This chapter was a bit of a mixed bag – with McLaren making some interesting claims, and saying a few things that I’ve not really heard that much of. This is one of the few chapters in the book where McLaren is more arguing a point rather than seeking a generous middle ground. He is seeking to see some of the poetry brought back into the church, so have us willing to allow some of the mystery of who God is to replace our Systematic theology which limits what we believe about God.

It’s a hard argument to disagree with. While I do think that McLaren is slightly over-romanticising an approach which can cause as many problems as the way that we tend to think now, there is certainly something in me that says that we are selling ourselves short by trying to explain and understand everything. And to take it a little off track from the point in “A Generous Orthodoxy” – perhaps it is our unwillingness to be a bit poetic about the way we talk about God that stops us from being a little more willing to experience the super-natural. I know that when I’ve brought myself to a place where I feel like I understand what God’s on about have also been some of the driest times. Maybe that’s even why so many people feel so unsatisfied by theological training – they lose the romance, the excitement, the mystery.

You only have to look at the way Christ spoke to see that we are probably trying to understand more than we are trying to experience. Because I think we understand by explaining, but we experience by hearing stories, by allowing for imagination, by letting God be beyond what we can understand. So there it is, from now on my teaching is going to be more poetic. Hopefully.

I’m trying to fit two chapters in together here – I’m not certain that I’ll cover every chapter but I feel like these two are interlinked enough to get through with one post. I started reading McLaren’s chapter on why he sees himself as (small e) evangelical with some trepidation. Evangelical is certainly a term that has some resonance with how I see my place as a Christian, particularly having read “The Quest for the Radical Middle” recently.

Fortunately for me, is seems that McLaren is quite close to my thinking (if perhaps a little bit less so, but I’ll take it). He describes the four characteristics of evangelicals that are the essence of the idea. They are:

1. An esteem for the bible as the Word of God. To the point where the term “biblical” almost becomes a synonym for good or right.
2. Emphasis on personal conversion
3. A belief that God can be experienced intimately – “a personal relationship with Jesus”
4. A desire to share these beliefs with others – “evangelistic

Brian McLaren describes taking on these values without the extra baggage that goes along with “Evangelicals” as being evangelical or post-evangelical. It’s an attempt to distance himself from the religious right/focus on the family/religious broadcaster type image of Evangelical.

His views on Protestantism are interesting and insightful too. McLaren holds up the concept that the initial shift against the crass practices of indulgences and the like was a legitimate response. But he believes that once the protestants had done enough protesting against Catholocism, they were all in protest mode so started protesting against themselves. Which is hard to argue against when you see the vast array of denominations across the spectrum of Christendom. (woah, big words there Geoffrey)

McLaren describes the current climate as being one of a “Free-market economy” for religion, where churches feel like they need to justify themselves as being the better, or truer, or cooler, or more traditional or more anything option for the discerning Christian. Which brings about the sad and probably destructive practice of church-shopping that has become an unfortunate reality.

McLaren calls for a “post-protestant” methodology, where we build on the lessons from the past, and lose the “faithful remnant” mentality, and instead concentrate on offering what our specific remnant has and work on adding that to the people against whom we have previously been protesting. Rather than protesting, become pro-testifying. Rather than focus on being distinctive for whatever it is that we specifically have working in our area, testify to the wider body about how they might get some good out of it. Sure it’s unrealistic, and it’s an optimistic concept, but the world needs optimists who want to back up their act with some good old fashioned love.