Please Note : While we do understand that (in the eyes of the endorser) an endorsement of a book MAY not mean a blanket sanction of every belief or statement in the book. However, if there is anything in a book that the endorser disagrees with, then it is highly irresponsible to endorse the book without the appropriate disclaimers. In the absence any such disclaimers one has to assume that the endorser agrees with the book in it’s totality. It is ludicrous to expect everyone who buys and reads a recommended book, to be able to separate the wheat from the chaff. And again, would any responsible Christian endorse ANY book, regardless of content, by someone who makes statements like contemplative prayer is able to unite Christianity and Islam. Well our ‘leaders’ do it all the time. For more on Rick Warren’s highly questionable bedfellows GO HERE
Rick Warren and
Brian McLaren Dan Kimball Spencer Burke Brian McLaren and
Tony Campolo Alan Jones Tony Jones Marcus Borg Dave Fleming Ken Wilber
Jewish Leaders Richard Foster and
Renovaré Thomas Merton Tilden Edward Thomas Kelly Ignatius of Loyola John Wimber. Doug Pagitt and
The Bible Rob Bell at Seeds of Compassion Bono Yoga Rick Warren obviously approves of the Emerging Church movement (although Saddleback is not a direct participant in the movement.). Rick Warren states that Spencer Burke’s The Ooze website is, "one of the best online communities related to post-modern ministry." (Source Source) This means that pastors around the world will likely recognize the Ooze as a trusted source for spirituality. Yet The Ooze promotes contemplative and emergent philosophies, and is considered to be one of the more popular emerging church ministries. [From Lighthouse Trails research] Rick Warren says was a contributing writer to Dan Kimball’s book The Emerging Church and says the following on his web site. This book is a wonderful detailed example of what a Purpose-Driven church can look like in a postmodern world. My friend, Dan Kimball, writes passionately from his heart, with a deep desire to reach emerging generations and culture. While my book the Purpose-Driven Church, explained what the church is called to do, Dan's book explains how to do it with the cultural-creatives who think and feel in postmodern terms. You need to pay attention to him because times are changing. (http://www.pastors.com/RWMT/?ID=109)
Warren’s website also features the Innovative Church Conference saying “The 2003 Innovative Church Conference will feature Brian McLaren, founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Washington, D.C. area. Brian is a prominent voice on postmodern thinking and church growth. He is also the author of several books including The Church on the Other Side and the revolutionary book, A New Kind of Christian”.
Therefore one assumes, in light of Rick Warren’s written endorsements of the two men and their books, that he has, to all intents and purposes, read (over and above the parts he authored) The Emerging Church by Kimball and, at the very least, The Church on the Other Side and A New Kind of Christian” by McLaren that he speaks of on his site. One has to further presume he is familiar with their beliefs. Therefore lets examine Brian McLaren’s doctrine in a little more detail. (Note that space does not permit more than a brief comment on some points) ...
Brian McLaren According to Time magazine, Brian McLaren is one of the most influential evangelical leaders of our time. [http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/] Called a Paradigm Shifter, the magazine reported that he was “Asked at a conference last spring what he thought about gay marriage, Brian McLaren replied, "You know what, the thing that breaks my heart is that there's no way I can answer it without hurting someone on either side." You might call his a kinder and gentler brand of religion”.
"He [Brian McLaren] cites Dallas Willard and Richard Foster, with their emphasis on spiritual disciplines, as key mentors for the emerging church." Emphasis Added [The Emergent Mystique, Christianity Today, 11/04] Also See
"I Now Pronounce You Man and Husband?": An Argument Against Same-Sex Marriage
Some quotes by Brian McLaren...[IPS comments in blue] "The church has been preoccupied with the question, "What happens to your soul after you die?" As if the reason for Jesus coming can be summed up in, "Jesus is trying to help get more souls into heaven, as opposed to hell, after they die." I just think a fair reading of the Gospels blows that out of the water. I don't think that the entire message and life of Jesus can be boiled down to that bottom line." —Brian McLaren, from the PBS special on the Emerging Church
In the foreword to Dan Kimball's book about the Emergent church. “Our understandings of the gospel constantly change as we engage in mission in our complex dynamic world, as we discover that the gospel has a rich kaleidoscope of meaning to offer, yielding unexplored layers of depth, revealing uncounted facets of insight and relevance. No doubt as we look back and see ways in which our modern understandings of the gospel were limited or flawed” (Brian McLaren ).
The Gospel [Good News] does NOT change, but has stayed the same for the last two thousand years and is simply the message that Christ paid the penalty for our sins on the cross and that an open invitation has been extended to all humanity to accept this free gift. While the Bible does have areas that may reveal “facets of insight and relevance”, the actual Gospel does not. It seems like supreme arrogance that all false teachers claim that THEY have the keys/amazing insights/ knowledge that people have missed for the last 2000 years. I guess everyone else that went before was dumber than a post and had a “flawed” or “limited” understanding of the Gospel. And no! The Emerging Church is not taking us back to Apostolic beliefs, but is a winding road to Rome... See Revival or Return To Darkness. And In his book A New Kind Of Christian, McLaren says “My knowledge of Buddhism is rudimentary, but I have to tell you that much of what I understand strikes me as wonderful and insightful, and the same can be said of the teachings of Muhammad, though of course I have my disagreements. ... I’d have to say that the world is better off for having these religions than having no religions at all, or just one, even if it were ours. ... They aren’t the enemy of the gospel, in my mind...” (“A New Kind of Christian: a Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey” pp. 62, 63).
Additionally A New Kind of Christian teaches that it is right for Christians to use pagan practices such as the Native American sweat lodge, peace pipe, dance, dream catcher, and smoke (A New Kind of Christian pp. 26, 74-78. Quoted in Beware of A New Kind of Christian: by David Cloud ). and that unbelievers and pagans can possibly be saved without personal faith in Christ (ibid. p. 92). That the postmodern Christian is one who “relativizes your own modern viewpoint,” thus understanding that everything he believes about the Bible and Christianity is only relative and uncertain (ibid. p. 35). It teaches that there is no such thing as “the Christian worldview,” that every doctrinal position, “no matter how resplendent with biblical quotations--can claim to be the ultimate Christian worldview, because every model is at the least limited by the limitations of the contemporary human mind, not to mention the ‘taste in universes’ of that particular age” (ibid. pp. 36, 37). It teaches that ecumenism is good and that all “denominations,” including Roman Catholicism, can contribute to a proper type of Christianity. We are informed that “there are good Catholics, good Greek Orthodox, good Pentecostals, and good Episcopalians” (ibid. p. 73). It teaches that labels such as Catholic, Protestant, liberal, evangelical “are about to become inconsequential” in a postmodern Christianity (ibid. p. 41). teaches that mystical Catholic practices are authentic and desirable (ibid. p. 58).
A Generous Orthodoxy (See Review) “ meditative practices, about which Zen Buddhism has said much. To talk about different things is not to contradict one another; it is, rather, to have much to offer one another” (Brian McLaren. A Generous Orthodoxy, p. 255.) “The Christian faith, I am proposing, should become (in the name of Jesus Christ) a welcome friend to other religions of the world, not a threat” (Brian McLaren A Generous Orthodoxy p.254.) "I must add, though, that I don't believe making disciples must equal making adherents to the Christian religion. It may be advisable in many circumstances to help people become followers of Jesus and remain within their Buddhist, Hindu, or Jewish contexts”- McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy
(My Bible says “wherefore, come ye forth out of the midst of them, and be separated, saith the Lord, and an unclean thing do not touch, and I will receive you”, (2Cor 6:17) and “ and what fellowship to light with darkness? and what concord to Christ with Belial? or what part to a believer with an unbeliever”? 2Cor 6:15) McLaren: “This is how I feel when I’m offered a choice between the roads of exclusivism (only confessing Christians go to heaven), universalism (everyone goes to heaven), and inclusivism (Christians go to heaven, plus at least some others). Each road takes you somewhere, to a place with some advantages and disadvantages, but none of them is the road of my missional calling: blessed in this life to be a blessing to everyone on earth.” (Brian McLaren A Generous Orthodoxy p. 113.)
The last time I read the Bible I am pretty sure it said there are only two roads, the narrow one that leads to Heaven and the broad one that leads to hell. Maybe McLaren and I are reading different books, both called The Bible. The topics of Inclusivism, Exclusivism and Universalism are on THIS page. “I don't think we've got the gospel right yet. What does it mean to be 'saved'? When I read the Bible, I don't see it meaning, 'I'm going to heaven after I die.' Before modern evangelicalism nobody accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, or walked down an aisle, or said the sinner's prayer." (interview with Christianity Today)
While the second part of McLaren’s statement is accurate (See Is The Sinner’s Prayer Effective? ) I have no idea how he reconciles the first part with verses such as “in the house of my Father are many mansions; and if not, I would have told you; I go on to prepare a place for you; and if I go on and prepare for you a place, again do I come, and will receive you unto myself, that where I am ye also may be”; (John 14:2,3). Additionally The Bible is crystal clear as to what it means to be saved.. NOT going to hell. How can it be possible for someone to miss this message? See The Christian Hope: Life in the Land of the Promise Made to Abraham “I meet people along the way who model for me, each in a different way, what a new kind of Christian might look like. They differ in many ways, but they generally agree that the old show is over, the modern jig is up, and it's time for something radically new” “...if we have a new world, we will need a new church. We won't need a new religion per se, but a new framework for our theology. Not a new Spirit, but a new spirituality. Not a new Christ, but a new Christian.” (A New Kind of Christian by Brian McLaren p.3).
See What New World Are They Talking About?
Below are a few quotes from a PowerPoint presentation Brian McLaren used at a recent Emergent Convention, at which he was one of the speakers: "We embrace historic spiritual practices such as prayer, meditation, contemplation, study, solitude, silence." "We are committed to honor and serve the church in all its forms - Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal. "What if the dominant method [of]knowing truth is being replaced by a new methodology ... "We name the disease: Excessive confidence ... Universal systems ... Totalizing metanarratives ... Absolutism" "Accept the coexistence of different faiths ... willingly, not begrudgingly. Christian mission must be dialogical." "The "old, old story" may not have been the "true, true story," and so we must continually rediscover the gospel."
Dan Kimball Dan Kimball has a Graduate Certificate in Bible from Multnomah Biblical Seminary, a MA from Western Seminary and is currently pursuing a Doctor of Ministry from George Fox Evangelical Seminary where he also serves as Adjunct Faculty and is one of the pastors of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz, CA. He speaks extensively around the country on emerging church and culture issues as well as using the arts in worship. He serves on the editorial advisory boards for Youthworker Journal, Outreach Magazine and REV! Magazine and is several books including The Emerging Church. On Dan Kimball's blog in a "Catch up post" dated March 22, 2007, he says this "Next week, some folks and friends from Zondervan are coming to Santa Cruz where we are filming a DVD project for the They Like Jesus but not the Church book. In prep for that, I spent a couple hours today with my friend Gary, who is in the band The Chop Tops and is in the book and going to be interviewed next week for the video..” [Emphasis Added] 
So who is Gary of the Chop Tops? Surely a ‘Christian pastor’ is not talking about the guy on the right who’s name is also Gary [AKA Sinner] founder of the rockabilly band called the Chop Tops... pictured here with a “Special Message From The Road” [His hair do bear astonishing similarity to Dan’s own. ... and who recently stated (07.05.2007 in the Arizona Daily Star) that his influences are … “God, the devil and Johnny Cash. "Those are three massive influences on our music. God for obvious reasons, the devil for similar obvious reasons, and Johnny Cash because he is a badass. The guy lived a hard life and dedicated it to rock 'n' roll. You've got to respect that." [Source]
The Chop Tops! This wouldn’t happen to be the same rockabilly band that recently re-released their 3rd CD "Evil Six??? Naaah! Cant be! Or is it by any chance the same Chop Tops that give you free ring tones on their site.. The El Diablo ring tone and the My Curse ring tone, unless of course you prefer a Queen of Death T-shirt. And I am sure this cannot be the same group that will be on Van's Warped Tour In June-July, played at The Surly Wench Pub in Tucson on July 7th, the Lucky Devils Bar in El Paso on July the 8th, House of Rock in Corpus Christi on the 11th and so on… Surely this isn’t the same group with the lewd hand gestures! [Make NO mistake .. they KNOW what that hand sign means. Another picture showing the same hand gesture is called Devil Horns during our set]. And in case you don’t know the significance.. See THIS Page By The Way… In The Texas Chainsaw Massacre series of films, Chop Top is the younger brother of Leatherface, who wears masks made of human skin [the practice which led to his name] and is a cannibal. Chop Top was probably a serial murderer and a cannibal like the rest of his family.. And if these pictures offend you... Good! I hope so! Kimball calls himself a Christian, but is little more than a particularly nasty wolf in sheep’s clothing [I am being extremely polite.. he makes me want to throw up]. The fact that he introduces these characters, via his blog and dumb book, to the fools who think he is the cat’s whiskers, should offend you. . It should offend you very much. If the above isn’t bad enough, Dan Kimball says.. "We have neglected so many of the disciplines of the historical church [Desert Fathers], including weekly fasting, practicing the silence, and lectio divina."—Dan Kimball, The Emerging Church, page. 223
He promotes Labyrinths saying “We made our own prayer path After the convention we knew we couldn't keep this experience to ourselves. A few months later we featured a labyrinth as part of Graceland's annual art event at Santa Cruz Bible Church. Graceland artists recreated the labyrinth with a kit we purchased (The Prayer Path, Group Publishing), transforming one of the church's multipurpose rooms into a medieval prayer sanctuary. The team hung art on the walls, draped fabric, and lit candles all around the room to create a visual sense of sacred space. Over two nights we saw more than 100 people go through the labyrinth. It was a joy to see so many people on their knees communing with God through the experiential prayer elements. Meditative prayer like that we experienced in the labyrinth resonates with hearts of emerging generations. If we had the room, we would set up a permanent labyrinth to promote deeper prayer. Until then, however, Graceland will continue to incorporate experiential prayer and encourage our people to stop, quiet themselves, and pray”
and "Meditative prayer like that we experienced in the labyrinth resonates with hearts of emerging generations." (See Article on Kimball’s Site)’
Spencer Burke "I stopped reading from the approved evangelical reading list and began to distance myself from the evangelical agenda. I discovered new authors and new voices at the bookstore-Thomas Merton, Henri Nouwen and St. Teresa of Avila. The more I read, the more intrigued I became. Contemplative spirituality seemed to open up a whole new way for me to understand and experience God. I was deeply moved by works like The Cloud of Unknowing, The Dark Night of the Soul and the Early Writings of the Desert Fathers." —Spencer Burke, The Ooze [Source] [See What Is Centering Prayer.. Origins and History]
The back cover of A Heretics Guide to Eternity [2006] by Spencer Burke carries the following statement by Brian McLaren.. “It’s easy for inquisition-launchers to go on fault finding missions; they have lots of practice and they’re really good at it. What’s more challenging, and regarding this book, much more worthwhile, is to go on a truth-finding mission. And yes, even in a book with ‘heretic’ in the title, I believe any honest reader can find much truth worth seeking. [From the Foreword by Brian D. McLaren.
On the subject of salvation Burke says “Because of an overdeveloped sense of both heaven and hell, many people’s theology is almost obsesses with our afterlife destination. Christianity is all about getting saved from sin and saved from hell, the punishment for sin. But this is a distortion, or at least a reduction, of the Bible’s notion of salvation. The idea of salvation on the Bible encompasses many ideas, including things like bondage and liberation, separation and reconciliation. What it doesn’t mean is “saved fro hell” or “get eternal life when you die”. When Jesus said to Zaccheus the tax collector, “Today salvation has come to this house,” I am not sure he meant that Zaccheus was guaranteed a spot in heaven. As my friend Brian McLaren has said, the meaning of salvation in the Bible “varies from passage to passage, but in general, in any context, it means to ‘get out of trouble.’” [A Heretics Guide to Eternity. Page 180]
On sin “The focus on sin is also an issue here… Our common language has lost touch with key theological concepts like sin. It’s not the viable way of connecting people with God that it once was. Sin has become a greatly weakened idea in the hands of the religious because they have made it simply the central cog in the wheel that kicks the salvation machinery into motion. It doesn’t really mean much beyond that”. [A Heretics Guide to Eternity. Page 180-181]
[See Sin and Salvation] One review of A Heretics Guide to Eternity made an especially pertinent point. In one section, Spencer makes the point that "the message of Jesus is about making connections with each other and rooting the world in the love of God." He then goes on in the subsequent paragraph: "Love your enemies. Do good to those who hate you. Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who abuse you. Treat others as you would have them treat you. These are the kinds of things Jesus said to do, and you don't have to become religious or believe a set of prescribed things about him in order to do them."
Yet, not two pages later, Mr. Burke is doing what is done often in the book, heaping criticism on the fundamentalists, specifically the "narrow and literal interpretation" institutional Christians tend to have of John 14:6. He then writes: "So how do I interpret this particular Scripture? First, Christianity as a religion didn't exist when Jesus spoke these words. Compounding this point are two additional facts: no one actually recorded Jesus' words at the time he spoke them, so we have no proof that they are indeed his words, and what he did say, he said in Aramaic, which means that nothing in the Bible as translated into an other language can be taken literally anyway."
I happened to be on the cross trainer when I read those words, words that followed his "love your enemies" soliloquy not two pages before, and I nearly fell off the damned thing. We are clearly led to believe that when Jesus spoke words that ring true in the ears of the Religious Left, we are all to sit up and listen. Yet when Jesus spoke words that hint of exclusivity, then we must question whether he said the words at all or that if he did, we must surely not be able to take him literally because Jesus spoke Aramaic and that precludes us from reading his words literally. [A review of Spencer Burke's A Heretic's Guide to Eternity. www.brutallyhonest.org]
Tony Campolo Brian McLaren also endorses Tony Campolo's new book, Speaking My Mind : The Radical Evangelical Prophet Tackles the Tough Issues Christians Are Afraid to Face saying (back cover) However Campolo believes contemplative prayer is able to unite Christianity and Islam, saying.. Beyond these models of reconciliation, a theology of Mysticism provides some hope for common ground between Christianity and Islam. Both religions have within their histories examples of ecstatic union with God ... I do not know what to make of the Muslim mystics, especially those who have come to be known as the Sufis. What do they experience in their mystical experiences? Could they have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism? Tony Campolo (Speaking My Mind, pp. 149-150)
He asks and then later answers the question, "Could they (Islamic Sufis) have encountered the same God we do in our Christian mysticism?" His answer - of course!
Campolo states in his book 20 Hot Potatoes that he found pre-schoolers engaged in killing ants to be "demonic." Yet, Campolo thinks that a President who defends the law that allows abortionists to cut open a baby's head and suck out its brains can exude the "presence of God." (Biblical Discernment Ministries.. Link below) In his book Speaking My Mind, Campolo says “I believe evangelism has done so well at outdoing mainline denominational churches in growth and development for the following reasons: It has an abundance of charismatic entrepreneurial leaders. It is more effective in marketing religion. It has learned how to exercise political power. It has addressed the individualistic needs of Americans, avoiding positions on social issues that would alienate its constituencies.
He goes on to list some of the “brilliant evangelical entrepreneurs”.. Billy Graham, James Dobson, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell, Bill Bright creator of Campus Crusade, Loren Cunningham the founder of Youth With a Mission, and George Verwer the founder of Operation Mobilization”... saying that “It is generally the rational-legal type leaders who are appointed to the key leadership roles of mainline denominations. Consequently, it is not surprising that these denomination lack the kind of daring, innovative thinking and programming that can market religion. They do not connect well with our fast-moving, consumeristic society, marked by people who are attracted to exciting new approaches to things and who are more ready to nurture the :the cult of the personality”. most of the evangelical leaders who have dominated the American scene over the past half-century have been colorful, bigger-than-life individuals who could electrify their followers with a “can-do” attitude and their ability to communicate a sense of God’s having uniquely chosen them”.
He then says “More recently, Bill Hybels, a moderate voice in evangelism has made his Willow Creek Community Church the model for a whole movement that is transforming churches around the world by using new worship styles he calls “user friendly”.
In an interview with Laura Sheahen of Beliefnet in July 2004 ('Evangelical Christianity Has Been Hijacked' ), Campolo says (referring to the evangelical movement) “When did it become anti-feminist? When did evangelical Christianity become anti-gay? When did it become supportive of capital punishment? Pro-war? When did it become so negative towards other religious groups?”
(Perhaps around the same time that God made His views on these topics known) “And we would also point out that the evangelical community has become so pro-Israel that it is forgotten that God loves Palestinians every bit as much” “As an evangelical who takes the Bible very seriously, I come to the first chapter of Romans and feel there is sufficient evidence there to say that same-gender eroticism is not a Christian lifestyle.”
While same gender eroticism is definitely not a ‘Christian lifestyle’ .. the Bible goes a whole lot further in it’s condemnation. .. “Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11) “Now, if you were going to ask me, "Are only Christians going to get to heaven?" I can’t answer that question, because I can only speak from the Christian perspective, from my own convictions and from my own experience. I do not claim to be able to read the mind of God and when evangelicals make these statements, I have some very serious concerns”.
How about laying your convictions and experience aside (which do not count for squat anyway...) and speaking from a Biblical standpoint. Doesn’t the Bible tell us that Jesus is the only way to God and one has to repent and believe, which incidentally is what makes one a ‘Christian’. See
Jesus is the only way to God How can Christians make such offensive and exclusive claims? (Read More about Tony Campolo)
Tony Jones "Emergent doesn't have a position on absolute truth, or on anything for that matter. Do you show up at a dinner party with your neighbors and ask, 'What's this dinner party's position on absolute truth?' No, you don't, because it's a non-sensical question." Tony Jones at the 2005 National Youth Workers Convention
Questions and Answers that were asked during the month of April on Brian McLaren’s Website “Question In some of my readings, both of books authored by you and others, I have read about Christian mystics. Who are the predominant Christian mystic authors? Answer: If you pick up Richard Foster’s “Celebration of Discipline” and his other work via Renovare, you’ll get a great exposure to the Christian mystical tradition. “The Spiritual Formation Workbook” is a great resource too. Tony Jones’ “The Sacred Way” is also a sturdy introduction to contemplative practices.”
In The Sacred Way Tony Jones, the National Coordinator for Emergent-US, provides us with a list of what he refers to as "Contemplative Approaches to Spirituality." [1] These "spiritual disciplines" would be: "Silence and Solitude, Sacred Reading, The Jesus Prayer, Centering Prayer, Meditation, The Ignatian Examen, Icons, Spiritual Direction, and The Daily Office." More On Tony Jones.
In Why is the Emerging Church drawn to deconstructive theology?" March 26, 2007, Tony Jones says the following … I am quite convinced that the Bible is a subversive text, that it constantly undermines our assumptions, transgresses our boundaries, and subverts our comforts. This may sound like academic mumbo-jumbo, but I really mean it. I think the Bible is a f***ing scary book (pardon my French, but that's the only way I know how to convey how strongly I feel about this). [Source]
Marcus Borg In the summer of 2006 McLaren will be speaking in Portland, Oregon at the Center for Spiritual Development with interspiritualist Marcus Borg. Marcus Borg, author of eleven books [whose work has been translated into seven languages], is described by The New York Times as "a leading figure among the new generation of Jesus scholars,". Describing himself as both a historical Jesus scholar and a Christian Borg is a member of the infamous Jesus Seminar who focuses on the gospels as a “developing tradition”. The conference, titled The Church in the 21st Century, will take place at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral on June 14th - 16th. McLaren reveals his admiration for Borg in his recent interview and on his website says he has "high regard" for Borg and finds find his work “helpful and important in many ways”. He adds that Borg’s “newest book, The Last Week (with Dominic Crossan) is very informative and useful, and shows that so-called liberals do indeed take the Bible very seriously, contrary to what many of my evangelical friends think”. This word from Lighthouse Trails Research.. “…And yet, Borg is clearly against the Atonement and the doctrine of the Cross. In Borg's book, The God We Never Knew, he states he is "a Christian of a nonliteralistic and nonexclusivistic kind" (p. viii). In plain terms, this means he does not believe the Bible should be taken literally nor does he believe that Jesus Christ is the only avenue through which man can obtain salvation. Of contemplative prayer, Borg says, "I learned about the use of mantras as a means of giving the mind something to focus and refocus on as it sinks into the silence" (p. 125). Borg goes so far as to say that Jesus Himself "would have been shocked at the suggestion that he was divine" and puts Him in a category with Buddha and Mohammed.” [Also See Did Jesus Claim To Be God]
A second book by Marcus Borg is entitled Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally. An Editorial Review by Michael Joseph Gross on amazon.com says the book is… “…written for lay people whose faith has been frustrated by their misapprehension that fundamentalism's claim to be the one true faith is valid. Borg, a professor of religion at Oregon State University, describes an alternative to fundamentalists' so-called "literal" readings of scripture. (He believes that such "literal-factual" readings do not live up to that description, and that the limitations of such readings have alienated many people who would otherwise remain part of the church.) Borg calls his alternative "historical-metaphorical" reading, a way of "taking the Bible seriously without taking it literally."
Alan Jones Brian McLaren also endorses (back Cover) Reimagining Christianity by Alan Jones, Episcopal priest and Dean of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. saying “It used to be that Christian institutions and systems of dogma sustained the spiritual life of Christians. Increasingly, spirituality itself is what sustains everything else. Alan Jones is a pioneer in reimagining a Christian faith that emerges from authentic spirituality. His work stimulates and encourages me deeply.” (Amazon)
These are some excerpts from The book Reimagining Christianity (all Emphasis Added) "The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 132) "The image of the child Jesus sitting on the Buddha's lap appeals to me and captures the spirit of this book. It is an image of the Kingdom. "The Kingdom" is a sort of shorthand signifying an inclusive community of faith, love and justice." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 12) "The phrase, 'I am a practicing Christian but not a believing Christian' is extraordinarily wise." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 16 ) "Christianity as a set of beliefs doesn't work for me. At the same time, I acknowledge the need for ritual and celebration in my life and find fulfillment and joy in many traditional practices. I light candles and ask for the prayers of the saints.... These disciplines ... do not require me to believe literally in angels and the Virgin Birth." (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 31). “The Roman Catholic writer James Carroll certainly thinks so. He believes that we have made the sacred mistake of putting the cross at the center of Christianity in the wrong way. Carroll insists that Catholics must not only "reverently and silently" remove the cross from Auschwitz but, far more fundamentally, must remove the cross from the center of Christianity. The Church's fixation on the death of Jesus as the universal saving act must end, and the place of the cross must be reimagined in Christian faith. Why? Because of the cult of suffering and the vindictive God behind it.” (Alan Jones, p. 132 Reimagining Christianity). "The other thread of just criticism addresses the suggestion implicit in the cross that Jesus' sacrifice was to appease an angry god. Penal substitution [the Cross] was the name of this vile doctrine."—p. 168 (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 132) “Such writing disturbs our inherited certainties and, for some, seems to mean the total dismantling of traditional Christianity. It also invites us to learn a new language. Many Christians have come to see that the very foundational documents of Christianity are polluted (St. John's gospel in particular, with its insistent mantra of the Jews, the Jews, the Jews as responsible for opposing and killing Jesus). This language must go. Believers are being challenged in their understanding of who and what Jesus thought he was. This is good. This doesn't mean that I agree with Carroll in every particular, but I do think that basic beliefs should always be open to reimagining” (Alan Jones, p. 132 Reimagining Christianity). “Duffy is right when he insists: The cross is not some arbitrary demand of God imposed on a hapless victim. . . but a marker where human beings find them- selves, at the intersection of justice and mercy, time and eternity, death and life. All of which, of course, is the language of myth: but myth is the coin of religion, which makes sense of our world by telling such stories.” (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 133 ). “The goal of the converted life is to find God in all things and is based on the conviction of the unity of reality. Everything is connected” (p. 200). “Jesus and Buddha have this in common with all great spiritual teachers-- to make human beings more conscious of themselves” (Alan Jones, Reimagining Christianity p. 194).
Read Excerpts From A Message by Alan Jones Entitled "Who Is God?" And Excerpts From An Interview of Jones. Both at the End of the Page.
Living Spiritual Teachers Project Alan Jones is a member of the Living Spiritual Teachers Project along with [the group consists of some 80 individuals] Marianne Williamson (See critique of her book A Return To Love), Marcus J. Borg (Jesus scholar and fellow of The Jesus Seminar), Brother David Steindl-Rast: (Benedictine monk and hospitable pioneer in Christian-Buddhist dialogue), Sharon Salzberg (Buddhist cofounder of the Insight Meditation Society), Andrew Harvey ( persuasive presenter of the nurturing presence of the Sacred Feminine)and Thich Nhat Hanh (Vietnamese monk, poet, scholar, and retreat leader). Lawrence Kushner (Jewish rabbi, scholar, and commentator and wise and witty teacher of the spiritual practice of mystery, Thomas Keating: (Catholic abbot and participant in multifaith dialogues and co-founder of the Centering Prayer movement) and Neil Douglas-Klotz (Sufi Founder of the worldwide network of the Dances of Universal Peace, now based in Seattle, WA). Quaker and Evangelical leader, Richard Foster, has recently been added to the list. [Also See A Look at Richard J. Foster’s Celebration of Discipline HERE] BTY: Thomas Keating “... is a significant voice in the dialogue in our time. Keating has met and spoken with the Dalai Lama on at least six or seven occasions. He has grasped the subtleties of Buddhist spirituality, and has entered into long and fruitful dialogues with Buddhist teachers at the Naropa Institute, a Tibetan Buddhist graduate school in Boulder, Colorado. Some years ago, he established the Snowmass Conference, composed of fifteen members, each of whom is a spiritual teacher in one of the world religions. They have been engaged in significant conversations since the early eighties, and produced what they call The Guidelines for Interreligious Understanding, the fruit of their long deliberations and mutual sharings”. (Details)
The goal of this group of about twenty-five of the Living Spiritual Teachers Project is to destroy the belief that Jesus Christ is the only way for redemption and to integrate other world religious beliefs into Christianity. For those who may wonder if this could possibly be true, take a look at the Living Spiritual Teacher's poster child - Wayne Teasdale.
Wayne Teasdale has been described as: • teacher of the unity among the world's religions
• founding member of the Board of Trustees of the Parliament of the World's Religions
• lay monk who combined Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism in the way of the Christian sannyasa (Details)
He is said the have been.. ... initiated into sannyasa--renunciation, the way of the solitary monk--by Dom Bede Griffiths, who was for many years the director and spiritual guide of the famous Shantivanam Ashram in south India. Teasdale ... enlarged the program and ambitions of this new monasticism by leaps and bounds in opting for an intermonastic life--that of a solitary monk drawing nourishment from all tradition... " (Details)
In Bridging the Infinite Christians and Buddhists in Conversation, Wayne Teasdale says the following: "The British historian Arnold Toynbee once remarked to a Buddhist thinker, Daisaku Ikeda, that the most significant event of our period in history is the meeting between Buddhism and Christianity. These prophetic words are often quoted in various forums around the world devoted to the encounter between these two venerable traditions. These two traditions are so different that this is a momentous suggestion. If Christianity can be taken as representative of all theistic traditions, and it is related creatively and fruitfully with Buddhism, a non-theistic religion, and somehow their differences can be reconciled, then all the faiths can similarly be brought into harmony. If they can maintain their mutual openness, trust, and respect in dialogue in the decades ahead, such a breakthrough will become a reality".... "It was Bede Griffiths who inspired my own desire to go to India. He and I had corresponded since 1973, and we met for the first time in 1979, then in 1983. With his encouragement, I drank profusely from the well of Indian mysticism, then discovered the Buddhist tradition firsthand. In April, 1988, I took part in a Buddhist/Christian monastic dialogue, which lasted a bit more than 70 minutes. Through this conversation, I met the Dalai Lama for the first time, and I remember vividly the impression I had on that extraordinary day: in our meeting, through us, Christ and the Buddha are also meeting". (Details)
Dave Fleming McLaren has also endorsed Dave Fleming's book, “The Seeker's Way.” McLaren writes: "I'm a huge fan of all Dave Fleming's work. He's brilliant for starters, and more - he's an energetic and engaging writer who lives what he writes about. I'm especially enthusiastic about 'The Seekers' Way' because it presents an approach to spiritual life and growth that is accessible to everyone and gives resources both to the beginner and the seasoned seeker." (http://www.theseekersway.com/pages/2/index.htm)
Dave Fleming describes himself as “a spiritual seeker, leadership coach and organizational midwife. He works with businesses, churches, non-profit organizations and individuals to help them express the inherent greatness that lies within.” (http://www.theseekersway.com/pages/5/index.htm. Emphasis added) “The Seeker’s Way brings hope to people who are longing for a deeper, more mysterious expression of their faith and who want to remain connected to a tradition that often lacks depth. In the book, Fleming interviews spiritual seekers as Marcus Borg, Lauren Winner, Wayne Teasdale, Alan Jones, Joan Chittister, Phil Gulley, and Jim Mulholland. Their thoughts and stories provide a rich texture to Fleming’s own insights into the cultivation of a spiritual life”. (http://www.theseekersway.com).
NOTE: Most of the people listed as being interviewed by Fleming are members of Living Spiritual Teachers Project, mentioned above in connection with Alan Jones author of the book Reimagining Christianity. There is more on Wayne Teasdale in the section just above. Dave is an organizational midwife. He works with organizations and churches around the country to assist in the birth of greater organizational effectiveness, more dynamic organizational systems and leadership development. His unique style assists organizations to transform conflict into the raw materials of change. (http://www.davefleming.org/pages/3/index.htm)
Whoops! but one must not forget that “He (Fleming) knows the location of every Starbucks in the country, and which ones have T-Mobile Hotspots”. (From his site)
That has to count for something. Ken Wilber McLaren has also endorsed Ken Wilber’s A Theory of Everything and The Marriage of Sense and Soul (also endorsed by Deepak Chopra) saying These two books by philosopher Ken Wilber are not “The Next Christendomristian” books, but the way of thinking Wilber promotes and exemplifies – which he calls “integral” thinking and which I call “emergent” thinking – is powerful and important, in my opinion. (http://www.anewkindofchristian.com/archives/000030.html)
In an ad for Ken Wilber Kosmic Consciousness (audio CD) “Before the birth of the universe there existed your "Original Face," the limitless Self that has been present throughout the unfolding of inert matter into life-and that continues to dwell within us at every level of consciousness. Where is this grand evolution taking us-and how can each of us participate more fully in it? On Kosmic Consciousness, Ken Wilber invites you to find out.” (emphasis mine).
According to Wikipedia Kenneth Earl Wilber Jr. “ Buddhist philosopher and psychological theorist. His work focuses mainly on creating an "integral theory of consciousness" in which the insights of mysticism, postmodernism, science and systems theory come together to form a coherent picture of the Kosmos. In Kosmic Consciousness, Wilber states that he considers himself a storyteller and a mapmaker; his stories address universal questions and his maps integrate various perspectives of the cosmos” . One of Wilber's major theoretical accomplishments has been to create what he calls the neo-perennial philosophy, an integration of traditional mysticism (typified by Aldous Huxley's perennial philosophy) with an account of cosmic evolution that is in many respects
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