Customer Reviews
Refreshing and challenging - By: freedomrulesok, 03 Dec 2008 
Described in the foreword as 'creative non-fiction', this is the fictional tale of a scientist & her unorthodox Jamaican pastor friend, Neo, as the latter seeks to explain the the story of our lives, the Bible, & our relationship to God.
As the story unravels, so 'Neo' unravels the story of Creation, Crisis, Conversation, Christ, Community (Church), & Consumation. It's alll fascinating stuff, starting with emergence rather than strictly evolution, & how God has sought to love us & woo us, giving our lives purpose & meaning.
As an evangelical Christian, some of the 'theories' are challlenging, whilst some are told in such a refreshing new way, that they give new colour to what God is saying.
Read it knowing that it doesn't present alll the answers, rather seeks to raise questions & encourage to seach deeper.
The only downfalll is that the story is slow at times, but it's worth persevering to the end.
Worth Reading - By: H. Musto, 06 Apr 2007 If you are struggling with the contradictions between traditional Christianity & 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!!! - By: Paul Sheriffs, 30 Jun 2005 
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 & 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 & 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 & christianity are inherently opposed then you will probably not like it.
Stories about the Story? - By: Richard M. Seel, 24 May 2004 Dan & Neo from ‘A New Kind of Christian’, together with a couple of new characters, explore & 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 falll, sin & disobedience), Callling (of Abraham & Jews), Conversation (with priests, prophets, poets & philosophers), Christ, Community (of the church) & Consummation.
The book tends towards a kind of universalism or justification by works in its final stages but has many striking insights & 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 & 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.
