9 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Thinking! Part of the Christian way of life!, August 5, 2004
This review is from: Becoming a Thinking Christian: If We Want Church Renewal, We Will Have to Renew Thinking in the Church (Paperback)
I've been involved as a Christian for over fifty years of my life. I've been a Christian pastor for 20 of those years. ANY congregation could benefit from Cobb's book.
It will embarass many Christians, of no particular theology, as this book demands that its reader not merely sit passively by and merely scan the pages of this book. Cobb demands involvement to get the most out of his book.
His claims will frustrate some, make others angry but whatever happens, the process by which Cobb proves that thinking is an essential element for fully living the Christian faith.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Exhortation to Independent Thinking, December 25, 2004
This review is from: Becoming a Thinking Christian: If We Want Church Renewal, We Will Have to Renew Thinking in the Church (Paperback)
*****
"God certainly abases the pride of men, but he does not despise the mind which he himself has made." John Stott
Exhortation to Thinking:
"Training the mind is an essential responsibility of the home, the church, and the school. Unless evangelicals prod young people to disciplined thinking, they waste--even undermine one of Christianity's most precious resources. The mind that doesn't think God's thoughts after Him will be tempted to think the thoughts of others and leave God out of the process." Carl Henry, a great Christian thinker
This became apparent in 'The Honest to God Debate,' which stood as a record of intense reactive thinking in response to his cry for honesty. The Bishop of Woolwich wrote later, "There has been ample evidence in my mail that the people are capable of being trusted and thinking for themselves far more than many of the clergy are prepared to allow."
Hans Kung is a living example of thinking like Christ wanted us, and paid for it like his master.
On Becoming a Christian Thinker:
Based on Gospel verses, Cobb asks Christians to reclaim their gift of thinking, and redeem thinking about God from theologians, confirming that all true disciples are theologians (religious thinkers). He elaborates on dual responses to tragedy in, prayer, and feminism.
"You examine the scriptures because you THINK that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that testify on my behalf." John 5:39
In 'Ethics and theology,' Cobb proposes a list of everyday Christian living problems, to tease your mind and engage your consciousness on: abortion, money, morality, homosexuality, in real and avowed beliefs. He then instructs the readers on how to reshape up their beliefs, through a process of evaluation, identification, and questioning tradition based on a central issue: Bible authority. He visualizes this central issue within a secular, historical, quadrilateral (Wesleyan) method endorsed and balanced with personal experience, reason and a living faith tradition. He then reverts to Scripture, as the core and basis of a Universal (Catholic) Christian tradition. He warns of the dangers of self deception in the post reformist experience, concluding that Only Christ is the everlasting center for genuine Christians.
A Way of Thinking:
You can use science to expand your understanding of Jesus' hidden, inner message, by killing some of the mental holy cows, bred by ritual Christianity and scientific materialism. You can develop a deeper relationship with Jesus; moving from fear into love is the key to bringing Christian living into the new millennium reshaping a contemporary religion able to fulfill human spiritual needs in this age. If you feel that your faith in Jesus is being challenged by the times, this awakening book will help you overcome the reluctance to think, reclaim your spiritual life, and put on the Thinking Mind of Christ.
Thinking in a Postmodern Era:
Cobb invites a group of theological thinkers; Mcnutt, Schmidt, Wilkins, Atwater, and Reynolds, in a virtual debate to promote thinking about: Christian Jewish issues, missions, ecumenism, utilizing historical analysis to reflect on the New testament in retrospect, concluding in a systematic theological synthesis.
Professionals and the academia are considered for help, with a cautionary word of advice. What about help to reengage the world in spite of counterattack? Within their retreat, theological students encounter world views; cosmology as well as historiology, and today politics and economics boldly outstay, while philosophy uses its tools of De- and Reconstruction of almost everything. In an anthropocentric culture, that produced Existentialism, and confronts faith with scientific discovery and challenges thinking by technology outbreaks prove rational Christian reasoning is crucial.
Can a Christian Think independently?
Our teacher, Jesus Christ, kept asking his audience in repeated times to think, ask, and seek. Not only did he exhorted us to think, but also to examine (the scriptures), to find out and judge for ourselves! Now again, Dr. John Cobb, an ordained Methodist Elder, challenges all Christians to think, in response to Christ's repeated brain storming, "What do you Think?" Matthew 18:12, 21:28
John portrays 'Salvation as eternal life' by Jesus own by definition; "And this is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." Theology is the science of thinking of, and about God.
Coaching us into thinking; Jesus asked his disciples a simple but central question,
"But who do you say (after thinking), that I am?"
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A good motivator, April 15, 2010
This review is from: Becoming a Thinking Christian: If We Want Church Renewal, We Will Have to Renew Thinking in the Church (Paperback)
If you attend church but feel disappointed about the lack of dialog on any topic that might provoke disagreement among the congregation, this is a book that will let you know you are not alone. It will also give you excellent examples of issues that could be discussed and hypothetical conversations that illustrate both sides of each issue in a fair way that is scripture based. It's an easy book to read without specialized language or jargon. Although the author is associated with process theology there is no detectable bias toward that way of thinking in this book.
I gave the book 4 stars instead of 5 for two reasons. First, Cobb makes it clear he does not hold pastors responsible for the lack of issue oriented discussion in their church or its groups. He points out that they are busy so lay people should take responsibility for their own theological education. I think he is letting church leaders off to easily, maybe in an attempt to avoid "rocking the boat".
Second, I'm finding as I read Process Theology that there is what I call a "West Coast School" of writers with a distinct cultural slant. In general they regard the free market as a dangerous thing that produces mostly negative progress socially, economically and environmentally. They favor more government intervention in those areas. It seems to me they have a wistful regret that socialism didn't work and kind of a 60's flavor to their views. I think Cobb is a member of this group and it shows in his lengthy discussion of economics in this book. I know from other books that he is an extremely intelligent and thoughtful writer and perhaps these views are correct but I found them a distraction in this book.
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