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Loading... The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change…by Brian McLaren
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will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book.  StephenBarkley | Jul 22, 2009 |  McLaren has led us on a path of discovery in his book, The Secret Message of Jesus. Revealing the secret message that was right under our noses for these centuries, the author presents this path in a way that the reader must make the journey for himself. There is no hidden agenda, only the revelation of what Jesus himself hid between the lines in his own manner of teaching. Following this is a section that contains what the reader needs to start living in Jesus' Kingdom and a discussion guide, for, as the author says, this message is best learned in a group of twelve. (  ) drj | Dec 29, 2008 | McLaren presents the secret underlying message of Jesus that the Kingdom of God is here and now. This message has not received the attention that it deserves throughout the centuries for a variety of reasons. Those who accept this message will find that they will need to alter their lives in radical ways to be citizens of this Kingdom. As expected, the book is highly readable, and McLaren draws his readers into his ideas. However, there is much to dislike. First, his idea of the Kingdom is wrong. He draws some conclusions based on poor Greek exegesis and proceeds to the next argument. Unfortunately, when the foundation is flawed, so is the building. Second, the idea of Kingdom is much bigger than McLaren understands. In his rush to emphasize the "now," he has neglected the "later." The New Testament has much to say about the Kingdom in the future tense. Third, McLaren's ethical implications of the whole matter are simplistic like so many others of a center-left political bent. On one hand, he mentions two world wars as evidence of the failure of Christianity to live the Kingdom life. On the other, he tells how his group participates in a gathering for justice on behalf of those in Darfur. How does he expect justice and mercy to reign if not through the sword of the righteous. Finally, McLaren ignores the role of personal salvation in Kingdom living. Without this, who is in the Kingdom? How are people empowered to live this Kingdom ethic? As usual, McLaren is thought provoking and interesting. However, in his quest to find the secret message of Jesus, he has missed the real message of Jesus. (  ) jstamp26 | Dec 26, 2008 | When I first read this book I found it to be so interesting I immediately read it again. An older lady at my church asked to borrow it and after she finished it she mentioned that you would have to read it again. Because of that I decided to teach a Sunday school class using it. It presented information about Jesus and his culture in ways that I hadn't encountered before. I will probably use it in future classes as well. ( ) kungfuquaker | May 10, 2008 | This book excels at explaining the overall theme of Jesus' message, which is often missed in contemporary Christian culture. (  ) zdufran | Apr 28, 2008 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 084990000X, Hardcover)When Brian McLaren began offering an alternative vision of Christian faith and life in books such as A New Kind of Christian and A Generous Orthodoxy, he ignited a firestorm of praise and condemnation that continues to spread across the religious landscape. To some religious conservatives, McLaren is a dangerous rebel without a doctrinally-correct cause. Some fundamentalist websites have even claimed he's in league with the devil and have consigned him to flames. To others though, Brian is a fresh voice, a welcome antidote to the staleness, superficiality, and negativity of the religious status quo. A wide array of people from Evangelical, Catholic, and Mainline Protestant backgrounds claim that through his books they have begun to rediscover the faith they'd lost or rejected. And around the world, many readers say that he has helped them find-for the first time in their lives-a faith that makes sense and rings true. For many, he articulates the promise of what is being called "emerging Christianity." In The Secret Message of Jesus you'll find what's at the center of Brian's critique of conventional Christianity, and what's at the heart of his expanding vision. In the process, you'll meet a Jesus who may be altogether new to you, a Jesus who is… Not the crusading conqueror of religious broadcasting; Not the religious mascot of partisan religion; Not heaven's ticket-checker, whose words have been commandeered by the church to include and exclude, judge and stigmatize, pacify and domesticate.McLaren invites you to discover afresh the transforming message of Jesus-an open invitation to radical change, an enlightening revelation that exposes sham and ignites hope, an epic story that is good news for everyone, whatever their gender, race, class, politics, or religion. "Pastor and best-selling author McLaren revisits the gospel material from a fresh-and at times radical-perspective . . . He does an excellent job of capturing Jesus' quiet, revolutionary style." --Publishers Weekly (starred review) "Here McLaren shares his own ferocious journey in pondering the teachings and actions of Jesus. It is McLaren's lack of salesmanship or agenda that creates a refreshing picture of the man from Galilee who changed history." --Donald Miller, Author of Blue Like Jazz "In this critical book, Brian challenges us to ask what it would mean to truly live the message of Jesus today, and thus to risk turning everything upside down." --Jim Wallis, Author of God's Politics and editor of Sojourners "Compelling, crucial and liberating: a book for those who seek to experience the blessed heat of Christianity at its source." --Anne Rice, Author of Christ the Lord: Out of Egypt (retrieved from Amazon Fri, 24 Apr 2009 07:58:05 -0400) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
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1. Brian McLaren has toned down the controversial aspects of his writing.
2. I’ve grown more comfortable with the controversy.
Maybe it’s a mixture of both. I started reading McLaren’s New Kind of Christian books and was challenged, outraged, and enlightened. Now that he’s transplanted his theology from the world of fiction into the land of teaching he’s lost a bit of his zip.
This book is full of good material about Jesus and his agenda. McLaren situates Jesus in his culture, painting him as a Jewish revolutionary. If you’re new to this way of understanding Jesus, McLaren’s book serves as a quick introduction to some of the major ideas.
If, on the other hand, you’ve read N. T. Wright, Walter Brueggemann, and Dallas Willard, you’ll find nothing new here: just a popularizing of their ideas.
[One last thought: does the socially-conscious Protestant church really need to venerate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. the way the Roman church venerates Mary?] (