I wasn’t sure if I should post this, since it is about someone particular and not the machine, but then I said, “Hey. My Blog. Comments are go. I’m opening myself up for conversation, to be corrected if need be.” So here goes:
The New York times just put out a piece on Marc Driscoll, from Seattle, WA’s Mars Hill Church (as opposed to Grand Rapids, MI’s Mars Hill, run by Rob Bell). Before you go any further, read the article here.
After reading the article, I have some big concerns (if the allegations are true – if they aren’t, then I apologise to Marc for some of the following I’m about to say) about Driscoll as a Christian teacher and leader.
First, the idea that “questioning is sinning” is a big one for me. I have been taught to test and discern everything that is brought to my attention through the teaching of the word, like the Bereans in Acts 17:11. For someone to tell me that to question is to sin, and that blind following is the moral and Christian thing to do, then I would tell that person that they are a dangerous person and I’m not following your cult. By blindly following another human being, you put yourself in a false freedom – you are bound not to any god, let alone the Trinity, but to one person’s teachings. There is no freedom there. You take Driscoll’s yolk, not Jesus’: That’s contrary to the Gospel.
Second, Marc Driscoll is a straight-up jackhole. Pardon my rude language, but I really believe this. I’ve been following his remarks online for years now, and I bought his Vintage Jesus book as well, and I’ve heard next to no respectful things come from his mouth about anyone that disagrees with him. For someone who espouses what should be a humbling theology like hypercalvinism, he is an arrogant jerk who seems to show no sign of good fruit in his public life. Am I the only one who sees this a major problem? I don’t care about his swearing or vulgarity, all power to him, but he seems to murder people in his heart all the time. No Grace. I don’t see love in his actions or words. That’s the deal-breaker for me.
It seems that, in an effort to get away from the hyper-sensitive love Gospel being preached in North America in many places, Driscoll has gone on passed the middle and gone to the other extreme of truth with no love. I worry mostly that Driscoll’s position of power will propogate itself in the congregation(s) under his care and ultimately result in a Christianity with little love and grace, like early Calvinism and Lutheranism during the religious wars of the 1600′s.
I guess I’m just worried that the baby is being thrown out with the bathwater.
WK
I hear you… in some regards. Questioning is sinning… I give that a thumbs down.
On everything else I don’t know because I have never listened to Driscoll.
I understand the cultural excitement that Christians have when they can unify behind one person or idea but generally Christians love fads. And I’m sorry to say it but Driscoll’s style, presence and popularity is likely a fad… someday he’ll still have his church but I imagine he’ll lose his stage.
For now I guess we’ll take the good with the bad because I’m sure there is good. Even if his public/media face doesn’t portray it well.
I know Driscoll’s stuff well, I’ve read a couple of his books, and have also been following him for years and I completely agree with what you are saying Will. Driscoll has little to no mercy for those who disagree with his theology and that’s his main problem. I tend to see a little bit of myself in him as well, because after coming from NBBI I totally shut out anything from traditional evangelicalism. I would take it as heresy just out of scorn towards that section of Christianity. It’s a dangerous rut to get into and no good can come of it.
However, Driscoll does have some good teaching and there have been many times when I have agreed with him completely, it’s just his attitude towards the rest of Christianity that bothers me.
I guess my question is: Should we be letting him do what he wants because some good comes from it? I’m not entirely sold on that one yet.
Yes, people are flocking to church to hear him, and yes, it seems people are finding the Lord in his work, but shouldn’t we try to bring some of the above issues to light?
Yeah, I guess the question is whether or not we take the good with the bad, or at least as you said above we should bring these issues to light and hold him accountable for his actions.
Will, having only a cursory knowledge of Driscoll’s repertoire, I think you’ve captured the essence of the article well. On the one hand, I think that the success of his church betrays a real need for a manly Christianity, which, depending on how we understand manly, I’m all for. It’s funny how there are trends in religiosity.
The thing that Mark Driscoll seems to neglect is that we are slaves to Christ, and as such, need to be mindful of our rightful place. I agree with him that men and women are spiritually equal and that they have different roles to play, but I believe that the onus is always first on the man in a relationship to love, as Christ loves the church.