Us For Them: Chapter 7: Conservative and Progressive
In this chapter author Austin Fischer delivers a powerful punch to Christians locked into ideological mindsets, unwilling to listen to others. I think he gives good descriptions of conservative and progressive mindsets and urges people with them to open up and learn from the others. Both mindsets have real values and virtues, unless they become rigid mindsets. Both have real problems, especially when they become rigid mindsets.
I love Austin’s personal stories and testimonies. And his quotations and references to thinkers like Stanley Hauerwas (“You don’t get to make Christianity up”) and Sergei Bulgakov. (How many of you are familiar with him??)
Here is a taste of Austin in this chapter: “True believers on the right and left unwittingly conspire to make healthy, humble, and critically friendly dialogue impossible by mistaking a collaborative tension for a holy war where we must pursue victory at all costs. And once we convince ourselves we’re in a victory-at-all-costs holy war, truth and communion are the casualties of that war.” (98)
Again, Austin offers edgy language. How many Christian publishers would publish a book with a chapter section headlined “A Theology of Foreskins?” Writing about first century gentiles wanting to become Christians in a time when most Christians were Hebrew, Austin writes “Bacon on their breath and foreskins firmly in place, they are nevertheless recipients of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.” (94)
”Conservatives and progressives tell a better story together than they tell apart.” (97)
”Moderate Christianity has less gravitas than a dust mote wandering the Milky Way.” (91)
If you are not reading this book, you are missing out on something fun and important. Why won’t you read it? And to pastors and others church leaders: This would make a wonderful discussion book for an adult Sunday School class or Bible study or book study for a book group. I don’t get any kick backs for promoting this book! I just think every American Christian should read it and let it speak to them.
*Note: If you have not read this chapter, please don’t comment. But you may ask questions. If you have read it, please comment. I would love to read your thoughts. In any case, keep your comment or question relatively brief (no more than 100 words), on topic, addressed to me, civil and respectful (not hostile or argumentative), and devoid of pictures or links.*
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