Read this post from my friend Jeremy John last night,  and he raises up many of the dimensions that emerged from the post by @MicahBales responding to what he sees as a danger/distortion  that lies in “over-intellectualizing” or “internalizing”  the philosophical challenges so often articulately formed by @PeterRollins.  I’ve read a couple of Peter’s books,  and have had the opprtunity to hear him live on three occasions.  I’m impressed with his insights.   I identify with much of them in a deeply spirtual way.  He reminds me of the things being said back in the “Lay Renewal” , “Relational Theology” days of Keith Miller and Bruce Larson and Robert Raines in the 70’s.  These are the theologies on which I arrived into the church with renewed passion for ministry,  and decided to go to seminary.  I told Peter this after I heard him for the first time at WGF 2011.

Jeremy tells a story about himself here that lifts up the importance of what Rollins often covers in his many treatments of the experience of the sense of absence of God.  I can’t deny (nor do I want to )  that it matches the experiences I have had many times over the past 40 years of seeking to follow Christ.  And Jeremy also expresses a similar appreciation for the philosophical rigor and articulation expressed so artfully by Peter Rollins.

Jeremy also knows Micah Bales,  and fully understands Micah’s misgivings of which he wrote,  and of which I have heard him speak in past  conversations with him when I met them both via OccupyDC and OccupyChurch  last spring and summer.  This is a MUST READ along with Brian Merritt’s post this morning.  So proud to have these 3 men as friends! (Micah, Jeremy, and Brian), and to have had the opportunity to chat briefly with Peter on a few occasions.

http://glassdimly.com/blog/christ/waiting-god-dark-night-soul-peter-rollins-atheism-lent