Everything must change

Just finished Brian McLaren's book Everything Must Change. McLaren is one of my new favorite Christian thinkers. His books make me excited to be a Christian again. McLaren has a chapter in this book on 'Theocapitalism'. A really interesting topic of how we have turned our monetary system into our God. He goes on to list a new set of spiritual laws in this theocampitalistic society. Provocative! Go read it.

He's not as quotable as Wendell Berry but he uses incredible quotes from others. Here is one of his, and one he quotes.

“But this insurgency can never use the weapons of the occupying regime; otherwise, it simply becomes another manifestation of it. So it is a merciful insurgency, a wisdom insurgency, a hope insurgency, a generous insurgency, a courage insurgency, a compassion insurgency, a faith insurgency, a peace insurgency.” p. 129

“Only a fraction of our sins are personal. By far the greater part are sins of neglect, sins of default, our social sin, our systemic sin, our economic sin. For these sins Christ died, and continues to die. For these sins Christ atoned, and continues to atone.... As long as evangelism presents a gospel centered on the need for personal salvation, individuals will acquire a faith that focuses on maximum benefits with minimal obligations, and we will change the costly work of Christ’s atonement into the pragmatic transaction of a salvific contract.... The sanctifying grace of God in Jesus Christ is meant not just for the sinner but also for a society beset by structural sin.” -David Lowes Watson and Douglas Meeks