| Title | : | Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 1250262798 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9781250262790 |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 272 |
| Publication | : | Published May 24, 2022 |
"Brian's new book on remaining Christian knocks it out of the ballpark in terms of framing and naming the questions. I cannot stop reading it. Thank you, Brian!"
—Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, founder of the Center for Action and Contemplation, author of The Universal Christ
"Any thoughtful Christian has been asking the questions McLaren tackles here, but many of us are afraid to voice them aloud. In Do I Stay Christian? we’re gifted a gentle guide who opens ideas and voices the questions we cannot, naming our frustration, fear, and hesitant hope."
—Rev. Dr. Amy Butler, former Senior Minister, The Riverside Church; Founder, Invested Faith
Do I Stay Christian? addresses in public the powerful question that surprising numbers of people—including pastors, priests, and other religious leaders—are asking in private. Picking up where Faith After Doubt leaves off, Do I Stay Christian? is not McLaren's attempt to persuade Christians to dig in their heels or run for the exit. Instead, he combines his own experience with that of thousands of people who have confided in him over the years to help readers make a responsible, honest, ethical decision about their religious identity.
There is a way to say both yes and no to the question of staying Christian, McLaren says, by shifting the focus from whether we stay Christian to how we stay human. If Do I Stay Christian? is the question you're asking—or if it's a question that someone you love is asking—this is the book you've been waiting for.
Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned Reviews
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If we're talking about staying or leaving Christianity, what definition of "Christianity" are we talking about? I appreciated that fact that the author acknowledged that "Christianity doesn't refer to one simple thing. Like any religion, Christianity is a complex mixture of many different things...". I've copied the eleven different facets of Christianity identified by the author in the following spoiler.
The author admits that by the time he finished college he had "affiliated with Christianity on eleven out of eleven markers." But in subsequent years every single marker became "problematized" for him. It is from this background that the author offers the following description of the purpose of this book.I am not writing this book to convince you (or myself) to stay Christian. Nor am I writing this book to convince you (or myself) to leave Christianity identity behind forever. Instead, I want to think through the question of retaining or shedding Christian identity with you looking over my shoulder. And I want us to consider how we are going to live, whether or not we identify as Christian.
The book is divided into three parts; Part I gives reasons to say no to Christian identity, Part II gives reasons to say yes to Christianity, and Part III explores the question of how we're going to live whether or not the decision is yes or no.
Part I is divided into ten chapters providing ten reasons to say no. The chapter titles provide short descriptions of their contents. I've provided the ten chapter titles (i.e. ten reasons to say no) in the following spoiler.
The author's description of the reasons to say no to Christianity are quite convincing, and people who have already said no to Christianity will find the material in Part I to be a useful articulation of the reasons for their position.
Part II is also divided into ten chapters providing ten reasons to say yes. The chapter titles provide short descriptions of their contents. I've provided the ten chapter titles (i.e. ten reasons to say yes) in the following spoiler.
Whether the reasons for yes are as convincing as they are for no will probably depend on the reader's existing circumstances. Readers who are members of faith communities with which they are comfortable will find the reasons to say yes to be convincing. Others faced with finding a new community with which they can comfortably identify will most likely not be moved.
Part III strives to encourage readers, regardless of their answer to the question in the title of this book, to be better humans. The author defines this as being "the most just, kind, and humble version of ourselves that we possible can, day by day ... to lean with others into a new humanity, a new generation or new kind of humanity, open to every good resource that can help us, explicitly Christian or not."
Near the beginning of Part III in the "Include and Transcend" chapter, the author has provided a chart that delineates four stages of spiritual maturity. The author suggests that some people who have left Christianity would have been happy moving instead to another stage of spiritual understanding had they known such an alternative existed.
Click here to see chart (p. 162-165). An even better version of the chart is at the following link:
http://brianmclaren.net/wp-content/up...
Since I have included the chapter titles of Parts I and II, I have also included chapter titles for Part III in the following spoiler. However, I found these chapter titles less descriptive of their contents than was the case in the other parts.
Here's a link to a review of the book from The Presbyterian Outlook:
https://pres-outlook.org/2022/07/do-i... -
“ I really don’t care if you stay Christian.”
McLaren concludes his book with this assertion and adds that the key question each human faces is not “ Should I be a Christian?” but rather “What kind of human do I want to become?” This book is divided into 3 parts. “Part one: No” details reasons for leaving Christianity altogether, including chapters on colonialism, white patriarchy, toxic theology, lack of transformation and constricted intellectualism. “Part 2: Yes” explores support for staying, including the topics of where to go ( all groups have problems), Jesus’ extraordinary life, and the fact that Christianity is still in its infancy. “Part 3: How” imagines a way forward for humanity, whether that future includes Christianity or not.
As always, McLaren’s writing offers reasoned, thoughtful support for struggling and frustrated Christians, among whom I consider myself to be one. This book will take me another reading and lots of discussion to digest, not because it is difficult to read ( it is not), but because some of the information is so new to me. For example, in the chapter on toxic theology, he details how Christianity has been based on a model of the universe where “worldly things”are allowed to change and evolve, but “ eternal things” are considered perfect and cannot change. He challenges this assumption and offers a gentle introduction to what I believe is “process theology” and asks” why can’t we Christians admit that we, like everything else in the universe are in process and that our religion, like all religions, is actually an event, constantly, unavoidably changing, for better or worse?”
More insightful info includes his list of biases all humans struggle with, found in the chapter on “Constricted Intellectualism” and the concept of “innocence addiction “(we want a victim to defend and a evil villain to oppose in order to feel both superior and innocent), which he offers as a partial explanation for the pro-life movement. And his chapter on Fermi’s Paradox ( if the universe is as old as it appears, why haven’t we been visited by alien life forms?) suggests that a new Christianity could be instrumental in preventing humanity from destroying itself.
McLaren writes with gentle humility and graciousness, gradually pulling the reader towards seeing a new vision of Christianity which offers hope for our planet and for humanity as well. -
There are handful of reasons why I disagree with this book and should be be called How Not to be a Christian.
The book is laid in several parts and the first part was Donald Trump! Yes Donald Trump has ruined Christianity. And if you are not a Christian because of Donald Trump, I hate to break it to you, Donald Trump is not responsible for your Christianity. The gospel of Christ is an equalizer. Everyone needs the gospel for salvation. Gospel means good news. The Good news of salvation. Black, white, yellow, poor, rich, criminal, saint, young, old, etc. Christianity is not white supremacy but the equalizer that we all will stand before God who has holds all authority. He has made a way thru Jesus Christ to be saved from sin. Acknowledging our sin is big part of Christianity. Sin separates us from God the father. All sin is against God and we suffer the consequences. We will not know peace until we know God. Religions, kingdoms, the elite, will not have peace until Christ comes back.
Crazy that a book on Christianity hardly had any scripture to back up McLaren's BS. He referenced some scripture (did not quote but paraphrased) but did not lay out his arguments against scripture and the gospel.
No reference to the trinity Not. One. He speaks of Jesus as a man not as the God man. Not sure how he can reconcile Jesus of Revelation.
Beware of the wolf in sheep clothing. He tickles the ear and will lead many against the truth. Progressive Christianity is funny to me because it indicates that it is always changing. God in essence is truth. TRUTH DOES NOT CHANGE.
A special thank you to St. Martins Press and Netgalley for the ARC and the opportunity to post an honest review. -
Thank you St Martin's for the ARC to read and review.
Brian McLaren tackles from two points of view, the reasons to leave Christianity or to stay,
This book is written for people of the Christian faith who struggle with social and political issues of modernity.
He sites the corporate nature of the historical church, bringing questions about patriarchal structures that limit the rights of marginalized communities. He brings to light the failings of the historical church's violent past and love of money and antisemitic positions.
But he doesn't stop at the failings of the church. He gives strategies and methods to reform and break the church free from the chains that keep it from moving forward and renewing. -
As a mormon, I grew up feeling very separate from the rest of Christianity. I mean, Mormon's do like to tell people we ARE Christian but we also believe we are the only church on earth with the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. With such a divisive stance, who can really blame other Christians for not wanting to claim us? We, after all, rejected them first. By the way, it must be said that I am using we and us loosely. I do still consider myself Mormon but I am not really a believing Mormon...which brings me to why I loved this book.
It was healing to put myself in the context of a shared Christian history, even though that history is messy, and often times horrifying. I have been so caught up in Mormonism's complicated and often upsetting history, that it felt liberating to realize that a) Mormonism did not spring out of thin air; it is an offshoot of a long Christian tradition and b) Mormonism isn't the only religion with baggage and doubters who are desperately trying to find a way to stay.
I loved what the author said about the false dichotomy of choosing between defiantly leaving, or compliantly staying. You can defiantly stay! I also appreciated that McLaren added that you can (and should) be gracious and kind while being defiant within your religious tradition. I loved how he said that some traditionalists think that doubters like me "won't" believe but the truth is we "can't" believe.
I would recommend this book for anyone doubting within their religious tradition. However, it lost a star for me because despite his promise that he wouldn't try to convince you either way, the last third is him trying to convince you to follow his brand of enlightened living (which you can do from within or without Christianity, so he did keep that promise). While his ideas for a way forward had merit, I thought he came on a little too strong, especially in a book where he promised to let you reach your own conclusions.
All in all, this book helped me find justifications to stay in my current religion despite and even because of my misgivings and he helped me to better understand why I feel so confident about the ways I am chosing to be defiant within that tradition. -
** spoiler**
This book frustrated me so much.
Be a Christian, or not.
There is good and bad in all, and will continue to be.
You can't worry about what has happened before.
Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free, it had no bearing on the rating I gave it. -
I won’t be rating. DNF. Didn’t like or agree with at all. I will say it was supposed to be a Christian book to help with being a better Christian, but it didn’t seem that way at all. That’s all. I will end it there. Please no bad comments. I’m just giving my honest thoughts and opinions.
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I would not be religious as an adult if I hadn't read Brian McLaren growing up. I often joke that he's a great gateway drug to progressive/emergent/adaptive Christianity, but that's a very flippant statement and his work is super important. His writing is very accessible and easy to understand.
This new book is wonderful. He has a gift for explaining complicated things in really succinct ways. Points that would take me an hour to talk about take him 1-3 pages.
I really appreciate his vulnerability. He includes himself in his criticisms and acknowledges his own faults and compromises. He doesn't just talk about other people who conform to patriarchal, racist Christianity, but also talks about times when he's conformed to it himself, like as a parent when he adopted the outlandish authoritarian parenting styles promoted among conservative circles, and his failure to respond lovingly the first time someone came out to him.
Personally I was much more interested in the first 2 parts, where he discusses specific reasons for and against the titular rhetorical question. I was excited by a reading of the Legion demoniac story I hadn't considered before.
Part 3, which consisted of action steps for moving forward, wasn't as useful for me because I'm pretty deeply enmeshed in the atmosphere this book is coming from. But it's all really important, and if you haven't been exposed to them before- like the importance of experiencing the sacred (or an equivalent secular concept) through nature and your body and being more dedicated to reality than our transitory interpretations of reality bounded by language- then they are vital to read. -
Although there were a few parts I glossed over, I love the way he laid it out, love the permission given, and loved the arguments he maid along the way. So glad I read it.
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As usual, this author helps me to explore the hard questions in a way that honors my authentic self. Will probably read it again.
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McLaren ends this book with what is possibly the most loving phrase any pastor could ever say: "I really don't care if you stay Christian." Acknowledging the deep harm and abuse the church has perpetuated, he sees no reason to shame or scare people into remaining in environments which have become, or have even always been toxic to them. That said, he is also even-handed in his acknowledgement that the church has been healing and redemptive for many others. Thus, the question he is ultimately concerned with has less to do with what people intellectually subscribe to, and more with what kind of person they become. Arguing from what seems to be a postmodern form of virtue ethics, this idea is flushed out as follows:
1) We are all inevitably formed by our contexts, and truth is therefore relative.
2) Choosing an environment which will form us into healthy, loving people is consequently of the upmost importance.
3) Because this sort of environment is different for everyone, we should not insist that others follow our way of life in spite of evidence that it is ineffectual or even traumatic for them. Further, we should not attempt to force ourselves into such an environment either. -
This is a question I grapple with--so many reasons to leave and yet. . . McLaren helped me understand the reasons I stay (so far).
Part I presents a strong case for leaving. Part II offers what staying can offer: a chance to change the old vision into something new and alive (which if you believe in Christ, is very helpful). And in Part III he goes beyond Parts I and II to present a new vision of a way to live in complexity and wonder.
In the end, whatever a person decides, we can't abandon the question of community and love (of the world and each other), however we choose to live it out. -
2.5 I won this book in a giveaway. The book was really predictable which made it a chore to get through. The most helpful part for me was the author’s brief introduction to process theology, which is something I’d be interested in studying more of
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This book was exactly what I needed for where I am in my relation to Christianity and the Christian community. I listened to the author’s narration and it was excellent, but I want to go back and reread many sections of the book, so I ended up buying a copy of my own. I’m looking forward to digging deeper into this aspect of my life.
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I read this book to participate in a study group at church. I found it very thought provoking, and I learned more historical background of the Christian religion than I had known. It gave voice to many issues that have been rattling around in my brain for some time. The last section, "How," casts a vision for a better world that is beyond the binary conceptualization that most of us live and think in. Good stuff.
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This book sounded appealing but became predictable, tedious and I could barely finish reading. Like a sermon that had gone on too long.
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This book started out fine. Even thought-provoking. But what I have learned about the author is he never stops talking. As the book dredged on the chapters were overly long and entirely too wordy. He lost me even though this is something that I was really wanting to hear the pros and cons of. In the end, I guess I’m just not ecumenical enough for this book to really speak to my heart, and the struggles I go through with spirituality. Wouldn’t recommend.
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It’s pretty straightforward: ten chapters that answer the titular question “No,” followed by ten chapters that answer “Yes,” followed by eight chapters that answer “How?”, applicable to either way you answer. But the reasons McLaren give are insightful.
In Part 1 he really gets into the horrible depths of the sordid history of Christian anti-Semitism, heresy hunting, crusading and colonizing, money, white patriarchy, toxic theology, lack of transformed lives, and intellectual suicide. All great reasons to jump ship and swim as far from Christianity as possible.
Part 2 mostly deals with why staying on the ship, on the other hand, is the best hope for changing Christianity’s wayward course. McLaren points out that there are many who are already trying their best to do this, and they need help. And, he points out, there are more options beyond just compliantly staying or defiantly leaving: one could also defiantly stay—and try to change things. Plus there’s the thought I also keep coming back to: Considering the enormous amount of time the human race has been around, Christianity is still just in its infancy. Perhaps most important: Jesus himself makes a good reason not to leave, since his own life and teachings make the best antidote to the dull and deadly ways of the institutional Church.
In Part 3 McLaren shares from a wealth of experiences and ideas about how exactly “Christendom” can grow into something more like the way of Jesus. He also shares how leaving the church, or belonging to other movements, is also a completely fair option, as long as one avoids returning to the same errors. After all, we’re only human. A gospel based on forgiveness seems to understand that. -
Many years ago, I read Brian McLaren’s book, A New Kind of Christian, and it was a transformative experience. I’d grown up within North American Evangelicalism, and McLaren’s book was one of those key moments in opening my eyes up to the breadth and scope of what Christianity is. I’m at a very different place now as I read Do I Stay Christian? I’m firmly on the post-Evangelical side of things, and McLaren’s arguments against staying Christian land as nothing new to me, while his pro arguments come up too short to convince me. But that’s the beauty of McLaren’s argument, what we’ve considered Christianity (e.g., Evangelicalism) isn’t what it has to be, or truly even is. We can choose to make the faith what we want it to be. We can learn and grow and move beyond those things that hold us back. McLaren’s book is a great starting point for those questioning where they fit with the Christian faith. Good luck on your journey!
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I have done three separate blog posts on this book, because it demanded such an intense look into each of the three Parts.
Part 1
https://rubygetsreal.blogspot.com/202...
Part 2
https://rubygetsreal.blogspot.com/202...
Part 3
https://rubygetsreal.blogspot.com/202... -
Discouragement, disillusionment, and disappointment. These are increasingly common sentiments among evangelicals. As the author travels around major cities in America, he recalls familiar messages of people, especially clergy, who are not only questioning their own faith, they were contemplating leaving both ministry and belief altogether! The author invites us to ponder over the very question, which is also the title of the book: "Do I Stay Christian?" This may seem like a silly question, especially for those of us who have taken the label for granted. One needs to read the book further to discover the many nuances of Christian beliefs. In his typically frank manner, Brian McLaren probes deep into the heart of the cultural Christian, people who call themselves evangelicals but find it increasingly difficult to justify their association with the institutional Church or even the faith itself. From his own diverse backgrounds and varied experiences, he shares with us his own search for identity and probes with us the current state of faith and identity crises. He pushes the envelope further by saying that the question posed as the title of the book is not simply an intellectual exercise but involves matters of the heart, identity, and ultimate concern. Like a liberal arts professor, he prevents the different views as objectively as possible. He then argues from the two main positions before showing us the way forward that brings together the positives from both angles. Like a debater that argues back and forth between both positions of opposing and affirming the resolution, McLaren aims to show the best of both sides in the hope that we can find a reasonable path forward that does justice to both. Above all, whether one affirms or denies the faith, the gospel of love is to love both sides regardless.
On the NO front (Part One), he presents ten arguments from anti-semitism to the oft-mentioned accusations of hypocrisy over money. There are arguments that reflect real sentiments in our culture such as the historical assault on dissent, the perception of white supremacy in Christianity, and the depressing greying Church population.
On the YES front (Part Two), he also gives ten reasons to keep the faith. Leaving the faith hurts one's friends and allies. The choices of leaving or staying should not be the only options. We should not jump ship when the Church is still writing her story. Some of the reasons do sound a little questionable, such as the one to "Free God" from His obligation to us.
Finally, Part Three covers thoughts about how to do justice to the sentiments of the things discussed. McLaren offers readers eight suggestions on navigating the issues between faith and doubt.
My Thoughts
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This book is written primarily from an angle that reflects the current American spiritual climate that is increasingly hostile to Christianity. Readers from the West, especially if one is from a white evangelical background, these issues might spark feelings close to the heart. Those who are outside of these circles might find some of the issues foreign to them, (for example the chapter on "White Patriarchy.") With the way the previous President Trump has divided public opinions, especially evangelical groups, there is a need to make sense of the divide so that we can find a common space to do the good that we all want to do. Even as the author describes the way the evangelical white groups assert their power, I am not sure how much that represents the majority white population. More likely, it is a vocal and influential minority who wields the ax. Perhaps, this is a reminder to the silent majority to speak up. In this sense, this book is doing just that. Some of the arguments are a little over the top. For example, the chapter on Christianity's suppression of dissent. The pushback is that power corrupts and anyone in power (including the Church) is in danger of being corrupt. Perhaps, McLaren is just thinking out loud some of the negative thoughts about the Church. That said, like any advertisement that tends to exaggerate something, I think some of McLaren's arguments have unwittingly flipped to an undesired extreme. I must also add that readers should take time to read the arguments and not to draw conclusions just by looking at the single argumentative statement, namely, the title of the chapter. For me, readers who are currently believers and Church-goers should learn from the NO section and be aware of such perceptions. For the YES section, readers ought to read it with a stance of humility.
I find the work honest and provocative. It is honest in the sense that it contains several personal stories that support the claims made. This is even more important in an increasingly skeptical world, especially when it comes to religious expressions. It is provocative because it dares to challenge people about their long-held beliefs. The value of this book is two-fold. First, learn from the negative perceptions and try to understand why the Church and Christianity have such a negative image. Be willing to learn and acknowledge past mistakes. Second, be encouraged that there is hope. Christianity is about the revelation of the gospel of hope in Jesus. Admit that how Christians practice the faith is still very much a work in progress. Be humble and hopeful.
The appendices could have been easily incorporated into the main part of the book, but for some reason, are left at the end. Perhaps, these are areas of conviction that McLaren holds firmly that cannot be easily inserted into either the NO or YES portions of the book. Readers should read Appendix I first so that they can understand how to get the most out of this book. The author suggests two ways to read it, firstly to read it carefully by underlining or compiling quotations, and secondly with a group. I would like to suggest a third way: with the Bible. What McLaren has done is to acknowledge the cultural perceptions of the shortcomings of the Church and evangelicals, especially in recent years. However, the Bible has been saying the same thing all along, that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Perhaps, if readers would be motivated to explore and read the Bible more after reading this book, it would have worth the price of the book.
This is a good resource to invite discussion among doubters, skeptics, and the disillusioned. Maybe, this book opens the door for anyone sitting on the fence to reconsider the Truth of the gospel.
A former college English teacher, Brian D. McLaren was a pastor for twenty-four years. Now he’s an author, activist, public theologian, and frequent guest lecturer for gatherings in the U.S. and internationally. His work has been covered in TIME Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, and many other media outlets. The author of more than 15 books, including Faith After Doubt, Do I Stay Christian?, and A New Kind of Christian, he is a faculty member of The Living School at the Center for Action and Contemplation. McLaren lives in Florida.
Rating: 4 stars of 5.
conrade
This book has been provided courtesy of St Martin's Press and NetGalley without requiring a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied. -
Though framed from a Christian perspective, since this is the premise, it fits and can be scaled to most anything, including other faiths, or even organizations.
Brian McLaren stated some clear challenges to both traditional (conservative / literal) Christianity, which is highly resistant to change, and a response of just leaving completely. This book struck some chords with me, having come from a more open minded and progressive Christianity in that the spectrum is not as clear as he outlined. This book IS a great place to start, but I would encourage readers to look deeper.
An example is that my church was previously fairly centrist, politically (some conservatives, some progressives) but very open minded, theologically, willing to hear different viewpoints and have them inform our own faiths and actions in the world. Though my church has distinctly moved to a more liberal social agenda, it has become fairly tribal, theologically, with former pastors and guests distinctly downplaying non-traditional Christian views, even touting my denomination as 'correct' with others as not so much, and less open to discussions.
By using the challenges placed in how to approach one's faith (part III), this helped me tremendously in how to interact with the direction my church is taking, along with other organizations such as the company I work for, or even groups I support and interact with. For me, traditional Christianity as a whole has lost a lot of the theological / social inspiration and freshness Jesus himself taught, even if the social justice aspects are gaining some ground. -
An important book for our times in which religious people are often either equating religion with nationalism, reactionary fear, and narrow moral and political causes OR leaving their religion out of disappointment, disillusionment, boredom, disgust, or heartbreak.
McLaren provides ten good reasons to leave Christianity behind and ten to stay. Then in the final section of the book, he provides eight ways to move forward with justice, mercy, humility and wisdom either way.
The reasons to leave section is thorough, important, and powerful. The how to move forward is original, surprising, and very helpful. The reasons to stay list feels pretty specific and almost quirky to McLaren in some case, absolutely persuasive to me in others.
Reasons to Leave
1) Anti-Semitism (brutality toward Mother)
2) Internal Violence (the crush of dissent - brutality toward siblings)
3) Crusader Colonialism
4) Institutionalism
5) Money
6) White patriarchy
7) Toxic theology
8) Lack of transformation
9) Constricted intellectualism
10) Demographics (aging and dying)
Reasons to Stay
1) Leaving hurts allies
2) You don't need to leave defiantly or stay compliantly - you can stay defiantly!
3) Where else would I go?
4) A shame to leave a religion in its infancy
5) Jesus - our legendary founder
6) Innocence is a disease, solidarity is the cure
7) I'm human - more solidarity
8) Christianity is changing - for the worse and for the better
9) Free God (use the apophatic to liberate God)
10) Fermi's paradox and the great filter - redeemed Christianity as a way of avoiding extinction
How to Move Forward
1) Include and Transcend
2) Start with the heart
3) Re-wild
4) Find the flow
5) Reconsecrate everything
6) Renounce and announce
7) Stay loyal to reality
8) Stay human
