McLaren's New Book 'Everything Must Change' - Part 1

Brian McLaren's new book 'Everything Must Change' marks a significant turning point in the Emergent Conversation. This book, unlike McLaren's previous works clearly DEFINES emergent thought and theology. McLaren is apparently finished with his deconstruction and chemotherapy on the 'cancer' of American Evangelicalism and he is now ready to reveal the new religion that he has been constructing all along.

'Everything Must Change' is a manifesto. Having just finished the book, the best way that I could condense and describe McLaren's ideas is that he has created a hybrid of Theism and Neo-Utopian Marxism. McLaren's 'new religion' is globally pragmatic and re-imagines Jesus' life and message so that they can be applied to solving the Earth's most pressing problems (as identified by the United Nations). In order to do this, McLaren completely retools the Biblical message and Jesus' life in particular in terms of social, political and economic struggles and injustices.

In "Everything Must Change" we learn that in McLaren's way of thinking, the primary problem that the Bible is trying to solve is mankind's injustice to mankind. In the opening chapters McLaren warns us that humanity is about to commit planetary suicide through the selfish misapplications of our security, prosperity and equity systems. Since THIS problem is the 'real evil' that we face (not our sinfulness), Jesus' actual reason for coming to Earth was to call mankind to defect from the Imperialistic framing stories that justify oppression and resource hoarding and call humanity to adopt His new 'framing story' of peace, non-violence and social / economic justice.

In McLaren's theology Jesus' death on the cross wasn't a sacrifice for our sins. Instead, Jesus' death demonstrated the injustice and brutality of the Imperial System. Therefore, according to McLaren, the real solution for all of our problems is for us to defect from Imperialism and Theo-capitalism and follow Jesus' example and adopt Jesus' new framing story. McLaren believes that if humanity does this, we will be able to eradicate global poverty, end social and economic injustice, heal the planet's eco-system and achieve God's original vision and dream for mankind. In short, McLaren argues that WE can build 'The Kingdom of God' on Earth. All we need to do is adopt and implement Jesus' 'framing story' of peace, justice and an economy of love.

To give you a taste of McLaren's thinking, here is a passage from his book where he warns us of the evils of 'Theo-Capitalism' by reinterpreting the early chapters of Genesis through an economic / class warfare lens. Said McLaren:

"It's interesting to consider the importance of consumption in the biblical narrative. When the crisis of human evil is introduced in a passage beginning in Genesis 1:19 and ending in 2:20, forms of the words "eat" and "food" are used about twenty times. Consumption is closely linked with human evil. Adam and Eve live in harmony with creation in a garden, surrounded by food-bearing trees. But to be a human being is to live within creaturly limits in God's creation - reflected in self-restraint in regard to eating the fruit of 'the knowledge of good and evil' (Genesis 2:17). If they break the limits represented by the fruit hanging on that tree, they will taste death (or as we said earlier, they will decompose).

Eve exceeds the limit, drawn to consume a fruit that "was good for food and was pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom" (3:6). Adam joins her. As a result, an avalanche of alienation crashes into the human story - alienation from God, alienation from one another, alienation from oneself, and alienation from the creation.

In the following chapters, brother is alienated from brother and a form of class violence enters the story, as the class of pastoralists (symbolized by Abel) are exterminated by the class of agriculturalists (symbolized by Cain). Soon new forms of institutionalized violence arise in great cities, so horrible that they are swept away by a flood of judgment. Eventually empires emerge, reflecting the imperial dream of unifying people under one dominating language and culture in Babel. Genesis provides a genealogy for all the pain and evil in the whole social structure of humans on planet Earth: it can be traced back to a problem of consumption beyond limits." (pages 209-210)

Notice that McLaren is injecting a Marxist framework into his interpretation of the opening chapters of Genesis. Gone are the ideas of sin, rebellion, disobedience against God, the fall of man, and the Lord's solution to our sin in the promise of a savior. McLaren has replaced those Biblical themes with the economic & political categories of consumption, class warfare and imperialism.

In "Everything Must Change" we are finally able to see what McLaren has really been up to. In this book we are witnessing the emergence of a North American Protestant strain of Liberation Theology and a resurgent "Religious Left" that will have a twisted Biblical 'framing story' that they can use to impose their interpretation of the 'common good' upon all of us in the name of God's new 'Love Economy'.

More to come in Part 2

Comments

[Henry (Rick) Frueh]

It seems as if there is a rush to remove redemption as defined by the "shedding of blood". Romans chapter one is applicable here as Adam and Eve misused the creation rather than disobeyed the Creator.

The three paragraphs you provided would be very palatable to the ecological crowd, God doesn't seem to be a central figure, His creation does.

[Brent]

The ways of the wicked:
They willingly: Corrupt the Word, 2 Cor. 2:17; Reject the Word, Jer. 8:9;
Disobey the Word, Psalm 119:158; Wrest the Word, 2 Pt. 3:16;
Speak not its truth, Isaiah 8:20; Hate its instruction, Psalm 50:16-17;
Cannot understand it, I Corinthians 2:14; They lay aside the Word, Mark 7:6-9;
Heed doctrines of demons, 1Timothy 4:1-2; Promote destructive heresies, 2 Peter 2:1;
They are factious, Titus 3:9-10; and proclaim another gospel, Galatians 1:6-9

[Brenda]

Thanks for the service of rooting around in a nasty place to let us know just how nasty it is....

Horrible abomination.

I hope you will be able to forget this stuff......

Would a Muslim have any trouble with this kind of theology?

[Brenda]

Thanks for the service of rooting around in a nasty place to let us know just how nasty it is....

Horrible abomination.

I hope you will be able to forget this stuff......

Would a Muslim have any trouble with this kind of theology?

[Brenda]

Thanks for the service of rooting around in a nasty place to let us know just how nasty it is....

Horrible abomination.

I hope you will be able to forget this stuff......

Would a Muslim have any trouble with this kind of theology?

[Brent]

Brenda,
No lost person would, you can just fill in the blank of what the lost person associates itself with.
IE: Muslim, Atheist, Maybe your Grandmother, The "pastor" calling himself a "Christian" like for example: Brian McLaren. :)
Muslims are just a popular "lost" people right now. I personaly know one that was recently told the "whole counsel" and the Lord granted him repentance for salvation! Let's not let the "lost" news media keep us from sharing God's Gospel with them!

[Chris Whisonant]

Wow, this is really sad... Thank you for the information.

[Les]

Wow,
Liberation theology repackaged for guilt ridden American yuppies who can afford to buy the book. It would be nice to know McLaren relationship to the National Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches. Looks like he fits right in.

[Jim from OldTruth.com]

Very dangerous stuff. Thank you for your coverage of this Chris.

[Rob]

Thank you for taking the time and effort to discern the true message that McLaren has presented in this new book of false teaching. It would be particularly interesting to me to know where his teaching intersects with the teaching of other influential writers and promoters of pragmatic manifestos and self-centered psychological theories in the last 3-4 decades. I can think of some off hand. They all seem to be converging on the same principles of liberal theology, which will be hard for many to see who aren't able or willing to discern according to God's Word. May the Lord give them sovereign grace to see things according to the way the Lord sees it.

[Steve Martin]

This stuff is everywhere! Mainline churches are ripe with this "Secular Theology" that Pastor Mark Anderson calls "a return to the Sadducees' view of existence and eternality. There is no Heaven and no Hell...just this tiny orb called Earth."

If one work's hard to bring about social and economic and enviro justice, one can take heart that they've played some role (however small) in bringing about a future world, far down the line, that is ideal for those fortunate few that will be it's inhabitants.

That's it? That's our hope?

While we should be good stewards and do all we can for this world and those who are in it, our efforts will never be able to bring about the "new creation" and the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Lord, the giver of life, will surely bring His Kingdom and we pray that when He does He will graciously include us.

Thanks Chris!

[Rhology]

Fox in the henhouse alert...

[Mike Clawson]

I notice you don't actually take the time to engage with Brian's interpretation of scripture, but simply label it "Marxist" or "Liberation Theology" and thereby think that you've written it off. But you've not gone back to scripture as Brian himself does. You can't just dismiss his views with a label. If you think he, and the biblical scholars like NT Wright that he is relying on, are misreading scripture, then you need to explain why, and show why your reading of scripture is more contextually appropriate.

For example, if you think it's more appropriate to read Genesis in light of 16th Century ideas about "sin, rebellion, disobedience against God, the fall of man, and the Lord's solution to our sin in the promise of a savior", rather than in the ways that Brian proposes, then prove it. Use scripture, not just your labels.

[nathan]

RE: ...marks a significant turning point in the Emergent Conversation. This book, unlike McLaren's previous works clearly DEFINES emergent thought and theology.

or could it be it marks a turning point in McLaren's understanding of theology?

[Shalom]

Wow, this post doesn't even begin to address what McLaren is saying. McLaren isn't trying to start a new religion. Actually, what he is suggesting is what original Christianity was all about. However, what I see with these responses are people calling the lost "it" and not referring to them as real human beings. Also, we have others on here verse dropping like crazy. You can seriously make any argument with this type of arguing, as opposed to just taking one verse at a time and really delving into that. Since I keep seeing people continuously using Paul and OT sources, I will quote what Jesus tells us to do, for he is the source of our faith. Mark 12:30-31

"30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' 31 The second is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no commandment greater than these."

These are the central beliefs to our faith. We have atheist neighbors, we have Muslim neighbors, we have Jewish neighbors, and some of us even have Church of Satan neighbors. We are told by Jesus we have to love them all. We are later even told that we must love our enemies. So this also means we have to love the people we hate the most. Which we aren't even supposed to be doing anyways.

I know this will be twisted and turned into what you want it all to say and that's fine. I just want to present a different view than what I am seeing here. Shalom Y'all.

[Ben]

I love it when people label things "marxist" and write off restoration and "liberation theology" entirely. GRAVE MISTAKE. Let me be very clear, HUGE MISTAKE. The idea that WE can usher in the Kingdom doesn't really fit biblically, i believe it can only come FULLY in the second coming of Jesus Christ. However, Jesus Christ himself taught us to pray for "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done, ON EARTH as it is in Heaven." If you really think we don't have an obligation to working towards the ushering in of the Kingdom, you are horribly mistaken. Also, Marxist eh? READ ACTS! You cannot describe early Christianity as Theo-Capitalism, Imperialism, or anything OTHER than socialist. Odd that we demonize socialistic ideas with our AMERICAN JESUS. Forget it folks, he wasn't American, we in the American Church need to get over that and realize that, THAT IS McLaren's point. Jesus Christ preached a "Love Economy." Strange that we'd rather condemn and judge. I wish people would stop trying to judge and condemn everything and start trying to LOVE. And don't give me your "tough love" bullshit. That's right i said it... Paul says it in the bible too so get over it. We make way too many excuses for our Americanized Christianity that lets us live in nice houses and not come in contact with "that icky sinful world." Get over yourselves... stop following Human Christianity and start following Jesus. How's that for tough love?

Shalom