The Eagle has landed! Which means that Romans 9-11 is Randy Harris’s problem, not mine. (However, stay tuned here and I’ll give you the correct meaning of “all Israel shall be saved” in 11:26!)
Here are a few highlights so far:
Brian McLaren was, well, vintage Brian McLaren. He spoke to hundreds of students (and the rest of us) yesterday afternoon at 3:00. He talked about the difference it makes to remember that Jesus told us to make disciples instead of members of a new religion (Christianity) and encouraged us to remember that his central message was the kingdom (i.e., the reign of God) and not the church. It makes all the difference in the world as to the priorities of the people of God. After he spoke about half an hour, students texted him questions to answer. I loved that format. Very conversational. I’m impressed again with his vision for what following Jesus looks like in this world.
I’ve also been going to a class called “Olive Trees and Cyborgs: Christian Identity in Paul’s Letter to the Romans,” taught by Jennifer Thweatt-Bates. She’s an engaging and very knowledgeable teacher — combining her doctoral work in cyborgs (and theology!) with the important work on Romans by James Walters. I know it’s hard to imagine how cyborgs and Romans 11 fit together. But read verses 11:17ff — and get the tapes if you can. It’s a powerful metaphor of Paul’s vision for the people of God.
Here are a couple pics I snapped with my iPhone.
The first one is Jeff Walling. Just what you’d expect: fun, insightful, and interactive. (By the way, someone at Harding told me that he’s finally been asked to come back on campus to speak in chapel. Kudos to my alma mater.)
And here — if you’ll use your binoculars — is McLaren speaking in Moody.
Good post…but I just want to say HOORAY for Harding! Finally somebody woke up and realized what a treat we were missing by not having Jeff Walling…now, if they’ll just take another look at Mike Cope! You were not there as the preacher when I was a student, in fact, you probably weren’t ever a student yet, but there’s not be a preacher who could hold my interest at the college church like you could since then and I go to Searcy a lot….in fact I’m leaving in a little bit to go for an AWH National Council Meeting tomorrow!
I may be biased but I’m a big Jen TB fan myself. I’m always amazed at how her thoughts on cyborgs can relate to just about anything. At first you think, how is she going to stretch this to make it all work? And then after listening for a bit, you realize that her thinking and her work is not in vain. You go, Jen!
A disciple of Christ is a Christian. What is so different about them? Is he trying to say that people should follow God, not Christ?
Mike - Now that the Walling ban has been lifted at Harding (and we still haven’t heard from them why he could speak at almost every major event in Churches of Christ except there — is Harding really that conservative?), perhaps it’s time for you to discontinue your boycott of the school. That’s why you haven’t been going, isn’t it? Surely they wouldn’t ban an alumnus!
I’m so sad to be missing Summit for the first time since I can remember. But, I was able to “pipe in” Randy’s lecture last night via Acapella radio. I really felt like I was sitting right there inside Moody with all of you! I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of all of the class sessions on iTunes. Looks like there have been some incredible speakers this year, as always!
Heather — can you post a link of the site where you’ve been listening in? I’d like to get that.
Someday, the Summit. For now, all I can squeeze in is Zoe & Pepperdine—not bad, not bad at all, but still want to journey to Abilene one of these years.
Matt - they said it’s on acapella radio station online which I know nothing about. There was a Q and A session afterwards with Randy. People texted in their questions. At least one came from someone who was listening by Internet.
(However, stay tuned here and I’ll give you the correct meaning of “all Israel shall be saved” in 11:26!)
That’s not the correct meaning?
Nope. By meaning I’m implying, “What does Paul intend by this statement?” Just repeating Paul’s words doesn’t tell us what those words mean.
Does “all Israel” refer to spiritual Israel (= “the people of God”), as N. T. Wright and Richard Hays believe? Or does it refer to physical Israel, as, for instance, Ben Witherington believes. And if it refers to “physical Israel,” does it literally mean every single Jew or does it echo back to remnant language of 11:1ff and mean those Jews who have submitted to the Messiah?
Thanks for this Mike…and nice pic of the back of Scott Hamm’s head on your pic of Mclaren!
Baron - When you comment here, I often think: “That very, very, very confident young man has no clue what he’s talking about.”
Here’s a case at point. Have you really read McLaren, Claiborne, Willard, and others? Do you know the radical call to Christian discipleship they’re calling for?
“Think Joel Osteen”? You lost all credibility there. These guys (McLaren/Claiborne/Willard) are the antithesis of Osteen. The fact that you would connect them tells me that you don’t have a clue.
Yet you remain a very, very, very confident young man.
How does that work for you in your relationships?
Yeah, I second Amos. Baron, you showed some serious ignorance here. I don’t agree with McLaren politically (I’m more in line with Lipscomb, Claiborne, et cetera in that I try not to participate in the system as much as possible) but to say that he says “nothing” is absoute lunacy. Have you read “the secret message of Jesus” or “everything must change”? There’s some serious theology in there. Osteen barely makes mention of God in his sermons. His church is a weekly self help seminar. McLaren and most others in the emergent movement are quasi academics, who read and study real academics as well as the bible. They take those complex ideas and make them easier to understand for those who have not read Yoder, Hauerwas, Brueggman, and so on and so on.
Nope. It’s not a “no confidence” zone.
Just a bit humorous to “meet” a young man who knows everything.
And of course I’ll call her. Here’s how easy it will be:
Your name may or may not be Baron. You’ve told us you’re a young attorney. I’m sure Google will take it from there.
Baron, I’m not entirely sure it’s in your best interest to speak of OTHERS “walking a fine line” or speaking in an excessively “conclusory manner” around here. That’s pretty chuckleworthy all by itself.
*chuckle*
But if you really cannot see a substantive distinction between McLaren’s thought and and Osteen’s, er, “thought,” well…put it this way: if qb were your legal client, qb would be tempted to sue you for impersonating an attentive reader.
qb
Here’s Baron….
http://www.whlwpc.com/baron.php
Tell Will Webster “hi” for me, Baron! (He’s an old Tuscaloosa buddy.)
Oh, okay — I was curious about that. I was thinking that you had left Montgomery, so I was surprised to see that bio.
I recommend we suspend this debate so we can focus on our nation’s economic crisis.
McLaren can “speak for 45 minutes and not say anything”? Sounds like a few lawayers I know. ba-da-bing. I’ll let you know when I think the entirety of ACU is moving toward that evil democratic party. I think it will be a surprise to Bob Hunter and a few others. Unlike hard-line, lily-white Universities, ACU embraces the personal journey - not toeing the 1920-ish churchofchrist line.
Ray - did he say somewhere in there you have to be a right-wing, card-carrying member of the churchofchrist too? That’s my beef. Thanks.
Walling in Harding’s chapel? My, we have come a long way. I wonder if his speaking at the Campus Ministry United gathering on Harding’s campus had anything to do with that.
Kent F ,
I have no idea what a right wing,etc that you posted about
is and what they do or beleive. Never heard about such until your post.
I thought Randy did an excellent job navigating the treacherous waters of Romans 9-11. Best of all was his call for us to rejoice at our salvation and to eagerly take it to all those who will listen, holding nothing back for ourselves. I wish more attention would be given to his excellent thoughts.
I saw Mclaren speak and appreciated what he had to say. Clearly, as was pointed out countless times, almost as a disclaimer, ACU noted that it did not agree with everything McLaren had to say. We do not grow by only hearing our own thought echoed back to us by others. McLaren’s challenges for us to view Muslims and Jews and others as God’s children echoed the CoC’s own Leroy Garrett from the previous night. Can it hurt to focus on making more disciples than making more Christians? Can it hurt to focus on ending world poverty, climate change, and violence as a means of spreading the message of Christ?
Do I agree with all that he said? No. But that wasn’t the point, it was to be challenged to think and engage my faith in ways that I had not previously thought of.
KentF ,
Not sure who that is you described . Never heard of such a person until your post .
thanks for the kind words, Mike! Though I like to suppose that I study theology (and cyborgs)…rather than the other way ’round.
Ray - you seem to be in agreement with Baron, who believes ACU is becoming even more depraved because it is becoming “too democratic”. Do you think the only way to Jesus is to through the churchofchrist? That’s what most hard-line churchofchrister’s believe - whether they admit it or not.
Kent F ,
Believe me when I tell you that I do not know if ACU is becoming more democratic or not and however you are defining democratic. My whole concern is the direction I see so much of the church in drifting toward an ecumenical direction that says nothing is really certain and everything we believe is a toss up. In other words, once a core belief is established ( and even what is the the core is being debated ) then everything else is just a matter of opinion and surely we can unite around the core. I have read McClaren and have heard for years the endless discussions about being sensitive to the postmodern thinking and have not read or heard anyone give a good answer. McClaren ,emergent ,postmodern etc..is more novelty. The word transcends all cultures and all times because it is “living” and “enduring”. The scriptures are sufficient. Will we listen and heed or as Jesus said , “He who has ears to hear , let him hear” .
Those of us living in a distant land would be most appreciative if someone could point us to a website that posts a transcript of the lectures made by Randy Harris, Brian McLaren, Leroy Garrett and the others.
If such a web site does not exist would anyone care to gist Randy’s comments in a paragraph or two?
I have heard Randy speak a few times over the years and always appreciated what he had to say. Naturally I would want to know how he handled Romans 9 - 11 as I don’t recall ever having heard a CofC preacher discuss that text at all.
FYI, John Piper wrote a book on Romans 9:1-23 about 25 years ago titled The Justification of God. Any of y’all ever read it?
“I’m not surprised ACU invited him to speak, considering their movement toward the Democrat party in an “anti-Harding” sort of way”
…was the comment I referenced. I didn’t capitalize the D because I’m lazy - so, sue me….oops - just kidding there.
Baron’s attempt to lump all things in the Democratic party as liberal, and ACU as all things liberal. I don’t buy it.
What I see Ray is the church (loosely defined) as moving more toward a grace-based doctrine, and away from a rigid, tradition-based doctrine. That’s what I see - and I’m all for it.
And - seriously, my apologies if you felt I was labeling your or your beliefs. I try not to do that - but I fail from time to time.