Rating: 
Summary: Not for the faint of heart!
Review: I have a lot of respect for Brian and this book is a rare gift. I fear that some won't hear the essential message because they'll get bogged down criticizing some of the details. I walked away from it disturbed and refreshed - disturbed because Brian challenged me to a deeper understanding of faithfulness; refreshed because he takes the first steps toward clearing a path for those willing to set aside preconceived notions about what it means to be a Christian. Pastor Dan and his mentor Neo address some of the key issues concerning how we can be faithful followers of Jesus in a world that has largely rejected institution-propped faith as out of touch with both current reality and the original message of Jesus. This book made me rethink my own journey both as a disciple and a pastor trying to navigate new terrrain. Aspects of this book are guaranteed to distress Bible worshippers, denominational loyalists, and institutional addicts. With a firm but loving challenge, McLaren dares 20th Century evangelicalism to pack up and move out of the house of its introverted individualistic salvation and onto the front porch of a 21st Century faith where it can once again be engulfed in the fresh air of a world where God is at work and people are hungry for authentic faith.
Rating: 
Summary: Another attempted "reformation" of Christianity
Review: Many diverse voices in the church today are calling for a radical change in Christianity. Of course, how much can you change and still call it Christianity? Ultra-liberal ex-bishop John Shelby Spong, for example, goes to the extreme left edge of liberalism and throws out any traditional belief in God and the historical, biblically-based creeds to come up with something that cannot in good conscience be counted in the Christian camp. Brian McLaren's new vision of Christianity is still recognizable as Christianity, but has he sacrificed the essence of the Gospel on the altar of post-modernism?McLaren, using the device of a dialogue between a burnt-out pastor and a high school science teacher (who is a former pastor), makes the point that both liberal and conservative theology is based on modernism, and that for a post-modern society neither Biblical literalism or Bultmannian demytholization is adequate for this generation. The Bible must be read as a pre-modern document, as the story of people on a faith-journey towards (or away from) God and must not be codified to a rigid theology, according to the thinking presented in this book. Although McLaren desires to transcend the labels of "conservative" and "liberal", many conservatives would see this as a liberal theology. There is much space given to struggling with the question of how other religions fit into the equation, and how much of our modern Christianity is culturally based. Although I found much food for thought here, I could not wholly embrace all the concepts presented in this book. Other writers on post-modern Christianity concentrate more on methodology of presenting the gospel to a post-modern society than actually coming up with what might be considered a "different gospel". There are undoubtedly some excellent ideas presented (I particularly liked the ideas concerning the overhauling of seminary education), but there are some I'm not comfortable with (isn't teaching evolution to a youth group more of a modernist idea than post-modern?). I would like to see some of these ideas more fully developed, but then, that might start taking it in the direction of a systematic theology, which is anathema to the post-modern mindset! Three stars for being a well-written, thought-provoking book.
Rating: 
Summary: Avoid if you don't want your thinking challenged
Review: I was unsettled at several points while reading this book: and that's why I highly recommend it. As someone who in the past has considered himself a conservative evangelical, I no longer am comfortable with that self-imposed category (and not just because of what I read in this book). I am tired of "christian books" written for and read by christians that do nothing more than repackage that same old same old. Truth is eternal, but the insights, interpretations and application are creatively broad, but I haven't found that in much current writing. If I beleived that God gave us all a simple answer that was only one-dimensional, I would be a diest, not a christian. I find McLaren's work provocative, and it appears that is what he intended to be. Do I agree with all he suggests? I'm not sure, but I don't think so. Am I better for having read it? You bet. Evangelical Christianity needs provocation; needs waking up. To think we've got it all figured out is smug and arrogant, and I, too, am embarassed by some tv evanglists and others who make followers of Christ look like idiots. If you aren't afraid to have your thinking challenged, and if you are committed to growth in your spirituality and faith, then read this book. The only reason I didn't give the book five stars was that I sometimes found the writing to be a little stilted, but McLaren explains in the introduction the downside to writing it as a dialogue, rather than as non-fiction. Overall, the format of the book works. Want further proof that the book is worth reading? Read the one star reviews as well: unless you figure the status quo in theology, christianity and culture is "as good as it will ever be," you'll understand why some readers get all worked up.
Rating:
Summary: If This Doesn't Challenge Your Thinking, Nothing Will......
Review: Brian McLaren has writen a great little book here- Whatever your oppinion is about post-modernism, its undenyable that culture is changing and McClaren contends that the church will have to look different in the future to accomidate those changes. He challenges many traditional views in Christianity, going strait to scripture to point out that many of the traditions and views Christians hold are based on modern interpretation. I was very surprised as I read at many of the statements he made, because I first found them near blasphemous. However, he justifies his views well and changed my thinking. The meat of this book has provided a basis for deeper conversation with other people and I feel more excited about the future of my faith. This book left me wanting more and I think thats a good thing. The one downside to the book are gaps in the writing. The theology and ideas here are deep and McClaren is smart enough to realize that narative will make this stuff more interesting. It becomes obvious pretty early that narative isn't his strength, as conversations between the characters are often clunky and slip into a mode that seems very unrealistic to personal conversation. But it doesn't really matter. The whole point here is not the story, but the conversation, questions, and answers to tough questions. I highly recommend this book to anyone who feels dead or dry in their faith. It will excite and inspire you in your walk.
Rating: 
Summary: Prescription and Style Fall Short
Review: Using the device of a conversation between a pastor struggling in his beliefs and a former-pastor-now-science-teacher who has embraced a postmodern viewpoint, McLaren argues that Christians should abandon traditions that he believes result from modern culture. He goes on to advocate reforming Christianity to comply with what he believes is the emerging postmodern worldview. I believe the book is useful for pointing out ways that today's church mirrors today's society, but I believe that it falls short in its analysis and prescription. I agree with McLaren that people have historically confused tradition with abiding truth. According to the book of Genesis, God started dealing with this problem early in human history. Beginning with Abraham, Genesis shows God separating His people from the nations around them and trying to give them a unique culture and identity. This effort to distinguish between God's way and the ways of contemporary cultures - characterized by idol worship and civil government - continues throughout the Old Testament. This theme is also in the New Testament. New Testament writings show first Jesus and then His apostles warning Christians against confusing the traditions of man and the philosophies of the day with the precepts of God. McLaren does us a favor by explaining that this confusion continues, but then he commits a serious error -- he seeks to perpetuate the problem by advocating postmodern Christianity, which simply substitutes postmodern philosophies for modern philosophies. McLaren does not explain how this solves the age old problem of confusing tradition with abiding truth. In addition to disagreeing with McLaren's conclusion, I take issue with his device. He presents his postmodern advocate, the former-pastor-now-science-teacher, as a brilliant philosopher in whose presence others are awed. Reminiscent of contemporary advertising techniques, McLaren then uses the aura of the advocate to market the postmodern view. People in the book embrace the hero's ideas because they embrace the hero's image and provide no substantive debate on his views. McLaren gives no voice to people who might disagree. He simply dismisses them through the use of labels, such as conservatives, evangelicals, and televangelists with bad hair. If McLaren believes his views have merit and can compete in what some call the marketplace of ideas, then I would prefer that he present his basic suppositions, logic, and conclusions so that they can be compared with other ideas. It might be that McLaren would reject my last statement as being overly modern because it presupposes that analysis is useful for understanding truth. My reply would be that analysis transcends and predates the modern worldview, having its roots in Genesis 1, which introduces cause and effect and laws of science.
Rating:
Summary: Not a Bad Start¿
Review: A significant factor in how much you enjoy this book will depend on how carefully you read the author's introduction. If you identify with any number of his specific 'experiences' and also find yourself within the demographic of his assumed readership, then my feeling is that you'll be able to get something out of this book. If not, you may not be able to get past the weak plot device used to illustrate his thesis. Personally, I was in a category that enabled me to enjoy this book. While I found the characterization to be an insipid obstacle, the meat of the argument provided for quite the page-turner. This was another one of those "read in one night" books. So, what was the meat? I found the chapter "What a Difference a Worldview Makes" to be illuminating. Modern-day evangelicals would be well-served by the sense of humility and caution ascribed to Neo. What is defined as 'Christian' can be severely undercut by cultural prejudices, a fact that is forgotten too often is these polarized times, both in liberal and conservative Christian ideologies. This book is an accessible read and has generated some good discussions in my circle of friends and seekers: faith as a web, evangelicalism, literalism, and world view transitions. While not well-written, it concedes it at the outset so look at the 'forest for the trees'. Indeed, McLaren's greatest strength is knowing his limitations...a point he attempts to remedy by heavily borrowing from C. S. Lewis. In fact, the most important lesson this book taught me is that I simply *must* be reading something by C.S. Lewis at all times!
Rating:
Summary: Articulating all that I have felt for years!
Review: In Brian McLaren's book, A New Kind of Christian, McLaren explores how Christianity has been influenced by modern culture and how it must change in the light of post-modernism. New Kind of Christian is not written as a theology or 'God book', it is written simply as a conversation between two friends. It is this gentle and amicable attitude that McLaren keeps throughout the novel and is one of the great reasons why this book is so readable and lovable. Even greater than the style, New Kind of Christian is a great book because it tackles some of the most serious issues of Christianity in a blazingly new light. Numerous topics, from salvation to evolution are discussed and evaluated. Most of all, all the hype, consumerism, hierarchy, and superficiality of the modern church is exposed for what it is, filth. That filth is then replaced with a faith so warm, endearing, friendly, and hospitable I was honestly in tears at times. This book is a challenge for people entrenched in the modern Christian system, but for anyone feeling burned-out, used-up, dumbed-down, and stifled by modern Christianity; this book is a breath of life.
Rating:
Summary: Will tweak your categories!
Review: This book made me mad at first, then made me curious, and I ended up thinking about things from a whole different perspective. Mclaren's writing style is engaging, helpful, and confrontational...but in a way that moves the discussion along a helpful path. You must read this book! PASTORPRENEUR
www.pastorpreneur.com
Rating:
Summary: A theological Rorschach test...
Review: I find it fascinating to read the reviews posted for this book. By and large, reviewers (with some exceptions) have rated the book on how much they agree with the contents. Having read the book, I can say that you'll probably find here what you're looking to find here. If you want something to bash because it's not conservative Evangelicalism, you'll find it. If you want something encouraging because you're tired of Church(TM), you'll find it. This book is about the questions. McLaren is long on questions and short on answers. (For more of McLaren's answers, check out the follow-up book The Story We Find Ourselves In.) If questions make you uncomfortable, skip the book. McLaren asks a lot of questions that may not have easy answers - at least, if you're willing to be intellectually honest - and, often, he avoids answering those questions directly himself. (Taking the time to read the introduction will allow the reader to avoid some of the erroneous assumptions that have been made by its detractors, namely that McLaren's personal opinions can be easily identified with those of a particular character.) The book is about generating thought and conversation rather than providing a neatly packaged solution. Personally, I found myself both agreeing and arguing with the characters at various points in the book, which was, no doubt, the author's intention. You will not be able to read this without reacting to it - either negatively or positively. It will force you to think about your understanding of Christianity. Ultimately, it seems that stimulating thought is one mark of a good book - not simply whether one agrees with its contents.
Rating: 
Summary: Baal
Review: This is a made-up god. It has little to do with the Christ who died on the cross as sin, so that we could have the Tree of Life come near us again. A false Christ, that is so very likable by those into self-worship and ultra-hip ways of the world. Not much decreasing, or dying to self in these pages. Paul saw the cross and knew that he died with Christ on it. This book looks at a super-highway to an abundant, freeing earthly life. This world is about sin and death, and our distrust of God. Seek God in prayer for your answers, but do not seek this book.
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