The Great Spiritual Migration

July 11, 2016
In this challenging book, McLaren (We Make the Road by Walking) shifts his focus from “conversation” to movement. As the title suggests, to survive imminent ecological, economic, social, political, and spiritual crises, Jesus followers need to migrate to a new form of Christianity, one that abandons a punitive deity in favor of a creative god of love and nonviolence. The book is divided into three sections, each with study questions. The first urges readers to move from dogma to a loving way of life; the second continues the theme by advocating for an “integral/literary” (nonliteral) view of the Bible; and the third begins to imagine how a new Christianity might look. Movement functions here on two levels: toward a new kind of faith, and as an organized group phenomenon bringing empowerment and change. MacLaren, as usual, writes persuasively. The book, however, raises metaquestions: since he argues that spiritual leaders must model a less consumptive, more eco-friendly lifestyle, it’s perplexing to read a book filled with name-dropping and international travel that’s meant to persuade readers to embrace humility and simplicity. Despite the rhetorical issues, however, the book’s themes are well worth pondering. Agent: Kathryn Helmers, Creative Trust Literary Group.