9Marks and Blue Like Jazz Coolness

9Marks has published an online review of Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz.  The iMonk's "rant" over the review is a must read.

Comments

[James]

"The second is to begin the "battle against the cool." The godly must begin to prove in the pulpit, in writing, and in their lives that Christianity is the deadly enemy of the cool. And the cool is the Western postmodern entertainment driven culture that has tutored our children and ourselves for the last fifty years."

I agree with much of this critique. I think Miller clearly exchanges the unpopular doctrines of God's wrath and repentance from sin for a hipper, sinner-friendly Jesus. However, the quote above seems to validate the questions Driscoll asks in his latest post. I look forward to seeing how the church attemps to answer it.

[Scott Lyons]

Do we just make stuff up when we review books nowadays? Maybe I was just drunk or stoned when I read it, but my copy of the book sure read differently.

[Denny Burk]

The iMonk is both funny and profoundly wrong. :)

[Steve McCoy]

Denny, this is a conversation not a shooting gallery. How do you find iMonk profoundly wrong?

[iMonk]

Hey Steve....

Given what is usually said about me in the blogosphere, I consider Denny to be one of my best friends :-)

I TOTALLY get how many people don't like Miller. And I TOTALLY get how many of us put down his books and...well....the guy's been with Jesus.

There are a lot of evangelicals that will never get the fact that GOD is using less than theologically perfect people to show us sides of Jesus we simply ARE NOT SEEING in the church.

It is exactly why the Lord used MLK. He was theologically a mess on many issues. He also had Jesus right on target when it came to racial justice and nonviolent change.

It's the same with Miller. As a writer and as a preacher/teacher, he makes me crawl the walls sometimes. As a Christian, he makes me want to be his roommate.

Denny...God bless you man. Have at it. Just don't call me emergent. That's STEVE.

[Denny Burk]

Are you kidding? The whole iMonk thing was a self-acknowledged rant. I wasn't ranting, complaining, or anything that would resemble a shooting gallery. Think of my remark as more of a drive-by-comment. :)

[Denny Burk]

Okay, psyche! No more drive-by's.

I just thought that iMonk was being unkind and unfair, but sometimes critiquing others for such behavior is difficult for me because of this giant impediment sticking out of my eye, but I digress . . .

My point is that both sides of this "conversation" have their flamethrowers, and it's not fair to imply that the lion's share of the cranky people reside on the Calvinist side of the fence.

I've been posting quite a bit on Scot McKnight's blog, and I got absolutely berated last week by a flamethrowing pomo who was also commenting on the site. My views were characterized as "freaking idiotic," and I and others holding my position were referred to as "bible-thumpers." Believe me, it was a really funny comment. It was just unnecessarily bombastic. (Comment #30, at http://www.jesuscreed.org/?p=713#comments)

So, all of that is to say that pomo-nazis can be every bit as caustic as the Calvi-nazis--though the pomos do tend to be funnier.

[Hunter Beaumont]

Steve, the 9 Marks review provokes a number of thoughts and questions. The main critique of Blue Like Jazz is that it does not offer a comprehensive picture of Jesus. Fair enough. Which raises a question: Does a book have to say everything that needs to be said in order to be a worthwhile read? In my mind, Blue Like Jazz is not comprehensive, but it is helpful. So I wouldn't want to base an entire Christology on it; but I do need to consider Miller's ideas.

I do agree that BLJ tends to "speak the voice" of younger evangelicals more than it challenges them to think differently. So Shane Walker is right in that it doesn't really "transcend their experiences to assist them to the next step in their Christian maturity." On the other hand, the book should have just the opposite effect for someone like Walker himself (and someone like me, to an extent): It doesn't speak his voice as much as it transcends his experience and calls him to the next step in Christian maturity. So again...the book is not comprehensive, but it is helpful.

[Steve McCoy]

The iMonk called me Emergent. Uh, you better take Brian McLaren out of your eye before you look at my problems, bro. ;)

Denny, thanks for engaging the material. Helpful.

[iMonk]

Isn't the phrase "pomo-Nazi" somewhat contradictory? If a "pomo" flamed you, he wasn't acting very pomo :-)

How about the idea that Miller just sounds like Miller, and we all examine why it is that we so badly need for Miller to sound like Macarthur or Mohler for us to feel OK about him?

[Denny Burk]

iMonk,

You are right. "Pomo-nazi" is not very pomo, but it is kind of ironic. Just trying to put some funny on the Calvinist side! :)

Thanks,
Denny

[Deea]

just thought you and joe might enjoy this;

http://thatisnotmyblog.blogspot.com/2005/12/goldie-lox-three-evangelical-options.html

funny and thought provoking at the same time.

[billmelone]

I'm glad this is being discussed. I go to an art school in philly (big city...northeast...doesn't like christianity). I never came across a book that I wanted to give to all my nonchristian until I read blue like jazz. 9marks is great but they haven't put out a book that I want to give to all my friends to show them who Jesus is. When I read BLJ (and also Searching for God knows what, which by the way talks about holiness and wrath more than BLJ) I sensed that Miller is expounding the greatest commandments and I personally was challenged to think--why is it when I look at my life and my heart that I can only really say that I like God, rather than love Him? Why do systematic theologies not have a section on the doctrine of love? why isn't it top priority when we talk about doctrines? seriously.
Again, 9marks is great (so is challies which bashed Miller too) but imonk is right. By the way Denny, I don't think that pomo and calvinism are on the opposite sides.

[Denny Burk]

Bill,

So you're not calvipomophobic? :)

Luf,
Denny

[billmelone]

I'm a calvipomo.

[JGray]

I understand the draw to the book from people of our generation because it sort of gives them a hero that they look to who seems to have it figured out to some degree but yet who struggles with the same things we struggle with.

I guess one of my problems is that he doesn't seem to view the struggles as struggles. If that makes sense. He seems to make the areas of weakness and even sin (let's be honest and call it what it is) unimportant except in the fact that it makes us who we are.
It identifies weaknesses and sin as matters of fact, but does not challenge people to respond to them in repentance.

Someone above commented that he would give this to his friends as a picture of who Jesus is...but I ask where is Jesus in the book?
This book is a life-story and it may be helpful to some. But it is not a story of Jesus. It does not tell the gospel.
Non-believers may read it and think that Don is a good guy, a fun guy, maybe even a guy who knows Jesus...but will it make them see their sin and want to repent and run to Jesus for salvation.

If it doesn't...then it doesn't contain Jesus.

[robert terrell]

@jGray: i'm not sure that i can agree with you on the book not containing JESUS if it doesn't help them "see their sin and want to repent and run to JESUS." sometimes people come to CHRIST not because they have a desire to escape evil rather it is because they long for something they see within CHIST - community, love, etc. they may not even realize what sin is but they do realize that CHRIST has something better.

i believe in calling a sin a sin but the CHRiSTian life is about much more than merely turning away from sin. it is about turning to JESUS. i believe that BLJ does a good job of conveying some of these more positive desires to know CHRIST.

[billmelone]

Thanks Robert, thats something of what I meant. The book isn't all about Jesus, and I do think an understanding of sin is important. I think that Miller accomplishes a lot by taking us (and non christians especially need this) away from Jesus being associated with Robertson, Falwell, Bush and particular christianly wording that confuse people. Millers approach to me is a CHRISTianly approach to life right now that is something that nonchristians can read and learn about a basic approach to Jesus and the Bible by learning from Don's life and struggles. Like I mentioned, I see the book kind of as an exposition of the greatest commandment. Its how Christ and Christian love has worked itself out in Don's life and perspectives. BLJ won't be all that relevant in 50 years probably but I think its relevant now, and I'm seeing that happen at a little art school in Philly--encouraging the Christians and challenging the nonchristians.