A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren

A New Kind of Christianity by Brian McLaren

Ten years ago, Brian McLaren started asking probing, unconventional, and sometimes-controversial questions about his Christian faith. As a pastor-turned-author, he discovered that he wasn’t alone: Many people worldwide were asking similar questions; the conversations and action that followed have created a movement. From The Church On The Other Side and his New Kind of Christian novel trilogy, to A Generous Orthodoxy and Everything Must Change, Brian has been on a journey to re-envision what it means to faithfully follow Jesus in the 21st century. Brian isn’t finished questing and questioning. Whether you love his work or it makes you nervous, whether you’ve read his every book or have lost track with him these past few years, his latest offering is his most important and striking to date: A New Kind of Christianity. In it, Brian asks ten questions that attempt to integrate our inner lives with our outward actions, to align our beliefs with how we live in increasingly interconnected global community. These questions are: The Narrative Question: What Is the Overarching Storyline of the Bible? The Authority Question: How Should the Bible Be Understood? The God Question: Is God Violent? The Jesus Question: Who is Jesus and Why is He Important? The Gospel Question: What Is the Gospel? The Church Question: What Do We Do About the Church? The Sex Question: Can We Find a Way to Address Sexuality Without Fighting About It? The Future Question: Can We Find a Better Way of View the Future? The Pluralism Question: How Should Followers of Jesus Relate to People of Other Religions? The What Do We Do Now Question: How Can We Translate Our Quest into Action? TheOOZE will be working extensively with Brian to explore the issues he raises; stay tuned to TheOOZE.tv [1] for exclusive interviews! [hide] Requested Out! Wow, that was fast - record time actually. If you do decide to read the book anyway [2], please re-post any thoughts you have on it in this space. And stay tuned, as there will be opportunities to win personal book group discussions with Brian. :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Requesting A New Kind of Christianity Due to the high expected demand for reviewing this title, we have an additional request made for anyone who would like A New Kind of Christianity: Could you have it reviewed within 10-14 days of receiving it? It’s an engaging read, and once you begin it’s doubtful you’ll want to put it down. We’re not asking you to relax your usual standards of writing and podcasting integrity; you can love the book, loathe it, or anything in between. But the publisher has requested that we get our initial reviews into the blogosphere coinciding with the book release date, and we’d like to honor this request. (We hope to work with Brian’s publisher, HarperOne, lots more in the near future – take a look [3] and we think you’ll agree; they publish copious amounts of material that you’d like to review!) You’ll be the first readers on the continent to receive a copy of this book, weeks before the release date. Link-love for your review: Brian’s personal website [4] Brian OOZEtv Channel Preview [5] Brian & Spencer on Think:FWD [6] Brian on Facebook [7] Brian on Twitter [8] Browse inside [9] A New Kind of Christianity. Interview Availability: Brian is available for a limited amount of blog and podcast interviews. You will receive interview contact information should you choose to review this book. [/hide] [1] http://theooze.tv [2] http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061853984?ie=UTF8&tag=zoecarnatecom-20&linkCode=xm2&camp=1789&creativeASIN=0061853984 [3] http://www.harpercollinscatalogs.com/harper/517_1050.htm [4] http://brianmclaren.net [5] http://theooze.tv/brian-mclaren/brian-mclaren-channel-coming-february [6] http://theooze.tv/thinkfwd/brian-mclaren [7] http://www.facebook.com/pages/Brian-D-McLaren/65814657989 [8] http://twitter.com/BrianMcLaren [9] http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061853982

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The Justice Project – Edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla, & Ashley Bunting Seeber

The Justice Project – Edited by Brian McLaren, Elisa Padilla, & Ashley Bunting Seeber

“Justice.” The word thrills, or it terrifies, or it bores. Justice is variously something we’re longing for, something we’re trying to evade, or something we feel vaguely guilty about because – in a post-ONE Campaign world – it’s something we’re supposed to be passionate about. Whither justice? This question is vitally enmeshed in early 21st century life, whether we’re approaching it politically, spiritually, philosophically, or pop culturally. Clothing lines that promise easy-purchasing justice, theological interpretations of the Gospel that say ‘Thank God we don’t get justice,’ and a litigious culture that demands justice for coffee that’s too hot – it’s a hot-button topic, for sure. The contributors to this new anthology The Justice Project from Baker Books [1] feel our pain. And they contend that the world has never been in greater of need of Jesus-followers who "do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God." The Justice League: This collection of essays contains more than thirty brief chapters by some of the most penetrating thinkers in the contemporary Christian ‘justice conversation,’ including voices from evangelical, mainline, and emerging contexts: Rene Padilla Peggy Campolo Will and Lisa Samson Sylvia Keesmaat Bart Campolo Lynne Hybels Tony Jones Richard Twiss many others The essays are fresh, and take nothing for granted. You can read ‘em in order or peruse at will. The Justice Project is eating through my jaded-ness to inspire me to live a beautiful life of justice-making unto God’s new creation. Endorsements "Put together by exemplary leaders, this will be a handbook for any who are committed to working for biblically based social justice. It's comprehensive and brilliantly well written." – Tony Campolo "Absolutely dazzling. Here is a choir for social justice that makes the prophets smile. The editors have conducted a symphony of voices, harmonizing without homogenizing. You may find some voices here a little high pitched or unfamiliar, but together they are magical. These authors are not just the 'usual suspects' of the religious left, but signs of a movement that is coloring outside the lines of partisan politics and stale debates in a post-religious right world. They insist that our faith must be as daring and sassy, as gentle and fascinating, as our lover, Jesus." – Shane Claiborne [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Brian McLaren explains his heart [2] behind being the editor – and how his proceeds will be used. Give your readers/listeners a meaty 25-page PDF excerpt [3]. Even the book’s potential theological critics are turning a hopeful eye [4]. Interview Availability: The contributors are available for blog and podcast interview. You will receive a contact email address to reach the contributors via email if you select The Justice Project this month. [/hide] [1] http://www.bakerbooks.com/ME2/Audiences/dirmod.asp?sid=0477683E4046471488BD7BAC8DCFB004&nm=&type=PubCom&mod=PubComProductCatalog&mid=BF1316AF9E334B7BA1C33CB61CF48A4E&AudId=2CE59DBC134644E48BA21637B1D727C3&tier=26&id=B4D309FFCB8D411C8CAB809B36E4DAAA [2] http://www.brianmclaren.net/archives/books/brians-books/the-justice-project.html [3] http://www.bakerbooks.com/Media/MediaManager/Excerpt_9780801013287.pdf [4] http://witheredgrass.wordpress.com/2009/08/21/the-justice-project-a-look-at-doing-justice

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A People’s History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass

A People’s History of Christianity by Diana Butler Bass

Am I the only one who gets depressed reading church history sometimes? For supposed followers of Jesus, there sure seems to be a lot of killing and ugly attitudes among the faithful through the ages. I was pleased last year to read Saving Paradise [1] by Brock and Parker, and I’m equally thrilled to introduce you to Diana Butler Bass’s latest offering, which I think will transform how emerging and missional Christians see their heritage. Subtitled A History of the Grassroots Movements in Christianity that Preserved Jesus' Message of Social Justice for 2,000 Years and Their Impact on the Church Today, Bass’s A People’s History of Christianity is written in the same spirit as Howard Zinn's radical and groundbreaking work A People's History of the United States. In this landmark volume, Bass reveals the under-reported movements, personalities, and spiritual practices that continue to inform and ignite contemporary Christian worship, activism, and social justice reforms in the name of Jesus. The book will offer up a much-needed “other side of the story” for missional and emerging Christians, drawing from examples of alternative practices in every period of Christian history, including: Care for the environment and celebrating God in nature Defining compassion, hospitality, and social justice as integral to the Gospel Peace-making as the pervasive Christian response to war Highlighting the female attributes of God, and the power of women in the Church Celebrating human sexuality as a gift from God This is the book that “the great emergence” has been waiting for - a deeply researched history of Christianity that sheds new light on the underreported personalities and movements of the faith. Bass has garnered a groundswell of support for this innovative project, spanning the conventional left/right spiritual divide. Here’s a sampling: “It would be difficult to imagine anyone reading this book without finding some new insight or inspiration, some new and unexpected testimony to the astonishing breadth of Christianity through the centuries.” —Philip Jenkins, author of The Next Christendom “A perfect armchair companion for contemporary Christians. Charmingly written and refreshing to read, yet rich in details and thorough in its mapping of the major themes and events that have shaped the evolution of the Western Church, A People’s History of Christianity is our story re-told with both clear-eyed affection and a scholar’s acumen.” —Phyllis Tickle, author of The Great Emergence “In this beautifully written history, Diana Butler Bass reveals the living, beating heart of love at the core of Christian faith.” —Sara Miles, author of Take This Bread "Intelligent and sassy, honest and redemptive. ...a warning that if we don't remember the blood-stained pages of the past, then we are doomed to repeat them., but also an invitation to participate in the next chapter of what it means to be the Church in this broken world." —Shane Claiborne, author of The Irresistible Revolution "An excellent introduction to grass-roots renewal movements as well as to the various shapes that Christian spirituality has taken through the ages. ...necessary reading for any who may have thought that history is irrelevant for present-day living." —Justo L. Gonzalez, author of The Story of Christianity "...this book is so much more than a wonderful overview of Christian history. It is also a joyful apologetic for a 'new kind of Christianity.' I already gave away my copy, because I knew it would help salvage the faltering faith of a disillusioned friend." —Brian McLaren, author of Everything Must Change and A New Kind of Christian "Interesting, insightful, illuminating, and remarkably relevant." —Marcus Borg, author of The Heart of Christianity "In a refreshing look at 2,000 years of Christian history from the bottom up, Butler Bass offers unique insights into the spirit has stirred the hearts and minds of faithful people over the centuries and brought renewal to Christianity during periods of upheaval and distress." —Christian Science Monitor "...immediately accessible, helped along by frequent and shrewd linkages to contemporary counterpoints. This presentation includes lots of folk along the way who never made the 'power lists.' Readers will resonate with this inclusiveness and be grateful to Bass for making them fellow travelers in the on-going story." —Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Diana's official website [2] Invite your readers to browse inside [3] A People’s History of Christianity Interview Availability: Diana’s availability for blog and podcast interviews is unknown at press time. Let me know if you’re interested in an interview – I’ll keep you posted! Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about A People’s History of Christianity within 30 days of getting it. Please cut & paste your post underneath this entry. Thank you! [hide] [1] http://savingparadise.net [2] http://dianabutlerbass.com/ [3] http://browseinside.harpercollins.com/index.aspx?isbn13=9780061448706

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