When considering the church as a system, one must consider those overlooked parts of the whole.  I submit that, in the North American congregations, these overlooked ‘parts’ have been women, ethnic minorities, and those on the lower end of the economic scale.  Ervin Laszlo describes that function in terms of values. "Values are goals which behavior strives to realize. Any activity which is oriented toward the accomplishment of some end is value-oriented activity. (p. 78)" The church, in a systems view, could be seen as a system whose parts are working together to embody the values of the gospel.

 

The Systems View of the World: A Holistic Vision for Our Time (Advances in Systems Theory, Complexit

Ervin Laszlo

The experience of women, minorities, and the poor as feeling marginalized, rather than part of the whole, could be viewed as a manifestation of non-optimum performance.  I anticipate that by heeding stories from the margins might move our congregations toward a more full articulation and practice of Christian faith. Incorporating the story as told by marginalized persons recognizes a new significance of part of the whole Christian body. It will also support the church’s efforts to engage the unchurched with the gospel as people hear their own lives represented in the community’s self-expression. Heeding stories from the margins captures the feedback necessary for the health of the system.

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Many still argue that consumerism is necessary for a market economy to thrive.  Benjamin Barber, in his book "Consumed," challenges that assumption, arguing that consumerism is damaging to our culture, and ultimately to capitalism itself.  Here he is on the Colbert Report. 

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 I am looking forward to getting together with the book club again.  Now, what to read?  There will never be a shortage of books for us to read, so below are a couple of suggestions that might provoke us to thought as well as to action.  Please let me know if there is anything you would like for the group to consider for upcoming book clubs, and I'll post it to the site. 

Everything Must Change: Jesus, Global Crises, and a Revolution of Hope

 In EVERYTHING MUST CHANGE, McLaren provides his critics with even more ammunition, starting with the book's title. If "everything must change," then McLaren is saying that the Christian message must change, right?

Or perhaps it's the way we interpret the gospel and apply the "good news" to global crises that needs to change. For McLaren, that change begins by asking two questions that he describes as the shaping questions of his life: "What are the biggest problems in the world?" and "What does Jesus have to say about these global crises?"

Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals

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And neither is the author of The Terrorist Watch, by Ron Kessler, who just happens to be married to a member of our group.  He discusses his new book with John Stewart on The Daily Show, and it is now available at a book store near you.  This promises to be an interesting read, and likely to stir up more debate surrounding the decision to invade Iraq, and the use of torture methods.  An interesting factiod -- I first read a Ron Kessler book way back in college -- that book was Inside the CIA. 

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Prison Entrepreneurship Program | PEP Home

http://www.prison...

One hundred thousand dollars in sales per week … 90% net margin … 90% repeat business … On an investment banking teaser, this company profile would have generated widespread interest among the investment community—had the core product not been crack cocaine. A large percentage of inmates come to ...

After reading McKnight's book, I realize how little the church has understood atonement.  How easier it is to study and speculate upon (or even worse, ignore intellectual engagement altogether) atonement than to practice.  Is this a harsh assessment of the church?  Consider our reception of former inmates.  PEP seems to get it.  Do you think murderers and drug dealers deserve a second chance?  See the "Made New" video and give it some thought.  

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I'm still working through McKnight's book with the club, but here's something I found in a UM Connection article, exploring factors leading to decline in membership in the United Methodist Church.  When in doubt, look to the megachurch:

"Instead of small wooden pews, one or two microphones, and an organ or piano, mega-churches boast stadium style seating for thousands, use state of the art visual projection equipment and play mostly contemporary music, often with a full band."

I can hear the spiritual seeker now:  "Almost am I persuaded to be a Christian, but that projector is so 2006!"

To be fair to the author, more is mentioned than just technology, but the article is program-heavy.  I have seen technology, management techniques, and creative programming produce impressive results in ministry.  Programs also offer security, as they allow programmers a certain amount of control over the outcomes.  However, if the Gospel is to be believed, such security is misplaced, and is a danger to authentic ministry.  Not to be down on technology and management techniques, but the church has relied upon them for too long. 

I like the N.T. Wright quote on page 76:

...the point of the Spirit is to enable those who follow Jesus to take into all the world the news that he is Lord, that he has won the victory over the forces of evil, that a new world has opened up, and that we are to help make it happen.

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International Justice Mission - IJM Home

http://www.ijm.org/

International Justice Mission is a human rights agency that secures justice for victims of slavery, sexual exploitation and other forms of violent oppression. IJM lawyers, investigators and aftercare professionals work with local officials to ensure immediate victim rescue and aftercare, to prosecute perpetrators and to promote functioning public justice systems.

Here is an excellent example of atonement that works!!!

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Apparently, being made in the image of God comes with a few limitations, especially if that image happens to be a bit cracked.  Oh, yeah, don't forget that Eikon is the Greek translation of the Hebrew term for "image".  If you've read McKnight's A Community Called Atonement (see 1/31 post) through chapter three you already know that.

Speaking of an exercise in postmodern humility (chapter six), I can't recommend enough Stephen Toulmin's Cosmopolis: The Hidden Agenda of Modernity (see my review of Toulmin's analysis of the traditional view of the 18th century) 

Cosmopolis: The Hidden Agenda of Modernity

Stephen Edelston Toulmin

The arena of the 18th century isn't ours, but questions he provokes are certainly applicable.  Theology does not take place in a vacuum.  We all do our knowing, thinking and believing from a vantage point that is limited, historical, and dependent.  The modern decontextualization of all reality, including theology, has the dangerous potential of homogenizing spirituality, turning God and religious experience into products to be marketed at the global level.  

A faith maintaining any links to a particular history, a particular way of life, particular symbols and rituals, or a particular institution, remains limited in its marketability.  Therefore, those overly influenced by the market mentality will most likely dismiss such a faith. 

Have you seen how religious symbols are often reduced to marketing tools?  This is most evident in today's plethora of church curriculum, programs and marketing strategies, which offer uniform packages of interpretations and judgements for delivery to every place.    

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When George W. Bush spoke of the war on terrorism as a “crusade,” he was roundly criticized for the perceived suggestion that it was a war of Christianity against Islam.  His aides apologized, saying that the president had only used the term in its sense of a campaign, but in the Middle East, the remark was thought to confirm a popular assessment of Americans and Europeans as “crusaders.” This is a hard lesson for the West, which long ago relegated religious beliefs to personal preferences and celebrates religious diversity -- at least a Western understanding of diversity. 

We often confuse diversity with the Western idea of multiculturalism, which I would argue, is intrinsically racist, since is posits a single (Western) perspective for seeing all other cultures. Diversity seen through “our” eyes and “our” perspective is also a diversity that fits “our own” needs and interests.  Or even worse, we see others as means for achieving our desired ends.

Medieval Battle

The same could be said of the “Western” Gospel.  McKnight’s dialectic shows how theology (atonement theology in our discussion) actually does shape the mission of the local church:

The gospel we preach shapes the kind of churches we create.

The kind of church we have shapes the gospel we preach. 

Given our history, we should ask ourselves, what’s in our Gospel?

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Perhaps that this isn't the best way to introduce our next book discussion, especially when we have worked so hard to create a conversational atmosphere.  But atonement is an appropriate Lenten topic, so let me explain. 

The conflict began in England a few years ago when Steve Chalke and Alan Mann found themselves in hot water for raising provocative questions about a popular theory of atonement in their book The Lost Message of Jesus.   Some Evangelicals, largely ignoring the main point of the book — the good news of the kingdom of God — said Chalke and Mann no longer belonged in their tribe because for them, Christianity  means a) subscribing to one particular theory of atonement, and b) equating that theory with the gospel.

A Community Called Atonement (Living Theology)

Scot McKnight

Scot McKnight’s book, A Community Called Atonement, comes just as some scholars in the U.S. may be tempted to sharpen their pens.  Here in the U.S., a number of Evangelical authors have also been raising questions about atonement. Among them are Dallas Willard, whose Divine Conspiracy critiques what he calls “the gospel of sin management.” 

McKnight isn’t calling for a mushy “can't we all just get along?” evasion of the issues, which are many and important. But he is wondering why atonement isn't "working" for so many Christians, and is seeking to practice what we preach whenever we preach atonement: that God calls us to reconcile with God, ourselves, one another, and all creation. 

For those of you who will be joining me for the Brown Bag book club, I'll see you on February 10 after the 10:45 service.   

Corey

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