(Just in case you don’t want to read our bloviating below, you can go straight to the source at the New Wine, New Wineskins Blog.)
Christian Faith and “The Big Game”
Just in time for the Superbowl this Sunday, February 7th many media outlets are gearing up by publishing stories ranging from Christian faith in sports to pro-life ads during half-time.
As is usually necessary, much of the value in what Dr. Metzger had to say gets stripped out for the sake of the writer’s needs within the story. This typically results in only a portion of the quote being used, thereby leaving much to the imagination. In this particular article, Dr. Metzger’s quote deals with the issue of a famous Christian football player named Tim Tebow who is featured in an ad (produced by Focus on the Family), espousing the positive results from a pro-life choice made by his mother. This ad will be featured during the Superbowl this year and it has raised the ire of many groups who call it “anti-abortion” and the like.
The Quote
“It could very well be a great message, but is it a good venue?” asked Paul Louis Metzger, who teaches theology and culture at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Ore. “Is it helpful to the discussion, or does it up the volume, so to speak, on the culture war rhetoric?”
“Many thriving prosperity-gospel churches appear to have thoroughly embraced the American ideal of upward mobility and material well-being,” Metzger says. “It makes one wonder if these churches’ leaders think Jesus was a savvy entrepreneur on the rise, who would have become rich had his career not been cut short.”
The Book
Learn more about Consuming Jesus - the book that was the context for Metzger being quoted
By “Theology of Space”, we don’t mean the “Force” of Star Wars, or the logic of the Vulcans we mean something more akin to how churches and Christian communities use their spatial resources.
The coffee bar has replaced the Lord’s Table as the place where real community happens.
or
I wonder—are we thinking as intentionally about the design of our ministry spaces as retailers are about the way they design their stores?
I ask my students to make observations about the use of space at clothing stores they visit. Two design elements are frequently reported: lots of mirrors and no clocks.
Check It Out Now
I don’t know about you, but it’s enough to make me want to check out “Walls Do Talk”.
Oh yeah, Dr. Metzger teaches a full slate of classes too…
Once again, another Multnomah faculty-authored book is proving to be worth the effort it took to write it and important enough for more organizations not named “Multnomah” to promote its merits!
Christianity Today magazine gave it a fantastic treatment when they condensed it down into a 4-page article with custom artwork in their August 2009 issue. This isn’t just a book review – it is actually part of the book with Dr. Paul Louis Metzger of the Seminary and Dr. Brad Harper of the Bible College credited as the authors.
Even though the book is accessible to anyone who wants to read it – and you should if you can – it is also going to be used in the classroom at other institutions. So, it’s kind of making an impact.
However, As Great As That Is
Our very own President, Dr. Daniel R. Lockwood, was on the cutting edge months ago when he wrote his review of the book for the Summer 2008 issue of Multnomah Magazine – (if you’re not a subscriber, then do it, because it’s free and worth every penny! Drop a line at magazine@multnomah.edu).
Here is the 2-page PDF for your ease.
We might get one more post up before Thanksgiving Break (hooray for Higher Ed holiday schedules!) – so check back again – otherwise, we’ll see you on Monday or Tuesday with fresh fodder.
This book award is kind of a big deal – big enough that Leadership Journal called it one of the “Ten Most Important Books of 2008″ – and the only one to warrant a full page review and podcast interview series.
Why?
With the unique election season we’ve been in, the subject has been brought into the mainstream media. Georgene Rice and Multnomah thought that providing accurate information about Black Liberation Theology would be a helpful antidote to the cursory (and sometimes wrong) descriptions that have peppered media broadcasts in the past months.
Note:
I’m so grateful for the diversity of thought and academic freedom that is evident in Christian Higher Education. I truly enjoy seeing the different views and debates from differing perspectives on campus. Furthermore, the fact that Multnomah, as an institution, takes no stand on political subjects or candidates seems to really free up the individuals here to discuss freely – and that’s a good thing.
Multnomah’s Perspective: Read our Doctrinal Statement to know our official word on theological subjects. We are a community with many different voices – but the one that ultimately represents MU can be found in this very useful document.
Apparently there is an ever-growing trend for churches to hire “Secret Shoppers” or, to make it more palatable to their congregants, “Mystery Worshippers”…
“Some theologians warn that mystery-worshipper services will drive ’spiritual consumerism.’ Evaluating churches as if they were restaurants or hotels might encourage people to choose their church not according to its theology, but based on which one has the best lattes or day care,” says Paul Metzger, professor of theology at Multnomah Biblical Seminary in Portland, Ore. “We tend to look for religion or spirituality that will give us what we want, when we want it,” Prof. Metzger says. “There’s a pressure for the church to be something that the church is not.”
The Buzz The very day this article hit the wires, it was picked up by - amongst others – the Tulsa Worldand the Arizona Star.
What Dr. Metzger Wants Us To Know
Check It Out Now
