I am reading a book by Brain Mclaren. It is called "A New Kind of Christianity." This book is over due. I have read Mclaren's books before, but this book particularly speaks to my soul. I finished the book this afternoon and started re-reading it this evening because I what to digest exactly what he is trying to propose.
It seems to me that Mclaren is speaking for many in the church who see how the soul of the Body of Jesus has been stolen. It happened a long time ago when the movement that took upon it the name of Jesus of Nazareth also took upon it the organizational structure of the Roman Empire. Marcus Borg and John Dominic Crossan have spoken of this in some of their books, and the more I read about this, the more I see it is true.
What started as a movement to help people see how the Roman rulers were missing the point, i.e. sinning, how people were following the wrong path and needed to turn around, i.e. repenting, turned into something alien to its founder. Rome was violent and Jesus was non violent. Rome was turned in on itself and Jesus was turned out to others. Rome worshipped power and financial gain and sex, and Jesus worshipped the LORD.
The church even took into itself the Greco-Roman theology--Neoplatonism mixed with a little of Aristotle. The immortality of the soul, the fall, heaven or hell are products of Greek philosophy and theology and not Hebraic. I have always wondered about this being since my undergraduate studies in Greek reasoning and Philosophy. What we need is a revolution in Christian thought, and it is on the way. I am excited to see what happens next!
2 comments:
Good post Jerry, we have hit on kind of the same theme this week. I ask the question on my blog, "Should the focus of the church be saving souls or saving lives." If we are a servant church we will save lives, through the preaching of the Word, the Holy Spirit will take care of the soul.
Amen brother! I loved your post on your blog. Wish more people would open up and see it!!
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