A New Kind of Conversation: Blogging Toward a Postmodern Faith

Using the format of the weblog, A New Kind of Conversation is an experimental book that enters into a conversational theological exploration with five evangelical leaders and academics (Brian McLaren, Bruce Ellis Benson, Ellen Haroutunian, Mabiala Kenzon, and Myron Bradley Penner), who are the primary bloggers. Originally posted on anewkindofconversation.com, people all over the world were invited to blog on the following topics: What is Postmodernity? What is a Postmodern Evangelical? Theology and (Non)(Post) Foundationalism; The Bible, Theology and Postmodernism; Evangelical Faith and (Postmodern) Others; Postmodern Apologetics; Postmodern Ministry; Spiritual Formation in a Postmodern Context. The book is a condensed version of that conversation.

Myron Penner is professor of philosophy and theology at Prairie College and Graduate School in Alberta, Canada. He earned his Ph.D. from University of Edinburgh. Penner has also been a research fellow of the Hong Kierkegaard Library and director of the graduate program in philosophy of religion and religious studies at Liberty University. He lives in Three Hills, Alberta. A Hunter Barnes has a diverse background including professional work as an actor and writer. He has deep interest in narrative theory and orality of scripture, and has been working on a project in the performance of scripture through the Gospel of Mark for the past three years.He received his MA in Communication/Theatre Arts from Regent University in Virginia and is the creative arts director for Zarephath Christian Church. Brian D. McLaren (MA, University of Maryland) is founding pastor of Cedar Ridge Community Church, an innovative, nondenominational church in the Baltimore-Washington region. He's also a senior fellow with emergent village(www.emergentvillage.org), a growing generative friendship of missional Christian leaders. He is the author of three best selling books on Emergent beliefs written in the form of fiction The Last Word and the Word after That; A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey and The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian. Two books on Finding Faith, A Search for what is Real and A Search for What makes Sense Three books on Emergent evangelism and culture, More Ready than you Realise; The Church on the other side: Doing ministry in the Postmodern matrix, and A Is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church Three books on Kingdom beliefs, A Generous Orthodoxy, The Secret Message of Jesus, and Everything must change: Jesus, Global Crisis and a Revolution of Hope. and a book on Emergent Spirituality Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices . Mabiala Kenzo is professor of Systematic Theology and current President of the Evangelical Community of the Alliance in Congo, which is the Christian and Missionary Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo. His ministry includes leadership training, Church leadership, and community development. He is a pastor at heart and a theologian by training. Dr. Bruce Ellis Benson (PhD.,Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), is Professor and Chair of philosophy at Wheaton College. he is the author of a number books on Continental Philosophy Pious Nietzsche: Decadence and Dionysian Faith (Indiana University Press, 2007), The Improvisation of Musical Dialogue: A Phenomenology of Music (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2003. ) Graven Ideologies: Nietzsche, Derrida, and Marion on Modern Idolatry.( Downers Grove, Ill.: IVP, 2002.) and Evangelicals and Empire (Brazos, 2008) -Editorial Review. After receiving a Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing, Ellen Haroutunian went on to become integrally involved in ministerial work on various levels. In 1994 she completed her MA in Biblical Counseling and worked within a counseling internship under the supervision of Dr. Larry Crabb and Dr. Dan Allender. Over the past 12 years she has focused on women's issues, in particular, identity issues, marriage and relational issues, gender issues and spiritual formation. Ellen is a published author, popular speaker on global gender injustices and is completing a book manuscript on new missional paradigms for evangelicalism. Ellen is passionate about social justice issues, particularly the flourishing of women around the globe. Ellen lives in Littleton, Colorado with her pastor husband.