The recent Fox News "Spirited Debate" interview had gone awry.
Because of poor apologetic from Fox News interviewer, Lauren Green, Reza Aslan's book on Jesus' life - Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth, became Amazon's #1 bestseller.
Despite Reza's non-bias claims (he has lots of phD in Religious and New Testament Studies), his Muslim motive in his work cannot be dismissed. His only defense would be to argue that Jesus was crucified while the Muslims believe otherwise. But one, a Muslim, could easily soothe his fellow Muslims by rejecting Christ's divinity.
A good look at negative comments on Amazon will be enough to tell much of Aslan's book. Should I need to read it, I could do it via library. There is no need to buy it.
I first heard about Aslan and his book from The Janet Mefferd Show. Always a good source that show it is. I always get news so quickly. Janet must be an incredibly avid reader. He used to be "Christian", but now he loves to claim he's surrounded by a Christian wife, evangelical brother in law, etc.
Green's interview however, was as some suggested, quite incompetent. Recalling one of her interviews with Tim Keller, I had to look her up. She apparently attends Redeemer. I do not know which of the 3 sites. She seems talented in classical piano, having her own album.
Perhaps, thanks to her, Redeemer could see a sudden burst of attendance?
This brought me to another article, on Tim Keller's mega-church planting view. Though Keller didn't quite follow Driscoll's 100 video screen churches strategy, he has certainly no intention on building a pastoral relationship with individual congregants...how could he?
I certainly do not agree with any of these megachurch approaches in America. Coming from the Mid-Western Christian culture, Green acknowledges the problem as well. She says, "I know intellectually that this is needed, and I understand it and I go to church every Sunday even when he's not there. But I don't think it will be the same."
Keller's answer to that would just be the careful: "It all sounds shaky to people. It makes them nervous. But this is not such a bad thing. If you don't know how something will turn out, you pray like crazy."
Without pastoral relationship, the members' spiritual lives are easily in chaos. Size does not prove spiritual maturity. This, I believe, is the result of Green's poor apologetic response to Aslan. Because with a pastor like Tim Keller, if there is a close relationship, it is unlikely that a congregant of such could fail in asking Aslan the right questions. Perhaps she was forced to interview Aslan against her wish.
This must go right to the top list of my prayer.
