The exact moment my jaw dropped

As I read Carson's book:

In separate chapters McLaren explains (to use the subtitle of the book) "Why I am a missional + evangelical + post/protestant + liberal/conservative + mystical/poetic + biblical + charismatic/contemplative + fundamentalist/calvinist + anabaptist/anglican + methodist + catholic + green + incarnational + depressed-yet-hopeful + emergent + unfinished Christian." I have read these chapters with considerable care, and I must try to explain a little of why this is an attractive + manipulative + funny + sad + informed + ignorant + winsome + outrageous + penetrating + resoundingly false + stimulating + silly book. And I have used each of these words with more precision than McLaren has used with his. (p. 162)

Talk about being zinged! I have a feeling that won't be on the book jacket of future editions of Generous Orthodoxy.

Comments

[Trish]

Amen to that comment !

[Matthew]

Do you think I should read Mclaren before I read Carson?

[Darryl]

Matt, I don't think it matters which one you read first. If you're not familiar with McLaren I guess it would make sense to read his first.

[Paul Johnston]

Maclaren and I must confess my impression is formed only from the web as I doubt I could patiently manage him in book form, strikes me as "geeker" sensitive and self promotional. His orthodoxy best as I can figure seems to be an interesting array of confusing and directionless rhetoric that is more likely to constipate than enlighten.An oratory on the road to nowhere, engaging in an academicly religeous sort of way but not really expressive of the gifts of the Spirit, at least not to me anyways. I think your prayer in the posting above is the right spritual antidote, Darryl. For my blatherings, your's, Maclaren's or anybody else's. Let those of us infatuated with words and ideas come together in prayer, through the Holy Spirit. Perhaps then we might effect something greater than ecclesiology and academic understandings.

[ed]

Hi, I think you're a geeker and self-promotional...do you want to pray with me? Yup...that sounds like the way forward to wholesome Christianity. I'm wondering, would Carson say that after his ever so "cute" rant...he was speaking the truth in love? Afterall, when one Christian looks at another and says that they're means of expressing their faith is manipulative, sad, outrageous, resoundingly false, and ignorant, can he then turn around and say...I was just referring to the book, not the man...after the man says, "this is who I'm trying to be." Frankly, I'm getting tired of a Christianity where we so easily use words like rocks and pretend that it's all ok. And by the way, I would feel the same way, if McLaren said those things of Carson. It's at best discouraging.

[Darryl]

To Carson's credit, you really get the sense that he understands and genuinely likes McLaren as a person, despite disagreeing with him. On another level, I think that statement was a cheap shot, or at least it could have been phrased more charitably. Reading Carson, I began to understand for the first time how he (and others) read the same type of edge in McLaren and others. I think we all tend to notice it in the "other side".

[Subversive Influence]

A kindly critiqueGood critique by Daryl Dash... online discusion... and DA Carson re-re-re-reconsidered. Again.

[andrew jones]

if love believes all things, then maybe we should just believe that Carson has a sense of humor and is speaking tongue-in-cheek, having some fun, enjoying the play of the fight. that may be wrong, but believing it would free us all up to have some fun with each other.