What the Facebook? Vol 2

"Michael Hardin and I go way back. He was my student and friend at North Park Theological Seminary in the mid 1980s. I was a green PhD in New Testament. Michael was a cocky and astonishingly self-taught theologian who seemed to know a little bit about just about everything. Even then, for the timid, he could be intimidating! The same fire that is in Michael today was in him then. It was a fire that could warm those who wanted to listen and learn. It was also a fire that could scorch those who were shallow or flippant. Michael is passionate about theology. He believes that doing theology is a full contact sport. If you are going to engage Michael, you had better bring your A game! He did not then, and he does not now, suffer fools gladly. And he does not believe in the spoonful of sugar that makes the medicine go down! Part of this is just who Michael is. He loves a good fight, a good conflict between worthy, respectful opponents. Such engagements are the essence of good theologizing. At the same time I have seen him deal gently and generously with genuine questions brought by troubled souls. As he says in the pages that follow, his calling is to teaching. Whether in a church basement or seminary classroom; whether in his many books and articles, or, as represented here, on Facebook-Michael is a teacher. But there is more to Michael's mission than engaging in theological fisticuffs (non-violent theological fisticuffs, I might add). Michael isn't in this simply for the thrill of thrashing a hapless opponent-although that can be fun. No. There is more to it than that." from the Foreword by Jay Phelan Michael Hardin is a 21st century Winkelprediger-an Anabaptist corner preacher-who fearlessly takes the disruptively good news of Jesus Christ into the religious marketplace of the blogosphere, exposing the sham pieties of establishment Christendom while calling out the domination systems that structure entrepreneurial evangelicalism. Like the Anabaptist corner preachers of the 16th century, Hardin is not afraid of an argument, but he insists that the debate be grounded in honest and well-informed biblical exegesis. Unlike the Winkelprediger of old he believes that the disciplines of academic scholarship and human reasoning are friends, not enemies, of the gospel of Jesus Christ. That is why Hardin takes the discoveries of social theory and biblical studies out of the esoteric environment of academic journals and conferences and into the hurly burly world of social media and Facebook where ordinary Christians argue about politics and popular culture while disclosing the terrors and pleasures of their challenging lives. In this extraordinary encounter, the gospel of Jesus Christ as amplified by mimetic theory shows us a beautiful and hopeful picture of a church to come, glimmering at the edges of Christendom's increasingly unsalvageable ruins. This church is the church that Menno Simons dreamed of, built on the foundation of Jesus Christ alone. Of course, the coming of this church of peace unsettles the empires of this world along with their religious chaplains, just as did its announcement during the chaos of the Reformation era and as did the coming of the Prince of peace himself into the world two millennia ago. So it is not surprising that this corner preacher inspires controversy and disquiet and rejection, alongside the hope of salvation that he brings so brilliantly into view in these prophetic posts. Gerald J Mast Professor of Communication, Bluffton University "In the spirit of Martin Luther who invited theological debate by posting 95 theses on the Wittenberg Door, Michael Hardin uses Facebook posts to challenge people to rethink what Christianity is about and what it can become. With boldness, clarity of thought, and lots of good humor, he leads people to ask dangerous and important questions and invites them into honest dialogue." Brian McLaren, author, international speaker, pastor