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Wednesday Miscellania
- 03/22/06
- 32
There are a few topics I have collected over the past week that do not merit an article of their own. So I thought I would compile a few of those into a single article today.
Blue Like Jazz: Matt Redmond sent me an email letting me know that he had reviewed Blue Like Jazz. One particular thing caught my eye in his review. He asked, “Since when is autobiography an acceptable genre for Christian Spirituality? This may be the most distrurbing and dengerous part of the book. It only makes sense that a book on Christian Spirituality would look closely at the best resource for such a subject…the Bible. Whip me, beat me and call me a fundamentalist but I am stickler for looking to the Bible for help in these matters. Anecdotes of a personal nature might be helpful but they are shifting sand. Perhaps it would be easier to understand this book as one Christian’s Spirituality instead of Christian Spirtuality.”
I think that is a good point, though one that merits further reflection. I know that biographies can be presented as Christian Spirituality and I have greatly benefitted in my Christian walk by reading about the lives of other great believers. But it seems that perhaps autobiography is not the best genre for this type of writing. What say you?
ASSIST News on Brian McLaren: I posted in A La Carte this morning about an article dealing with Brian McLaren that was published by ASSIST News Service. McLaren made some comments about Christians who disagree with the Emerging movement:
It’s true there has been a lot of criticism. And, of course, when a group like this is raising very deep questions, such as do we have the Gospel right? - and you don’t get much deeper than that - people who feel we do have it right already have to criticise what we’re doing.And we have to listen, because maybe they’re right. So for people who feel, for example, that the Westminster Confession perfectly contains Christian theology the kind of conversation we’re having is a waste of time.
But for people who feel that the Westminster Confession arose at a certain time, addressed certain concerns of that time, then we have to be as faithful to our time as the framers of the confession were to their time.
In the US you see a very strong polarisation, where the religious right has had a strong monologue, and it’s been a kind of retreat, a feeling that the good old days are back in the 1940s or 50s or 70s.
One of the effects of this emerging church conversation is a sense of hope and enthusiasm about the future and the need to engage, and less of a feeling of defeatism and retreat and nostalgia.
I don’t know of anyone, Presbyterian or otherwise, who believes that the Westminster Confession perfectly contains Christian theology. I do know of many who feel that it is a sound, Scriptural understanding of particular points of Christian theology, but none who believe it is inerrant. McLaren often engages in this type of senseless attack, throwing out barbs of this nature. It goes without saying that a person who believes Christian theology has been perfectly encapsulated by the Westminster Confession would reject the Emerging movement. But since nobody actually does, this is little more than a red herring. People who love and respect the Confession reject the Emerging movement because it tampers with the very gospel, which is contained not in the Confession but in the Scriptures.
Allah Junk: It seems that Christians do not have the market cornered on ridiculous products designed to somehow enhance our spirituality. A company in Italy has now designed a pair of jeans created specifically for Muslims.
I am AL QUDS jeans, the jeans of choice for Islam as the inspiration comes from here and it is to this world that they refer.The precious stimuli and suggestions that come from the sacred Arab World and from ordinary, every day life are captured and brought to fruition in AL QUDS jeans satisfying the needs of a couture fashion line which arises from the most “cultural” gesture of the street: jeans made to pray in, jeans for those who choose a different path. It is a wider concept because it is a step made for the World, seductive original and distinguished.
This line is therefore serious, looked for with discretion, natural elegant and not ostentatious. This is reflected in the care and attention to detail, from the denim material to the design which offers the comfort necessary for everyday wear.
A new expression for an old tradition; a way to express your origins and show them.
I wonder if they make them for women…
Jesus Junk: And while we are on the topic of junk, Slice of Laodicea points to a new product by Zondervan. WorldNetDaily describes True Images Bible, a Bible created specifically for teenage girls. It includes “profiles of fictional teenagers discussing oral sex, lesbianism and ‘dream’ guys. The publisher insists that the Bible merely deals with issues that teens face on a near-daily basis. Those who disagree with the product feel that it introduces topics that are unsuitable for young girls. It seems to me that many girls do face these issues, and parents do need to deal with them, but that a Bible is not the appropriate way of doing so. Unlike what the article suggests, though, homeschooling is not the final solution for dealing with this kind of issue. We can and should have this type of discussion and deal with how we will equip teens to deal with issues they will face at some point in life. Not every child can or will be schooled at home.
I am a follower of Jesus Christ, a husband to Aileen and a father to three young children. I worship and serve as a pastor at 
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Comments (32)
As for Miller and autobiography I would have to ask are not our “testimonies” autobiography? Simply talking about what God has done in my life and taught me fall under “Christian spirituality.” To make it a Bible or nothing argument makes the book by Piper you reviewed the other day a book about “some Christians’ spirituality.”
Sola Scriptura is not at stake here as many feel (i’m not sure why) justified in using the Bible to declare Miller is not much of a Christian.
I didn’t see McLaren’s comments as a “senseless attack” or an attack at all. Maybe I’m missing something. I read him as saying that the Confession was written in a certain context, and we face the challenge of doing and living theology in a different context. Not to take away from the Confession at all.
Thomas Chalmers called Confessions of Faith ‘Landmarks of old heresies.’ They are, and that is why they are important. Actually I agree with a lot of what Maclaren is saying about part of the problem. The trouble is that his solution is just warmed over liberalism with a great chunk of mysticism. Warmed-over Henry Drummond, then.
Speaking of McLaren, I listened to a fantastic sermon by John McArthur yesterday regarding the Emerging church.
You can hear it here
One excellent point he made is that the Emergent movement desires to be in “conversation” with everything and judgmental of nothing EXCEPT Christians who believe the scriptures contain absolute answers to life’s questions.
As I see it, the only thing McLaren seems to be absolutely opposed to are Christians who believe they have absolute answers based on the infallibility of scripture.
Remember, this is the guy who said “Perhaps we need a five-year moratorium on making pronouncements” about homosexuality.
“I didn’t see McLaren’s comments as a “senseless attack” or an attack at all.”
I should have explained better. McLaren sets up a nice little red herring to discredit those who disagree with the Emerging movement. It is a veiled attack to make those Westminster-lovers look bad.
Dave - You’re right. MacArthur’s comments were bang-on. The real enemy of the Emerging church is people like you and me - people who believe that they have absolute answers based on the infallibility of Scripture.
“The real enemy of the Emerging church is people like you and me - people who believe that they have absolute answers based on the infallibility of Scripture.”
I don’t think anyone who’s emerging would say that “people like you” are the enemy. I agree that I have sensed a smugness toward conservatives and I hope the ec is moving beyond that.
Many would state that our interpretations of Scripture are fallible, and they are, but would also hold to the same key doctrines you and I would say are critical.
The ec is brilliant in diagnosing problems, so-so in prescribing solutions, but I think the ec and conservative evangelicals have a lot to teach each other. If I could combine the best of the ec and evangelicals, and discard the worst of both, I would be a very happy man.
I’m going to hear Miller speak at GMA in a couple of weeks, so that should be interesting. I don’t have a problem with autobiography, but the excessive confession can get a little creepy, kind of like when I was a kid and my parents worried that a lot of testimonies made drugs, sex and rock’n’roll sound pretty appealing, almost as though the speakers were wistfully recalling the good old days before they found Jesus and had to straighten out.
As for Zondervan, I’m waiting for The Brokeback Bible, including tips on dressing like a cowboy, how to rope and tie up a calf (or another cowboy) and other issues that young cowboys face on a near-daily basis.
It seems to me that whether or not the autobiography is edifying spiritually needs to be analyzed in the same way as a sermon or any other piece of writing—-is the author a fruitcake or not? Autobiographies by Augustine (the original Christian autobiography!), Brainerd, Taylor, and Mueller(to name a few) have edified millions, but maybe that’s because they knew what they were talking about!
I heard Os Guinnes over at Way of the Master Radio give an excellent critique of McLaren. Os said of McLaren:”He is very clear on what is wrong with the church…and very UNCLEAR on what it SHOULD be…he is the Pied Piper of Postmodernism. He has bought into this stuff (Postmodern thought) JUST at the time when it is dying.”
Hence the problem with trying to shape the church based on culture…the church always “emerges” with its new look by following cultural trends about 10 years too late. Therefore, instead of ever reforming, the church is ever digressing.
“Hence the problem with trying to shape the church based on culture…”
But the problem is that all churches are based on, or shaped by culture. North American Evangelicals are heavily influenced by North American modern culture and the fruits of the Enlightenment, for good and for bad.
I wish that we could talk about the church in isolation from culture, but every church from Scriptural times until now has been a church in relation to its culture, whether in Ephesus, Geneva, or Toronto.
Tim,
Evidently you have not been around settings where the confession (LBC, WCF, etc) is held up and these words are said “no this is not the Bible but everything in this confession is in accordance with the Bible. ” I have been in enough, and preached in enough such churches, that the confession, the doctrinal statement, etc gets confused with THE Scriptures.
You overkill with your comments on McLaren. Was he not stating a historical fact concerning the WCF? A comment, btw, that could be made of any confession?
How many people really still believe the Pope is the antichrist?
For those emergent conversationist and your post especial Bruce,
There is nothing wrong with confessions and it is funny to see your statement regard the LBC and WCF when if you go on websites such as Erwin McManus and Brian McLaren sites and see that they use their book as part of their confession.
There can be no overstatements about McLaren - He is a dangerous man and those who follow need to be consider questionable at best.
Many people still believe that the Pope is the antichrist and or a part of the Demonic in this world.I also believe movements such as your own can become questionable to whether it is of God or not.
I’m glad folks aren’t beating up on Don Miller. At the beginning of his book in the foreword he mentions a little story of how he came to like jazz—by seeing a guy play a sax and love it, and he says that sometimes you need to see someone love something to come to love it yourself—just like Jesus said to the disciples that the world would know they were his disciples by the love they had for each other. So Don goes through various anecdotes of his life that bring the reader to the point of seeing how he loves God. The end result is a kind of discussion of how to fulfill the greatest commandments in your life—love in real life is a much ignored topic in reformed writing. I’m on an arts campus and we’ve given the book out to people—its encouraged a lot of believers on campus and its a book that is great for giving out to friends.
With Mclaren, he’s no more dangerous than any other overly compassionate liberal from history, and I see no reason for everyone and their mother to pee their pants over him. We reformed folk need to get better at recieving observations about our shortcomings and sins, even when its from someone we disagree with. Something I’ve learned from hearing CJ Mahaney preach is how much we have to be aware of how great our sin is, and that this will lead us to be very open to recieving correction from others that can lead to repentance and growth. I would find someone like George Barna more dangerous than other folks—even if you have problems with them, Miller and McLaren are still looking to build the church and local churches.
btw Doug Wilson has a great post warning about falling into making ‘absolute answers’ ‘infinitely static’ under the heading ‘Postscript on timeless truths’
“Perhaps it would be easier to understand this book as one Christian’s Spirituality instead of Christian Spirtuality.”
I think this is probably at the heart of what may make “Blue Like Jazz” an interesting read but not necessarily at the top of edifying Christian autobiography. Also, It seems it might almost be better to classify a book like that as stream of consciousness memoir then autobiography but anyways.
With Mclaren, he’s no more dangerous than any other overly compassionate liberal from history, and I see no reason for everyone and their mother to pee their pants over him.
It is hard to take one serious who uses language such as this. McLaren IS dangerous, for the “churches” he is trying to build do not adhere to the absolute truth of Scripture (McLaren’s inability to take a stand on homosexuality is a good example).
I agree with MacArthur: “I can understand ths movement better if it’s NOT called the church.” - ‘06 Ligonier Conference
Karen,
My point about confessions is that they are fallible documents, not inerrant, and are given far too much status in some circles. I do not discount confessions. They have their place but they are documents rooted in a historical place and time. They should not be enshined. Instead, they should be read, studied and, if necessary, corrected. That is unless you believe the confessions are the final word? Or is it the Scripture that is the final word? Or perhaps people get those two confused.
I am not much of a man follower. I gave that up when I left fundamentalism. Men are fallible and frail. They can, and often do say and write good things. I find Mclaren helpful in many ways. I also find him troubling and off the mark at times. Of course I could say this of most any theological writer. I listen to Mclaren’s (along with other people) sermons. I have found them to be Biblically sound, passionate, and challenging. Perfect? No. But then no preacher is. I have preached 3000 plus sermons in my lifetime. Plenty of error, yea even heresy to go around. “truth” once held had to be confessed as “heresy” years later.
Movements such as my own? Not sure I have a movement. In fact most movement in my life has been slowed by arthritis. (I am smiling) I am just one guy trying to have a conversation (love the word) with my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Tim
A quick word on biography and spirituality. Augustine pioneered the field in his “Confessions.”
I have read “Blue Like Jazz” and would not put it in the same league as the venerable Augustine, but I would also not call it autobiography. It is a form of journalling, at least to my mind.
Certainly Augustine’s work is magisterial and personal and profound all at once. And it is spirituality. That is probably because I do not come away from Augustine thinking about me — but about my God.
Thanks for your great work.
oops, I might add one more author who writes a form of spirituality that is out of the box — Annie Dillard. Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is also a classic.
Bruce, by your statement “I am not a man follower”, were you excluding Jesus in that statement? If not, who do you follow?
Not reading any of the books by these guys nor reading the confessionals and reading only posts from Tim’s site…
I would draw the conclusion that Fundamentalists tend to be more conservatives and Emerging Churchers seem to be more liberal.
What do ECer’s see as their responsibilities in the world? What do they believe about Jesus and His life? Aren’t the confessions created to outline what Christianity is truly about?
We are not to be transformed by things of this world, but by the renewing of our minds with the Word.
Sam,
The assumption in a discussion with fellow christians is that we are all followers of Jesus.
If you are reading “only Tim” I seriously doubt you can or should come to any conclusion about the emergent church. That’s like reading at Emergent-No and thinking you have all the info you need to make a judgment about the emergent Church. Proper judgment of any group requires reading the source material………….getting answers from the horses mouth, so to speak.
Conservative and liberal are loaded words and of little value in this discussion. The terms have no absolute definition. One man’s conservative is another man’s liberal. Are you speaking of political conservatism/liberalism? Or theological? If you mean theological, then what constitutes a conservative vs. a liberal.?
I can only speak for myself……….but I accept the Bible as God’s word to man. It is infallible. It is true. Its commands are to be obeyed. I am to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, and mind and love my neighbor as myself. I believe I have a duty to press God’s kingdom claims in the culture I live in. (regardless of who that offends). In essence, I am a follower of Jesus (albeit a very poor one)
Bruce said…
I have preached 3000 plus sermons in my lifetime. Plenty of error, yea even heresy to go around…In essence, I am a follower of Jesus (albeit a very poor one)
I’ll admit that I am as well…that’s why I don’t think I should stand behind a pulpit.
r10b,
Cousin to r2d2
If being a “good” follower of Jesus is what is required of a preacher…………every preacher I have ever met better quit now.
I find it interesting the personal judgment you make in reference to my “poor one” comment. I said it without pretension………I am a poor follower of Jesus. I strive to follow Him every day. Yet, every day I miss the mark. In the work world if someone fails to measure up on a regular basis it is said of them “that person does a poor job.” They are likely to lose their job. In the spiritual realm we can be thankful that Jesus is not like our earthly taskmasters. He is full of compassion and grace. He is quite willing to use poor, fallible vessels.
Now maybe if you actually got to know me you may still come to the same conclusion as your post posits. But then maybe not.
Bruce
I think Miller’s “Blue Like Jazz” is not an autobiography at all. It’s a memoir, not a theological treatise. Totally different standard, if you ask me, and totally different purpose.
Bruce, it’s purely a theological basis.
And, to follow up, with your statements posted here.
Conclusions can be drawn from the statements.
Like what is the definition of is…it’s all subjective to where you stand in line.
I read Blue Like Jazz about six months ago and the issue I had with it is he subtitles it “Nonreligious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality ” yet never once approached Christian Spirituality. A non-christian could read this book and come away with no true understanding of God’s work in mankind through the Cross. I take issues with that. Not to mention he never quotes a SINGLE verse of the Bible. How can a book that is suppossed to address Christian ideas not quote the very basis of those ideas?
And Miller’s books can’t be truly compared with “Confessions” or any other biography/autobiography because the authors of those didn’t write to ponder Christian Spirituality but their own experiences and lives. In my fallen opinion, Miller writes this book under false pretenses and as the book reviewed in the post following this one points out, reason has been devalued so much in our culture. Therefore, this book is undoubtedly more highly recommended than books which truly dig into authentic Christian Spirituality. I find it quite frustrating.
p.s. I’m reading Searching For God Knows What at the moment and it does get into more Scripture, but I’m still waiting on the Gospel to come up.
Bruce…
I did not mean to impugn your Christian character since I, of course, do not know you; even if I did I would not have the right. You serve God not me. But I’ve always thought that those speaking in the church had a great responsibility to get it right. Anyway, my comment is less directed at you (though your comment was succinct and convenient) than at McLaren, et al who are the subjects of the thread who, by their own account seem to be feeling blindly around about for a new truth all the while standing in a position of authority and doing disservice to those sitting under them.
…and R2D2 is my uncle on my father’s side.
A note on Donald Miller and the gospel: I heard Don speak a year ago to a university audience where he articulated such a strong Protestant doctrine of salvation sola gatia, that during the Q&A time someone tried to corner him with, “So, are you a Calvinist?” He firmly said “no,” and that he didn’t like the personality of many people who admit to that label. I realize that it’s fashionable to refuse any theological labels these days, but what I heard from him that night is, by any definition, Calvinism. I spoke to him afterward to make the case that it was, technically, possible to be a Calvinist and not a jerk. Some of us would go so far as to say that really understanding the gospel Calvinist-style, tends to make you less of a jerk, over time.
I’m not defending the book, just addressing the question of whether autobiography is an acceptable or profitable genre for writing on Christian spirituality.
Augustine’s “Confesssions” anyone?
IMHO any problems with Blue Like Jazz have to do with content and method, not genre.