Recently, I found an interesting blog called Out of Ur. On this blog, you can read some of the Emerging Church's leading thinkers and "theologians." Enclosed is Brian MacLaren's (the Face of the Emerging Church) theology of Hell. In his three part interview, he suggests among other things, that we need to abandon our traditional methods of interpreting passages that deal with Hell and embrace what postmoderns call deconstructing the text.
What do you think of his five propositions? Do you agree that this a proper way to develop a theology of hell?
For more about the Emerging Church visit the Emergent Village.
2 comments:
If you haven't read the other two portions of this interview you should, they add more context to these points. But to answer you questions.
I thing McLarens first three points should be considered rather seriously. Especially his third point. Bill Ury was the first to get me thinking in this direction.
His fourth point is probably influenced by the writings and teachings of NT Wright who McLaren is fond of. If I were a better student or historian I would be able to weigh in better on this point, but since I'm not...
McLaren confesses not to being a universalist, but to having certain leanings toward it... like with most things "emergent" he is trying to stake out a middle ground between fundamentalism/evangelicalism and liberalism in the world of theology.
All in all, I always consider it wise to ponder views different from my own. One thing we're known for as evangelicals is writing off those with whom we disagree without acknowledging their arguements. McLaren is a growing influence one we'll have to give a clear and cordial response to.
Wow, I am blown away at Brian's logic, which to me is so very twisted and steers far away from the rather plain truths that Jesus was speaking about. Jesus's descriptions of hell match pretty closely with the Revelation of John, so I am shocked that any serious student of scripture and follower of God could swallow his argumentation.
Having said that, I will also say that I wrestle like many do with reconciling the mercy of God and eternal punishment in hell, as Jesus refers to in Matthew 25. My only solution is to trust that His ways are higher than my ways and that God will be able to prove Himself completely just and completely merciful.
My heart grieves at the twisting of scripture to accomodate our own paradigms and agendas. It may be well intended but misleadingly destructive.
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