling of the Christian story does not shy away from categories of sin, the need for repentance, and an understanding of the atonement which includes belief that Jesus’ death is more than illustrative of the sacrificial type of life we ourselves should lead.  Keller asserts that Jesus’s death and resurrection possesses a cosmic significance affecting our redemption.  In the death of Christ we are justified, as Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins. 

I found this book helpful and would recommend it.  It includes both philosophical and theological treatments that are intellectually engaging, as well as personal stories which illustrate his key points.  If you’re seeking to improve your own ability to articulate your faith, or perhaps are seeking a resource to help you engage non-Christian friends, family, or persons in your community, you may find this a helpful resource.

Read Full Post »

A Brief Recommendation

Last week I completed N.T. Wright’s Surprised by Hope: Rethinking Heaven, the Resurrection, and the Mission of the Church.  For those interested in Christian theology and the historical development of the doctrine of the resurrection, the first two-thirds will be of great interest.  The final third is dedicated to specific applications for how a re-understanding of the resurrection will impact the ministry of the church.

I recognize that a short summary of Wright’s primary argument glosses important details that are critical to his presentation.  Regardless of this fact, the content found within this work is so interesting that I feel compelled to at least provide a taste for you, the reader.

Wright is an eloquent writer, constantly employing helpful illustrations in making his point.  He is also quite witty, poking fun at his opponents in ways that are entertaining.  Up front, I’m telling you that Surprised by Hope is very accessible to the reader, and anything but boring. 

Wright wonders in this book what has happened to the resurrection.  Why, he asks, have Christians lost the significance of this central doctrine in their preaching, ecclessiology, and understanding of mission?  Wright chronicles how the absence of a solid understanding of the resurrection has affected Christians on both the theological left and right, and urges his audience to revisit and leverage a better understanding of this Christian truth for greater effectiveness in the world.

Wright begins his book by sketching the resurrection as it has been understood historically–a helpful and important treatment.  Christians today will find the historical picture much different from the current reality, where heaven is presented as a place you go after death, and an emphasis on the resurrection to come is notably absent.  He then moves into Part II, entitled “God’s Future Plan.”  He moves from an eschatological description of the new heavens and the new earth, to Jesus and what his message had to do with heaven and the new creation, to the return of Jesus as judge, to the redemption of our bodies, and finally to a discussion of purgatory, paradise, and hell.

I will emphasize four key elements in Wright’s presentation.  First, Wright explains the significance of Jesus and his resurrection.  Second, Wright explores the significance of the Kingdom and the New Creation as central to the beliefs of the early church.  Third, Wright explains how hope in the future “marriage” between heaven and earth as it is found in Revelation 21-22 and the resurrected life to come in that new heaven and new earth rests at the historical center of Christian hope.  Lastly, between death and the time or the resurrection, a paradise awaits the faithful who will remain there until the return of Jesus to judge and to bring about the final aspects of the “new creation” which was begun at Jesus’ resurrection.

Part II is the meat of the book.  Part III, entitled, “Hope in Practice: Resurrection and the Mission of the Church,” spells out implications for the ministry of the church as announcing the salvation of God and participation with (he uses the term, “building”) the Kingdom of God.  He places great stress on the full redemption of God’s good creation and how the church is a key player in bringing that about.

As someone who grew up understanding heaven as mostly a place you go after you die, this book was quite challenging and refreshing as well.  This prior formulation of heaven, coupled with belief in a bodily resurrection, left a number of holes in how I understood God’s future.  If I would be raised physically, would my body be removed from this earth to another sphere of reality to dwell?  And if so, what would become of the earth upon which I once lived?  Would it be left behind as a ruin of a former age?

In the past few years I have been challenged to think deeply about what God intends to do with this planet.  Wright has supplemented my thinking, pontificating on the meaning of Revelation 21-22 and the marriage of the new heaven and new earth.  Wright’s theology gives us reason to express care and concern for our planet and to steward it responsibly.  It also provides reason to work for justice in this age as an act of claiming the victory Jesus has won on the cross, recognizing that the good work of the Kingdom accomplished now will endure till the coming of the new heaven and the new earth.

I recommend that you pick up this book and then return to this post.  I recognize that my account will be lacking. Leave your comments, questions, and points of contention you find in Wright’s presentation.  It is my hope that this book will serve as a helpful resource in the preaching ministry of the church, providing a basis from which the church might establish a more effective witness which entails a radical engagement with this world.

Read Full Post »

Dan Kimball :: They Like Jesus But Not the Church

Last week I picked up Dan Kimball’s They Like Jesus But Not the Church: Insights from Emerging Generations.  You can find Dan Kimball’s blog here.  Dan Kimball is a pastor in Santa Cruz, California at Vintage Faith Church, and has published The Emerging Church and Emerging Worship.  He is also one of the contributors to Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches.  Another contributor to Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches is Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill in Seattle.   Driscoll mentioned this book in a talk I was listening to on-line, and among the many things he said when talking about Kimball was that he is “a Christian.”  In context it was funny.  Anyway, I felt compelled to provide you with these links to Kimball’s corpus partly because I did not buy the book–I picked it up at the public library and read it in a couple days.  Sorry Dan.  Perhaps one of my readers will help you out and purchase a copy.  In my opinion, any church leader would be wise to pick up this book and listen to what Dan Kimball has to say.

There are three important emphases threaded throughout this book.  First, Kimball encourages his reader to be present in spaces where they can meet non-church people–to be in a position outside the church office where they can befriend non-Christians, develop relationships with them, and know what is going on in their lives so that they can be prayed for.  For example, Kimball has found ways to escape the “Christian bubble” by spending a couple of days during the week preparing his sermons at a local coffee shop.  Over time he has befriended other regulars and the employees there.  He doesn’t see these new friends as evangelistic targets, but human beings who need the ministry of the church.  Through developing relationships with people outside the church, he has found that emerging generations are extremely open to talking about Jesus and what Christians believe.  Most people Kimball spoke to dislike the church based on  their perceptions gained from news media presentations, street preachers, and televangelists.  Their impressions are from afar.  Kimball is challenging church leaders to present a compelling alternative within local contexts–many of the people Kimball spoke with couldn’t name Christian people they knew personally.

Second, Kimball identifies the following perceptions which emerging generations have of the church:

• The church is an organized religion with a political agenda.
• The church is judgmental and negative.
• The church is dominated by males and oppresses females.
• The church is homophobic.
• The church arrogantly claims all other religions are wrong.
• The church is full of fundamentalists who take the whole Bible literally.

Kimball is talking about perceptions that non-Christian people have of the church.  He is listening.  Kimball carefully explains the reasons why people outside the church have these perceptions.  In regard to homosexuality and women in pastoral leadership, Kimball challenges his readers (both liberal and conservative) to know the reasons behind their theological positions.  This portion of his work is incredibly helpful for Christian people who are trying to better understand the cultural landscape and engage as an effective witness for Jesus and his Kingdom.  This is an invaluable dialogue that could be recreated in any city.  Which brings me to Kimball’s final important contribution in this book.

In what could be a revolutionary idea, Kimball challenges us to listen to people in our city and respond in how we be the church.  Sounds like common sense.  He doesn’t recommend that we compromise our integrity as the people of God in responding to what we hear.  For example, one critique of the church that Kimball had heard is that it can become personality-driven–centered more on the pastor than on Jesus.  As a response, Kimball’s church has made the cross the centerpiece of their worship space, with the worship leaders and the pastor addressing the audience from a lower stage slightly off to the side of the cross.  Kimball challenges leaders to give a carefully thought out, biblical response to what is heard from those outside the church.

Kimball has reasons for hope in the future of the church.  I tend to agree with him.  He sees the emerging generation’s interest in Jesus as a great opportunity for Christian people to engage, share the gospel about Jesus, and invite people into a life of discipleship.  I think this is on point.

Pick up this book.  Read it.  Write in the margins (unless you pick it up from a library).  Agree.  Disagree.  This book will sharpen your thinking, broaden your understanding of the world we live in today, and challenge you to invite other people to follow Jesus.  It is a valuable contribution to the church that I pray more people will come to not only like, but love.

Read Full Post »