I got to see Rollins tonight

[Todd Erickson]

He was at the University of Central Arkansas at 7 PM (you can google it if you don't believe me. :P) He started off with a sort of retread of things, gathering his thoughts. He's very funny.

The thrust of what he had to say was that we build these narratives about who we are and what our life means that help us get through things, but we also use those narratives to label ourselves and others, and this keeps us apart.

Also, there are things that we tell ourselves will fill this gap, this unbelonging, within us, and that those things are essentially idols. "If I just had this, i would be happy, life would have meaning". And we turn God into an idol in that way. "If I have God, then I'll be happy, I will have meaning, it will fill this emptiness inside of me." But God doesn't fill that hole, I'm still empty. So I need more programs, more books, more conferences, more prayer.

Rollins said that when we truly identify with Christ, we can let go of (crucify) all of those narratives and idols, we can lose our identity outside of ourselves, and we can be capable of being who we truly are, and engage with people through their eyes, rather than our own. We can see through others who we are, and grow in light of the truth of who we are, rather than in who we want to think we are.

He states that a community which truly shares and grows and fails together in light of the desolation and pain of life is a community which can truly love and know the truth of each other...they don't need narratives, they don't need stories, they don't need promises of hope and happy endings, because they live love, and love shows us what is true and significant and beautiful, and love is God.

Unfortunately, many of the followup questions were people trying to pin down what he really believes, or whether he's a heretic, or whether he's trying to start a new church, and he was very gracious in avoiding those things, or answering the question behind the question.

I was very happy to get to shake his hand and thank him for helping me to think clearly about these things, and for the word he spoke to me, about not building idols in my life about things that I think will complete me or make me happy, and instead finding the ways that I am true where I am.

[Hans Deventer]

Well, he's obviously a heretic, he even denies the resurrection and says so himself!



(From 1:42 on)

[Gina Stevenson]

Well, he's obviously a heretic, he even denies the resurrection and says so himself!

... along with all the other imperfect humans occupying earth ... (once we hear his reasoning).








{sneakily entitled video there, eh! did notice he mentioned that he's been in town here over at Calvin College a time or two: "last time I was in Grand Rapids ...."}

[Doug Ward]

I heard it. Commence the stoning.

[Hans Deventer]

I heard it. Commence the stoning.

I'm sorry, I'm not without sin.

[Ryan Scott]

I'm sorry, I'm not without sin.

That only applies to women caught in adultery, not to people denying the resurrection; throw away.

[Hans Deventer]

That only applies to women caught in adultery, not to people denying the resurrection; throw away.

Are you sure about that?

Reminds me of the story of the professor who was enthousiastically teaching the students that only lunatics know things with absolute certainty. Upon which of course one clever student raised his arm and asked, 'Are you sure about that, professor?' 'Absolutely sure'.

[Todd Erickson]

A woman who left our church because we weren't fundamentalist enough is taking Rollins apart on my facebook thread. Stuff she's heard, things he won't commit to, things taken out of context. Rollins and Potter for heretics most likely to be burned in 2012...

[Cam Pence]

Well, he's obviously a heretic, he even denies the resurrection and says so himself!



(From 1:42 on)

It seems one could easily take a sound bite to make Mr. Rollins say pretty much whatever they want him to say.

[Hans Deventer]

It seems one could easily take a sound bite to make Mr. Rollins say pretty much whatever they want him to say.

And they will!

[Cam Pence]

I picked up "The Orthodox Heretic" months ago for $3 dollars,amazingly enough (amazing as an employee went on for about 10 minutes about how Brian McClaren was sending people to hell and how they intentionally charge higher prices for his books to dissuade people from purchase which started somehow by me asking where I could find a book by Leonard Sweet), at a pretty theologically conservative, massively huge, Christian book store. I started reading some of the stories this week and was especially challenged by the first story "No Conviction". I have been reading it to pretty much everyone I have talked to this week at NTS. Powerful stuff.

[Todd Erickson]

Yes. For people who really want to attack Rollins, the question is not context, or how he presents things, or tone of voice, or anything more than his provocative pre-statements.

Peter Rollins doesn't believe in the Resurrection.

Peter Rollins won't confess the name of jesus Christ in his lectures.

Peter Rollins is too intellectual.

This woman just said to me, "I have been humbled and convicted by God and desire most to be mighty in spirit and not mighty in intellect. We both know that it is only by His Spirit that any of us can understand."

I'm not even sure what I'm supposed to do with that.

[Susan Unger]

Yes. For people who really want to attack Rollins, the question is not context, or how he presents things, or tone of voice, or anything more than his provocative pre-statements.

Peter Rollins doesn't believe in the Resurrection.

Peter Rollins won't confess the name of jesus Christ in his lectures.

Peter Rollins is too intellectual.

I have never read or heard anything by him so don't what to do about the first line. But once I read the second and third lines I automatically connected with him as I have been given the brush off for being [in some narrow minded peoples' minds] too intellectual. Plus, I have been critized for not using the right 'Christianease' that will tell certain people that I really am a Christian. My life can say otherwise, but without those magic words, a few people don't think I am Christian enough. Oh sigh....