I'm right with you on questions number #1 and #2. And the beginning of #3 (future role/location of theology) is intriguing, as well as a bit overwhelming, if you're right that seminaries, as well as denominations, are crumbling. I'm personally of the opinion (which could change at any given moment) that the demise of denominations is overblown, but they're certainly not thriving--- but while I have been frustrated with seminaries, I haven't thought of them as increasingly irrelevant. It seems to me that young Christians are more and more interested in seminary, and that furthermore, people like Bell and McLaren, as well as more overtly "scholarly"-yet-relevant types such as Bruggeman (sp?) and Wright, are ushering in a new wave of people who are very interested in seminary and good scholarship--while also insisting on theology's continued practicality. I don't have data to back that up; that's just my eyeball observations, so I could be wrong.

Frankly, I'm wondering who (besides back in the early 2000s when Driscoll jumped ship with the emergent conversation) has been going from being intrigued by McLaren and the like, to wanting more theological substance, to then being enthralled by the NeoReformed? I don't see that as a trend, personally. If anything, the Neoreformed types fall in love with Driscoll, the patron saint of the younger Neoreformed, and then delve into groups such as Resurgence and the Gospel Coalition.

I guess I think that popular pastors have always been a part of the theological landscape in this country, and that they should be.... it's just that now, their messages can be broadcast on a much wider scale. And the U.S. religious population has long had a love-hate relationship with the theological intelligentsia, so this really isn't all that new of a development. On the whole, pastors who BEGIN a more scholarly journey with their parishioners and with a broader audience (Bell does this both with flair and with humility), are in my opinion more likely to spawn a movement of "regular Christians" who become more curious, delve deeper, and most importantly, ask (not MORE, but) BETTER questions. Isn't that a good thing?

To say to me "I loved your sermon" is indeed often the same thing as saying to me, "Thank you, for not challenging my entrenched beliefs too much, and for not forcing me to learn anything too new or difficult."
Granted, it's not what people intend to communicate...esp. for a young pastor like me, who often preaches for older populations that wish to sincerely "bless" me (and as it turns out, I'm a sucker for compliments.)
But after I'm done feeling really good about myself, and after having left the church that day, I admittedly begin to wonder if people really heard the piercing word of God.
Thanks for the post.

I could SO lead a workshop for this.... :)

While your language is a little harsh (esp. for a website of this nature), the basic idea you espouse is one that both in the liberal and conservative camps can get behind... I think that's a big misnomer about "social justice" Christians, btw... that they all want big government. The difference between an Anabaptist and a libertarian fundamentalist isn't so much philosophical, as it is what exactly they choose to protest (war, or abortion, e.g.)

(Well, there are pretty significant differences, I guess. But unity's gotta start somewhere. )

Personal dilemmas aside.... seriously, if we can't laugh about some of this stuff, then there's probably no hope in ever bridging the divide.

Great stuff JR. Thank you.