This is the introduction of a series where I blog through my reading of Brian McLaren's . The entire series is listed below ?
Intro | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Conclusions
Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging through Brian McLaren's new book .
If you've heard things about Brian McLaren (good or bad) and wondered what all the fuss is about, hopefully this series will answer some questions for you. It will also facilitate my own reflection on the book and I hope that it will generate some healthy dialogue on this site.
is divided into eight sections, each consisting of four chapters, and my plan is to write a post after every section I read.
In the short introduction of the book, entitled "Hope Happens", McLaren reassures us that he can help the reader "understand some highly complex material and make it not only accessible but maybe even interesting and inspiring" (1). I have no doubt he'll deliver on his promise; he's a skilled crafter of words to be sure.
After introducing himself, McLaren presents us with the book's thesis:
"People interested in being a new kind of Christian will inevitably begin to care more and more about this world [as opposed to the "other world" of heaven], and they'll want to better understand its most significant problems, and they'll want to find out how they can fit in with God's dreams actually coming true down here more often" (4).
These "significant problems", or global crises, can be traced to "four deep dysfunctions": the prosperity crisis (environmental breakdown & unsustainable global economy); the equity crisis (gap between socioeconomic classes); the security crisis (war fueled by cultural/economic resentment); and the spirituality crisis (world religion's failure to provide healing), which McLaren says is the "leverage point through which we can reverse the first three" (5).
I'm really looking forward to digging through this book.