Thomas White (3) (1973–)
Autor(a) de Restoring Integrity in Baptist Churches
Para outros autores com o nome Thomas White, ver a página de desambiguação.
About the Author
Dr. John M. Yeats is the assistant professor of church history at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He has served churches in Texas, Indiana, and Illinois in a variety of pastoral roles. John, his wife, Angie, and their four children reside in Fort Worth, Texas. Dr. Thomas White is the mostrar mais vice president for student services and communications, as well as associate professor of systematic theology, at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He also serves as pastor of theology at The Cross Baptist Church. Thomas, his wife, Joy, and their daughter, Rachel, live in Crowley, Texas. mostrar menos
Obras por Thomas White
Etiquetado
Conhecimento Comum
Membros
Críticas
Listas
You May Also Like
Associated Authors
Estatísticas
- Obras
- 3
- Membros
- 294
- Popularidade
- #79,674
- Avaliação
- 4.1
- Críticas
- 3
- ISBN
- 58
- Línguas
- 3
The authors use McDonald's as the metaphor to discuss the tendency in modern Evangelicalism toward efficiency, higher numbers, the entertainment experience, and the association of church membership and participation in terms of consumption rather than shared effort. They critique the move away from effectiveness toward efficiency, as if efficiency is really the goal; they warn against the downsides of predictability and control, the reduced content of teaching, and how it ends up feeding the consumerist mentality that the people of God ought to be challenging.
All of these critiques are brought to bear on the multi-site campus idea which continues to proliferate, pointing out the Biblical difficulties with such a setup in terms of autonomy and the nature of the ekklesia as one group assembling. The authors then suggest ways to quit "McChurch".
The authors are Evangelical and some of the standard caveats about denominationalism, etc. apply; I was disappointed in their elevation of the sermon above singing in terms of their power to instruct and exhort in light of Ephesians 5:19, Colossians 3:16. Nevertheless, I was surprised to find such a thoroughgoing and Biblically rooted critique of the overwhelming success of the consumerist/corporate mentality among Evangelical churches and found it extremely refreshing to see it.
Yes, there are times when the plain and evident issues before the people of God demand them to stand firm and be faithful, but how many times are the real problems with the people of God in those things which they blithely accept without necessarily reflecting on the implications of what they are doing? In the face of secularism it seems that far too many have imbibed consumerism and the mentality of the Industrial Revolution without much meditation on what it means Biblically. Pragmatics have too often trumped "thus saith the Lord"; the fact that it seems to "work" numerically overwhelms any lingering doubts about what is being given up in order to satisfy "consumer demand."
The authors' chosen metaphor is extremely appropriate: the goals of the Industrial Revolution and consumerism are well summed up in fast food and the "McDonaldization" of culture, and it is sad to see so many religious people think the way forward for Christianity must be a similar path. Meanwhile, true discipleship is not being cultivated, joint participation is a mockery, and the people of God languish in an unhealthy diet.
Worthy of consideration and deliberation.… (mais)