Boyd & Cavey
Boyd & Cavey
I've really been enjoying Greg Boyd and Bruxy Cavey lately. I also just finished books by them (myth of a Christian nation and the end of religion, respectively). Good stuff.
Re: Boyd & Cavey
It is good to have men with this much visibility saying these things.
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RICHinCHRIST
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Re: Boyd & Cavey
Matt, it seems you write a lot of book reviews. Can you post the ones you write for these books here on this thread? I am quite busy, but I hope to read these books by these guys eventually.
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SteveF
Re: Boyd & Cavey
This past Sunday Bruxy was teaching on the Olivet Discourse (Matt 24). At moments I thought I was listening to Steve G teaching! His explanation of the passage was sometimes word for word.
Re: Boyd & Cavey
Yeah, I taught him everything he knows. 
Re: Boyd & Cavey
I agree Matt, those guys are great. Very edifying to listen to.
He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth. (Isaiah 42:4)
Re: Boyd & Cavey
I can't remember if I wrote reviews for these 2 books. If not, I prolly will soon. My desk is an absolute mess at the moment. I'm teaching through John, starting a 12 week series on War & Peace, preparing for an upcoming sermon on Singleness, leading a small group through Luke, another small group about to start Genesis, and taking a prayer small group through all the prayers of the Bible. I love my job, but my desk hates it.RICHinCHRIST wrote:Matt, it seems you write a lot of book reviews. Can you post the ones you write for these books here on this thread? I am quite busy, but I hope to read these books by these guys eventually.
Re: Boyd & Cavey
Here, I wrote one up for Cavey real fast....
In a well titled book, Bruxy Cavey (teaching pastor at a large Canadian Brethren church outside of Toronto) argues that the Bible, from beginning to end, has an irreligious agenda. Cavey focuses on how Jesus' words and actions worked to bring religion to an end.
In part 1, Bruxy shows that religious actions are not bad in and of themselves, but must flow FROM a heart that loves God. Over the years, the church turned its attention away from matters of the heart and focused more on doctrines. When doctrines became the focus, division became the norm. The way out of this quagmire is, surprisingly, to out-fundamental the fundamentalists. We need to get back to focusing on the things that Jesus focused on.
Part 2 examines Jesus' particularly irreligious agenda. He demonstrates that Jesus challenged religious texts, traditions, tribalisms, territory, and temples. His critique was not against Judaism so much as it was against religious Judaism. The movement is not really AWAY from holy people, places & things, but instead the realization that all people, places & things can be holy. Jesus was the final sacrifice, the end of religion.
In the final section, Cavey wants to work out the implications of this thesis. Love for words and laws gives way to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion was necessary, perhaps, when we (humanity) were children. But it's time to grow up. It's time to turn rules and routines into principles and priorities. Cavey says, "the Christian faith is the phenomenon of people following Jesus. The Christian religion is the phenomenon of people following the phenomenon of people following Jesus." Bruxy borrows from Boyd in saying that religions tend to focus on the boundary disputes while Jesus' followers are too focused on the center to make that their main issue. "When sinful, broken, hurting people are pleasantly surprised at how accepting we are, and religious people are outraged at how accepting we are, there is a good chance we're starting to live like Jesus." Once we realize that religion has been made obsolete, we are freed up from maintaining and protecting institutional forms of faith. They are allowed to die because the Kingdom goes on with or without them.
Cavey wants to caution us against just assuming the world would be better without religion. Religion does some good, it just isn't the ultimate answer. He also warns against thinking that the answer is just to become less organized: "The problem with organized religion is not that it is organized. The problem with organized religion is that it is religious... If I am right, then the antidote to organized religion is not disorganized religion, but organized irreligion. In conclusion, The End of Religion suggests that God became flesh in order to show us His love, save us from sin, and shut down religion (replacing it with faith).
The book is a good and quick read (I think I read it in 2 sittings). It's sort of like a more popular level reading of NT Wright's large volumes with a good amount more focus on the heart. Since Cavey is a teaching pastor, he's an excellent communicator and the book is full of insightful illustrations. Another good thing about the book is that, at least the deal I got, you get 2 copies for the price of 1 book. It's a good book to give away!
In a well titled book, Bruxy Cavey (teaching pastor at a large Canadian Brethren church outside of Toronto) argues that the Bible, from beginning to end, has an irreligious agenda. Cavey focuses on how Jesus' words and actions worked to bring religion to an end.
In part 1, Bruxy shows that religious actions are not bad in and of themselves, but must flow FROM a heart that loves God. Over the years, the church turned its attention away from matters of the heart and focused more on doctrines. When doctrines became the focus, division became the norm. The way out of this quagmire is, surprisingly, to out-fundamental the fundamentalists. We need to get back to focusing on the things that Jesus focused on.
Part 2 examines Jesus' particularly irreligious agenda. He demonstrates that Jesus challenged religious texts, traditions, tribalisms, territory, and temples. His critique was not against Judaism so much as it was against religious Judaism. The movement is not really AWAY from holy people, places & things, but instead the realization that all people, places & things can be holy. Jesus was the final sacrifice, the end of religion.
In the final section, Cavey wants to work out the implications of this thesis. Love for words and laws gives way to a genuine relationship with Jesus Christ. Religion was necessary, perhaps, when we (humanity) were children. But it's time to grow up. It's time to turn rules and routines into principles and priorities. Cavey says, "the Christian faith is the phenomenon of people following Jesus. The Christian religion is the phenomenon of people following the phenomenon of people following Jesus." Bruxy borrows from Boyd in saying that religions tend to focus on the boundary disputes while Jesus' followers are too focused on the center to make that their main issue. "When sinful, broken, hurting people are pleasantly surprised at how accepting we are, and religious people are outraged at how accepting we are, there is a good chance we're starting to live like Jesus." Once we realize that religion has been made obsolete, we are freed up from maintaining and protecting institutional forms of faith. They are allowed to die because the Kingdom goes on with or without them.
Cavey wants to caution us against just assuming the world would be better without religion. Religion does some good, it just isn't the ultimate answer. He also warns against thinking that the answer is just to become less organized: "The problem with organized religion is not that it is organized. The problem with organized religion is that it is religious... If I am right, then the antidote to organized religion is not disorganized religion, but organized irreligion. In conclusion, The End of Religion suggests that God became flesh in order to show us His love, save us from sin, and shut down religion (replacing it with faith).
The book is a good and quick read (I think I read it in 2 sittings). It's sort of like a more popular level reading of NT Wright's large volumes with a good amount more focus on the heart. Since Cavey is a teaching pastor, he's an excellent communicator and the book is full of insightful illustrations. Another good thing about the book is that, at least the deal I got, you get 2 copies for the price of 1 book. It's a good book to give away!
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RICHinCHRIST
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Re: Boyd & Cavey
No pressure, bro! I was just wondering if you had happened to write them already. Thanks for the Bruxy one.. Regarding your sermon on singleness, will you be recording it? I would love to listen to that. I heard a sermon on that topic by John Piper once (which was good)... but not many people teach on it. That is, if you meant the "gift of singleness". If not, I"m sure it would still be edifying...mattrose wrote:I can't remember if I wrote reviews for these 2 books. If not, I prolly will soon. My desk is an absolute mess at the moment. I'm teaching through John, starting a 12 week series on War & Peace, preparing for an upcoming sermon on Singleness, leading a small group through Luke, another small group about to start Genesis, and taking a prayer small group through all the prayers of the Bible. I love my job, but my desk hates it.