[Cynthia]

I've just ordered this (overstock.com has it for $14 + $1 shipping). Anybody interested in starting a read/discussion all at once? It might be more satisfying than the Borg thread!

[WindDancer]

Sure, I'll be here to chat if you want, Cynthia.

This book will explain in more detail how our worldviews affect our beliefs. It was hard to put down once I started reading it. So be prepared to curl up on the couch for several hours!!

[XianAnarchist]

I really enjoyed this book, but I don't know how much time I would have for discussing it more in-depth. If you don't mind me disappearing for extended periods of time, I wouldn't mind trying this.

[AletheiaRivers]

I just got back from Barnes and Noble. I didn't intend to buy any books today (yeah right!), but ended up buying "A Generous Orthodoxy" despite my best intentions.

I read the first two chapters at the store. I can't wait to finish it and move on to "A New Kind of Christian". Perhaps we could discuss both books here?

[WindDancer]

Aletheia - I'm game. I have both McLaren books you mentioned, and more. The last chapters of Generous Orthodoxy were the best IMO and I confess I skipped around to the good stuff in that book. I finally stopped my denial about how much I spend at B&N and bought a membership card. I love that place!

[AletheiaRivers]

Quote

The last chapters of Generous Orthodoxy were the best IMO and I confess I skipped around to the good stuff in that book.

You felt you had to skip around to find good stuff?

I laughed so hard reading his introduction and his "Chapter 0 - For Mature Audiences Only" that I had tears coming out of my eyes. I got strange looks from customers at B&N I'll tell you!

I read the chapter on the "7 Jesuses" last night and found that I resonated the most with his "sympathetic interpretation" of the Catholic Jesus. The Liberal Jesus and tha Anababtist Jesus were a close second.

There is some stuff from the book that I want to share already, but I'm going to have to post it later, or I'm never going to get any work done.

This post has been edited by AletheiaRivers: 24 March 2005 - 10:01 AM

[WindDancer]

Work? Oh yeah, well, there's that too. hee hee

Chapter zero was really good too.
Glad you like the book so much.
Eager to hear more.

[Cynthia]

I'm about halfway through A New Kind of Christian... not as funny as the chapter 0 in Generous Orthodoxy that I read on the web... but very interesting. He's got it in a kind of stilted story format, but he explains that in the intro... it seems to work to get the points across. Funny, the main character notes his fear that by letting go of his religious ideas he'll become liberal and that scares him. In parentheses he wonders if there are people who feel the same way about thinking in a way consistent with conservatives! Clearly there are!!! I've had that nightmare making thought recently. Anne Lamott writes about feeling Jesus in the room with her (when she was distainful of christians) and telling him "no - I'd rather die"

Anyway, he quotes some CS LEwis stuff I haven't read... almost like Unity or CS (check me on this des) - kind of a fuzzy reality; the facts will appear when people need different answers ... any thoughts anybody? This is unappealing to me, but I keep running across it....

The list of characteristics of the modern age is interesting... much of the stuff we rail about, but he also lists that it *was* a "critical" age - where you were either right or wrong... that postmodern thinking may be more focused on being right with God... not just being right.

[des]

Cynthia, I couldn't comment on CS and McLaren as I haven't read McLaren. I have about three books here I haven't read so i couldnt' justify buying it at this point. I have read other stuff he has read on the web, and it didn't seem too CSy to me, but the book might be different.

--des

[WindDancer]

cynthia - I think you are referring to the CS Lewis' "Discarded Image" quotes in chapter 4 which is on worldviews? The point being that our worldview changes. Medieval to modern to postmodern (or emergent). Why? Because of advances in science for one thing. We know things we didn't know before and this changes our understanding of the way the world is. Like a domino effect--one change leads to another, and another.

Marcus Borg defines "worldview" as our image of reality--our image or picture or understanding of what is real and what is possible (HOC pg 62).

If you want to get more complicated, Panta in the panentheism thread mentioned "a shared worldview with its own metaphysical (ontological, epistemological, and cosmological) understanding."

We are emerging out of modernism and are adjusting our beliefs--on a world scale not just individually. First there is deconstruction eventually leading to reconstruction. Changing worldviews is a paradigm shift. See the Intro pg xi of NKOC.

"When a paradigm shift occurs, the whole frame of reference changes. Fundamental assumptions undergo transformation, with consequent alterations of all the rules and standards by which inquiry or conversation can occur. A new paradigm signals the emergence of a new worldview-new ways of seeing, interpreting, and making sense of the world and life." Weaving The New Creation, by James Fowler, pg 19

This is probably the single most important thing I learned from McLaren's book--understanding the worldview change and how it is affecting Christianity. HUGE piece of the puzzle for me.

[Cynthia]

Wind - I understand and agree on the pardigm shift and change in worldview... the *interesting* part to me was the idea that when enough people (???) needed a change, the *evidence* would appear. That nature has evidence in reserve for our needs and is flexible in providing it to allow changes in worldview... perplexing... thought-provoking....


(Yes, it was from Chapter four... CS Lewis and McLaren.)

[bobve2]

It's been a while since anyone posted here. I just finished "A New Kind of Christian". Although I am not a pastor, I find many similarities in my life to the Character of Dan in the book. Any thoughts on a good follow up book to this one or are there any particular threads or websights that might be of help. Thanks to anyone who can help!

[AletheiaRivers]

If you haven't read it yet, check out "Generous Orthodoxy" by McLaren.

I've really enjoyed "Reaching for the Invisible God" by Phil Yancey.

[bobve2]

AletheiaRivers, on Sep 5 2005, 07:58 PM, said:

If you haven't read it yet, check out "Generous Orthodoxy" by McLaren.

I've really enjoyed "Reaching for the Invisible God" by Phil Yancey.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks for your quick response. I'm looking forward to reading the two you recommend.