Donald Miller
Posted on January 18th, 2006 by catalyst into the Uncategorized categoryDonald Miller, author of Blue Like Jazz, got some love from the Oregonian this Sunday. (Thanks to Karli for sending this to me.)
The article has this quote from Mr. Miller:
“I was a fundamentalist Christian once. It lasted a summer.”
Don’s got a new book out called Searching for God Knows What?
I haven’t read the book, but I have heard that he bashes the evangelical community for buddying up with the Republican Party. It is supposed to be better than Blue Like Jazz. Sounds interesting.
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January 18th, 2006 at 8:29 am
I prefer Blue Like Jazz over Searching for God Knows What because it seems to be more personal. Blue Like Jazz is more about Donald Miller’s journey with faith whereas Searching for God Knows What tends to be a lot more theological and preachy. Nonetheless, Donald Miller is still one of the best christian writers.
January 18th, 2006 at 9:37 am
Donald Miller in not a christian and is most likey going to Hell.
January 18th, 2006 at 9:46 am
Anon’s comment is either a not-so-subtle effort at stirring up controversy, or just plain un-Christlike behavior. I recommend we ingore it.
As far as Don being a great writer, I would agree that his book “Blue…” is a good eye-opener and will help many in their journey into a real faith, but I find his writing disjointed and cluttered. The book seemed to lack focus at times, and it made it hard for me to finish. I know it’s supposed to be about his journey of faith, I’m just saying I didn’t enjoy it as much as some other people might have simply because of presentation and not because of content.
January 19th, 2006 at 11:52 pm
to each his (or her) own. i adore miller’s writing style, and it didn’t seem cluttered or unfocused to me at all. i love miller’s use of metaphors:
…you no longer believed the gospel could be presented accurately using a step-by-step guide with all the beauty of blender instructions.
Does Jesus like liberals more than conservatives? He will be nobody’s flag.
John pointed out that it takes God hundreds of years to finally get angry enough to lay any sort of punishment on his enemies. He’s like France in that way.
I liked Searching more than Blue, but anything Miller writes I adore. I look forward to his future titles.
January 20th, 2006 at 3:12 pm
personally i find that he articulates very well exactly what is in my own heart, and i think many would agree, and that is why he’s so popular these days…i dont believe his heart is to stir up dissention or cause trouble or any such thing. i believe he is just a genuine guy trying to put real words to his real questions about faith, religion, Christianity and all the expressions you see of these things in the world today. he, like so many of us, is searching for authentic faith- an authentic expression of the kind of person Jesus was when he walked the earth in flesh, and the kind of person He wants us to become.
January 20th, 2006 at 3:16 pm
p.s. as far as his writing goes, i like all of what i’ve read so far. i think i related most strongly to “searching…”; i’m reading “through painted deserts” now and really enjoying it.
November 17th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Why would you say that donald miller is not a christian and going to hell?
November 17th, 2006 at 1:48 pm
Pam,
you may be new to this blog so let me try to help…
Anonymous (who has been banned from this site) is a trouble maker and should be ignored. While it was great fun arguing with ___________, we eventually realized that they were causing to much work for us. So, we now require an email address to post and because of it, our friend Anonymous, is gone.
It is this blog’s contention that while Donald Miller may or may not be a “Christian”, he is most likely going to heaven.
November 17th, 2006 at 3:30 pm
I see, I was just interested in why someone would think that, however, I dont think that it is bad to share differing views, even if it is work. I guess it depends also on what people want to get from a blog though. Thanks for responding, I would have been waiting for an answer for quite awhile otherwise
January 4th, 2007 at 4:56 pm
My daughter asked me to read Blue Like Jazz and Searching for God Knows What. Donald is one of the more conservative in the emerging/emergent church movement that I have read writings from, but he sadly is not a good critical thinker. Sadly because many young Christians think he has quite a lot of meaningful insights to share (which some of his comments are). However his writing are mostly based from a poor understanding of God and his word. Donald believes in moral equivalency, and is helping to push thoughts toward a one world mentality. If you want to read some insightful thinking, try Thomas A Kempis, An Imitation of Christ - now thats a great read (even though it was written ~700 years ago).
January 5th, 2007 at 9:00 am
Scott,
I think the reason why so many young people like Donal Miller is because he is honest.
At least that is why I like him. And when you spend year after year growing up hearing the same old fake garbage from the pulpit, it is refreshing to hear someone be real.
January 5th, 2007 at 4:23 pm
Donald Miller, like so many in our day, evidences Post Modernism in his writing, and we find it refreshing because we are all experiencing Post Modernism.
Here’s a working definition of Post Modern:
“Any of several artistic movements since about the 1960s that have challenged the philosophy and practices of modern arts or literature. In literature this has amounted to a reaction against an ordered view of the world and therefore against fixed ideas about the form and meaning of texts. In its reaction against Modernist ideals postmodern writing and art emphasize devices such as pastiche (a medley of various ingredients; a hotchpotch, or jumble) and parody (this blog…) and the stylized technique of the antinovel and magic realism. Postmodernism has also led to a proliferation of critical theories, most notably deconstruction (we love this here…) and its offshoots, and the breaking down of the distinction between “high” and “low” culture (oh yah…).”
Now, while I’m not intellectual enough to understanding all that definition means, I see things there that are obviously at work in forming our preferences for writing, lifestyles, attitudes, and beliefs, and frequently expressed on this blog.
One can only say Post Modernism is wrong to the extent that they are able to prove that Modernism is biblical or “right,” and while some are trying to keep the “old” alive, it is probably best to live in the real post modern world we live in. Donald Miller seems to do that quite well.
January 5th, 2007 at 8:44 pm
Tom,
You may not understand the definition of postmodernism you posted because it is a bad one. Post modernism simply means people no longer have a biblical world view and it is not part of the cultural understanding. This has importance in that 25 years ago, if you were witnessing to an unbeliever, you did not have to define or explain what sin was – they knew. Christians could use Christian buzz words in the dialogue and the person would understand the dialogue well. Today, people do not understand the concept of a sin, or that there are clear right and wrong behaviors based on the bible (do not steal, do not murder – its never ok). The emergent church movement then, only has something to offer when it is perfectly biblical, and has nothing to offer when it is not biblical. The apostle Paul reached out to the Athenians by mentioning their unknown god. Paul made a bridge to those he was trying to save. The emergent church writers only have something to offer a dying world when they make a biblical bridge to their culture – but the bridge must be perfectly biblical. God is truth, and Satin is the father of lies.
January 5th, 2007 at 9:44 pm
actually Satin makes a great pillow or bed sheet.
January 5th, 2007 at 10:04 pm
Scott,
Thank you for some clarifications. I am definitely not as knowledgeable of the ins and outs of post modernism as some.
I very much agree with you that our post modern world is adrift in the midst of relativism. As such post modernism evidences and presents a very dangerous mindset.
However, and once again I offer the caveat of not being intellectually knowledgeable of the whole field of post modernism, I know certain things in my spirit, and one of them is that there is a motivating force, within the hearts of mankind, for their drift towards post modernism and away from biblical absolutes.
What is that “motivation?” I can’t say I understand the fullness of it, but knee jerk reactions are generally based on hitting the right emotional and intellectual nerve. I believe that nerve is, in measure, “the fullness of the sin of the Institutional Church,” as well as your and my personal failures and capitulations within that Institution.
In other words, great failures of the IC, over many centuries, ultimately left a vacuum for world cultures to become sucked into, and that vacuum was formed by the hands of those who said they were offering biblical absolutes, but were themselves either blindly deceived or intentionally corrupt, and did things with Jesus’ Church that caused the modern world to move towards post modernism because they became SICK AND TIRED OF USELESS SELF SERVING HYPOCRITICAL RELIGION.
The same religion that seduces altar boys seduces the unsuspecting evangelical flocks into giving up their life savings so egomaniacs can build mega Churches as monuments to their charismatic power hungry self serving agendas, and ALL STAMPED WITH JESUS’ NAME in bold red print.
Our world has finally become sick and tired of the modern and historical Church, and said in effect “Screw the whole thing,” we’re done with it, and we’ve decided there are no absolutes. We’re sick of the hypocrisy, the syrupy preachings that promise one thing but deliver another, and generations of those who have become skilled at taking the absolutes of scripture and twisting them to their own destruction, with endless interpretations, which a wisening world can see is nothing more than greedy, sickening religious whoremongers, stealing the hearts and money of God’s people for their own ends.
Soooo, while I might not like the turn from biblical absolutes, I whole heartedly champion the dimension of post modernism that says “ENOUGH WITH THE MADNESS - GIVE ME REAL OR GIVE ME HELL.”
On the scene comes Brian MacLaren, Donald Miller, Reformed Pope, Catylyst, and millions of others who have said, in effect, “There is a God, He does reveal absolute truths, and we are going to champion honesty, exposing the falsehoods, being real, and that Jesus, while tolerant of all the Churchy crap that has stunk up His world to the highest heavens, is setting about cleaning up His Church, and calling millions and millions and millions out of the formal, stuffy, self serving, religious, and legalistic mess of it all, and to the simple, pure, honest, and real Jesus.”
I stand up, as a very small voice in the midst of this post modern revolution, and call it back to the absolutes of Christ, but also the complete dumping of the entire religious systems of man, and a desperate clinging to the cross of Christ and a passion for the real Jesus in our midst.
So, yes Scott, I’m absolutely certain you are right…I undoubtedly am woefully ignorant of the full intellectual and philosophical concepts of post modernism, but I’m absolutely thrilled to be living in the midst of a generation that is crying out “THERE ARE NO ABSOLUTES - WE KNOW THERE AREN’T BECAUSE THE CHURCH HAS ABSOLUTELY PROVEN THAT TO US BY THEIR HYPOCRISY.” That just tells me - Wow, I live in a day, where if I let Jesus do in me, what He’s wanted to do in folks since the very beginning, I.e. create humility, honesty, transparency, and truth, that they, by the power of His Spirit, can be the most powerful force this earth has ever seen to turn an angry and disillusioned world to the ONLY ONE WHO IS TRUTH - ABSOLUTE 100% TRUTH! Hallelujah!!!!!
Thanks for your help in stirring this holy, cause driven, intensity within me to the surface. I see things much more clearly now.
June 9th, 2008 at 7:02 pm
I enjoyed Blue Like Jazz and appreciate the look into his journey, but I found him quite immature in his faith. I agree that there are many things about God that are a mystery, but he also reveals so much about himself in his Word, His Son, Nature and through the Holy Spirt. It’s not so open ended. I appreciate Miller’s view.
June 23rd, 2008 at 8:33 am
I’ve read both books and thoroughly enjoyed them both. In fact I gave Blue to a couple of my non-Christian friends to read and they liked it too. Helped open up the door to a great discussion about Christ and Christianity. Even saw a copy at some airport bookstore with a sign that said “great thoughts about God” written above it. I know most right wing Christians or fundamentalist believers won’t appreciate this book, but it wasn’t written for them, so who really cares what they think anyway (he he). I hope he writes some more soon.