Episode 88: Institutional Christianity—Reasons to Leave. Reasons to Stay. Part V

This is part FIVE of a five part series analyzing Brian McLaren’s book “Do I Stay Christian”.

In each of these episodes, Val and Nathan go through McLaren’s 10 compelling reasons to LEAVE institutionalized Christianity and 10 compelling reasons to STAY.

In this episode the two reasons discussed to LEAVE are as follows:

9) Because of its tendency to constrict intellectualism [please jump over to episode 79 of this podcast for a deep dive into the damage done due to constrictive intellectualism and many cognitive biases common to underdeveloped Christian thinking] and

10) Because Christianity is “SHRINKLING” [shrinking+wrinkling].

The two final reasons discussed in this episode to stay Christian are:

9) To Free God from the dangerous image as the angry old white guy full of judgement and wrath, and

10) Because of Fermi’s Paradox and the Great Filter [yep…you’ll clearly need to tune in to have the first clue about what he means here!!]

Val and Nathan respect McLaren’s straightforward, honest look at our Christian history and share in his trust that each of us is wise enough to look truth straight in the eye in order to forge our own path towards health and wholeness.

Book referenced in this episode

⁠Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned, by Brian D. McLaren⁠

Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About It, by Brian D. McLaren

Sunstone Symposium address referenced in this episode [Val’s favorite symposium address of all time]:

Sunstone Magazine Podcast: E130: Own Your Religion, by Greg Prince

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