Right Theology Cannot Save You

Don Miller has been coming under fire a lot lately, or I can only speculate so by recent posts on his blog and the fact that he has made his Twitter account private.  No doubt that even as a well-known author criticism is hard to accept.  It is difficult to separate a critique of one’s most cherished beliefs from one’s own character and personality.  It is hard to accept criticism from people who are inconsistent in their own beliefs.

Admittedly, in a recent post I leveled a heavy criticism against Miller’s position on God’s plan for our lives.  My tactics were less than hospitable, and they were taken with much hurt by Miller who responded to me via Twitter.  Don, if you are reading this, please accept my apology for my lack of tact and my rude approach.  I did not mean it as a personal affront, and it is difficult for me to hear that you were so deeply offended.

In a recent post titled “Having Right Theology Does Not Mean You Know God,” Miller mentions a new material for a rerelease of his book Searching for God Knows What in which he boldly discusses how “right theology has no redemptive power at all.”  He is exactly right!

Twitterations: Sovereignty and Self

Yesterday I wrote a post about Donald Miller’s opinion that God does not have a plan for our lives, unless he has made direct revelation in the form of a talking donkey or a miraculous pregancy. 

Today, Tullian Tchividjian, pastor of Coral Ridge Presbyterian Church in Fort Lauderdale, FL made this observation:

The gospel jackhammers the ground we love to stand on: self-reliance! (Online Source)

Meta-Critique: Mehta on Miller

Over the past several months I have had a unique opportunity to interact with atheists on matters of faith (or “lack of faith” as it were).  It is interesting to me how time and time again they tend to be keenly aware of the problems in the church, although not always a full understanding of what biblical Christianity is all about.

 One recent observation was made by Hemant Mehta in his post titled “God Doesn’t Have a Plan for Your Life.”  You may be inclined to quickly react against that, but before you do consider the fact that it is essentially a line taken from another post, of which Mehta’s is a critique.  Donald Miller, famed Christian and author of Blue Like Jazz, wrote a post titled “Does God Have a Specific Plan for Your Life? Probably Not,” where he explains that unless you have heard a donkey talk to you or have become pregnant in spite of never having had sex, God probably does not have a specific program for you to follow.

Book Review: ‘Father Fiction’ by Donald Miller

Like people who are born colorblind, fatherlessness changes the very essence of the way one sees the world.  It may be something that is not readily obvious, but attitudes, perspectives, and missing pieces become evident throughout a child’s maturation and well into adulthood. 

In his new book, Father Fiction: Chapters for a Fatherless Generation, Donald Miller paints a picture of his own life without a father.  Challenged with his own deviance, he speaks with the perspective of a man who has hope that lives can be changed and healing can come.  Miller talks about the destructive path he was on and how the influence of a strong, compassionate man made all the difference for him.  While a book on being a boy without a father, many of these same things can be said about those who have lived with a neglectful or emotionally unavailable father.  We need to be directed to our Heavenly Father.

The hope that Miller gives is a challenge: to seek out the fatherless, to mentor them, and to help them to live a better life.  He believes that we can reduce the number of prisons simply by seeking out young men who lack that basic influence and raise them up to be more responsible adults.  In the biblical economy, the fatherless were to be given the same respect and compassion as widows.  No doubt Miller’s hope is reflected in Scripture, and this book can help to challenge and inspire people to take the next steps to find healing in their own lives, but to also work to influence others toward a life committed to our heavenly Father.

Review for christianaudio