I enjoyed meeting Pastor Dan Poole and his friend, Neo in the pages of A New Kind of Christian, [see my review here] and highly recommend it as a starting point for those interested in exploring the new cultural paradigm facing Christianity in the 21^st century.

Brian McLaren’s second book, in what is likely to be a multi-book series, spends less time talking about the modern-postmodern shift and spends more time unpacking the new theology that flows from it. Once again, a fictional setting is used to provide the stage. In the preface to The Story We Find Ourselves In McLaren writes: “The more I have written about postmodernity (and so on), the more I have wanted to get to the point where it no longer needed to be written about so much. I wanted to start writing about the Christian gospel itself, from a vantage point within the emerging culture, without always having to defend the vantage point.” In this work, McLaren begins the process of describing the “new” ideas, theological frameworks and viewpoints that paint the backdrop for the unfolding drama we are living.

The Galapagos Islands provide the setting for a discussion of creation and evolution and the origins of the universe. Once again, Neo is the prime expositor of the “new” ideas. In this case, his conversations with Kerry Ellison, a biologist working on the islands to study and preserve wildlife, allow Neo to unpack ideas about a Christian’s concern and care for the planet.

Other areas of discussion are the authenticity of miracles and Christ’s work on the cross. Neo’s leadership of a weekly gathering on the yacht, La Ventura, sounds like the kind of church that I would like to join. The unfolding relationship between Neo and Kerry mirrors Kerry’s unfolding relationship with God.

I liked the storytelling in Story a little better than the first volume. In New Kind of Christian I sometimes felt that the essay overpowered the story. In Story I think McLaren’s skills as an author have given us a book that is as interesting for its plot as it is for its information.

I have a big appetite for stories that tell of the beauty and mystery that moves people toward faith. And for that reason, I recommend The Story We Find Ourselves In.  Be prepared to expand your ideas about the Story that God has written for each of our lives.