Brian Mclaren

Overview

Brian McLaren is most often connected to the emergent church or emerging church [1] . This movement approaches Christianity through a postmodern lens and tries to shake off parts of its thoroughly modern framework. It responds to modern individualism and its effect on the church with a reinforced focus on community. It also recognizes the limits of human reason, the dangers of presuming to "figure out" God's mystery entirely, the ineffectiveness of the modern concept of "evangelism" and the need for a relationship-based outreach. The emergent church does not want to be a new branch of Christianity; rather, its adherents are more interested in reuniting the church by reorienting its focus back to Christ, not potentially irrelevant modern debates over cut-and-dry answers. Although some may disagree, the emergent church claims to not introduce any "unorthodox" theology; rather, it strives to refocus the church on the essentials.

Biography

Brian D. McLaren is a pastor, author, speaker, and networker among innovative Christian leaders, thinkers, and activists.

He is a frequent guest on television, radio, and news media programs. He has appeared on many broadcasts including Larry King Live, Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, and Nightline. His work has also been covered in Time (where he was listed as one of American's 25 most influential evangelicals), Christianity Today, Christian Century, and many other print media.

Born in 1956, he graduated from University of Maryland with degrees in English (BA, summa cum laude, 1978, and MA, in 1981). His academic interests included Medieval drama, Romantic poets, modern philosophical literature, and the novels of Dr. Walker Percy. In 2004, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological Seminary in Vancouver, BC, Canada.

From 1978 to 1986, McLaren taught college English, and in 1982, he helped form Cedar Ridge Community Church, an innovative, nondenominational church in the Baltimore-Washington region (crcc.org). He left higher education in 1986 to serve as the church's senior pastor and served in that capacity until 2006. During that time, Cedar Ridge earned a reputation as a leader among emerging missional congregations.

Brian has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors since the mid 1980's, and has assisted in the development of several new churches. He is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer at seminaries and denominational gatherings, nationally and internationally. His public speaking covers a broad range of topics including postmodernism, Biblical studies, evangelism, apologetics, leadership, global mission, church growth, church planting, art and music, pastoral survival and burnout, inter-religious dialogue, ecology, and social justice.

External links

Brian Mclaren's website