[I have added and edited this entry because I have had feedback that it may be unclear. I hope the edits add clarity. SG]
This is the latest book I have read. I firstly want to recommend that only people with a questioning mind read it. It will offend and probably anger hard line evangelicals.
Essentially Dave Tomlinson is saying that we have been bought up in a world of science. Science says there is a right answer and a wrong answer. Black and white, if you like. Evangelicals, while they debate science, actually exhibit this black and white, right and wrong approach to Christianity.
Post Evangelicals are like post modernists. Post modernists accept there are answers given by science, but they value these answers along with art, nature, spirituality, etc. They think that what seems apparent, may not actually be true and are not afraid to question it. In fact there may actually be multiple 'correct' ways to the same answer.
So when it comes to Christianity, a Post Evangelical questions the orthodoxy. They question things like the inerrancy of the bible. They question the virgin birth. And many many more things. This is not saying that the orthodox view is wrong. It is saying there is no fear of challenging the orthodox afresh.
Dave argues this can lead to a much stronger and personal faith.
For those people that feel compelled to question everything and figure everything out themselves, this is an affirming book. In many ways it is the academic version of Blue Like Jazz.
But I reiterate... if you are a hardline orthodox evangecial who knows what is "right" already, best you give this a miss. It will save you a lot of stress.
2 comments:
yeah- im sometimes tempted to believe there rnt hard truths - but then jesus says he is the truth - that blow me away - yep there is only one truth and that is knowing Jesus
Hi Anonymous
Thanks for leaving a comment. It is always interesting to see what people take out of what I write.
I will give a bit more clarification...
Post Evangalicals are not necessarily saying there aren't hard truths (so to speak). They are saying that some areas are real grey and really difficult to figure out. They are saying that they want to figure these areas out but sometimes it is just too much for them. They are also saying that God seems to have wired them so there is this burning desire to figure things out.
Post Evangalicals recognise that the bible is not the sole source of truth. Most would sign up to its inerrancy but they would not be throw if part of it was shown to be untrue. They see God's hand in so much more in the world. And while some of it has been corrupted, the author's handiwork is apparent.
Post Evangalicals may not be the current orthodox Christian but I suspect they will be within the next 20 years. Our education systems have been drumming into us the desire to question. That has got to have an effect.
Those Christian leaders who rely on saying it how it is and expecting people to follow are going to slowly find they are a group of one.
I hope that helps explain a little more.
Specifically addressing your comment...
I would suggest there are hard truths but no human has a monopoly on them. It is interesting that very learned and genuine bible scholars can completely diagree with one another. To suggest that ones own "take" on doctrine is right can be pretty arrogant and quite foolish.
To say that there is "only one truth and that is knowing Jesus" is perhaps a little simplistic (and a bit cliche). If I say my computer is an Apple Mac is truth. To say I read part of Luke this morning is also truth. There we have two truths already.
Issues like truth, love, worship, forgiveness, sin, etc... for many of us these are not so simple. We need to work them over. We need to argue back and forward. We need time for the Holy Spirit to connect into areas of ourselves that have been untouched. Eventually we come out the other side and what we have wrestled with becomes part of us.
I hope and pray that as you walk through life you will recognise people who have to wrestle with issues and you will encourage them to keep on going (cliches don't tend to do this). I also hope and pray that as people who have to wrestle with issues come across people who have been blessed with the ability to be told something and just accept it, they recognise that blessing. In todays society it is literally a gift from God (to coin a cliche!!!).
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