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Christianity Today, January, 2008 |

Review

Everything Hasn't Changed

An apocalyptic Brian McLaren strives to reframe Jesus and discipleship.

John Wilson, editor of Books & Culture | posted 1/16/2008 09:11AM

George Lakoff, a distinguished cognitive scientist trained in linguistics, came to prominence several years ago as an unlikely guru among Democratic Party strategists. In books such as Moral Politics: ...

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Bill Samuel

Posted: January 23, 2008 5:16 PM

"This is a impoverished review of a serious book. " I agree. It's not a perfect book, but it is largely sound. It takes on an enormous task, and does a fairly good job with it. I agree that he makes an effective argument for pacifism, and then seems to avoid the conclusion. But what he says would make more sense in the context of Pope Benedict's reflections that the Just War theory could not justify any war in this age. The two theories really can come out in the same place. And we certainly are addicted to war. Look at the huge numbers of wars and the resources devoted thereto. It is a bit ahistorical in that much of what he concludes the Gospel says has been discovered at many times in history by many other Christian leaders. It's what I was raised on. He did a great deal of research into contemporary issues, but apparently not in the history of Christian thought. If you read through to the end, what he's calling for is indeed the Great Commission.

Deb A.

Posted: January 22, 2008 3:35 PM

I have to agree with the person who said that McClaren was rather wordy. I found "an insurgency of peace" to be almost humorous. However, I do believe that most American Christians have no concept of how the world suffers while we wallow in our own comfort and affluence. It doesn't even begin to occur to many people that perhaps we're blessed so that we can bless. All the while we have large sections of the church debating the role of women, worrying about elections, etc... totally missing the bigger picture. While I find the book lacking in specifics about how I can personally bring Christ's kingdom to the world here and now, I do appreciate his viewpoints as they get me to think and pray. I also find it interesting (almost humorous) how many people can believe that the church in America/Europe hasn't been off track for years and that our own subculture hasn't clouded our view of what the Bible teaches. debfixesamerica.blogspot.com

Matt W.

Posted: January 22, 2008 2:23 PM

John, I will be charitable and say that you have mistakenly misinterpreted Brian's words. You quote Brian as saying that he wants to "call adherents of both positions to a joint consideration of the addictive nature of war, an addiction we may already have but may be in denial about." He didn't call them to a general dialogue, as you suggest in your comments: "Such dialogue, of course, has proceeded fitfully for many centuries. Neither the just-war tradition nor the pacifist tradition has been static. And so—on this point and across the board—the claim of McLaren's title, Everything Must Change, is quite misleading." He is calling them to a specific discussion over the issue of the addictive nature of war. McLaren is not so historically ignorant that he thinks pacifists and just war theorists have never engaged in conversation. Agree with the premise or not, you misrepresent his words.

frank j andersen

Posted: January 21, 2008 10:37 PM

I agree with Anthony if we are searching for Truth and willing to accept it. The Holy Spirit still leads us into all Truth. Set aside pre-conceived and self serving idea's and remember Jesus is Truth and Love its important to keep that in mind because our adversary Satan is still in our World today and looking to deceive as many as possible So if you are seeking Truth half heartedly you make an easy target for him.

A. Bass

Posted: January 21, 2008 12:57 AM

I read McClaren's most recent "manifesto" as well as several of the more prominent Emergent thinkers over the past year. While I truly appreciate their unified call to a "fresh" approach to Biblical Christianity I guess I find some of their methods and "re-invention" a little contrived if not, in some cases, completely out in left field. The first description I would give it is simply "wordy"; he "went around his elbow to get to his thumb". Yea, I agree we need to see beyond our American prosperity driven gospel and our self delusion of power to the greater need of those living in poverty here and around the world, but to couple the same gospel of a crucified savior with ecological tree hugging was a bit much for my admittedly conservative taste. I think McClaren, although beginning his work with the usual writer's humility and gratitude to everyone he ever met with their help in writing the work, has, in my opinion, fallen in love with his own popularity and "unique" ideas.

Anthony

Posted: January 20, 2008 5:45 PM

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28 Surely it isn't *that* difficult to understand what Jesus was *really* saying? I thank God that through the power of the Holy Spirit, the blood of His Son, and His Word I am free to avoid the arrogant, hang-wringing and "woe as me" mentality of all these "new" thinkers in the "church" (which are nothing less than old heresies in new wineskins...). God's people WILL NOT positively influence the world. The world system is our enemy and WILL NEVER change until Christ himself returns to rule and reign with a rod of iron after He defeats the unbelieving masses and their 'god' Satan. Our mission is not to change the world, but to make disciples of Jesus Christ.

JMW	Posted: January 20, 2008 3:21 PM

McLaren may be a popularizer, but if he's claiming "everything must change," he's bringing a big burden of proof on himself, and he can ill afford to play fast and loose with facts and analysis while being long and sustained on dramatic declarations and goals. The Emergent Movement is all too guilty of this kind of thing, and if the Movement is actually going to lead to any real positive changes beyond giving twenty-something suburban evangelicals something to individuate themselves with then it must move beyond charismatic gadflies like McLaren, and reach a little deeper.

Doug Jolly

Posted: January 19, 2008 4:57 PM

That's the problem with so many authors today (and also with a lot of modern scholarship) -- they're just trying to sell books. A book that basically says: "The Gospel of Jesus that has been handed down from generation to generation is the same message for today - so keep up the good work!" is not a book that anyone wants to clutter their bookshelf with. What sells are books that loudly proclaim: "Everything you know is wrong! The whole church has misunderstood Jesus since day one, and I'm the only one who finally understands what His message is really all about! Buy my book and you'll be one of the few people 'in the know'"! Like every diet book on the shelf that has "finally" discovered the magic secret to weight loss (unknown until now!), almost every theological book being sold - fundamentalist, conservative, evangelical or liberal - proclaims the same message that Mr. Campbell points out: "I have all the answers, and everyone else has missed the boat." Otherwise, why buy the book?

Andrew Jones

Posted: January 18, 2008 11:37 AM

As a reviewer of this book on my own site, i can tell you its an incredibly difficult book to review objectively, and written by a man who is full of Christlike compassion. Its a massive book that one both loves and hates and wants to add to and subtract from. There are things lacking (church history, as Wilson rightly points out) and things that are delightfully worded and Kingdom dreams ambitious and compelling. Its a mammoth task to review it and what I hope reviewers do is to wrestle with it, as i did, read some other books, lose a little sleep, and humbly offer their piece of the puzzle. John Wilson, a man who uses books instead of wallpaper, and whose friend wish he WAS a little more flippant, has given his piece of the puzzle and I greatly respect his opinion.

Robert

Posted: January 18, 2008 6:29 AM

milldude is dead on. Wilson's article reeks of professional envy mixed with self aggrandizing self commentary about all those books he is reading, etc., which comprise half of this so called review. Worst is Wilson's smug ahistorical commentary in the form of a conclusion without the least bit of evidence to support his claim. This is not in defense of McLaren, whose book I have not read, but a criticism of Wilson and CT for posting this abysmal review of a book that would seem to deserve more.

Curt Peck

Posted: January 17, 2008 9:58 PM


Insightful article. No questions were raised about McLaren's humility or passion, just about the misguided conclusions he reaches and the warped Gospel he espouses. Scripture does not support him.

bob	Posted: January 17, 2008 7:14 AM

Having read various Brian McLaren's works I fee his central theme is that we must actually think about what we are doing rather than reacting like a wild animal gorging on its kill. Since the dawn of civilization in Europe and its spread to North American we have stood up, cried "Lord, Lord" gotten out our machine guns and slaughtered anyone who dared to disagree with our corporate/military lust for money and blood. You see this in churches especially that proudly supported, in the past, the murder of communists, and today the murder of a new class of people to hate: terrorists. In all these situations precious few Christian clergy or their sheep bothered to ask what would be the response of Jesus. My guess would be that wars would end, 30,000 people would not die each and every day from hunger and disease. So have churches made any real difference to western society? No, because they openly support the blood lust and consumer mindset of the world.

Daniel N.

Posted: January 17, 2008 6:36 AM

It would seem MacLaren is the piper to many. Sadly he is so focused on correcting the church in the temporary, that he has forgotten why Jesus came. He came to seek and save the lost from Hell. The H word is avoided at all costs by the emergent community. Yet Jesus came to save law breaking sinners from the wages of sin. The more evangelicals are distracted from the Great Commission, the greater the delight of the Deceiver. Wake up Brian MacLaren. Your desire to change everything indicates that you are lost and headed to the place you refuse to proclaim to lost sinners. Do you really understand what the Saviour came to accomplish?

PHILIP sNOW

Posted: January 17, 2008 6:31 AM

MaClaren is typical of both the mistake of 'Kingdom Now' & the Great Apostasy of the end of the End Times - where Jesus warned us that the worst 'Christian' problem would be 'deception' from 'false Teachers & False Christs' & people carrying on as normal - & ignoring His Return [when He is ONLY coming back for those who 'pray for' & 'urge' His Return Hebs 9v28, 2 Pet 3v12]. We would be 'Just as in the days of Noah... & [especially!] Lot' - OH, THERE AIN'T GONNA BE NO JUDGEMENT /DESTRUCTION, & 'Peace & security' they will be saying 'when there is no peace', or in the words of McLennon 'We can Work it Out'! MaClaren's 'Emergent Church' has already inspired the likes of Steve Chalke to say the Vicarious Atonement is 'Cosmic Child Abuse' - & will they possibly agree with 'Jerry Springer - The Opera' & say that Virgin Birth was 'Mary Raped by God'!!?? We don't need rampant eisegesis & 'gnostic' 'revelation' - what we do need is repentance -Judgement starts in the house of God'- & its here.

Richard W. Wilson

Posted: January 17, 2008 2:56 AM

I am inclined to resonate with McLaren, and the two previous comments, and am rather puzzled by John Wilson's sharing in "dissatisfaction with aspects of the 'conventional' account of Jesus' Good News on the one hand, but the lacking any concomitant critique of received forms of Christianity reflected in his review on the other. It is rather as if he admits that she isn't perfect but won't allow anyone to be too critical of his mother (church). It is not impossible that as a whole the church has long ago gone off the rails and become as much a slightly mollified form of the world as it is the power of God transforming the world. If that is the case then a whole new perspective may be needed--a new actual reformation, rather well beyond the quasi-reformation to which the whole Evangelical world seems to bow and genuflect today. Even in the context of the Radical-Reformation's inspired separation of church and state, the mythology of Christendom's holy faithfulness blinds our eyes . . .

Ephrem Hagos

Posted: January 17, 2008 2:36 AM

The reasons why "everything hasn't changed" are because Christians do not know firsthand and personally who Jesus Christ is, as made possible for all times in the mysterious death of Jesus on the cross; and we do not obey to learn His teachings beginning from the time of John the Baptist until the day Jesus was literally de-incarnated on the cross. The result would have been a complete recreation of the whole world! In contrast to the unchanging and ever-present Church of all times, I could not agree with McLaren more about the apostasy of the other church, i.e., "the church (which) went off the rails early on"!

Bill	Posted: January 17, 2008 12:30 AM

Isn't it just like the hateful God that Brian McLaren represents (or perhaps thinks he is) that He would inspire writers to set down deeply veiled and hidden precepts that the best scholars ovr the span of two millenia would totally misunderstand until (ta da) Brian McLaren burst upon the scene to set history and the plain words of the Bible straight. We ned a lot more "paltry reviews" like this one to keep our generations focus on God's (not Brian's) Word.

Delwyn X. Campbell

Posted: January 16, 2008 11:43 PM


Well. so Mr. McLaren has all the answers, and everyone else has missed the boat. Charles Taze Russell, Joseph Smith and Elijah Muhammed felt that they had "the Truth" too. I view him in the same league as they - another Jesus, another Gospel.

Gary Sweeten

Posted: January 16, 2008 9:00 PM

Fogel's book on The Fourth Great Awakening is great. In my view, it hits the nail on the head about what God is doing in Amerca. Perhaps we are in The Fourth Great Awakening and that is why so many Christians right and left are involved in social, environmental and healing ministries. A bit of history has to convince us that wars are less prevalent now than in other eras as is violence of all kinds.

Ralph Gaily

Posted: January 16, 2008 8:25 PM


McLaren is one of many false teachers, holding out carrots to those walking in the Way.....calling to them to come over to his comfortable, wide road where the "enlightened" ones stroll and discuss the new, better way....... stay on the straight way! .....keep your eye single! ......

John H. Armstrong

Posted: January 16, 2008 7:59 PM

Thank you my friend for an excellent and thoughtful review. People either pile on Brian, and thus miss his good points, or they adopt him as a kind of trendy guru for great change. He is a sincere man with a great heart for Christ and the kingdom but his thinking could stand the depth that your review actually provides. My hope is that you helped us all begin the kind of serious conversation that we need with Christians like Brian. I welcome this discussion but wonder if your concerns will be noted as they should be by those who read and embrace Brian idealistically. You have served the Church well by this review John. May we recover the ability to love and think both, and the sooner the better.

milldude

Posted: January 16, 2008 7:55 PM

There seems to be a fair amount of professional envy as a subtext here. Any time someone introduces an argument (which doesn't really develop as an argument beyond posturing) with references to the "piles of books" they've been reading, I prepare myself for a claim that never quite lives up to the promise. I don't think McLaren is some kind of messiah, or even a great mind at times, but this critique doesn't seem to take us anywhere constructive. Oh, and it's good to know, Mr. Wilson, that you tacitly support the abuse of third-world workers, rather than speaking truth to corporate power.

Jay Gary

Posted: January 16, 2008 6:49 PM

This is a impoverished review of a serious book. Christianity Today should pull this shallow Hal filler. With clarity, conviction and freshness, McLaren has shown the relevance of Jesus to the crises of the 21st century. McLaren steps up to the plate of global leadership. I recently assigned this book to my doctoral classes on "Global Futures & Systems Dynamics." Every serious thought leader should read it. http://www.jaygary.com

ranchers of the Lord

Posted: January 16, 2008 4:56 PM

It doesn't matter when Jesus comes again, except it can be anytime and our job is to look after the ranch belonging to him, as we are expected to. Are we thieves building storehouses for ourselves out of the fat of the Lord's land, preparing for us a fine retirement full of fat pleasures and supplimented by the spoils of wars? Our own wisdom wants to be upheld rather than the counsel of God. We interpret "stewardship" as a fat corporate mentality and have no deep piety and joy and neither do we have a lean clinging to the rugged cross. Instead the smoke from our cars and our energy production and our bombs and wars all mean we have lost simplicity as a virtue. We commit King David's error of bloodiness. We have lost simple trust in God and have lost the honour we owe him by being men of peace; we owe God honour by caring for great spiritual treasure but instead we fight wars to protect our own fat barns and full stocks. We love mammon and we fight for its sake.It is no use pretending!

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