Controversial pastor and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Mark Driscoll, has been called a lot of things: bully, sexist, fundamentalist, bigot, and even “the cussing pastor.” But with the release of his new book, A Call to Resurgence: Will Christianity Have a Funeral or a Future?, the minister hopes to add a new label to his brassy brand: “peacemaker.”
“The bad news is that Christians don’t even get it, according to Driscoll—they’re stuck in their cul-de-sacs,” a press release for the book stated. “Christians are isolated in ‘tribes’ on the Internet, and they spend too much time lobbing e-bombs at each other in cyberspace.” Read the whole article here.
Oh the irony. The arrogance. The condescending tone. Even his actions last week at California’s “Strange Fire” event flies in the face of this press release.
, “I agree with Driscoll’s book on its core message—Christians should learn to pick their battles better—but with such a long pattern of divisive rhetoric, name-calling, searing sarcasm, and downright offensive insults, I’m not convinced he’s the right messenger to carry it forward. If Mark Driscoll wants Christians to stop infighting, maybe he should start with himself.”
That’s not going to happen anytime soon. Because Mark’s whole schtick is dependent on him saying outlandish remarks in relation to God, the Bible, and Christians who don’t line up with his way of thinking. He’s American Fundamentalism’s current “It” persona, and since the 1920s, all of America’s “It” fundamentalists have died fundamentalists.
And on a side note, if you haven’t read this Open Letter to Mark in regards to his glorious “Strange Fire” appearance, it’s interesting.
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Imagine if every Christian who wanted to ‘fix’ the church would simply adopt an “I’ll start with me” attitude.
Humility is the sword he should carry into this quixotic battle. It is a weapon of which he does not and may never possess.
I find him and Matt Chandler as harmful to the Christian cause of well, anything, and I find Ted Cruz and Mike Lee harmful to the Republican Party. They are clueless as to how their tactics belie their message.
The further we go along the more we realize that local pastors really do need the hierarchical systems of a denomination. The fact that anyone can declare themselves a pastor without real accountability for their actions or even proof of qualification, but the protection of a self-proclaimed title and ensuing tax status, merely creates increased bravado. For Driscoll (and a pile of others) there is no boundary. All that dictates their actions are butts in seats or cash in the register.
Until we reject these idols and ignore them, they won’t go away.
Great point McLane. I get stuck in the tension between archaic, out-of-touch denominations and overly “powerful” pastors. It’s a hard line to draw with pros and cons on both sides.
Good point though.
Let it begin with me.
And the plural of cul-de-sac isn’t cul-de-sacs, it’s culs-de-sac. Thanks, Gilmore Girls!
That’s just what I was going to say!
Interestingly, I would never have heard of Mark Driscoll if I wasn’t reading the outraged comments of others on facebook. And I’m quite interested in theology and the church. I’m embarrassed that I’ve been drawn in and made curious just by the breathless tone of others. I couldn’t not look! So . . . maybe we need to think about this I can’t say my life is vastly improved just because I’m outraged by a west coast pastor I’d never met, read, or heard about before.
Mark Driscoll is a jerk. But do you live in a tree outside his house? You’re obsessed with the guy.