Friday, September 23, 2005

"The Purpose Driven Life"

The Sept. 12, issue of The New Yorker has an insightful analysis of Rick Warren's success in growing his Saddleback church as well as publishing several best sellers.
What's his secret for church growth? Small groups.
Why is he popular? He understands small group psychology, whether of lay people or pastors.
How sound is his theology? Malcolm Gladwell writes:
Warren's God is not awesome or angry and does not stand in judgment of human sin. He's genial and mellow.
"Warren's God 'wants to be your best friend,' and this means, in turn, that God's most daunting property, the exercise of eternal judgment, is strategically downsized," the critic Chris Lehmann writes, echoing a common complaint:

When Warren turns his utility-minded feel-speak upon the symbolic iconography of the faith, the results are offensively bathetic: "When Jesus stretched his arms wide on the cross, he was saying, 'I love you this much.'" But God needs to be at a greater remove than a group hug.

Yes, Warren is popular. Yes, his followers do a lot of good works. But at what cost? Where is sin? Where is repentance? Where is salvation from eternal punishment? Where is our true freedom in Christ?

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