Peter Enns and I both released important books about the Bible this year. Peter’s book is called The Bible Tells Me So, and mine is called We Make the Road by Walking. We decided to interview each other about our books and what they say about the Bible. This is Part 3 of 3. +++++ Brian: What is your biggest hope for the book? What would success look like? Peter: Besides getting me interviewed by Brian McLaren and the book having a bright... Read more
Peter Enns and I both released important books about the Bible this year. Peter’s book is called The Bible Tells Me So, and mine is called We Make the Road by Walking. We decided to interview each other about our books and what they say about the Bible. This is Part 2 of 3. +++++ Brian: I often say that for 500 years Protestants have been trying to prove to Catholics that a religion can exist with an infallible book rather than an... Read more
Peter Enns and I both released important books about the Bible this year. Peter’s book is called The Bible Tells Me So, and mine is called We Make the Road by Walking. We decided to interview each other about our books and what they say about the Bible. This is Part 1 of 3. +++++ Brian: Peter, I loved your book. I don’t know many if any theologians who can make serious points with as much humor as you. You theologize... Read more
Dear Steve Strang, Jennifer LeClaire, Shawn Akers, and Lee Grady, We all make mistakes. As editors of Charisma Media, you may agree that you made one by posting a vicious Islamophobic article last week. It was good of you to take the post down. [For people who want to read it, it is available here.] Now, many are calling for you to apologize. (For example, here’s one petition that’s being circulated, asking for you to do so.) I’m sure a lot of your customer... Read more
In a previous post, I tried to address an important issue: that we need to address our precritical approaches to the conflict. If our line of approach is misguided, we will find it easier to be unhelpful. If we repeat conventional polarized/paralyzed rhetoric about the conflict, we will intensify misunderstanding and contribute to the descending spiral of violence … violence that escalates in nightmarish ways. People on each side of the conflict tend to see their counterpart as intellectually inferior (using... Read more
This is not a post about who is right and wrong in Israel-Palestine. This is a post about how the rest of us talk about who is right and wrong in Israel-Palestine. Conventional discourse on the subject goes like this: X is right, good, values life, wants peace, is a victim, and is sane. Y is wrong, bad, doesn’t value life, doesn’t want peace, is a villain, and is insane. Then, data is selected and presented (and other data ignored... Read more
Here’s the Question: Hi Brian. I continue to appreciate your facebook postings. They are always thought provoking. I also appreciate your efforts to build bridges between different points of view. As I look at theological trends, especially of mainline protestantism, I am reminded of a quote from H Richard Niebuhr, descibing his assessment of liberal theology. He writes, “a God without wrath brings men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through a ministry of a Christ without a cross.”... Read more
Here’s the Question: Many of us realise that we have tried to control God through our right theology and moral efforts but it has essentially been about self-determination. When we find ourselves embraced by the God who chooses to love us (and has a place for us in the new-creation plan), how can we articulate this is a way which helps wary evangelicals to grasp the radical nature of this ‘repentance’, transformation and hope-full future? Or is Brian’s Greco-Roman hypothesis... Read more
I was invited to be part of a forum on global human rights for LGBT persons on Tuesday. Short talks were presented by Senior Advisor Valerie Jarrett and Ambassador Susan Rice. Later we were invited to the Vice President’s home, where he shared some additional comments. It was clear that the White House has a strong commitment to human rights for LGBT persons, especially in a world where people are routinely killed, beaten, tortured, arrested, threatened, excluded from employment, driven into secrecy, and imprisoned for... Read more
Tikkun magazine recently offered these two letters – both by Jewish people concerned about the occupation of Palestine. Quotable: First, we should note that under international and American law, Israel’s occupation of the West Bank is illegal. Any business involved in the occupation is therefore illegal too. That alone should be enough to keep American companies away from the Occupation. The Israeli government argues that the occupation is necessary in order to keep Israel safe. How does building Jewish cities... Read more
Brian McLaren
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