Before I make my comments about this book I would like to say two things:
First, I admire the zeal of the authors of this book in finding ways to reach their generation.
Second, I do not recommend this book. Why?
This book is about experience and not about truth. Like most post-modern writers they begin with the theory that language cannot render the truths about the world in an objective way so they fall back onto experience. However, the Word of God is about language and expressing truth in that language. Paul says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" Romans 10:14
Alan Jamieson talks about leaving, getting away from the safety of the church. It is more than leaving the church because we want to experience something. It is not the church's fault but the people who make up the church including those that are leaving. What do we do when the old ways become dry and stale? It is not the time to abandon the truths but to remain. Dryness and staleness comes to all at one time or another but the key is to keep on keeping on.
Dries Lombaard says that what people want today is experiences and not words. The problem for Christians is that experiences must be base upon truth and truth is communicated by words. He also criticizes hierarchical structures and would throw it all away instead of setting it right. There are two distortions that come to mind. One is the dichotomy between the clergy and the laity in all things. The other is having no distinction between them.
Finally, the main reason I cannot recommend this book is found in the essay by Thomas Bandy on page 135. He writes, "The emerging human passion to be beside oneself reveals the yearning to be beyond oneself, to escape human limitations just enough to touch, or be touched by, the Holy. The fact that there is no consensus about the nature of that holy grail is unimportant. The conviction is all that matters."
One final thought. Most people will find this book difficult to read because in spite of the fact that the authors value experience over words they love to show off their ability to use words.
3 comments:
Great review, dad. I'd recommend Total Church (ISBN: 978-1433502088) instead - a good balance of gospel and community. These emerging guys tend to go off the experiential end with little or no reflection on how captive they are to the culture.
I find this to be a flawed review...
"truth is found in words"? Are you saying only in "words"? That truth cannot be found in experience? Or that the author by talking about "experience" somehow attacks or degrades "truth"?
I think you need to take a closer look at your conclusions...
1 Cor 4:20 says: "For the kingdom of God does NOT consist in WORDS, but in POWER."
that word power in greek is "dunamis" which can be defined this way: "power residing in a thing by virtue of it's nature, or which a person exerts and puts forth."
--TRUTH--is NOT just in words...but in "dunamis", in action, and experience that come from "the source" which is CHRIST. He alone is truth. In that sense "the Word" is truth...in the person of Christ. (John 1)
Please get a better grasp on what you are arguing before you publish reviews such as this...
Thanks for your comment. I am concerned that there are those that put experience over words. Mainly because God chose to communicate to us with words and through His Son who is called the Word. Experiences can be deceiving, God's Word is true. All experiences must be filtered through the Word and not the other way around. Remember the Bereans.
Post a Comment