New Kind of Christian

By: Brian McLaren

Narrated by: Paul Michael

Length: 7 hrs and 46 mins

Publisher's Summary

A New Kind of Christian's conversation between a pastor and his daughter's high school science teacher reveals that wisdom for life's most pressing spiritual questions can come from the most unlikely sources.

This stirring fable captures a new spirit of Christianity - where personal, daily interaction with God is more important than institutional church structures, where faith is more about a way of life than a system of belief, where being authentically good is more important than being doctrinally "right," and where one's direction is more important than one's present location. Brian McLaren's delightful account offers a wise and wondrous approach for revitalizing Christian spiritual life and Christian congregations.

©2001 Brian D. McLaren (P)2008 christianaudio.com

One of a Kind and Challenging.

Brian McLaren invites us on a journey with two friends as they seek to find out what it means to be Christian. It is challenging and thought provoking, and though I do not agree wholeheartedly with the book or its claims it has changed how I view much of what is called christian today and helped me to understand what a new kind of christian might be like. The phrase that catches me is "We are not talking about "the" new kind of Christian or a "better" kind of Christian, but a new kind of Christian." One who has been changed by modernity and seen its flaws, but is also aware that he/she has flaws as well.

6 of 6 people found this review helpful

Needed

I am exactly the audience this book is supposed to connect with. I was right there in the young evangelical circles who were being most affected by the ideas contained in this book. And I was dissatisfied with what I was finding. The book does connect with me to an extent. To be sure, when it was written in 2001 I think yes, cutting edge, very strong, beneficial challenge to mainstream evangelicalism (though I was not ready for it). Since then there has been quite a few groundbreaking books in a similar vein. Donald Miller's "blue like jazz", Shane Claiborne's "the irresistible revolution", and others who haven't quite hit the mainstream like Frank Schaeffer "crazy for God" and "Patience with God", and other authors still more recent like Rob Bell and Shane Hipps who have pushed the envelope further. Because this book does define a lot of who I am I have to say yes to 4/5 of it. However, the 1/5 is the part that sticks out.

The 4/5:
From my perspective, his basic premise of needing a new kind of christian is absolutely right on. I'm not totally sure that the word Christian is worth salvaging from the mess people have made of it. Jesus said a lot of good things and is definitely worth following. There is a lot of controversy here that I don't feel compelled to get involved in at the moment.

The 1/5:
In the intro the author acknowledges one of the big problems: the over-usage of the now somewhat over-generalized terms of modern and post modern. This is probably the biggest single part of his argument, and yes, like the author acknowledges, it is too general. It needs to be more specific about which "Post-" he is talking about.

I'm frustrated with the end of the book. Much of the talk throughout the book is about transcending organization yet mcclaren closes it with how to box up this "outside of the box" movement. It is organic, right? Alright then, let it be organic!

It is easy to see his attempt at writing a good story falling into the cheesy category (and he admits it). He is also dealing with a lot of modern philosophy like Michael Polanyi who seems like he was big for the author, but I think the example falls flat to me. Perhaps if I knew more about Michael Polanyi it would help. I'm interested in him now. As one who has got into a lot of Biblical studies there's a number of places that are for and against his argument he could have used. I also would have liked to see some interaction with the new england transcendentalists of the 1800s (Thoreau, Emerson) who (as post-puritans) I think contribute very deeply to this discussion.

I admit I have not read any other more recent mcclaren books and perhaps the more recent editions contain further thinking...However, I fear he is missing that furthest step into authenticity he needs for a fifth star from me. If you are really interested in a book that transcends McClaren's transcending ideas check out Anton zijderveld and peter zerger's "in praise of doubt" and for the more specific to Christianity/the church, (and a very easy read!) i would make sure to read Shane hipps' "selling water by the river".

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

Revolutionary!

Where does New Kind of Christian rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

Probably one of the best, most life-changing books I've encountered so far. The audio delivery was incredible, especially the accents and voices of the characters. Being a voice actor myself, I was really impressed.

What was one of the most memorable moments of New Kind of Christian?

It wasn't a major event, just a comment. Neo talked about care of his elderly mother as ministry. The priesthood of all believers is a profound and sorely neglected truth.

Have you listened to any of Paul Michael’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

This was my first. It was great.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No.

Any additional comments?

Don't come to this book for pat answers. If you're the kind of person who needs to have you faith life "tilled" this is a good book for you. It will give you a lot to think about, it will reframe a lot of issues, it will put back to square one in a new world, but it will give you hope that Christianity doesn't have to continue to fade away.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Eye Opening!!!

A way to show a older christian the new way to live out the gospel!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Conversation, community, Christ centered

So good! The conversation between this white pastor and black science teacher/former pastor is so great on so many levels. One of my favorite conversations between them so far is the one about how what seems like heaven to one of us could seem like hell to another of us. These two friends are trying to figure out how the church can best return to the job of doing Christ’s work of discipleship and move away from the more pharisaic/law – based Christianity so many have fallen into. It’s about conversation, relationship and pondering the questions more so than having the correct answers or doctrine. The conversational tone of the book is super appealing to


I accidentally read this in reverse order: I have already read book 2, which is The Story We Find Ourselves In. And I love that one even more.

A Paradigm Shifting Book with Great Narration!!

This book is a bastion to my soul and an affirmation to me experience every time I read or listen. There's so much to unpack here about a different, post- modern approach to Christianity that it occasionally gets a bit "solid. " But, that just leaves more to understand and integrate the next time.

The Narrator is terrific! He brings the book to life in a new way. And, the Jamaican accent adds a realistic and warming touch.

Bravo! Tough Truth goes Down Better told as a Great Story

Brian McClaren did an incredible job addressing the outdated and irrelevant modern form of Christianity that most churches still cling to and so many God-seekers run from. By using a framework of a fictional conversation between to friends, Brian McClaren causes you to think and be entertained at the same time.

In the same way early Star Trek episodes addressed racism through demonstrating teamwork that crossed races and even universes in a form of palatable fiction and CS Lewis and other great theological thinkers presented tough truths through the story, this book demonstrates the skillful use of story to provoke much needed thinking.

Oh, and the narration of the audiobook is stellar! The actor captured the heart of the characters in his narration as well as the writer did in crafting the story.

I highly recommended this work. I was sad when the recording ended and will listen again very soon!

Christians beware!

If you are a Christian, serious about pursuing your walk with God and not falling into error, this is a book that you will read with caution and discernment. I found it interesting to read what the 'emerging church' believes in fiction format and found myself agreeing with much of what the author is revealing. However, (and this is a big one) all error contains some truth and the overall message of this book is that Jesus is not the ONLY way to the Father. Read it carefully and compare it to scripture before you make your final decision about what it is teaching.

5 of 12 people found this review helpful

Excellent and thought provoking.

In this book Christians are challenged and thoughts developed in helpful practical ways to encourage a new way of engaging the world.