Over the years I have read many of Greg Koukl's articles over at Stand to Reason
Today I read his take on the beliefs of Brian McLaren.
I am greatly concerned that McLaren is now simply "itching the ears" - speaking from the spirit of our current age, telling people exactly what they want to hear. I cannot recommend reading his works unless one has a firm grasp on what actually reads on the pages of the Bible. When one rejects referencing the text of Scripture and simply tells us stories we need to ask what he is telling us. With the overwhelming endorsement of the New Testament - to watch for false teaching, to hold to sound doctrine (a great list list of Biblical and practical reasons for sound doctrine found here)
I'm all for being playful in my writing, but not for playing with the revealed truth - neither were the writers of the New Testament. I fear that McLaren is leading many off cliffs of confusion.
11And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,[a] 12to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood,[b] to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes.A few books I would recommend:
- On Postmodern Evangelical Scholarship - Reclaiming the Center - Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times Millard J. Erickson (Editor), Paul Kjoss Helseth (Editor), Justin Taylor (Editor)
- Prophetic Untimeliness - A Challenge to the Idol of Relevance by Os Guisness - Book is very helpful on how to pursue "relevance" with "faithfulness" in the midst of the blowing winds of our times.
- Being Conversant with Emergent by DA Carson forthcoming