Category: Theology
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meaty Michigan
This is small potatoes in the big scheme of things, but as a window into how messed up life is in Michigan, our governor proclaimed tomorrow “Michigan Meatout Day,” in which she “encourage[s] the residents of this state to choose not to eat meat.” This is part of a larger campaign by the “Meatout” folks…
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if Piper can do it
If you live in the Indy area, you may want to attend the THINK conference at College Park Church next weekend, where I’ll be explaining the biblical foundation and personal application of the Christian worldview. It should be a provocative and meaningful time, so come if you can. Here’s another entry for Our Daily Journey…
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sin and self-image
Here’s the latest devotional I worked up for Our Daily Journey, which is Radio Bible Class’s hipper version of Our Daily Bread. It seems relevant to our recent discussion, so I post it here for any constructive and respectful feedback. read > 2 Samuel 16:5-14 “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?”…
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grace and truth
Our recent discussion about McLaren’s book reminded me of First Timothy 1, where Paul shows us how to balance both grace and truth. He begins by telling Timothy to fight for truth, saying that he left him in Ephesus to “command certain men not to teach false doctrines any longer” which “promote controversies rather than…
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in other news
I can’t wait to see how God will foil the Cleveland Cavalier’s run at a championship this year. We are so loaded that only God can stop us now, which of course, he will. I just don’t see how. Also, Gary Meadors and I teamed up this week to write pieces on the resurrection and…
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Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Question 10
How can we translate our quest into action? Brian closes his book by calling us 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.” He warns that those of us who haven’t…
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Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Questions 8-9
“Can we find a better way of viewing the future?” and “How should followers of Jesus relate to people of other religions?” These two questions feed one another, and for time’s sake I will take them together. Brian’s “participatory eschatology” seems to be a version of postmillennialism. He criticizes postmillennialism for its “triumphalistic determinism” but…
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Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Question 7
Can we find a way to address human sexuality? This should not come as a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to the trajectory of Brian’s career, but in this chapter he finally defends the rightness of homosexual practice. He begins and ends with a couple of red herrings, describing those opposed to…
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Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Question 6
What do we do about the church? After examining Brian’s unchristian biases in his first 5 theological questions, I am reconsidering my commitment to working through each of his 5 practical questions (but I will keep slogging away, as it’s almost Lent). If Brian’s theological commitments place him outside the bounds of Christian orthodoxy, why…
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Brian McLaren, A New Kind of Christianity, Question 5, Part 2
What is the gospel? This section illustrates the confounding and purposeful ambiguity of liberalism, which uses many of the same terms we do but means something different by them. I’m reminded of the liberal pastor’s advice to Peter Fromm in The Flight of Peter Fromm, that liberals must learn to become “loyal liars” who use…
Mike Wittmer 