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A review by bythelionsmane
Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices by Brian D. McLaren
4.0
If you haven't read this book yet, you should! It's a reminder to us Protestants to never forsake the ancient paths that were forged before our movement began in the 16th century and a call for us to break the biggest sin of all: pride. The good thing about this book is the questions at the end of the chapters actually make us "faith" what he talks about, try them out. And he moves us away from making dichotomies between denominations, to trying to encompass the good from each other's denominations. McLaren also does an amazing job of describing theosis in language that Orthodox Christians use, but Protestants will understand. He also talks about how Protestants have made similar mistakes that the Catholic Church has made. But unlike Catholics who have been humbled and have learned from their mistakes, we haven't learned yet, and will continue to make our mistakes. Ironically using a formula, McLaren shows us how to break away from formulas, and realizes his irony and is humble enough to admit there is more to be learnt.
Since I am from a Brethren background (like McLaren) he speaks about the richness of the tradition he has grown up in, and yet at the same time how there were many deficiencies, and talks about how he moved around...but then "I felt the same calustrophobia in my new traditions, so instead of converting ot yet another tradition, I converted to a different way of holding traditions in geeneral. "
He continues, "I think that's part of what's going on in this time of change and transition. Old sectarian turf wars are giving way to a sharing oresources -- heroes, practices, flavors, and styles of practice."
and another place, "So now we hav Bpatists who practice the stations of the cross (copyright Catholic), and Catholics who speak in tongues (copyright Pentecostal), Pentecostals learn the Jesus prayer (copyring Eastern Orthodox), and Episcopalians sometimes baptize by immersion (copyright Baptist). Critics see these patterns as a terrible loss and view such innovators as spiritual dilettantes. Superficial borrowing can be a danger, but so can the refusal to learn from toher traditions and share on'es practices with an open hand."
my favourite quote is a tongue-in-cheek quote by McLaren about the term "New Kind of Christian"....."My new considerations turn out, as they always do, to be a rediscovery of something old and very precious." And that's truly what this book does. Find's the old, and helps us to embrace it once again (instead of reject it as some previously have...)
And as the beginning of the book suggests, all these chapters are not another "to-do" list, it's to incorporate us into realizing Christianity wasn't about a "to-do" list, it was about an active living relationship with the Creator of the universe. It's about living a life, rather than "acting out" a life as religious rules can make you do. It's about learning, but realizing how that learning can infect your life with goodness and how it can spread for more goodness in the world!
Enjoy the book and more importantly learn practices for real-life.
Since I am from a Brethren background (like McLaren) he speaks about the richness of the tradition he has grown up in, and yet at the same time how there were many deficiencies, and talks about how he moved around...but then "I felt the same calustrophobia in my new traditions, so instead of converting ot yet another tradition, I converted to a different way of holding traditions in geeneral. "
He continues, "I think that's part of what's going on in this time of change and transition. Old sectarian turf wars are giving way to a sharing oresources -- heroes, practices, flavors, and styles of practice."
and another place, "So now we hav Bpatists who practice the stations of the cross (copyright Catholic), and Catholics who speak in tongues (copyright Pentecostal), Pentecostals learn the Jesus prayer (copyring Eastern Orthodox), and Episcopalians sometimes baptize by immersion (copyright Baptist). Critics see these patterns as a terrible loss and view such innovators as spiritual dilettantes. Superficial borrowing can be a danger, but so can the refusal to learn from toher traditions and share on'es practices with an open hand."
my favourite quote is a tongue-in-cheek quote by McLaren about the term "New Kind of Christian"....."My new considerations turn out, as they always do, to be a rediscovery of something old and very precious." And that's truly what this book does. Find's the old, and helps us to embrace it once again (instead of reject it as some previously have...)
And as the beginning of the book suggests, all these chapters are not another "to-do" list, it's to incorporate us into realizing Christianity wasn't about a "to-do" list, it was about an active living relationship with the Creator of the universe. It's about living a life, rather than "acting out" a life as religious rules can make you do. It's about learning, but realizing how that learning can infect your life with goodness and how it can spread for more goodness in the world!
Enjoy the book and more importantly learn practices for real-life.