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Comments

chris lancaster

I appreciate what Wallis is trying to do, but I think that he tends to misrepresent himself and his goals. If he is just about "higher ground" between the parties, why has he been working so closely with the Democrats--even advising them in different meetings how to use religious language "more effectively"? He has some good catch phrases, but when you listen to him, he tends to fall into criticizing Bush or recounting his own activism instead of outlining how his vision might be carried out. He just doesn't seem to be an equal opportunity critic (as one might expect), but seems to be working for one party's interests over the other.

God may not be a Republican or a Democrat, but it is pretty clear that one can't say the same for Wallis.

chris lancaster

I hit post too soon. I wanted to add that I think Brian might be in a better position to be an advocate for the kind of interaction that the church should have with politics than someone like Wallis. He has a rare set of skills that enables him to interact with people from different perspectives and call them to something higher--without stepping into one side or other.

Mac

I think some reaction is appropriate given how co-opted the Faith has become by the Republican Right. Having said that, the old adage is true that Jesus "plus anything is a subtraction". Perhaps we can agree that some of the issues themselves which are reflected in scripture can be embraced by people of any party. In fact I was plesantly shocked to see Pat Robertson's face in the One.org commercial to fight the AIDS and poverty epidemic in Africa (and elsewhere)alongside Brad Pitt, Bono and the like. Good for him for taking the "higher ground".

What many of us fear is being aligned with a "gospel" of fear, hatred and greed. Some of us have increasing "issues" with the word "Christian" because it is about Right Wing politics and not the Love, grace and hope that we all have in Christ. So, we say "spiritual" and then on deeper discussion speak openly of our love and relationship with Jesus the Risen.

Jim Wallis is probably saddled with the "prophetic role"...one not so pleasant. Fortunately he's a good man with a deep and wide heart. The prophets often resorted to hypebole...as did Jesus. Maybe we need some here to level the playing field. But I am not discounting what you say Chris. And maybe you are right. Perhaps Brian is a good spokesperson to both audiences.

Dignan

I couldn't agree more with Chris. The problem with Jim Wallis is that he is very much a proponent of leftist politics. I don't have a problem with that other than the fact that he is trying to find a middle ground and comes across as rather disingenuous.

Vern Hyndman

I really like the "post-conservative" and "post-liberal" stance that I've learned from Brian and others emergent. In the post paradigm, it’s OK to advise both factions, as well as those less addressed, like the Greens and Libertarians, how it’s a positive and inevitable thing for them to be emergent as well.

We as emergents will need to progress from what we’re not to what we are before we’ll really make ripples amongst the entrenched.

I like Brian’s analysis of God’s decree of genocide in A Generous Orthodoxy… the diagram helped me immensely. I think that this same thought process might work well to help find common higher ground in the war thing between conservatives and liberals. And this type of thought will tend to unite rather than divide.

Dignan

Vern,
As someone who is still exploring emergent and trying to understand what it is, I was struck by your comment that

"We as emergents will need to progress from what we’re not to what we are before we’ll really make ripples amongst the entrenched."

I agree with you. I'm still struggling to find someone who can explain what emergent is. Actually, I can't even find anyone to tell me what emergent isn't.

Ochuk

I am a Minnesotan and I just bloged about McLaren and politics/culture today! I compared him with his antithesis (my opinion of course) Al Mohler.

http://www.ochuk.com/index.php?p=660#comments

Interesting stuff.

Vern Hyndman

You may not find a concise definition, because as I see it, emergent isn't a concise thing. Some of the best bloggers I've found to be helpful are Will Samson, and this entry by tall skinny kiwi in getting my arms around emergent.

Brian McLaren has been very helpful to me to wrap my mind around things, both as a visitor to his church as well as reading his books. I really recommend a generous orthodoxy as well as a new kind of Christian.

I write this at the risk that your comment was rhetorical... if so, I apologize for missing the point.

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