Spencer Burke laments the tone and tenor of blogs and the media. He fears the fundamentalist movement might try to reinstate a nostalgic view of what the "Church" is, and he fears a certain amount of intimidation. He fears ad hominem attacks and what he calls "clichéd innuendos" [by which he means terms like un-Biblical, un-orthodox, un-Christian, and even heretical]. These words he thinks will threaten lasting dialogue.

It's regrettable that Tony Jones has not allowed Burke's fears to inform his own ministry.

The third of the advertisements for The New Christians has been released for our amusement. It includes a profound and scholarly discussion of the meaning of skubalon, and contains no small irritation that bookstores will therefore not carry his book.

In the discussion [mark: 6:00] Jones flings charges against those, such as John Hagee and Benny Hinn, who are "clearly preaching heterodox doctrine". That sounds a tad judgmental to me; I wonder if Spencer Burke was invited to sit down on a sofa and discuss this properly.

Maybe Spencer Burke did have something to worry about.

Webisode One dealt with the calling of a divorced and suicidal prophet and exemplar of the New Christian.
Webisode Two dealt with the church's heart-rending rejection of a misbehaving girl.
Webisode Three deals with a Christian bookstore which requested that employees not fraternize with Trucker Frank.

If you were the spokesbloke for a reformation in the 21^st Century, is this the gospel you would be spreading? We keep hearing about being on the cusp of a new century and on the brink of a new reformation, but all we see are these less-than-inspiring advertisements about the socially inept venting petty resentments toward established religion.

I wonder when we will see something less trivial?