Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed and the Disillusioned Paperback – 17 Aug. 2023

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.

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.

This is a remarkable book. Please read it. Not with an arrogant air of evaluation but with humility and a willingness to learn and to change. His vision of what humanity can become is inspirational. Christian or not we need to face our past and our mistakes and let go of a pathological need for certainty that cannot be had. He reminds us there can be a kind, loving and just humanity if we will embrace ‘the way’ that Jesus promoted and recognise these qualities in our brothers and sisters who don’t share our beliefs. A message for our time I think.

I'm a Christian, sort of, but I'm immediately thinking of the quote by the physicist Steven Weinberg “With or without religion, good people can behave well and bad people can do evil; but for good people to do evil - that takes religion.”. The only thing I'd change in the quote, is to say "religion or any other ideological system" (Mao wasn't great)

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.

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'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.

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.