Emergent | The Ooze Viral Bloggers

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

Thy Kingdom Connected by Dwight Friesen

Networks: They're everywhere. From our roads to our relationships, from our food supply to our power grids, networks are an integral part of how we live. Similarly, our churches, denominations, and even the kingdom of God are networks. Knowing how networks function and how to work with rather than against them has enormous implications for how live lives of faithful and life-filled ministry. In Thy Kingdom Connected, Dwight Friesen brings the complex theories of networking to church leaders in easy-to-understand, practical ways. Rather than bemoaning the modern disintegration of things like authority and structure, Friesen inspires hope for a more connective vision of life with God. He shows those involved in lives of ministry how they can optimize already existing connections between people in order to share the Good News, embed people more deeply in the lives of their faith communities, and grow together as apprentices of Jesus. Dwight says "This book was born in the context of an eleven-year life altering experiment in ecclesial life, fleshed out in learning communities with thoughtful women and men who never ceased to ask insightful and revealing questions, and now it is being published by my new friends at Baker Books. I hope you’ll take a look at it. I’m very excited to offer my voice and contribute, even a small piece, to the ongoing conversation. . . let me know what you think." What others are saying "A wonderful tutorial for those who want to experience the kingdom as more than a wistful idea." -Reggie McNeal, missional leadership specialist for Leadership Network "Friesen brings together current thinking on the Trinity, the kingdom of God, and missional church, and creates the first contextual ecclesiology for a networked world. Highly recommended." -Ryan Bolger, associate professor of Church in Contemporary Culture, Fuller Theological Seminary; co-author of Emerging Churches "A treasure chest of insights to further the conversation on the nature of the missional church in post-Christendom Western societies." -Eddie Gibbs, author of ChurchMorph; professor of church growth, Fuller Theological Seminary "A guide to harnessing the powerful possibilities of connections made available through social networks. You may never look at 'church' the same way again." -John R. Franke, Clemens Professor of Missional Theology, Biblical Seminary; author of Manifold Witness: The Plurality of Truth "Helps us see how connection is at the core of the gospel. I recommend it to all Christians emerging in this inescapable cultural reality." -David Fitch, B. R. Lindner Chair of Evangelical Theology, Northern Seminary; author of The Great Giveaway About Dwight Dwight J. Friesen (DMin, George Fox University) is assistant professor of practical theology at Mars Hill Graduate School [1] in Seattle. He was the founding pastor of Quest: A Christ-Commons [2] in Bellevue, Washington, and lives in Seattle, Washington, with his family. [hide] [3] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Dwight's site [4] Thy Kingdom Connected Facebook page [5] Interview Availability: Dwight is available for blog and podcast interviews. You will receive his contact information if you select Thy Kingdom Connected. [/hide] [1] http://www.mhgs.edu/ [2] http://www.seattlequest.org/ [3] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/thy-kingdom-connected/ [4] http://dwightfriesen.com [5] http://www.facebook.com/pages/Thy-Kingdom-Connected/165121348245

Through The River: Understanding Your Assumptions About Truth by Jon & Mindy Hirst

So there have been some culture wars these past few decades here in the West. Among the many skirmishes, one of the most enduring pitched battles has been over epistemology – as Pontius Pilate famously asked, “What is truth?” Postmodernists like myself tend to draw attention to the contingency, and situated-ness of truth. To call a truth ‘timeless’ seems like an insult to its vitality. Modernists tend to favor truth they can absolutize, a rigid and uncompromising set of morals and values that frame the foundation of existence – to do otherwise feels like slippery relativism. This conversation often ends in a stalemate of inflexible systems wherein each side loses and neither system is closer to grasping truth. Is there a way out of the impasse? Biblica's [1] Through the River, a new book by Jon and Mindy Hirst (with Dr. Paul Hiebert), encourages us to examine our assumptions about truth and how those assumptions affect our relationship to the world at large. In so doing, the Hirsts offer a new perspective on truth that allows us not only to better understand how we view truth but how we might become better equipped to communicate truth in a combative culture. Their claim is that “our ability to struggle through the concept of truth in today’s world is crucial to determining our success in the Christian life, our relationships and our kingdom work.” Through the River is a challenging and fascinating book told allegorically, taking the reader on a journey through River Town, weaving a memorable tale on how people can live in close proximity while having radically contrasting views. River Town’s three communities live and act so differently because each group is using a distinct set of assumptions about truth (truth lenses). In short, Through the River pulls off a mean feat: It offers a view of truth that seeks to solve the compatibility issues between worldviews and capitalizes on their strengths in such a way that each becomes better without becoming the same. Readers might not all agree with the attempted integration, but you will be the better for having read it. You just might beat your culture war swords into plowshares. Jon and Mindy Hirst are the co-founders of Generous Mind, a think tank designed to help people make their thoughts count. The late Paul G. Hiebert (1932–2007) was Distinguished Professor of Mission and Anthropology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and previously taught at Fuller Theological Seminary. Through the River is Jon and Mindy’s unique approach to Dr. Hiebert’s important and groundbreaking studies in truth. [hide] [2] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Through the River blog [3] Jon and Mindy Hirst on Twitter: @generousmind [4] Through the River Facebook Fan Page [5]. Through the River Facebook discussion group [6]. Generous Mind Blog [7]. Interview Availability: Jon and Mindy Hirst are available for blog & podcast interviews. You will receive this contact information via email if you select Through the River this month. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about Through the River within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post to this one. Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://www.biblica.com [2] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/through-the-river/ [3] http://throughtheriverbook.com [4] http://twitter.com/generousmind [5] http://facebook.com/pages/Through-the-River/97523594915 [6] http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=116401856022 [7] http://generousmind.blogspot.com

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

The Diversity Culture by Matthew Raley

We are facing a crisis in civility in our society. Whereas in the 1990s polarizing talk radio was a growing novelty, today this level of demeaning, caricaturing, hyperbole-laden discourse is the New Normal in America’s public square. Even worse, it seems to have found a hotbed of grassroots support among American evangelical Christians. Evangelical Christians, it seems, feel the ‘pain’ of our multicultural, pluralistic society more than most. In fact, to many of the rest of us (this would include emerging, mainline, and progressive Christians), multiculturalism and pluralism aren’t negative realities at all, but something to be celebrated. Even so, emerging and missional Christians often wrestle with how to witness authentically to the life of God found in Jesus without culturally steam-rolling our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Enter a self-confessed ‘conservative evangelical’ California pastor, whose book The Diversity Culture is sub-titled Creating Conversations of Faith with Buddhist Barristas, Agnostic Students, Aging Hippies, Political Activists, and Everyone In Between. Oh no, I grimaced when I first heard about this book (Hey – we take our book-screening seriously at TheOOZE!) – another culture warrior with an axe to grind. Not so. Raley is a compassionate, humane voice, who does a surprisingly good (if not slightly over-stuffed) sympathetic portrait of a woman who thinks quite differently than he, right in the first chapter. He then paints a compelling picture of Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan (read: wrong religion, wrong culture, wrong lifestyle, wrong gender) woman at the well as an example of cross-cultural communication that is both clear and without fear. Our new diversity culture makes evangelicals uncomfortable, Raley proposes; not because they feel threatened, but because they feel excluded. Matthew tackles the social tensions between evangelicals and the diversity culture. Drawing on analysis of contemporary media, ancient sources, and Scripture, The Diversity Culture examines cultural barriers and how they can be broken, helping Christians understand this cosmopolitan group on their own terms. This illuminating tome gives Christians the understanding and tools they need to cross socioeconomic, ethical, and ideological barriers and heal relationships in the name of Christ. [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Matthew Raley’s blog – http://tritonelife.com [1] First chapter download – http://store.kregel.com/client/excerpt/978-0-8254-3579-9.pdf [2] Prime Time America - http://asxarchive.moodyradio.org/PrimeTimeAmerica/2009-07-09_Prime_Time_America__part_02.asx [3] (Raley is interviewed from 20:00 to 28:00. Note: This interview is hosted by Moody Radio, a longtime bastion of the culture wars. J ) Interview Availability: Matthew Raley is available for blog and podcast review. You will receive his contact information if you select The Diversity Culture as this month's review title. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about The Diversity Culture within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post to this one. Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://tritonelife.com/ [2] http://store.kregel.com/client/excerpt/978-0-8254-3579-9.pdf [3] http://asxarchive.moodyradio.org/PrimeTimeAmerica/2009-07-09_Prime_Time_America__part_02.asx

A Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church by Warren Cole Smith

Since World War II, evangelicals have emerged, seemingly from nowhere, as a potent political force and the focus of rapidly expanding retail markets. Megachurches and parachurch organizations like Focus on the Family attract both wealth and publicity, allowing them to reach more people than ever before. But something troubling has happened in spite of this expansion. Overall church attendance is not growing. Political clout has not yielded spiritual renewal. America's high divorce rate is just one of many melancholy cultural indicators that bigger is not necessarily better. Evangelicalism aims to cure these ills. What if, instead, it is actually preying on the body, like a cancerous tumor growing unchecked? In his new book, A Lover's Quarrel with the Evangelical Church, awarding-winning journalist Warren Cole Smith offers an insightful and deeply personal critique of the evangelical movement from the perspective of a long-time evangelical insider. Using solid research and original interviews with some of America's leading Christian thinkers, Smith offers an assessment of what has gone wrong as evangelicalism has grown in power and size and what must be done if the church is to be salt and light in a culture starved for redemption. “American evangelicalism, for all the good it has done, is in need of a modern reformation,” Smith states. “There is something toxic in the soil of the evangelical garden, and the poison has been building up over time, tainting everything. It is evident in our quick condemnation of homosexuality or alcohol or gambling, but our indulgence of greed and envy in the form of careerism. It’s there in the hypocrisy of religious-right political leaders quick (and right) to condemn big government and its corrupting power, but who think that the big ministries and megachurches they have created are somehow immune to the same corrupting power.” A Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church reveals the lesser-reported events that have shaped every aspect of modern evangelicalism, starting with the Second Great Awakening (hint: it wasn’t so great). As only a great journalist can, Smith delivers some startling facts and raises serious questions about many of the practices and institutions that define modern evangelicalism including: · The evangelical myth—is the church really growing? · Body-count evangelism—makes for impressive stats, but at what cost? · The Christian Industrial complex—examining a Christian retail industry that generates billions · The Overhead Church—multimedia presentations a must, no hymnals or bibles necessary Smith wrote the book not as one who is on the outside looking in, but as one who has chosen to remain on the inside for forty years. As he describes the flawed approach of many of modern evangelicalism’s best-known leaders and organizations, Smith is quick to point out the many problematic activities in which he has actively participated. He longs to see a church that embraces her ancestry, values spiritual depth over bragging rights, and is shaped more by the words of Scripture than by the whims of youth culture. In the end, Smith’s intention is not simply to lob accusations but to restore health to the body of Christ. “I call it a ‘lover’s quarrel’ because I believe it is important to speak the truth with love, as Scripture commands, but also to speak it as two lovers would,” Smith says. “In a marriage, two become one. When a husband cuts his wife, he injures himself. So it is with the church. We are all members of the body of Christ. When one hurts, we all hurt. Therefore, it is not the goal of this book to destroy, but to encourage, sharpen, and build.” [hide] This Title Has Been Closed for Review :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: http://loversquarrel.net [1] – the official site for Warren and the book. Nice & clean. Interview Availability: Warren is available for blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select A Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about A Lover’s Quarrel with the Evangelical Church within 30 days of getting it. Please cut & paste your post underneath this entry. Thank you! [hide] [1] http://loversquarrel.net/

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

Christ In Y’all: Following Jesus Into Community

by Neil Carter So it’s not every day that someone you’ve lived with and among for years and years writes a book…not a good book, anyway. But my friend (and long-time Atlanta-area house church mate) Neil Carter does both in his new release Christ In Y’all. So house churching has become more and more popular these days, taking its cue from persecution-laden locales like China and India, and springing up in American, British, and Australian soil in the wake of the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. Gathering in homes as ‘simple church’ has become all the more popular since George Barna’s Revolution told us that millions of people were doing it and Frank Viola’s Pagan Christianity and Reimagining Church passionately argued why we should be doing it, too. But have you ever wondered what simple church ecclesiology might sound like coming from an ordinary member, a non-specialist, non-church planter? One who’s articulate but not mind-numbingly difficult to read, someone who’s into what they’re doing but not overly polemical about it? If so, you have Christ in Y’all by Neil. First, the title: Followers of Jesus were never meant to live alone. Hearing God speak and following God’s voice is a calling for a “we” rather than a “me.” When the Apostle Paul announces that “Christ in you [is] the hope of glory,” that “you” is plural. In other words – yep – Christ in y’all, the hope of glory. (May English teachers forgive us!) In these pages, Neil attempts to explain how spiritual formation is a collective endeavor. After spending nearly a decade meeting in homes with friends and followers of Jesus, he describes what he sees as key elements to thriving intentional Christian community, as well as surviving the pitfalls of home-based fellowships. Neil gave me this to sum up his book: “Our gospel is too small. We seem to care only about getting people to heaven, while God intends to make his home here on earth. How does God do that? He comes to dwell within the community of believers. And while it is true that his Spirit indwells each of our hearts individually, God shows up most vividly when we come together with one another. Christ In Y'all tackles these tough questions: • What did God create us in the first place? • Why do we suffer, and what does it accomplish? • How can we hear God speak to us today? • What single trait best marks a healthy church? • Why are so many committed believers quitting church lately? • Must we "do church" the way we've always done it? • What makes simple, informal gatherings more attractive than large, formal ones?” [hide] Title no longer Available :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: NOTE: This title comes with "Christ In Ya'll" as well. Choosing this bundle also comes with the task of blogging about both titles. Link-love for your review: http://ChristInYall.com [1] is Neil’s main hub http://christinyall.blogspot.com [2] is Neil’s blog Interview Availability: Neil is available for blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select the house church two-pack for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about the house church two-pack within 30 days of getting it. Yes, you can write a single post about both this and Dede: In the Fields of Boaz – though you’re welcome to write two! Please cut & paste your post here: http://viralbloggers.com/2009/04/dede-in-the-fields-of-boaz/ [3] Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://christinyall.com/ [2] http://christinyall.blogspot.com/ [3] http://viralbloggers.com../2009/01/dede-in-the-fields-of-boaz/

Spirituality: A Post-Modern & Interfaith Approach to Cultivating a Relationship with God by Carl McColman

‘Spirituality’ – such an often-used word. Many wonder what it even means. Spirituality is a book about the spiritual life that doesn't tell you what to believe. Have you ever heard someone say: "I'm spiritual, but not religious." Or "It's easier for me to find God in nature than in a church." Or "I can't limit myself to just one faith tradition: I see God in all of them." If statements like these make sense to you, you aren't alone. Today, more people are searching for spiritual experience outside traditional channels of religious faith. But even alternative or New Age spiritualities are often filled with dogma and prescribed notions of how to behave and what to believe. By contrast, Carl McColman's book answers the question "What is spirituality, and why does it matter?" with insights drawn not only from religious traditions, but also popular culture. Here the emphasis is on celebrating the many ways spirituality makes a powerful and positive difference in our lives. Carl McColman is a lay Cistercian novice, a freelance writer and the bookstore manager of the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Conyers, GA. He was raised Lutheran, spent several years as a young adult as an Episcopalian, and then got really creative and explored Wicca and other forms of Neopaganism for a number of years, before deciding that he missed Christianity and returned (by entering the Catholic Church) in 2005. Spirituality is his first book, and was written while he was still an Episcopalian – in this anniversary edition there’s a brand-new forward sharing how its themes influenced his own journey of faith. For a number of years Carl was a superstar of the neo-pagan set, penning tomes like The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Celtic Wisdom, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Paganism, Embracing Jesus and the Goddess, and The Aspiring Mystic. Currently he’s at work on a large-scale book on Christian mysticism, to be published in 2010 by a major independent publisher. A personal note from Carl to prospective Ooze Viral Bloggers: “Spirituality" came from an idea that I had one day while sitting in the parking lot of a large music store in Atlanta. Listening to the radio, I thought about how popular music often conveys “spiritual” and “mystical” themes. Then the thought occurred to me: “What would a book look like, that attempted to explain the spiritual life by relying on culture, rather than religion, as its starting point?” Thus began the period of personal exploration, prayer and reflection that culminated in this book. Spirituality is not opposed to religion — on the contrary, it makes the argument that spirituality requires community to thrive— but it sees its topic as something larger than what the language or symbolism or doctrines of any one faith can fully explain. The result is a book that celebrates spirituality without enforcing any particular religious agenda – which makes it not only congenial to the practitioners of any faith, but also a contribution to the conversation of how different faiths can find common ground here in our postmodern world. Spirituality was originally published in 1997; it was my first book. For this new edition I have written a new introduction, in which I reflect on how the landscape of popular spiritual exploration has evolved over the past decade.” [hide] [1] :: Special Viral Blogger Section :: Link-love for your review: Carl’s award-winning blog: http://anamchara.com [2] Your Amazon Affiliate link. :) Interview Availability: Carl is available for a limited number of blog and podcast interviews. You’ll get his email address if you select Spirituality for your monthly review. Your Commitment: Remember, your commitment is to write a blog post (minimum 50 words) about Spirituality within 30 days of getting it, and cutting & pasting your post here: Thank you! [/hide] [1] http://viralbloggers.wufoo.com/forms/spirituality/ [2] http://anamchara.com/

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