A comment

So I was responding to a comment by my friend Marta on my blog, and I ended up writing so much I thought I would just make it a post. Here is her question and my response. Maybe you are interested as well.

My question is: which Brian McLaren book is your favorite? In other words, if I only think I have time to read one, which one should I read? Also, did you like Velvet Elvis?

Thanks for helping out this non-speed reading, busy, blogging, mom. :-)

That is a hard question . . . I guess it depends on what you are looking for, let me recommend a few.

Read New Kind of Christian if you are interested in understanding the big picture shift from modernism to postmodernism and all that goes with it.

Read the Story We Find Ourselves In if you want to get a big picture view of the story of the Bible.

The Last Word and the Word After That (though this shouldn't be the first book you read of his) it might help if you are troubled by the way some Christians use "hell."

A Generous Othodoxy if you are interested in exploring Theology that tries to take the treasures from all sects of Christianity, and learn from them.

His newest book, Secret Message of Jesus focuses on the Kingdom of God.

More ready than you realize if you are interested in evangelism.

And there are several others, but those are my favorites. The first three books I mentioned are a trilogy, written with fictional characters. Those are a great read . . . So I guess a New Kind of Christian would be a good start.

You could also pick a topic you are interested in and start there. Do I want Chicken, do I want Steak, fish? They are all good, what am I in the mood for? I guess just order up and enjoy the meal. =)

I did like Velvet Elvis. If you have seen his nooma videos, you have already read part of the book. It is an easy read, but good. I think his opening analogy is really worth the price of the book.

He talks about the need to paint and repaint the Christian faith. Imagine a master painter finishing his master piece, would he call out to all artist everywhere, "Attention artists! It is done you may put your paint brushes down never to pick them up again because I have finished the master piece. No one every needs to paint again." absurd. There is a need to continue painting and repainting. With that thought, he says that he sees the need to continue to repaint the Christian faith. Not that he is saying anything new (in his book), but it is an important part of our faith. To paint and repaint, not settling on someone having the final word on matters of faith and God.

I thought that was a good analogy.

Hope that helps.