There is a stirring among churchgoers. Many are looking at how the Christian faith is being played out, wondering if somehow we’re missing the point. What if there is more to our faith than just getting our souls into heaven? What if there is a power in the gospel that’s been kept under lock and key because of our culture-controlled church? If we placed our beliefs and their origins under the microscope, what would we see?
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Was a really good book. Very thought provoking. I really enjoyed the 2 author thing they did in this book. One person would write a chapter, and th... (show more)
Was a really good book. Very thought provoking. I really enjoyed the 2 author thing they did in this book. One person would write a chapter, and then the other guy would provide an alternate viewpoint and would point out the ways in which they felt that the other had hit the nail on the head, and also the ways in which they felt the other had missed the point. I found myself agreeing with Campolo and McLaren equally. On certain topics I would really like the "emergent" viewpoint of Mclaren, but on other things I would find my personal take on something falling more in line with Campolo. Would definitely recommend to others who are looking for a great book that will challenge you to dig in and really decide where you stand on certain topics. I think I will probably have to take the time to track down some other books by both gentlemen, as I enjoyed both of their writing well. (show less)
I enjoyed this book because it forced me to wade through my position on issues and really question how they lined up to the Bible. However, when I ... (show more)
I enjoyed this book because it forced me to wade through my position on issues and really question how they lined up to the Bible. However, when I read the Bible, I didn't agree with all of their positions. Read this book cautiously, but THINK! It is a fantastic conversation starter and would be wonderful to read in a small group, especially with college students or young couples. (show less)
This book had the potential to be a lot better. It makes some great points, and has some great chapters, but it also has some chapters that a very weak. In the second half of the book it was almost as if the author's had forgotten that they were meant to be writing about 'missing the point' and were just writing mini sermons about their allocated topic. I liked McLaren's writing more than Campolo's, although McLaren has the tendency to be a bit unfocussed. McLaren tended to draw upon what Cam... (show more)
This book had the potential to be a lot better. It makes some great points, and has some great chapters, but it also has some chapters that a very weak. In the second half of the book it was almost as if the author's had forgotten that they were meant to be writing about 'missing the point' and were just writing mini sermons about their allocated topic. I liked McLaren's writing more than Campolo's, although McLaren has the tendency to be a bit unfocussed. McLaren tended to draw upon what Campolo would say and add to it, while Campolo tended to be quite critical of what McLaren wrote, quite argumentative. I believe it affected the tone of the book.
I don't know if the format of the book worked. That is, the way one would write a chapter and the other would respond. I think it would have been better if they had simply collaborated- there still would have been room for disagreement, and they could have gotten their message across in a far more effective way. (show less)
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This is a great book for stimulating your thinking on various subjects, ranging from Women in Ministry to Worship to Postmodernism to Homosexuality... it can be read straight through (as I did) or you can just flip to the particular topic that interests you. The chapters certainly have consistent themes (or maybe more accurately, agendas), but they don't necessarily build on each other- which makes this book very user-friendly.
Either McLaren or Campolo writes each chapter, then the other a... (show more)
This is a great book for stimulating your thinking on various subjects, ranging from Women in Ministry to Worship to Postmodernism to Homosexuality... it can be read straight through (as I did) or you can just flip to the particular topic that interests you. The chapters certainly have consistent themes (or maybe more accurately, agendas), but they don't necessarily build on each other- which makes this book very user-friendly.
Either McLaren or Campolo writes each chapter, then the other author takes a few pages to respond, critique, disagree with or build upon it. I think this approach certainly falls in line with one of the themes of the book - that the conversation is more important than the destination; that truth lies somewhere between all of our individual attempts to grasp it... it is true "Community Interpretation." I definitely like this!
It makes me laugh to imagine the meeting where McLaren and Campolo sat down and divided topics - you can definitely predict which chapters they are going to write if you are familiar with their agendas. (= I personally find myself aligned much more closely with Tony's agenda - I LOVE his focus on social action and working to build God's kingdom here on earth and not just offering people some "pie in the sky" vision of heaven. We need to work to eliminate poverty and suffering in the world TODAY! Of course, we will not reach the fullness of the kingdom until Christ's return, but we can sure as heck work towards it! Oh, it just gets me fired up. I also really appreciate Tony's balance of belief and action - he is one who, to me, proves you can have both (this does not mean that I adhere to all of his beliefs.)
I have often struggled with McLaren's writing style - I like to read meat and sometimes he seems too fluffy and abstract. Though I found some of his chapters to be this way (Leadership, Sin), there were many that I thought were very thought-provoking and practical. I especially liked his chapters on Salvation, the Bible and Worship. It was also really helpful for me to read his chapter on Being Postmodern, as I have tended toward some of the misconceptions he explains.
Overall, the variety of topics in this book will certainly reveal or affirm what your "thing" is (mine definitely being social action and culture). This book challenged me to see a couple of things in a different light, which is an accomplishment, because I tend to have pretty strong views. (= (show less)
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