What I'm Reading...

Various circumstances have led me to revisit Gregory A. Boyd's insightful, controversial book, THE MYTH OF A CHRISTIAN NATION.

One key idea of the book is that there are two basic kinds of kingdoms in the world:

• The kingdom of the world--the "power over" kingdom that controls and coerces behavior by the "sword," that is, by wielding authority with the threat of sanctions. All human governments are kingdoms of the world, used for good on the one hand by God to prevent chaos in the fallen creation and on the other hand by Satan to advance his evil purposes.
• The kingdom of God--the "power under" kingdom that brings about inner transformation through the practice of sacrificial love, ultimately exemplified in the Cross.
  

Boyd's concern, with which I heartily agree, is that the evangelical church in America has become politicized to such an extent that it has unwittingly subscribed to the ethos, methods and goals of the kingdom of this world. By seeking "power over" others in the culture wars, we have compromised our unique identity as the Body of Christ and have seriously damaged our witness to the authentic Good News Jesus called us to live and proclaim.

You can find more information about the sermon series that inspired the book, and even download mp3 files of each message here.

Important stuff.