Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned

McLaren’s “Do I Stay Christian?” is a book in three interconnected parts: no, yes, and how. What is interesting about this book is that he is not writing a one thesis, persuasive book, but laying out the possibilities of either a no or yes with credibility on all sides. McLaren’s background in evangelicalism and a free church movement and his own rejection of what he calls an “axial age Christianity” for a modern faith that deals with the realities and complexities of the Bible and modern life is presented. What he most clearly rejects is the “old white patriarchy” that has and still dominates the institutions of Christianity as they are allied with authoritarian leaderships styles that spill over into the political world. McLaren is a name dropper. Some of the myriad names he mentions include Wil Gafney, Willie Jennings, Barbara Holmes, Cornel West, William Barber, Diane Butler Bass, Traci Blackmon, and Carlos Rodriguez. He quotes Meister Eckhart and several medieval mystics. He is influenced by process theology. His interview with two nuns and their mode of resistance I think helped me to solidify his position. He holds a dialogue with his “inner fundamentalist” and “inner cynic.”Readers who are interested in “no” will find a good deal of information about Christian Antisemitism (I think some of this should be called Anti-Judaism), violence in the name of Jesus and the Romanization of Christianity, Crusader Colonialism, the institution of “company men,” the unhealthy alliance between religion and money, white patriarchal control that has thwarted women and LGBTQ persons, and the assault on intellectualism.Readers interested in “yes” will find important his desire not to abandon allies who are making changes within, because there are options other than simply complying and simply leaving, because it allows him to face his own shortcomings, because Christianity is only in its infancy state, because of his alliance with Jesus as extraordinary person, because staying within denies a person a state for claiming “innocence” from the problems, and because being human requires alliances. There is also a kind of fear that suggests things could be even worse without some voices within the organization that bring about its change.The “how” section owes much to his previous book Faith after Doubt with respect to life cycles: simplicity, complexity, perplexity, and harmony. Readers may find some parallels in his ideas to those of Piaget, Kohlberg, and other stage theorists in psychology and moral development. He notes that some will not move in their religious lives beyond simplicity, and unlike what one might have suspected, he does not damn them. He does note, however, that for such a person his historical critique of Christianity will be problematic. Afterall, most fundamentalists do not tell their congregations about violence in the name of Jesus historically as they don’t see their having anything to do with the church before the Reformation. He suggests that those who speak against such voices need to “come out” against them, not to demonize, but to say “I have moved on.” For McLaren, the goal of Christianity and the goal of not following Christianity relate to accepting what it means to stay human, to relate to the world of nature, and to recover the rest for the body.A kind of apologia runs like this: “Having read this book, you understand why I could not stay a Christian if my only option was the old way, the old way of white Christianity, the old way of patriarchal Christianity, the old way of Theo-Capitalistic Christianity, the old way of violent, exclusive, and authoritarian Christianity with its suppressed but real history of cruelty. I do not judge others who feel at home in that kind of Christianity. How can I, having lived there myself for so long of my life? I understand its many comforts” (p. 219).The center of what it means to be human resides in Micah 6:8. He writes, “It all boils down to this, Micah says “O human being, this is what God desires for you. That you do justice. That you live kindness. That you walk humbly in the presence of your God” (p. 217). The book has been an intriguing exploration in theological anthropology, in so many ways exactly what Christianity has been most fearful of looking into!I recommend his book to you, not as a kind of “sweet wine” writing of a prolific writer, but as a book that reflects a great deal of reading and creative imagining of what seems like a central question of the Christian religion. He has actually organized the book into really short chapters that would work well for hour-long discussion groups. In the appendix, he gives advice for reading and for clergy in how to present the material. He, afterall, was a pastor. He was also a college teacher of English, and he knows how to turn a phrase and to incorporate texts into his text that illustrate his point. In the end, he is probably going to answer yes, but…but he seems to understand as this reviewer does why an increasing number are answering “no.” I have read few books of this nature where the writer is “cool” with anyone’s decision and that’s not to suggest in any way that the book is relativistic. He is simply aware of the tremendous pain that historic Christianity has brought to many groups through its European white-male forms.

This is a fabulous book! I was raised in a Christian cult, ( they consider themselves to be Christian ) I left at 16. I went back to the Scottish ways of my ancestors on my mom's side and the ways of my Appalachian Mountains of WV. I later become Catholic for my husband, he was a cradle Catholic and has a severe personality disorder so I thought it might help him get back in. It made him worse. I never totally gave up my ways as I had them for far too long, generations were in my blood. I played with the Catholic beliefs, however they made me sick because of what I know about history and what they have done. I am a Democrat leaning to the far left. We are all one, until we all see that, and we all see that God made all of us and put us here to enjoy an earthly life, no matter who we are we, and until we get that we will never be free. I am free today because of many, many, many, years of study, and intuition and teaching others. I read from religious books and I read spiritual books and books of the pagans, which are my go to. I have learned so much with my 70 yrs of experience. I have seen some wonderful people in all places and some who still need to learn what Jesus said. I think I might know who you were speaking of with the two ladies you meant that you spoke to, you changed the name, however I believe it is a person I know. Its a small world. This book should be read by anyone who is confused and disoriented by what is being taught to them and don 't just follow but look back to the history for your own answers. I dumped the cult as I hated it, but the main reason was, they were not charitable at all, never have been. That took my breath away one day. I was gone. The only thing they taught that I agree with till this day, no war. That I agree with and hope that one day our words will be enough to straighten anything and everything out. In the mean time Blessed day to all, and just keep reading and studying and use your own intuition, it is better than anything. Your higher self knows all.

I doubt that most deeply Christian persons will like this book, but it does offer a deep dive into reasons for both having and not having faith in Christianity and what to do to move forward in either case. This book is NOT "mainstream" Christianity but rather an alternative and in many ways a valuable viewpoint. I'm very glad I read the book if only for its historical information. Worth the read for any person of any faith who wishes to be faithful in a thoughtful way, or for anyone interested in an unvarnished view of Chrisitan history.

Wise, confessional, and hospitable, Brian McLaren has been a welcome co-journer for the last 20-plus years of my life. He’s compassionate and thorough, humble and bold, thoughtful and passionate. For those at any point along this considerable continuum, this is a helpful exploration of the question of faith foamation and what goes along with it. It’s not a simple or simplistic question, not another false dichotomy or mutually exclusive choice. My favorite option is to evolve and expand. I can stay at the dance with the one who brought me (Jesus) while learning new dances with other partners. Thank you Brian.

Christianity has evolved to include diverse interpretations of what it is culminating in various religious organizations and churches since the life of Jesus. So much of what constitutes churches is our attempts to organize institutions and have rules for those institutions. Christianity has been used for by powerful people for their own goals such as acquisition of land, manipulation, and political influence. Brian gets down to the core of what is important, following the way of life that Jesus professed and lived and if you’ve been so harmed by conservative Christianity, he is fine with you breaking free from calling yourself Christian and living a life of truth, kindness, and justice.

Everyone should read this and make up their own minds

I enjoyed this book so much! Its three categories…why not, why you might, and how to live as a good human being…are invaluable and deeply insightful.

I have 30+ years of being a pastor, and I was for a while a lecturer in a Bible college. I read well over 1,000 books on spirituality, theology, philosophy and the like.This is the best I have ever read. No, I am not exagerrating. Read it!It is slow going in the first chapters - they describe the crisis we find ourselves in. They may be a difficult read, but read them - there is a good reason for them. If you don't see we have a serious problem in Christianity, you won't realise how acute is the need for repentance and renewal.But once you get past that first part, the real, vitally important, message begins. I won't spoil it for you.If you are a person of faith, or you used to have faith, or if you are just curious, or you are an atheist, this book really is for you.

Broken into three sections (No, Yes and How) this book has clarified many of the issues I have been wrestling with in my own faith journey and in the wider culture--both inside and outside the church.Brian McLaren writes with such grace and humility even as he wades right into the deepest, muckiest questions of Christianity's past, present and future.This book is well-written, well-researched and much-needed.

I like Brian McLaren books and have read many over the years. This didn't hit the spot for me. The first 10 chapters on Do I Stay Christian give plenty reasons for leaving the church - particularly in the USA - but not to me, reasons for giving up on the Christian faith. I got to chapter 15 when I felt we got to the crux. Stay because of the legendary founder. Most of us leave or remain in the Christian faith, I think, for inner reasons. "Do I still believe in God/Jesus?" "Can I still believe in God/Jesus?". On second thoughts, maybe it's just the title I don't get. Thanks for your work over the years, Brian.

I'll keep this brief-- the book is a fairly hefty tome, and I'm sure some will praise or pick it at great length, perhaps even book length. Maybe they already have. The single most significant aspect to me is that there is really no mention of the Miraculous. I haven't kept up with McLaren's writing, and this might come as no surprise to many. The overriding philosophy/theology of the book is a move to Humanist. He makes a No/Yes case for leaving Christianity, mentions that he really doesn't care if you do leave, and paints a picture of "God" (doesn't even like the term) that fills the universe but doesn't seem to exist in a spiritual world where the rules go beyond our laws of physics. I'll leave it at that. You may embrace it, the planet would be better for it, but don't expect it to address Spiritual matters, if that's an area you felt related strongly to Christianity.