Purpose Driven life... A good thing, heresy or merely misguided?

[Naomi4Christ]

There is much truth in what you say, Labayu.

 

[KristianJ]

From what I remember of PDL it was aimed at people who where already christians. Often people are fine with the idea that they're dirty rotten sinners and need forgiveness but they're not so good with the idea that God loves them (other than in an ethereal, theoretical way). Surely not every book written for christians needs to cover every major theological idea? Or assume that they need to get "re-saved" every time they sin (about once every .025 sec's)? It would be pretty stupid of me to start calling you dangerous because your posts in this thread haven't spelled out your belief in the trinity!

Oh and btw your continued use of "we" is starting to make your posts sound a little cultish. I'm guessing "we believe/feel/etc" means "my father believes/feels/etc"?

Could you please quote who you are addressing, or at least mention their name? In any case, I'll happily reply later on in the day if it was me you were addressing.

 

[KristianJ]

I'm on my lunch break at work now, so I can reply Since I have used "we" at least once, I'm assuming that I could the one being referred to.

I just want to make it absolutely clear how uncultic my "we" references should be interpreted. I use "we" as a reference to the body of Christ as a whole, and the effort we should make as Christ's children to take the Gospel to unbelievers without embellishment or compromise. I have my views on outreach, such as when I said "whilst we most definitely need to meet people where they are, it's essential that we don't do what amounts to rewriting the Gospel.", that I believe are Scripturally based, and thus I think could be applicable to not just my efforts, but the efforts of others. I can't for the life of me interpret the above sentence as being cultish, but then again, I acknowledge that I may not have been whom was referred to. Hence why I think it's constructive to directly address others in the form of quotes.

To address the rest of your post - in my curent occupation in a Christian bookshop, I know full well what the current popular themes are in Christian books and music. And unfortunately it seems to resemble more of a self-help/motivational genre than true theological insight. As true as it is that it would be unwise to have all books on every topic of theology under the sun, it's not necessarily helpful that the branches of thought that the top selling books are being written on are more focussed on potential, success, victory and the like instead of attributes such as holiness and grace. As a matter of fact, sometimes when I hear "I", I fear that to be to a degree cultish, since it oftem is attached to the word "will". And those 2 words, when combined with actions that we as fallible humans may not be capable of doing, can be almost as dangerous as direct heretical teachings to any believer, whether fledgling or mature.

 

[Timothy]

From what I remember of PDL it was aimed at people who where already christians. Often people are fine with the idea that they're dirty rotten sinners and need forgiveness but they're not so good with the idea that God loves them (other than in an ethereal, theoretical way). Surely not every book written for christians needs to cover every major theological idea? Or assume that they need to get "re-saved" every time they sin (about once every .025 sec's)? It would be pretty stupid of me to start calling you dangerous because your posts in this thread haven't spelled out your belief in the trinity!

Wrong. In fact, the Purpose Driven Life is being marketed at unbelievers as a way of getting them into the church.

Oh and btw your continued use of "we" is starting to make your posts sound a little cultish. I'm guessing "we believe/feel/etc" means "my father believes/feels/etc"?

Sometimes I'm meaning the team of academic missiologists that my father is working with in doing the research on this subject. Not a cult, but a set of serious academics.

I'm also with Kristian--when I use 'we' in the broader sense I mean that which all christendom believes

 

[KristianJ]

Sometimes I'm meaning the team of academic missiologists that my father is working with in doing the research on this subject. Not a cult, but a set of serious academics.

Ah...I'd forgotten you mentioned that. Not that I'd withdraw my response based on that though

Back to the subject - I read this review last year whilst reading the book. I find it one of the most balanced and accurate reviews I've come across about the book:
http://www.letusreason.org/BookR12.htm

In the end though, I have to say that PDL is by no means as concerning as some other recognisable "Bible teachers" that have brought forth statements of much more questionable validity. However it would go too far off topic to start naming other names and discussing them.

 

[Timothy]

I'm actually withdrawing one of my contentions. I've discovered a rather convoluted passage in PDL which does mention the cross. Admittedly it has no emphasis on repentance, but it does still mention the cross...

Timothy

 

[Timothy]

Edit, can a mod close this thread? I don't think the discussion is worth continuing, and I've stated my case as asked. I don't feel it has any more use.

 

[pmcleanj]