Open Theism and Brian Mclaren

Brian McLaren is the classic post modern guy.

Repetativley, yet rightly so he always declines been a spokesman for the 'Emerging Church'.

The other thing is how he often dodges direct questions. Recently he was asked in his question and answer section about Open Theism.

1. God does not determine the future in detail because He cannot know the future…the future simply cannot be known by anyone
I would phrase this a bit differently. I would put it in terms of these questions: What kind of relationship does God want with the universe? What kind of universe did God make?

What a postmodern classic, throwing out another question. Interestingly just like Jesus. 'Who do you think I am?"

Its Interesting Open Theism, like Mclaren writes, does run 'parallel' to the 'Emergent' movement.
After reading a lot of books from Mclaren, especially the new book 'A New Kind of Christianity', a lot of questions Mclaren asks are answered in Clark Pinnocks book "A Wilderness in God's Mercy".
Yet I would say that McLaren while giving round about answers sits in a similar position as Open Theism. Pinnock is more direct as well giving more theological support.
I can understand Mclaren not wanting to be put in a theological box and not wanting to be linked to anyone yet have something in common with everyone.

New Perspectives, resurrection and renewal

This is a sort of follow up on my previous post, 'New Perspectives on Paul' 

Another aspect of the New Perspective is the whole idea of idea of a renewed earth. That what we do on earth does make a difference now. That there is more than going to heaven when we die.

N.T. Wright is again one of the main thinkers behind this view, with his book "Suprised by hope". At this stage I haven't read the book. Though it is in the library. So I wont make much of a comment.

Nathan Hobby over at Network Vineyard Church, in Western Australia spoke on the subject. You can listen here.

A nice quote he used from N.T. Wright was

You are not oiling the wheels of a machine that’s about to fall over a cliff. You are not restoring a great painting that’s shortly going to be thrown in the fire. You are not planting roses in a garden that’s about to be dug up for a building site. You are – strange though it may seem, almost as hard to believe as the resurrection itself – accomplishing something which will become, in due course, part of God’s new world. Every act of love, gratitude and kindness; every work of art or music inspired by the love of God and delight in the beauty of his creation; every minute spent teaching a severely handicapped child to read or to walk; every act of care and nurture, of comfort and support, for one’s fellow human beings, and for that matter one’s fellow non-human creatures; and of course every prayer, all Spirit-led teaching, every deed which spreads the gospel, builds up the church, embraces and embodies holiness rather than corruption, and makes the name of Jesus honoured in the world – all of this will find its way, through the resurrecting power of God, into the new creation which God will one day make. That is the logic of the mission of God. God’s recreation of his wonderful world, which has begun with the resurrection of Jesus and continues mysteriously as God’s people live in the risen Christ and in the power of his Spirit, means that what we do in Christ and by the Spirit in the present is not wasted. It will last all the way into God’s new world. In fact, it will be enhanced there.

As mentioned in my previous post I think this will play into the theology of the Emergent church. But to be fair I need to read this book to make a fair call.