Feed back from the McKnight Book

Hey,
Here is what we sent to Scot McKnight in regard to his book manuscript we read together. The recording didn't work (my fault) so this was based on my notes. If anyone wants to make corrections, post away!
Peace,
Dixon

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Nashville Cohort
Reflections and responses to Scot McKnight's forthcoming book A Community Called Atonement, 10/5/06.

We had lots of conversation and sifting through it all I think there are about 5 salient points.

1.) Is Atonement the best word to use in all this? We talked for a long while about the Biblical connections to atonement and how atonement of sins in Lev 16 is different than the forgiveness of sins on the cross. Jesus linking of the Cross and Passover further complicate the matter. So, question asked – what if a new word should be coined? Maybe you could borrow one from Doug;)

2.) The emotional highpoint seems to come in the middle. At some point McKnight tells an incredibly poignant story (it's from a woman's email; she is a nurse who washes the feet....) that is the emotive high point of the book but it comes just past the mid-point. We couldn't help thinking sermonically at that point - that the climax came but there were still pages and pages to read.... anyway, worth a thought

3.) Golf is Good. Loved the golf metaphor of needing “every club in the bag”. So helpful. AS was his whole emphasis on finding an atonement theology that “works”. We felt it was a good via media between the academy and the parish. He nails it there.

4.) Atonement Wars, Really? Tim (West) asked if we experienced the Atonement Wars referenced by McKnight at a “street level” in our contexts. Most of us agreed that we did not. We all experience the fights about other stuff in our protestant traditions (which are broad, Non-denom to Episcopal), but not that. However, we know the fights are going on (you don’t need to look too hard on the net to find the fray) and that’s where his offering of a missional implication for the theology really helped. If the fight is not your concern, the book still really matters.

5.) The Kingdom gets back burner-ed. Some felt that the book read as though McKnight thought the atonement made possible the coming of the Kingdom of God, in Jesus. So, basically, the Kingdom wasn’t really happening in Jesus life and ministry until the cross and the atonement happened. I know this isn’t what he believes, but the group thought this should be pointed out.

Compiled by Dixon Kinser