From Publishers Weekly
McLaren's fans and detractors have eagerly awaited this book, which promises to codify the beliefs he introduced in his bestselling A New Kind of Christian and other titles. McLaren, one of the most visible faces of the emergent movement, examines 10 questions the church must answer as it heads toward a new way of believing. McLaren deconstructs the Greco-Roman narrative of the Bible and addresses how the Bible should be understood as an inspired library, not a constitution. He moves into questions regarding God, Jesus, and the Gospel, urging us to trade up our image of God and realize that Jesus came to launch a new Genesis. The Church, sexuality, the future, and pluralism merit chapters, as does McLaren's final call for a robust spiritual life. Followers will rejoice as McLaren articulates his thoughts with logic and eloquence; detractors will point out his artful avoidance of firm answers on salvation, hell, and a final judgment. All sides will flock to this with glee. (Feb.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.
Review
“...McLaren is considered one of the country’s most influential evangelicals, and his new book, A New Kind of Christianity, takes aim at some core doctrinal beliefs. McLaren is rethinking Jesus’ mission on Earth, and even the purpose of the crucifixion.” (NPR Morning Edition )
“A new reformation is taking place in Christianity. Brian McLaren is one of its leading voices and A New Kind of Christianity is a roadmap for this reformation. This is a very important book.” (Adam Hamilton, author of Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White and Senior Pastor, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. )
“Brian McLaren is an author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. He is the author of A New Kind of Christianity...[a] bold and imaginative new work.” (Spirituality and Practice )
“Some books provide us with information about the world, but every once in a while a book appears that enables us to imagine new, more wonderful worlds. The book you hold in your hand is one of these.” (Peter Rollins, Ikon )
“...A New Kind of Christianity... has lit the fuses of critics in the Christian press and blogosphere.” (Publishers Weekly Religion BookLine )
“McLaren clearly has been asking important questions about Christian witness for decades.... A New Kind of Christianity continues McLaren’s project of assessing and reassessing our assumptions concerning the foundations of modern Christian practice by asking ten important questions about the pillars of the Christian faith.” (The Other Journal )
“McLaren has become an important and controversial figure in Christian thought…. Structured around 10 basic questions about the faith, the book will provoke debate. And it should–these are important questions worthy of our thought and (loving) discussion.” (Relevant Magazine )
“Christians must be unlocked from‘a prison’ of long-held assumptions and have the freedom to ask honest questions, Brian McLaren indicates in his newest book, A New Kind of Christianity. He’s not advocating for a new set of beliefs, he says, but rather a ‘new way of believing.’” (The Christian Post )
“...Reading a Brian McLaren book is not for the theologically faint of heart... McLaren calls the church to a deeper and broader vision of the gospel that makes room for contemporary issues of justice and reconciliation” (UrbanFaith.com )
“...A New Kind of Christianity is incredibly well written, engaging, thoughtful and provoking….one of the most significant conversations that will shape Christianity for years to come.” (The Faithful Reader )
“Now and then gifted people emerge who see the situation from a higher and more helpful level. Brian McLaren is one of those seers.” (Richard Rohr, author of Everything Belongs )
“These are questions that many in the church, and beyond, are asking. His patient explorations will prove helpful to many who value Evangelicalism’s piety but worry that it has failed to thoughtfully engage hard but unavoidable questions.” (Crosscut.com )
“Brian McLaren, considered one of the more articulate leaders in the emergent church, has a lot of questions. And he hopes Christians won’t avoid those questions. In his new book, A New Kind of Christianity, McLaren questions conventional truths and calls for a major overhaul of the Christian faith.” (The Christian Post )
“Brian’s writing is brave and honest, vulnerable and courageous, disturbing and unsettling, reassuring and hopeful. Every now and then you come across a book you’ve been waiting for. A New Kind of Christianity is that book.” (Steve Chalke MBEFounder of Oasis GlobalUN Special Advisor on Human TraffickingSteve Chalke MBEFounder of Oasis GlobalUN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking—Steve Chalke, MBE, founder of Oasis Global, UN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking )
“Very rarely a book appears that houses the power to change a generation. A New Kind of Christianity is nothing less than one of those moments.”’ (Peter Rollins, Ikon )
“A New Kind of Christianity is a stellar accomplishment, a combination of hard tack fact and unfettered hope, an overview in delightful narrative of the long way of our coming to this time and of the multiform ways of our arriving. In every way, a dispatch from the front.” (Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence )
“McLaren is advocating a different, perhaps upgraded form of Christianity that takes a more objective view of history and employs a better interpretation of the Bible,... rendering it more applicable and accessible to a modern, educated people.” (Huffington Post )
“[When reading] Brian McLaren’s latest - A New Kind of Christianity…one gets the impression we are at a pivot point, a moment that upsets the whole terrain of theological allegiances having to do with the post evangelical emerging church developments of the last ten-fifteen years.” (Englewood Review of Books )
“[McLaren] has been hailed widely as one of the most significant religious leaders of our time, compared by some to the leaders of the Protestant Reformation….In articulating this longing and his disquiet with the status quo, McLaren strikes a chord with many.” (The Christian Century )
“A New Kind of Christianity is the book that many of us have been wanting McLaren to write for years. …Sparks hopeful conversation… a beautiful and thoughtful way forward.” (Englewood Review of Books )
“...Very thought provoking.” (Greater Than Magazine )
“A new reformation is taking place in Christianity. Brian McLaren is one of its leading voices and A New Kind of Christianity is a roadmap for this reformation. This is a very important book.” (Adam Hamilton, author of Seeing Gray in a World of Black and White and Senior Pastor, The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection. )
“Brian McLaren is an author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. He is the author of A New Kind of Christianity...[a] bold and imaginative new work.” (Spirituality and Practice )
“Some books provide us with information about the world, but every once in a while a book appears that enables us to imagine new, more wonderful worlds. The book you hold in your hand is one of these.” (Peter Rollins, Ikon )
“...A New Kind of Christianity... has lit the fuses of critics in the Christian press and blogosphere.” (Publishers Weekly Religion BookLine )
“McLaren clearly has been asking important questions about Christian witness for decades.... A New Kind of Christianity continues McLaren’s project of assessing and reassessing our assumptions concerning the foundations of modern Christian practice by asking ten important questions about the pillars of the Christian faith.” (The Other Journal )
“McLaren has become an important and controversial figure in Christian thought…. Structured around 10 basic questions about the faith, the book will provoke debate. And it should–these are important questions worthy of our thought and (loving) discussion.” (Relevant Magazine )
“Christians must be unlocked from‘a prison’ of long-held assumptions and have the freedom to ask honest questions, Brian McLaren indicates in his newest book, A New Kind of Christianity. He’s not advocating for a new set of beliefs, he says, but rather a ‘new way of believing.’” (The Christian Post )
“...Reading a Brian McLaren book is not for the theologically faint of heart... McLaren calls the church to a deeper and broader vision of the gospel that makes room for contemporary issues of justice and reconciliation” (UrbanFaith.com )
“...A New Kind of Christianity is incredibly well written, engaging, thoughtful and provoking….one of the most significant conversations that will shape Christianity for years to come.” (The Faithful Reader )
“Now and then gifted people emerge who see the situation from a higher and more helpful level. Brian McLaren is one of those seers.” (Richard Rohr, author of Everything Belongs )
“These are questions that many in the church, and beyond, are asking. His patient explorations will prove helpful to many who value Evangelicalism’s piety but worry that it has failed to thoughtfully engage hard but unavoidable questions.” (Crosscut.com )
“Brian McLaren, considered one of the more articulate leaders in the emergent church, has a lot of questions. And he hopes Christians won’t avoid those questions. In his new book, A New Kind of Christianity, McLaren questions conventional truths and calls for a major overhaul of the Christian faith.” (The Christian Post )
“Brian’s writing is brave and honest, vulnerable and courageous, disturbing and unsettling, reassuring and hopeful. Every now and then you come across a book you’ve been waiting for. A New Kind of Christianity is that book.” (Steve Chalke MBEFounder of Oasis GlobalUN Special Advisor on Human TraffickingSteve Chalke MBEFounder of Oasis GlobalUN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking—Steve Chalke, MBE, founder of Oasis Global, UN Special Advisor on Human Trafficking )
“Very rarely a book appears that houses the power to change a generation. A New Kind of Christianity is nothing less than one of those moments.”’ (Peter Rollins, Ikon )
“A New Kind of Christianity is a stellar accomplishment, a combination of hard tack fact and unfettered hope, an overview in delightful narrative of the long way of our coming to this time and of the multiform ways of our arriving. In every way, a dispatch from the front.” (Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence )
“McLaren is advocating a different, perhaps upgraded form of Christianity that takes a more objective view of history and employs a better interpretation of the Bible,... rendering it more applicable and accessible to a modern, educated people.” (Huffington Post )
“[When reading] Brian McLaren’s latest - A New Kind of Christianity…one gets the impression we are at a pivot point, a moment that upsets the whole terrain of theological allegiances having to do with the post evangelical emerging church developments of the last ten-fifteen years.” (Englewood Review of Books )
“[McLaren] has been hailed widely as one of the most significant religious leaders of our time, compared by some to the leaders of the Protestant Reformation….In articulating this longing and his disquiet with the status quo, McLaren strikes a chord with many.” (The Christian Century )
“A New Kind of Christianity is the book that many of us have been wanting McLaren to write for years. …Sparks hopeful conversation… a beautiful and thoughtful way forward.” (Englewood Review of Books )
“...Very thought provoking.” (Greater Than Magazine )
Product Description
We are in the midst of a paradigm shift in the church. Not since the Reformation five centuries ago have so many Christians come together to ask whether the church is in sync with their deepest beliefs and commitments. These believers range from evangelicals to mainline Protestants to Catholics, and the person who best represents them is author and pastor Brian McLaren.
In this much anticipated book, McLaren examines ten questions facing today's church—questions about how to articulate the faith itself, the nature of its authority, who God is, whether we have to understand Jesus through only an ancient Greco-Roman lens, what exactly the good news is that the gospel proclaims, how we understand the church and all its varieties, why we are so preoccupied with sex, how we should think of the future and people from other faiths, and the most intimidating question of all: what do we do next? Here you will find a provocative and enticing introduction to the Christian faith of tomorrow.
About the Author
Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, pastor, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists. His groundbreaking books include A New Kind of Christian, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and Everything Must Change. Named by Time magazine as one of America's top twenty-five evangelicals, McLaren has appeared on Nightline and Larry King Live, and has been covered by The Washington Post and the New York Times.
