The Story We Find Ourselves in

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Worth Reading - Rated
If you are struggling with the contradictions between traditional Christianity and living in the modern world this could be the book for you, whether you see yourself as a Christian, someone who is looking for faith or from a more anthropoligical persepective. The downside to the book is that in trying to weld the theology to a fictional storyline it can feel rather slow going at times.

This book is amazing!!! - Rated
Honestly this book has been sooo liberating for me.

No longer does post-modernity have to be considered an enemy of christianity (as it often has been seen by a church stuck in its modern ways). Rather, it is a culture with good points and bad points just like any other.

If you love Jesus, yet you sometimes find yourself identifying more with those around you than with those in the church, then this book is for you.

Or if you are just intrigued by him or some ideas of christianity, yet don't like the idea of a controlling, irrelevant religion then this is for you too.

It is written as a narrative rather than a textbook, so is very easy to read. The downside of this (and, perhaps, of its American audience) is that it has moments of cheesiness that you will need to forgive. But look beyond this and you will find a tale that may resonate with something deep within you.

WARNING: This book is not for everyone. If, for example, you think that evolution and christianity are inherently opposed then you will probably not like it.

Stories about the Story? - Rated
Dan & Neo from ‘A New Kind of Christian’, together with a couple of new characters, explore and expound the story we find ourselves in—the great story of life, the universe & everything. According to Neo there are seven main episodes: Creation, Crisis (the fall, sin & disobedience), Calling (of Abraham & Jews), Conversation (with priests, prophets, poets & philosophers), Christ, Community (of the church) and Consummation.
The book tends towards a kind of universalism or justification by works in its final stages but has many striking insights and offers a way of inviting people to make sense of their own lives by seeing them as part of this greater story.
Like "A New Kind of Christian" it is easy to read and offers much food for thought. Some postmodernists, like Lyotard, would say that no metanarrative is possible any more but McLaren makes a good case for saying that this one is compelling enough for people to intuitively accept it.
Richard Seel.