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For the Canadian sprinter, see Brian MacLaren.

Brian D. McLaren (born 1956) is an author, speaker, activist, public theologian and was a leading figure in the emerging church movement. McLaren is often associated with postmodern Christianity.[1]

Education and career

Raised in Rockville, Maryland in the conservative Open Brethren, part of the Plymouth Brethren, McLaren became attracted to the countercultural Jesus Movement in the 1970s.[2] He is a faculty member and Dean of Faculty for the Centre for Action and Contemplation.[3]

McLaren attended the University of Maryland where he received both a B.A. (1978) and M.A. (1981) [4][5] He holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Carey Theological Seminary, Vancouver. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal).

From 1978-1986 McLaren taught college English. He helped form Cedar Ridge Community Church, a non-denominational church in Spencerville, Maryland, in 1982.[6] He was founding pastor and served in that capacity until 2006. The church eventually grew to include 500 members.[7]

In 2011, McLaren defended Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins against critiques from figures such as Albert Mohler, who argued that Bell advocated universalism.[8]

In 2013, McLaren stated that he did not believe homosexual conduct to be sinful.[9]

In 2015, McLaren was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.[10]

Personal life

McLaren is married and has four children and five grandchildren.[5][11] In September 2012, McLaren led a commitment ceremony for his son Trevor and partner Owen Ryan at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[12]

Publications

Children's Books

  • Brian D. McLaren; Gareth Higgins (2023). Cory and the Seventh Story. Illustrated by Anita Scmidt. New York: Crown.

Sole-authored Books

  • More Ready Than You Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2002.
  • Finding Faith: A Self-discovery Guide for Your Spiritual Quest. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1999.
  • The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in a Postmodern Matrix. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2003.
  • The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2006.
  • Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2009.
  • A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that are Transforming the Faith. San Francsico: HarperOne. 2010.
  • Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words. San Francsico: HarperOne. 2011.
  • Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 2012.
  • The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian. London: SPCK. 2013.
  • We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation. Jericho Books. 2014.
  • Seeking Aliveness: Daily Reflections on a New Way to Experience and Practise the Christian Faith. Londo: Hodder & Stoughton. 2017.
  • The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion Is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian. Colorado Springs: Convergent. 2016.
  • Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About it. Edinburgh: John Murray Press. 2021.
  • Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 2022.
  • Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. London: Hachette. 2024.

Co-authored books

  • Leonard Sweet; Brian D. McLaren; Jerry Haselmayer (2003). A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
  • Brian D. McLaren; Gareth Higgins (2019). The Seventh Story: Us, Them, and the End of Violence. Porch.

Books part of a Series

  • Brian D. McLaren; Tony Campolo (2003). Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
  • Andy Crouch; Michael Horton; Frederica Mathewes-Green; Brian D. McLaren; Erwin Raphael McManus (2003). Leoard Sweet (ed.). The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
  • A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional + evangelical + post/protestant + liberal/conservative + mystical/poetic + biblical + charismatic/contemplative + fundamentalist/Calvinist + anabaptist/Anglican + Methodist + catholic + green + incarnational + depressed-yet-hopeful + emergent + unfinished Christian. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2006.
  • Brian D. McLaren; Chris Seay (2006). The Dust off Their Feet: Lessons from the First Church. The Voice. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
  • Brian D. McLaren; Chris Seay (2007). The Voice of Luke: Not Even Sandals. The Voice. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
  • Finding Faith: A Search for What is Real. Finding Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2007.
  • Finding Faith: A Search for What Makes Sense. Finding Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2007.
  • A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. Jossey Bass Leadership Network. Hoboken: Jossey Bass. 2008.
  • The Last Word and the Word After That: A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity. Jossey Bass Leadership Network. Hoboken: Jossey Bass. 2008.
  • Brian D. McLaren; Phyllis Tickle (2010). Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices. Ancient Practices. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
  • The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey. On Location. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2019.

Co-edited volumes

  • Brian McLaren; Elisa Padilla; Ashley Bunting Seeber, eds. (2009). The Justice Project. Emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith. Ada: Baker.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Brian McLaren: Postmodern Christianity Understood as Story". Christianpost.com. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  2. ^ Murphy, Caryle (September 10, 2006). "Evangelical Author Puts Progressive Spin On Traditional Faith". Washington Post. Retrieved January 3, 2023.
  3. ^ "Building on Richard Rohr's Founding Vision". cac.org. Retrieved April 4, 2024.
  4. ^ "Author Brian McLaren to speak at summer worship series". Asheville Citizen. Asheville, NC. August 12, 2010.
  5. ^ a b Tucker, Abigail (April 27, 2005). "Fire without brimstone: Brian McLaren preaches tolerance and environmentalism, making him one of the country's more unusual yet influential evangelicals". Baltimore Sun.
  6. ^ "Cedar Ridge Community Church". crcc.org/. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  7. ^ Garrison, Greg (August 2, 2014). "'The Bible is a book about immigration': Emerging Church leader McLaren returning to Birmingham". al.
  8. ^ "Brian McLaren Defends Rob Bell against Mohler's Critique". Christianpost.com. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  9. ^ Theoblogy (8 October 2012). "Brian McLaren's View on Homosexuality".
  10. ^ "Brian McLaren - Paradigm Shifter". Time. 2005-02-07. Archived from the original on June 11, 2010.
  11. ^ "About Brian McLaren". Retrieved April 19, 2022.
  12. ^ "Trevor McLaren, Owen Ryan - Weddings". The New York Times. 2012-09-23. Retrieved 15 October 2012.

Critical references

  • Carson, D. A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church. Grand Rapids, Michigan Zondervan, 2005.
  • Erickson, Millard. Postmodernizing the Faith: Evangelical Responses to the Challenge of Postmodernism. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Books, 1998.
  • ________; Helseth, Paul Kjoss; and Taylor, Justin eds. Reclaiming the Center: Confronting Evangelical Accommodation in Postmodern Times. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2004.
  • Smith, R. Scott. Truth and the New Kind of Christian: The Emerging Effects of Postmodernism in the Church. Wheaton, Illinois: Crossway Books, 2005.

Interviews

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