For the next several weeks, I will be posting my Advanced M.Div. Thesis on Emergent Leader Brian McLaren and his understanding of the gospel. Like most thesis', its long and will take some time to post. At the bottom one can download and read the whole thesis without having to wait. I have met McLaren personally while in Louisville and although I vehemently disagree with much of what he says ans stands for, I do believe that he is one of the most important figures in the world today and is someone that the church needs to take seriously. The limits of the following thesis is that it was written before McLaren published his recent book A New Kind of Christianity, which is perhaps his clearest book written to date on his theology. However, I have read and reviewed the book in some detail.
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
Where one begins determines where one will end. [1] Underlying theological assumptions determine theological conclusions. This fundamental truth is attested throughout history and a new theological movement, known as the Emerging Church headed by Brian McLaren, is no different. While masquerading itself as relevant Christianity, it is nothing more a New Liberalism that challenges the very faith “once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
Theology, and the underlying assumptions that accompany it, is like an angle. Imagine two lines that run overtop one another. One line represents true biblical theology. The other line represents one’s theology. If the theology differs slightly from God’s truth, then the two lines break forming an angle. The break might, at first, seem small and insignificant. On the surface questioning issues like the virgin birth or the historicity of the Gospels might seem minor, but as the two lines continue to travel ,they will become farther and farther apart. Questioning the virgin birth leads to the tearing down of foundational issues such as inerrancy, exclusivity, clarity, and truth itself. And so, the initial insignificant difference leads to serious heresy.
This study examines the theological premise of the Emerging Church, through the lens of Brian McLaren, and proves how its underlying assumptions destroy its Soteriology. However, rather than begin with the break in the angle, Brian McLaren and the Emerging Church begins on the other end of the spectrum. They stand at the end of the angle tearing away at the foundation of Christianity: the gospel.
Statement of the Problem
The Emerging Church is a new movement that has gained a large and influential following that threatens the gospel. The underlying assumption is that culture should shape theology and so beginning with culture they reject the transcendent gospel revealed in Scripture. The movement, pioneered by McLaren, mirrors the path taken by Protestant Liberalism in previous generations; by beginning with cultural accommodation they end with the social gospel.
The purpose of this type of approach was to effectively evangelize by making the gospel relevant to today’s culture. But this culture-shaped gospel presented by McLaren fails in its transcendence. The gospel, as revealed in Scripture, transcends all cultures. While presenting an updated version of Christianity doctrine, McLaren is only repeating past mistakes.
Emergent Soteriology is not only guilty of misinterpretation, rather, its underlying theological assumptions are wrong. Rather than begin with Scripture alone the Emerging Church begins with the culture rotting the movement at its core. As one of its pioneers, McLaren has re-begun a movement that has proven to fail. The Emerging Church is the new liberalism.
Who Is Brian McLaren?
To understand Brian McLaren, one must first look at his story. Like all Emergents, McLaren’s involvement in the Emergent conversation did not happen by accident. [2]
McLaren is no theologian, though he writes much on theology. He is no scholar, though to the average person he might sound like one. He is an English professor, turned pastor, turned Emergent pioneer and leader. McLaren begins his story in 1994 at age 38 and tired of being a Christian and pastor. Thus, he found fulfilling his pastoral duties difficult and hypocritical. McLaren wrote in his journal, “One year from today I will not be in the ministry.”
McLaren, at first, had two choices: continue to practice a faith that he was beginning to doubt or leave the faith all together. However McLaren eventually perceived a third option: embrace a new kind of Christianity. Rather than abandon the ministry, McLaren has dedicated himself to promoting this “new way” of being a Christian. He has since stepped down as pastor in order to dedicate more time to promoting the Emerging Church movement.
McLaren saw the old way of being a Christian too outdated and aged. He concluded that “either Christianity itself is flawed, failing, untrue, or our modern, Western, commercialized, industrial-strength version of it is in need of a fresh look, a serious revision.” [3] And since that day, McLaren has seriously revisioned Christianity out of modernity and into postmodernity. As one of the pioneers and key leaders in the Emerging Church movement, McLaren has become “the de facto spiritual leader for the Emerging Church,” [4] and has been labeled as one of the most influential evangelicals leaders in America today. [5]
His influence is vast and his impact on Christianity will be felt for decades. Therefore, a serious analysis and critique of McLaren and the Emerging Church is vital! McLaren presents a particular threat to the gospel and his popularity is significant. McLaren is the face of a new movement that presents updated challenges to the gospel. This apostasy must be confronted with the call “to contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3).
[1] Unintentionally, this thesis begins similarly to Larry D. Pettegrew, “Evangelicalism, Paradigms, and the Emerging Church,” Master’s Seminary Journal 17, no. 2 (2006): 159. The article begins by tracing movements that have led to the Emerging Church and from there the author critiques the movement. Pettegrew makes a similar argument that the problem with the Emerging Church is their starting point.
[2] Much of what follows comes primarily from Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey, vol 1 of A New Kind of Christian (San Francisco: Joseey Bass, 2001), ix-xviii.
[3] Ibid., xv.
[4] Andy Crouch, “The Emergent Mystique: The ‘Emerging Church’ Movement Has Generated a Lot of Excitement But Only a Handful of Congregations. Is it the Wave of the Future or a Passing Fancy?” Christianity Today 48, no. 11 (2004): 38.
[5] Danuta Otfinowski, “The 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America” Time Magazine.
Thesis - Brian McLaren and Emergent Soteriology: From Cultural Accomodation to the Kingdom of God
For more:
Theology/Reviews - "A New Kind of Christianity" - A 11 part review and critique of McLaren's book
Reviews - McLaren - A Generous Orthodoxy
Reviews - McLaren - A New Kind of Christian
Reviews -McLaren - A Search For What Makes Sense: Finding Faith
Reviews -McLaren - Adventures In Missing The Point
Reviews - McLaren - Church On The Other Side
Reviews -McLaren - Everything Must Change
Reviews -McLaren - Finding Faith
Reviews -McLaren - More Ready Than You Realize
Reviews - McLaren - The Justice Project
Reviews - McLaren - The Secret Message of Jesus
Reviews -McLaren - The Voice of Luke
Theology - Revelation and the Ambiguity of Justification: McLaren Adds to the Confusion
Theology - Does McLaren Reject Penal Substitution?: A Review of the Evidence
Theology - Hamilton: McLaren and Whole Foods Stores
Theology - SBTS and McLaren: A Response to SBTS Panel Discussion
Theology - The Evolving God: McKnight's Critique of McLaren
Theology - The Future of the Emergent Church: McLaren Weighs In
Theology - The Immutability of God: Its Truth and Relevancy - Introduction
Theology - The Postmodern Social Gospel: Brian McLaren Proves My Point
Theology - Where to Begin?: 10 Emergent Must Reads
Theology - Who Isn't One?: Brian McLaren and Social Christians
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Narrative Question - Part 1
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Authority Question - Part 2
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The God Question - Part 3
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Jesus Question - Part 4
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Gospel Question - Part 5
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Church Question - Part 6
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Sex Question - Part 7
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Future Question - Part 8
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: The Pluralism Question - Part 9
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: Where Do We Go From Here - Part 10
Theology - A New Kind of Christianity . . . Indeed: Some Final Thoughts - Part 11
Theology - The Clarity of Ambiguity: The Erosion of the Perspicuity of Scripture in the Emergent Church - Part 1
Theology - The Clarity of Ambiguity: The Erosion of the Perspicuity of Scripture in the Emergent Church - Part 2
Theology - The Clarity of Ambiguity: The Erosion of the Perspicuity of Scripture in the Emergent Church - Part 3
Theology - The Clarity of Ambiguity: The Erosion of the Perspicuity of Scripture in the Emergent Church - Part 4
Theology - The Clarity of Ambiguity: The Erosion of the Perspicuity of Scripture in the emergent Church - Part 5
0 comments:
Post a Comment