But, tbh, I’m not so sure evangelicals (recognising that evangelicalism actually affirms a wide variety of views on a wide variety of subjects) have got everything right. I think there are flaws in certain doctrinal emphases – if they were flawless they wouldn’t be the subject of so much debate between evangelicals would they?

My point is having met Brian McLaren is that he impressed me with his humility and his desire for understanding. I get that with many evangelicals too and I’d like to see more.

I’d just like more willingness to engage and less name-calling. I’d like to see the word ‘heretic’ and ‘heresy’ only used in extremis.

And yes I would like to see people putting more emphasis on how we behave to each other, and to the world, and less on what we say. I believe that what we do matters and we will be judged on that. And I don’t believe the ‘right beliefs’ act as your ‘get out of hell free card’. Calvin was right: your salvation is evidenced in how you live.

I guess it depends where you’re coming from. My reading of Scripture is that Jesus showed mercy to those who meekly sought answers, but was pretty harsh with those who thought they had the answers already. Yes, I think God wants people to believe the right things, but not at the expense of love, justice, humility and caring for others.

Other people will disagree. They prefer to think of God’s wrath being visited on you if you haven’t signed their particular statement of faith. Well, so be it.

And re books – I wish it were so simple. I think I’m addicted but then I reassure myself that I can give them up any time I like! (My comment was more that the first choice of action for anyone proposing a solution is to either find the right book or write the right book)

One of the problems I have with a lot of the criticism of his ideas is that I’ve met plenty of ‘orthodox evengalicals’ who have been, quite frankly, arrogant shouty-mouthed arseholes.

Seems to me that Jesus cared more about how people treated each other, and whether they carried themselves humbly before God, than whether they believed the right things.

I personally would like to see more humility among ‘orthodox evangelicals’. Maybe not labelling yourself ‘orthodox’ (with the implication that the person you don’t like/don’t understand/secretly wish you were as popular as is a heretic) would be a start.

And re books. Bud, we have more than enough books. Our shelves are groaning with them. That’s part of the problem. Not the solution.

Write it anyway. If no publisher is on board by the time you’re finished, then release it as an e-book with a bit of marketing & maybe it can go viral.

If starting with a book is too much for you, maybe you could begin a series of blog posts to develop your material. What I would like to see is something that combines principles (a Biblical basis against consumerism and for simplicity) with practices (concrete examples of things people can do)

How did no one else see that?

And yeah there is Keller. Tim Chester?

From my point of view step four seems pretty clear.