DISQUS

Jeff Luce · 2 years ago

I thought Driscoll made some really solid points about theology and the direction of the church, but I find him extremely abrasive and mean!

GORDON · 2 years ago

Who is this guy, to think that his views underline true loyalty to the biblical Jesus. The biblical view of Jesus is fraught with difficulties and are highly disparate, nevertheless ultimately Jesus comes out shining and incomparable. Men such as Marcus Borg have made a meaningful contribution as to what Jesus was all about - and although I may not agree with all that Marcus writes nevertheless I am exceedingly grateful for his contribution.

Driscoll subscribes to a tunnel vision view of scripture and is bankrupt of any originality.
Quite candidly anyone who desires to follow Jesus today needs a more penetrating insight as to what Jesus taught, and who He was. His warped view of the place of women in the church and the home speaks volumes about his scholarship. I want to know nothing of such a Driscolian Jesus.

In my opinion Driscoll needs to stop talking in a condescending manner about how ‘nice’ those ‘guys’ are whom he has met, and engage seriously in the current debate. He simply has nothing original to offer to the multifarious twentieth/twenty-first century emerging views about Jesus.

Dick Larsen · 2 years ago

Unfortunately many people will trust somebody like Driscoll, believe he is telling the truth, and join in the condemnations. They will not look any further into the accusation to see that either Driscoll doesn't take the time to research his claims or is purposefully lying. In his book, The Velvet Elvis, Rob Bell poses a question about ones Christian belief and would it all crumble if it were proven that Mary the mother of Jesus was not a virgin when she became pregnant. Then he goes on to affirm his belief in the virgin birth.

Kris Loewen · 2 years ago

I find Driscoll quite hostile and generally hard to listen to. It seems like he takes a form that feels like Neo-Fundamentalism: where it's cool to trash on everyone you don't agree with - and insist you (and you alone) are correct.
I hope I am more generous in my critique of him - than he has been to the wonderful, Christ-Filled, Spirit-Led, preacher & Christianity-changing leader Rob Bell.
Driscoll is one of the reasons so many people associate the hatred of homosexuals with the Christian Church. Jesus was above this.

Andrew · 2 years ago

I hope that this post isn’t been seen by people as an introduction to Emergent because the podcast tells us more about Driscoll than Emergent.

As has already been mentioned his tone is downright hostile and combative. He also claims the right to distinguish between orthodoxy and heresy.

The problem is this: (again as already pointed out, here and elsewhere) he has to misrepresent and misquote both Pagitt and Bell in order to show that they are “heretics”.

So here we have someone who holds (at least in my understanding) unorthodox views on the role and place of women in the church, telling the audience that others are heretics, backing it up with misquotes and misrepresentation, all served up with a dressing of anger.

It reminds me of an observation by my old homiletics lecturer... when preachers start shouting they’re usually on very thin ground.

matthewgamble.com · 2 years ago

I love Mark Driscoll, not because I agree entirely with his theology, but because of his love for scripture and lifting up Jesus. Living in Seattle myself, I attend Mars Hill several times a year to see what they are up to. What you will find is a huge room, slap full of young adults who are getting into the Word of God. For that I am thankful.

I am baffled because just last week I attended a conference in Seattle where Brian McLaren was the main speaker. I have attended the conference twice now and have attended a class taught by McLaren towards my doctorate. I have read both Driskoll's and McLaren's books.

While I love Driscoll, I am a bit confused where he comes at these guys as being weak theologically. I thought that his point about the fall in Gen. 3 being wrapped around conversation was an interesting one, but is he not in a conversation himself?

Driscoll, if you are reading this, keep up the great work! Personally I love you sense of humor and your ability to tell it how it is (or at least how you see it!) You just need to repent from your disbelief in the seventh-day Sabbath.

Clint & Lisa Heacock · 2 years ago

I am a little out of touch with the emergent church happenings in the States as I am over in the UK as a student.

However from what I have studied I believe it is true that the emergent church movement, as much as some would like it to be, is not a monolith. This makes it hard to critique because it really doesn't have a "leader" per se.

I have read McLaren and found him to be extremely liberating, coming as I did from a context of American evangelicalism that quite simply was not working in a church context.

I would like to comment again after listening to the podcast from the conference.