Brian McLaren Says Evangelicals Dislike Him

Brian McLaren has been a frequent guest blogger on the Huffington Post lately. Yesterday (April 5, 2010), he penned a post with the intriguing title, Why Do Evangelicals Dislike Me So Much?

Why Does Brian Dislike Evangelicals So Much?

As I read Brian’s article, the question kept coming up, “Why does Brian dislike Evangelicals so much?” He describes Evangelical leaders as “testy under stress,” “multiplying their power,” “keeping moderate elements afraid,” “the most strident inquisitors,” etc.

He seems to be equally disdainful of Evangelical “followers.” He compares people disagreeing with his theology to subjects in Milgram’s classic authority/pain experiment. In the experiment, actors posing as authority figures commanded subjects repeatedly to press the pain and punishment button on their innocent fellow subjects. It supposedly demonstrates the extreme willingness of adults to go to almost any length on the command of an authority figure.

Brian then claims that the reason so many Evangelicals “dislike” him is because they’re afraid of their authority figures and therefore, like the Milgram subjects, keep pressing the punishment button to hurt Brian. According to Brian, these fearful, robotic, submissive, mindless followers become “agents in a terrible destructive process.” Out of fear of being zapped for daring to agree with Brian, these followers compliantly “press the punishment button when anyone dares to differ by giving the ‘wrong’ answer.”

In Brian’s thinking, they subject Brian and his followers to the pain buzzer in many ways. “Our motives are judged, our words are twisted, our proposals are misinterpreted, and our books are even banned or burned. But we aren’t complaining; we’re just sayin.’”

So…anyone who disagrees with Brian…dislikes him, wants to punish him, judges his motives, twists his words, burns his books—and does it all either to maintain power (if one is a “leader”) or out of fear of authority (if one is a “follower”). Not a pretty portrayal of Evangelical leaders and followers.

Another Version of the Story

There’s something a tad sad when a rich, successful, white male plays the victim card. And it’s very sad when he plays the victimizer card against anyone who disagrees with his theology.

I’ve read a good deal and written a good deal about Brian’s latest book, A New Kind of Christianity. Not a single thing I’ve read, nor a single thing I’ve written has even had even a hint of dislike for Brian, no questioning of his motives (even though he questions the motives of Evangelical leaders and followers), no twisting of words, no banning or burning of books, no desire to inflict pain or punishment.

Could it simply be that some of us, Evangelical leaders and followers alike, have a mind of our own and choose to disagree respectfully and lovingly with Brian? Why is it terribly destructive to disagree with Brian, but totally fine for Brian to disagree with 2,000-years of church history? (See my Final Recap for all the links to my posts where I respond question-by-question to Brian’s new kind of Christianity.)

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Why do you think Evangelical leaders and “followers” disagree with Brian?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, Brian McLaren, Huffington Post

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Final Recap: Links to Responses to A New Kind of Christianity

Welcome: I’ve finished blogging my way through a series of responses to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity. My focus has been on pastoral theology or practical theology response. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I was asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Final Recap: Word Document Format

I’ve created an edited version of my entire blog series in a Word Document format. It’s free, so I’ve posted it along with my other Free Resources. You can enjoy over 100 free resources for your life and ministry at RPM Ministries. 

Feel free to download and to share my final recap in Word Document format: A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity.

Final Recap: Blog Format

If you’ve benefitted from this blog series, and if you think others would benefit also, please feel free to reference this series, link to it on your site, or post it on your site.

Here are all the links in my blog series on A New Kind of Christianity.

• Post # 1: Brian McLaren, I Accept Your Invitation

• Post # 2: A Biblical Counseling Response to Brian McLaren

• Post # 3: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 1: The Narrative Question

• Post # 4: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 2: The Authority Question—The Bible

• Post # 5: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 3: The God Question

• Post # 6: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 4: The Jesus Question

• Post # 7: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 5: The Gospel Question

• Post # 8: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 6: The Church Question

• Post # 9: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 7: The Sex Question

• Post # 10: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 8: The Future Question

• Post # 11: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 9: The Pluralism Question

• Post # 12: Responding to Brian McLaren’s Q # 10: The What Now Question

• Post # 13: Conclusion: The Final Word and the Word After That

Six Views

I’ve also collated other responses and reviews to A New Kind of Christianity.

• 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

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Which question do you think is most important and why?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, Biblical Counseling, Bob Kellemen, Book Review, Brian McLaren, Spiritual Formation

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

The Final Word: And the Word After That

Welcome: You’re reading the final post, Part 13, of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, and Part 12). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (read 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

The Final Word: I’m Thankful for Brian’s Questions

While it’s obvious that I disagree with many of Brian’s answers, I’m thankful for each of Brian’s questions. I agree 100% with Brian that we should be having deep theological and practical conversations about these ten questions. I won’t repeat them here. I’ve engaged Brian about them for two weeks and thirteen posts.

I’ve not only indicated my theological disagreements along the way, I’ve also shared my “relational disappointment.” I don’t believe the conversation was nearly as inviting as it could have been. I think Brian repeatedly painted extreme stereotypes and pejorative caricatures of others, while consistently painting himself and his views with saintly hues. This not only turns off those Brian is speaking against, it also grossly misinforms those to whom Brian is speaking. Additionally, it’s unfair of Brian, in my opinion, for him to expect others to remain quiet or to response submissively while he attempts to demolish and deconstruct what they consider the bedrock of biblical Christianity.

I understand that there’s a long history here for Brian and some of those who disagree with him. I also know that some who have read A New Kind of Christianity have said, “That’s it. I’m done. There’s no reason even to try to reason together with Brian.” Call me naïve. I’d like to think there could still be a respectful conversation.

I think it would be interesting to read a co-authored book with Brian and someone from “the old kind of Christianity.” I’d envision those two authors engaging their differences candidly and respectfully. I’d expect those two authors to portray each other accurately, even while lovingly and at times forcefully disagreeing. I’d anticipate those two authors exegeting Scriptures—perhaps even the same passages, to support their divergent views.

The Word After That: The Biblical Counseling and Spiritual Formation Perspective—For All the Church

Little did I know what I was signing up for when I volunteered myself to offer a biblical counseling response to Brian’s answers to his ten questions. However, I’m glad I did.

I’m passionate about pastoral theology and practical theology. I think they’re missing ingredients in these conversations. We rightly approach these issues from the “academic” theology perspectives of systematic theology, biblical theology, and exegetical theology. But we often omit the “spiritual” theology perspectives of how a book like A New Kind of Christianity impacts real life and everyday ministry. When we fail to respond to Brian from a practical theology perspective, we further enhance the false caricature and the extreme stereotype that “the old kind of Christianity” is all about academic theology and not also equally about practical theology.

Biblical counseling and spiritual formation are subsets of practical/pastoral/spiritual theology. They include many types of one another ministries: soul care, spiritual direction, spiritual friendship, etc. They go by many names: biblical counseling, Christian counseling, discipleship, mentoring, coaching, etc. Whatever we call them, I trust that as a side benefit of my responses, readers have glimpsed a clearer and a bigger picture of “biblical counseling and spiritual formation.”

Biblical counseling is not simply what happens between two people in an office. Biblical counseling and spiritual formation are ways of thinking about life, ways of doing ministry, and ways of living out the daily Christian life. The biblical counseling perspective on the sufficiency of Scripture has much to offer all Christians. The spiritual formation perspective on progressive sanctification has much to offer the Body of Christ.

The biblical counseling theology of people, problems, and solutions provides robust implications and applications for doing life and being like Christ. The spiritual formation methodology of soul care and spiritual direction provides comprehensive insights for the personal ministry of the Word. They are profitable for all the church.

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I’ll share a “Final Recap” that includes links to every blog in this series, plus links to other reviews, and a new link to a Word Document version of my entire series.

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Of everything in A New Kind of Christianity and out of everything in my responses, what do you think has been most important?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, Biblical Counseling, Bob Kellemen, Brian McLaren, Spiritual Formation

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 10: The What Now Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 12 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, and Part 11). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (read 6 Views on Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

What Now?

Ever since I read Larry Richard’s book Creative Bible Teaching, I have used his Hook, Book, Look, Took process in my teaching and preaching. Hook addresses the “Why?” question. “Why do we need this lesson?” Book addresses the “What?” question. “What does the Bible teach in this passage?” Look addresses the “So What?” question. “So what difference should this make in our lives and ministries?” Took addresses the “What Now?” question. “What will I specifically do differently now that I understand the interpretation and implications of this passage?”

In a similar way, Brian wraps up A New Kind of Christianity by asking the “What now?” question. Brian asks, “How can we translate our quest into action?” His answer dovetails with spiritual formation. “So our quest calls us first and foremost to nurture a robust spiritual life—not only a deep commitment to serve God, but also a deep desire to know and love God” (p. 226). He says “the end of our quest is a better world in which God’s will is done” (p. 226). At a general level, I have no quarrel with those statements. Brian becomes a tad more specific when he says, “Our goal must be to see those young people put a vital, radical faith into vital, radical action for and with the poor, action on behalf of the planet, action that makes for peace” (p. 226). Some might quibble with whether those are the most profound and foundational applications, but few would disagree that they could be valid “What now?” responses.

Next, Brian outlines his stages in humanity’s quest. He graciously places most of the people he’s spoken about and against at levels 2 through 5. Even more graciously, he places himself and those who join him at levels 6 and 7. His level 7 is sure to raise eyebrows. It’s the healing level with the quest to unify and liberate, to rediscover the beauty of the whole. It is peace and shalom. It is ubuntu or one-another-ness, interconnectedness, the well-being of all. The quest that Brian calls us to is to follow his lead and evolve to a higher community which consists of “Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and others” and “welcomes all people to mature and advance in the human quest” (p. 235). If we think this is not a new kind of Christianity but a wrong kind of Christianity, then we are “the theological thought police” (p. 240).

Brian’s Definition of Sin and Description of Sinners

As he’s done throughout the book, Brian then not-so-subtly takes another dig at those who disagree with his ubuntu quest. “This way of love, this quest for ubuntu, this violet way of seeing and relating, is virtually impossible to imagine for people who haven’t reached the violet zone; they are likely to mock it or condemn it as something naïve, silly, or even evil (which is exactly what we would expect from people in other zones)” (p. 239). Nothing like shutting down conversation and putting down those who disagree with you—portraying them as immature children contrasted with wise adults, or as mindless ants compared to brilliant humans.

But it gets worse. On page 239, Brian finally defines sin. And it is…us! Those who disagree with him and refuse to join him on his higher plane, on his spiritual quest—we are sinners. “Sin is ultimately a refusal to grow” (p. 239). Those of us not in his violet quest zone are sinners. At least we finally know there are still some sinners left on Brian’s planet!

Brian continues. “Where sin increases—where the resistance to growth, transcendence, and inclusion increase—what abounds more? God’s grace” (p. 240). So, the very existence of us non-growth-oriented sinners is a hope-giving existence to Brian because he’s convinced God will out-grace our sin of refusing to grow with Brian and grow like Brian!

Brian says that he wishes for the courage to differ and the grace to differ graciously (p. 243). He wants generative conversations. He urges his followers to avoid a defensive, divisive spirit because it “simply serves to replicate some of the worst features of the conventional kinds of Christianity” (p. 246). Given the title of his book, he means…us. So…his generative conversation ends by labeling those who disagree with him as immature children and defensive and divisive theological thought police who sinfully refuse to grow by joining his quest for ubuntu. Does it strike anyone else as ironic that two chapters focused on the quest for healing, connectedness, and inclusiveness would be so saturated with such demeaning portrayals?

What Now? Biblical Counseling Implication

Honestly, it’s difficult to know what to do with this. What now should we do with Brian’s approach in his two what now chapters? Even apart from the theological differences, a consistent “issue” I have with A New Kind of Christianity is Brian’s chosen style of communication. He repeatedly paints himself as humble, gracious, inviting, loving, and simply asking honest questions. Yet he consistently paints those with whom he disagrees in the worst light possible, not only with extreme caricatures, but with dismissive, condescending, and pejorative labels.

In any counseling/relationship context, for two people or two groups of people to communicate well, there must be mutual understanding, concerted effort to see life from the other person’s perspective, a sincere desire to represent accurately the other person or group, and a heart-felt, sacrificial love that puts the other person first. In the absence of these, no meaningful dialogue will ever occur.

In secular counseling, when these are absent, the primary “solution” is to teach “communication skills.” Brian’s an English major and a veteran pastor. His final two chapters are all about the quest to heal relationships. So I’m sure he understands and could teach communication skills and conflict resolution. So what’s up?

In biblical counseling, when communication skills are absent, instead of starting with “solutions,” we begin with “SOUL-u-tions.” That is, we seek to help people to assess what heart issues may be generating the symptoms of poor communication skills.

It’s likely that folks on both sides—those who agree with Brian and those who disagree—myself included, need some “SOUL-u-tion-focused-biblical counseling. What heart issues are preventing us from speaking the truth in love? That’s my “What now?” question. I’ll leave it at that and allow each of us in this “generative conversation” to make our own personal application.

The Rest of the Story

In my final post, I’ll reflect on “big picture” issues of what I’ve learned and what we all could learn from our engagement with Brian’s ten questions.

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What heart issues are preventing us from speaking the truth in love?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, Biblical Counseling, Kelemen, McLaren

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 9: The Pluralism Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 11 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, and Part 10). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

Salvation without Christ and Spiritual Formation without the Indwelling Spirit

In the pluralism question, Brian asks, “How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?” His preferred approach envisions evangelism ceasing to be a matter of saving souls and ceasing to be a proclamation of the superiority of Christianity (p. 216).

Rather than converting people from their fallen condition of sinful human depravity, in Brian’s thinking, salvation involves inviting unconverted people “into lifelong spiritual formation as disciples of Jesus” in an uncoverted community dedicated “to teaching the most excellent way of love, whatever the new disciple’s religious affiliation or lack thereof” (p. 216).

To arrive at this novel interpretation of salvation (salvation without conversion from sin) and spiritual formation (spiritual formation without Spirit-empowered progressive sanctification through the all-sufficient Word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God), Brian spends seven pages reinterpreting John 14:6. Jesus says, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by me.”

Brian has Christ saying in this verse, “Look at me, my life, my way, my deeds, my character.” And what has that character been? “One of exclusion, rejection, constriction, elitism, favoritism, and condemnation? Of course not! Jesus’s way has been compassion, healing, acceptance, forgiveness, inclusion, and love” (pp. 222-223). Rather than being a statement of faith in Christ as the exclusive way to salvation, for Brian, John 14:6 becomes a statement of universal salvation apart from faith in Christ.

Knowing the Father through the Son, Reflecting the Son through the Spirit

Brian acts as if it is the most unloving act in the world to dare to share Christ with a person of another religion, and thus to claim that their way does not lead to God. He holds Christ up as the model (as we all should). So, let’s consider what Christ has to say to those who try to relate to the Father apart from the Son.

When the Pharisees tried to have a relationship with the Father apart from the Son, Jesus dared to speak exclusive truth. He dared to tell them point blank, “You will die in your sin” (John 8:21). Why? “If you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins” (John 8:24). Sounds totally exclusive to me. Jesus continues. “I have much to say in judgment of you” (John 8:25). Sounds rather…judgmental.

“To the Jews who had believed in him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples’” (John 8:31). Sounds rather exclusive. He then informs them that it is truth that will set them free (John 8:32). Free from what? Slavery to sin (John 8:33-36). And only the Son can set one free from sin’s enslavement (John 8:36).

Jesus is not nearly finished. His words become increasingly exclusive. Those who do not believe in Him get the message, though they disagree with it. “‘We are not illegitimate children,’ they protested” (John 8:41). Did Jesus back down and clarify that they had misunderstood His message? Not in the least. He intensifies his proclamation of exclusive salvation. “You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him” (John 8:44).

Clearly, we can know the Father only through the Son. Clearly, knowing and personally accepting and appropriating the truth of Christ’s life, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection are essential to salvation.

The Divine Counselor—The Ultimate Biblical Counselor and Spiritual Director

It’s equally true that truth is essential for spiritual formation in Christ. In the same narrative where Brian wants to make Jesus’ words about being the truth simply a statement of a good moral example, Jesus repeatedly links the Spirit to truth. Because of Christ’s great love for us, He does not leave us orphaned. He prays to the Father Who gives us another Counselor to be with us forever.

And Who is this Counselor? The Spirit of truth (John 14:17). What is the truth that leads both to salvation and to sanctification? “He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him” (John 14:21). If I truly love and care about a person of another religion who does not know Christ, and if I long for that person to know the love of Christ now and forever, then unmistakably Christ calls me to share the truth of exclusive salvation in Christ with my friend.

And if I long for my newly saved friend to grow in grace, then I will want to teach my friend about the work of the Spirit—the Divine Counselor. “But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things” (John 14:26). I will mentor my newly saved friend in the progressive sanctification process of abiding in Christ—exclusively in Christ (John 15:1-8).

The Divine Counselor focuses on truth—the truth of Christ’s exclusivity. “When the Counselor comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father, he will testify about me” (John 15:26). And if I love my spiritual friend, what will I do? “And you also must testify, for you have been with me from the beginning” (John 15:27).

The Spirit of truth, “convicts the world of guilt in regard to sin” (John 16:8). And what is the core sin, the core guilt for which we remain in our sins? “In regard to sin, because men do not believe in me” (John 16:9). Could anything be clearer? Jesus is the only Way to salvation and to spiritual formation. Speaking the truth in love is the only means of evangelism and discipleship. “But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:13). All truth about what? About Christ. “He will bring glory to me” (John 16:14).

If the goal of my life is to glorify Christ, and if the passion of my loving heart is to see others enter into new life with Christ and abundant life in Christ, then I will speak the truth of Christ’s exclusivity. There’s nothing unloving about the truth. There’s nothing loving about hiding the truth of salvation and sanctification in Christ alone.

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the what-do-we-do-now question. He asks, “How can we translate our quest into action?”

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How should we relate in truth and love to those who do not know Christ?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, McLaren, Religion, Salvation, Spiritual Formation

A Conversation about Brian McLaren’s A New Kind of Christianity

Responding to Brian McLaren’s Question # 8: The Future Question

Welcome: You’re reading Part 10 of my blog series responding to Brian McLaren’s book A New Kind of Christianity (read Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, and Part 9). Many have engaged Brian’s thinking by focusing on a systematic theology response (visit here for a boatload of links). My focus is on pastoral theology or practical theology. As a pastor, counselor, and professor who equips the church for biblical counseling and spiritual formation, I’m asking: “What difference does our response to each question make for how we care like Christ (biblical counseling) and for how we live like Christ (spiritual formation)?”

A New Kind of Eschatology?

I mentioned in Post 9 that I open each chapter of Brian’s book with the hope that Brian might represent with sincerely and without extreme stereotypes those with whom he disagrees. Once again I was disappointed because once again Brian regales his readers with tales from the dark side of eschatology. It’s the same old record, hitting the same old scratch, and playing the same old note again and again.

In Brian’s caricature, typical eschatology views are “pitiful and laughable” (p. 192). Brian’s stereotyped proponents say that since the world is about to end, we don’t care about the environment, we don’t give a rip about global poverty, we’re not concerned about justice for non-Jews, and we refuse to waste energy on peacemaking. Such disingenuous caricatures hardly serve the purpose of inviting conversation or of explaining why a new kind of eschatology is even necessary.

For most Evangelicals, eschatology is much more than the Left Behind series. Eschatology is about our final destiny and what difference our eternal destiny makes in our current lives and ministries. Biblical eschatology has both individual and social/corporate applications. For instance, I teach A Christ-Centered TEAM Approach to Intercultural Ministry. We discuss the point that since for all eternity we will worship, fellowship, and minister together interculturally (Revelation 7:9-10), therefore, we should purposefully, intentionally, and proactively work toward intercultural ministry, multicultural relationships, and multiethnic churches today.

Living in Light of Eternity Future

Brian states that the old kind of eschatology makes us “like gerbils on a wheel” (p. 194). Whatever that old kind of eschatology is, I’m with Brian in rejecting it. When teaching on Life’s Seven Ultimate Questions, which I addressed in Part 3, I discuss how reading the end of the story makes all the difference in how we respond to present suffering and how we overcome besetting sins.

In the end, God “wins.” Good triumphs over evil. Justice triumphs over injustice. Beauty triumphs over chaos. Light triumphs over darkness. Grace triumphs over sin. The biblical answer to the question of ultimate destiny ought to impact drastically how we live today—our future destiny impacts our present reality. That’s no gerbil on a wheel. That’s a biblical counseling perspective that leads to personal and corporate spiritual formation.

Living in Light of Brian’s Eschatology

Brian labels his view “improvisational eschatology” (p. 196). When we ask, “What does the future hold?” Brian says the answer depends. “It depends on you and me” (p. 196). For Brian, this is encouraging. For me, it’s terrifying.

So, do I create my eschatology out of fear? No. I follow a biblical eschatology that leads to sure hope. So, does non-improvisational eschatology leave out any God-human relationship and interworking? Not in the least. We cooperate, submit to, and participate in the sovereign, affectionate work God is doing. We do so joyfully and confidently knowing that God is in control and He cares. This biblical eschatology inspires. It produces anticipation. It offers hope.

As a pastor, counselor, professor, and spiritual friend, I wonder what hope one can offer someone with an “it-depends-eschatology.” I think of my dear mother-in-law who lost her husband of 60 years. It’s a sure-hope-eschatology not an it-depends-eschatology that motivates her day-by-day.

Living in Brian’s Future

Honestly, I’m unclear what Brian’s vision of the future looks like. I’m unsure what eternity or heaven, or the new heaven and the new earth look like. I know it’s not the caricature he paints of those who disagree with him—“a Platonic state of Greco-Roman perfection” (p. 198). It’s more like Randy Alcorn’s Heaven. It’s a new heaven and a new earth—a real place with real purpose, real relationships, and real growth.

Biblical, sure-hope-eschatology motivates and empowers us to live a story worth telling forever. It produces a future vision that leads to a current Christ-centered passion.

Because sure-hope-eschatology believes that choices on earth really matter and have eternal ramifications, it leads to lifestyle evangelism—living and sharing the sure hope of eternal life through faith in Christ alone. It is unlike Brian’s “undoomed future” of universal salvation which diminishes the choices we make today and dulls motivation for living and sharing Christ.

The Rest of the Story

In my next post, I respond to Brian’s answer to the pluralism question. He asks, “How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?”

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What biblical view of the future gives you purpose today and hope forever?

Tags: A New Kind of Christianity, Biblical Counseling, Heaven, McLaren