Church On The Other Side

McLaren takes his understanding of postmodernism and now applies it to the local church and to ministry in the book, "Church on the Other Side." Again, McLaren emphasizes conversation and community with narrative and mystery rather than absolutes and heavy doctrine.

The book is divided into several strategies that McLaren offers for the church that wants to catch up with society. It is embedded in the book that McLaren wants the Church to be ahead of times, not behind, or even in the present. As a result, McLaren wants us to adopt many of the assumptions and approaches of postmodern theology and thought and apply it to our churches.

Postmodernism has deeply impacted his theology of the Church. McLaren argues that instead of treating theology as a matter of "technical training," one should rather be on a quest for beauty. The emphasis on conversation and community appear again. Rather than say, "I have the definitive answer," rather say that we are in this together and can learn from each other.

Postmodernism is so important, McLaren urges his readers to adopt it in their church. He concludes his book by spending three chapters on understanding, apply, and engaging our postmodern culture through the Church. He points out many of the trends of postmodernism: it is skeptical of certainty and absolutes, emphasizes experience, and the listening and telling of our and others stories.

What is interesting about this book is McLaren fails to go to the Scripture to see how the apostles, ordained by Christ, built and did Church. One would think that the book of Acts would be central to his theology of the Church and yet McLaren seems almost ignorant of it. If anything, McLaren offers an experiment, not Biblical foundations that work. And again, no cross and no gospel.