A New Kind of Christian
I started this book as a totally nonfiction treatise on Christianity and postmodernity, but after I got about 100 pages into it, I realized the book was on the road to becoming 500 pages of abstraction – and no one would read it. So, I started over, taking the advice of a perceptive reviewer of “The Church on the Other Side.” If McLaren is serious about what he’s saying, the reviewer said, he should be writing fiction. So, I began rewriting using a fictional dialogue as framework for the book. The book has made a few people angry, as you can discover by doing a search at Christianity Today (or reading comments at Amazon). But the negative comments have, so far at least, been negligible compared to the affirming ones. I set the book up so that it could be the first of a trilogy.
Click here to purchase A New Kind of Christian
A New Kind of Christian’s conversation between a pastor and his daughter’s high school science teacher reveals that wisdom for life’s most pressing spiritual questions can come from the most unlikely sources. This stirring fable captures a new spirit of Christianity–where personal, daily interaction with God is more important than institutional church structures, where faith is more about a way of life than a system of belief, where being authentically good is more important than being doctrinally “right,” and where one’s direction is more important than one’s present location. Brian McLaren’s delightful account offers a wise and wondrous approach for revitalizing Christian spiritual life and Christian congregations.
“…This book is, quite simply, brilliant…” (Faith for Life, 21/12/04)
“This is a book that heightens the depths and deepens the peaks. Like all the best things in life, it is not to be entered into lightly, but reverently and in the fear of a God who is waiting for the church to stop asking ‘What would Jesus do?’ and start asking ‘What is Jesus doing?'” (Dr. Leonard Sweet, E. Stanley Jones Chair in Evangelism, Drew University, and bestselling author of Post-Modern Pilgrims, SoulSalsa, SoulTsunami, and AquaChurch; coauthor of A Cup of Coffee at the Soul Cafe)
“Get ready to wake up your spirit and breath deep. McLaren’s A New Kind of Christian is a street-level, lived excursion into this present millennium-a world where ministry by control, condescension, and smug certainty gives way to incarnational faith.” (Sally Morgenthaler, president, SJM Management Co. and author of Worship Evangelism)
“McLaren’s courageous and honest reassessment of our cherished customs and cliches stimulates creative thinking on these vital issues. A New Kind of Christian is an invaluable resource for anyone interested in preparing the church to be vital force in the next generation.” (Chuch Smith, Jr., senior pastor, Capo Beach Valvary Chapel and author, The End of the World As We Know It)
“…an engaging tale…” (Christianity & Renewal, July 2002)
Download the chapter entitled Sometimes the Peacock Wish to Be the Seagull.
Download the study guide, by Timothy Keel
Off the Map Video Clips of Brian McLaren speaking about A New Kind of Christian, new approaches to being a missional Christian, and a conversation with Brian and April Vega.
If you are interested in joining a discussion group devoted to a A New Kind of Christian please visit groups.yahoo.com/group/NKOC.
