The Logic of Intersubjectivity. Darren M. Slade
Developmentally, young adults will often attend religious services less but, paradoxically, also develop more religious convictions throughout college. See Barry et al., “The Role of Mothers,” 66‒78.
116. Streett, “An Interview with Brian McLaren,” 6. McLaren comments that Percy’s essays in The Message in the Bottle (1954) were especially influential to his theology (McLaren, “What I’m Reading,” 21). Here, Percy helped McLaren dialogue to himself about sensitive and problematic issues of faith while recognizing the limitations of people’s culturally embedded perspectives (FFS §3, 92‒94; GO §1, 52‒53).
117. See McLaren, “Becoming Convergent”; “Ruining Your Ministry for Good,” 56; foreword to What Would Jesus Deconstruct?, 9‒12; foreword to Renewing the Center, 7‒14; foreword to Manifold Witness, xi‒xiii; forward to Life at the End of Us Versus Them, xxi; “What I’m Reading,” 21; and Streett, “An Interview with Brian McLaren,” 6‒7. For an exploration of Leslie Newbigin’s influence, see Stewart, “The Influence of Newbigin’s Missiology,” 86‒111 and McLaren, “Brian’s Annotation.” For Walter Brueggemann, see McLaren, “Brian McLaren on Walter Brueggemann.”
118. Streett, “An Interview with Brian McLaren,” 6. In fact, McLaren even credits Kierkegaard for his postmodern ethos (Christy, “Neoorthopraxy and Brian D. McLaren,” 97‒99).
119. This Percyean-Kierkegaardian influence is more evident as McLaren mimics both of their writing styles, tactics, and religio-ethical conclusions. In fact, the three iconoclasts often have similar syntax and vocabulary. McLaren especially imitates Kierkegaard’s use of irony, humor, satire, hyperbole, and pseudonymous story-telling (cf. §5.4.1). As Carl Raschke remarks, “Postmodern thinkers have adopted Kierkegaard as their prime mentor” (Raschke, The Next Reformation, 163). Kyle Roberts also comments, “In many ways, the concerns that give rise to emergent Christianity parallel Kierkegaard’s critique of Christendom in his own context” (Roberts, Emerging Prophet, 6). For more on Kierkegaard’s influence on postmodern thought, see Best and Kellner, The Postmodern Turn, 38‒78.
120. Enns, “My Interview with Brian McLaren.”
121. FFS §Intro, 20; GSM, 50; NKOC §Author, 251; NKOCY §Preface, xii.
122. AMP §16, 243; EMC §1, 3; §32, 275; FFR §Intro, 18; LWWAT §1, 6; NKOC §Intro, xix. McLaren describes pastoring to a congregation of doubters: “The very formulations that sound so good and familiar to the ‘saved’ sound downright weird or even wicked to the ‘seekers’ and the skeptics. These people come to me and ask questions, and I give my best answers, my best defenses, and by the time they leave my office, I have convinced myself that their questions are better than my answers” (NKOC §Intro, xix). Though he found a faith that sustains him, McLaren admits to wanting to give up several times because of doubts and other troubles (FFS §Intro, 17‒18). See also, McLaren, “Emerging Values,” 34‒39.
123. McLaren, “5 Books for Ministry,” 32; “Everything Old Is New Again,” 23‒24. McLaren once described his church as “a cross between Willow Creek, Vineyard, and an Episcopal service” (PTP, 128). See also, McLaren, “Fire Without Brimstone.”
124. McLaren, “Ruining Your Ministry for Good,” 56.
125. McLaren, “Brian McLaren on Outreach,” 122. To read a detailed explanation of how McLaren’s vocational ministry changed, in which areas, and why, see McLaren, “Ruining Your Ministry for Good,” 49‒63.
126. See McLaren’s book, Everything Must Change, for an expansive portrayal of his public theology. Cf. Marty, “Reinhold Niebuhr,” 332‒59; Cady, “A Model for a Public Theology,” 193‒212; and Rasmussen, “Reinhold Niebuhr,” 198‒210.
127. Cf. FOWA §Author, 215; GSM, x; NKOC §1, 9; §Author, 25; NKOCY §Preface, xii. See also, McKnight, “McLaren Emerging,” 58‒66.
128. This minimizing of his competency is especially noteworthy considering McLaren has received two honorary doctorates of divinity: one from Carey Theological Seminary in 2004 and one from Virginia Theological Seminary in 2010 (FFS §Intro, 20; NKOC §Author, 251). McLaren does hint elsewhere, however, that he is well-read on current scholarship but seldom cites other scholars to support his religious claims simply because it is provocative not to do so (GO §0, 34). Interestingly, Kierkegaard also strategically downplayed his ability to develop sophisticated theological systematizations (Come, Kierkegaard as Theologian, 3‒4).
129. Cf. FFR §Intro, 19; FFS §Intro, 24; WP, 30‒31, 41‒42.
130. Thomas Howe remarks, “McLaren’s discussions give evidence of his never having been very well versed in Christian doctrine,” (Howe, “A Review of A Generous Orthodoxy,” 83). Unfortunately, Howe’s review fails to recognize that McLaren purposefully downplays doctrine in order to highlight the existential need for imitation and action (§8.2).
131. He writes, “I’m not an economist, politician, or certified expert on anything really” (EMC §1, 2), nor “a professional philosopher” (McLaren, foreword to What Would Jesus Deconstruct?, 9).
132. McLaren explains that unlike modernity, which dissents with ecclesiastical authorities, postmodernity dissents with the hierarchical bureaucracies of corporate and political power. Authority is increasingly residing among the amateur, self-taught masses while the professional elite no longer have the same social dominance as before (cf. AIFA, 177‒78). McLaren labels this authority reversal as a “devolution revolution,” where relationships, dialogues, and power become more localized and dispersed among the general populace (AIFA, 92‒94).
133. For details of McLaren’s dramatic spiritual experience, see FFR §9, 183‒86; FFS §3, 88‒89; MRTYR §14, 103‒4; NS §1, 7‒10; and McLaren, “Changing Faith, Staying Faithful,” 14‒15.
134. Rambo, Understanding Religious Conversion, 87.
135. Cf. Richardson and Stewart, “Conversion Process Models,” 819‒38. McLaren also describes himself as naturally shy, which originates “from a temperamental preference for understating rather overstating” (NKOCY §20, 225).
136. Berger, The Developing Person, 418.
137. See Clore and Gasper, “Feeling is Believing,” 10‒44.
138. Cf. Fowler, Stages of Faith, 174‒83 and AMP §16, 249. Intriguingly, McLaren says he thoroughly enjoys