Why Evangelicals Should Read Brian McLaren’s New Book [An Essay]
Page 3 – Evangelicals and Brian McLaren’s New Book
A New Way Forward for Evangelicals. In his discussion, McLaren shares his vision: “We hope, we dream, we pray that another option will come into view – one that doesn’t pit us against others in hostility, and one that allows us to remain true to our own deepest Christian convictions” (34). Elsewhere he expresses this desire with the hope “that some courageous Evangelicals and Pentecostals will make a break from hostility while retaining their evangelistic passion” (23, footnote 17). I suggest that the realization of McLaren’s dream has already begun. At the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy we have been assembling a like-minded and growing network of Evangelicals who are doing precisely this. We are working with Evangelicals and mainline Protestants
to “Prepare Christians for interreligious understanding and relationships without compromise and in civility through advocacy, education, and conversations.” We have seen our application of the “interfaith triangle” of education, relationship, and attitudes result in the transformation of Christian faith identity from hostile to benevolent.
Brian McLaren has done Evangelicals a great service with the writing of this book. It should be read widely, discussed vigorously, and experimented with radically as Evangelicals continue their journey through the religious pluralism and violence that characterizes the twenty-first century.
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John W. Morehead is the Custodian of the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy and the Director of the Western Institute for Intercultural Studies. He is the editor of Beyond the Burning Times: A Pagan and Christian in Dialogue (Lion, 2009), and works in interreligious dialogue in the areas of Islam, Mormonism, and Paganism.
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