Ive been working through Brian McLarens latest book, A Generous Orthodoxy. So far I’m getting a lot out of it. I usually find McLaren’s stuff inspirational. I read his book, Finding Faith, in my mid-twenties at a time when I thought I was losing mine. In that book, he nudged me back onto the path, while at the same time giving me room to breathe and explore. Through his writings, he has become a frequent conversation partner on my journey.
In “Orthodoxy,” McLaren lays out a vision for–to use Ken Wilber’s category–“Integral Christianity.” Imagine taking the best elements of what all the different tribes of Christianity bring to the table and integrating them into a larger whole and you’ll get the idea of what McLaren is up to in this book. I find the approach to be very similar to Richard Foster’s Streams of Living Water, which is one of my all-time favorites.
Because I’ve been shaped by and am reacting to a heritage that has been pretty disagreeable with other Christian tribes over the years, I don’t usually pick up a book looking for an opportunity to disagree. This is probably one of my biggest weaknesses as a reader. However, I’m confident there are still plenty of others out there who will take up the slack for me. All in all, I agree with and support McLaren’s overall approach much more that I disagree with or am bothered by any of the particulars.
If interested, a discussion blog has been created for the book.
Telling Stories, Asking Questions, Learning Lessons