Christianity is on the brink of a comeback, says popular author and activist Brian McLaren.
McLaren is a former pastor who rose to particular prominence through his role in the 'emerging Church' movement. He is a controversial figure and has been criticised in conservative Christian circles for his challenging of perceived orthdoxies.
Writing for Signature, McLaren declares that "Most forms of Western Christian faith are indeed shrinking, wrinkling, and fading away."
However, McLaren suggests that if the Christian Church could rediscover its call to unconditional love and service – rather than focusing on a set of unquestionable beliefs – its future could be not decline, but a new era of "powerful renaissance".
While "organized religion" is in decline, he sees a potential for "organizing religion" to take its place. He describes this as "missional migration", which flows from a reaction against a Church which has been oppressive and genocidal, rooted in a conception of God as being violent and judgmental.
Such heritage turns many away from the Church, says McLaren. It offers nothing for those who identify as "spiritual but not religious", whom McLaren describes as people who are "looking for a cause beyond themselves that will give them a deep purpose beyond consumption, and frankly, next to nobody is offering it to them".
Drawing inspiration from the Apostle Paul's teaching on love in 1 Corinthians 13, McLaren suggests an alternative grounding for Christianity. He writes: "If the Christian faith were to define itself as a community dedicated to the formation of people who love in their personal, ecological, and political lives, we would have the makings of a Christian renaissance on our hands."
McLaren adds: "Imagine tens of thousands of pastors and priests organizing their congregants as spiritual activists dedicated to saving the planet from human greed and ignorance, reducing poverty and increasing economic opportunity, building the conditions for peace, and upholding the dignity of all people (no exceptions). You quickly realize why Christian faith in the West is worth saving, in spite of its deep problems and challenges."
McLaren has written a new book on this theme, The Great Spiritual Migration, which was released this week.
