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June 28, 2006

If you read Rob Bell or Donald Miller you might be interested in reading Brent Thomas' post, You Can't Not Have Doctrine, where he compares both of these writers and their books and how they are alike.

I very much like both Miller and Bell and have read pretty much everything they have written. Blue Like Jazz and Velvet Elvis have been two books that have influenced me in some very profound ways.

In Brent's post he makes the comment:

We need to be fair here and admit that Bell and Miller have some valid concerns. Doctrine is often far too rigid and exclusionary, it often formalizes and brings an academic air to truths that were meant to ignite our souls. But at some point we must exclude; some things simply are not Christian and for all the talk of springy relationships, I want to say that at some point, orthodoxy is important.

Being a friend of Brent and knowing that our theological paths are quite different, I do appreciate his acknowledgement of Bell and Miller and the concerns they do raise. It is a difficult thing to recognize those who often stand very opposite your beliefs. I wonder what Christianity would look like if we could all work together and "play off" one another's strengths? But it seems for now that there is a lot of fear from all of us based on the perspectives and the positions that we stand in. We fear the fundamentalists because of their views and the image that they often portray in the media, etc. We fear the liberals because we are fearful that they stand on nothing. These are general stereotypes of course, but it is a fearful thing to be in a place or position, knowing that you have no control over someone, and at the same time wondering how far they will push something.

The slippery slope is a fear provoking thing in many circles, yet I wonder sometimes if we live in too much fear of people going off the deep end if you will. Maybe...or actually, asking these questions and pushing the edge and walking the slippery slope is part of the journey in our faith....and if we don't tread this part of the journey we shortchange ourselves and fail to be authentic in our relationship with Jesus Christ.

Just wondering out loud. Again, Brent, I appreciate your willingness to engage with those outside of your "theological circles" and to acknowledge the good that they do, though you may disagree with some of their stances, etc. Maybe that will give me some encouragement to look at those that I disagree with and to see what good they do, and what I can learn from them (i.e. Piper, Sproul, etc).

Posted by rhett at June 28, 2006 11:33 AM

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Thanks Rhett, I appreciate your words, but more importantly I appreciate your example. I always enjoy our diaglogues and walk away challenged towards growth, which I think is part of the point in discussing in the first place, right? Thanks again.

Posted by: Brent Thomas [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 28, 2006 02:12 PM

Thanks for posting this! The things you address are things I'm struggling with right now. I grew up fundamentalist; now, I attend a seeker-sensitive church. Each are at opposite ends of the spectrum. There's got to be middle ground! God's talking to me; that much I know. But what He's saying, I haven't a clue. I do know that He's not happy with me where I am.

Posted by: Amanda [TypeKey Profile Page] at June 28, 2006 02:20 PM

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