FBC Jax Calls for Sever of Ties to Lifeway Over "The Shack"

[SLyons]

Jim Smyrl, the Executive Pastor of Education at FBC Jacksonville (http://www.fbcjax.com), has called on the SBC to sever ties to Lifeway unless they ban books that don't meet his theological approval. Jim says the average baptist church member does not have training in "critical thinking" and thus is not capable of "filtering bad theology", and thus should not be reading books like "The Shack", and thus Lifeway should not be selling them.

Unfortunately his latest blog post at the FBC Jax website was removed this morning from the church website. But in the article Smyrl writes about how last year before the SBC convention he and a colleague had obtained a committment from the head of Lifeway to pull the book "The Shack" from Lifeway shelves in exchange for Smyrl not bringing a motion to the floor of the convention calling into question a number of offerings made by LIfeway that don't agree with the Baptist Faith and Message.

According to Jim, the head of Lifeway, after the convention was over, went back on his committment and did not pull the book as was promised. Jim claims this was SBC politics, to fool him into not bringing the motion. Jim asserts that by offering "The Shack" (which by the way is sold by Lifeway with a caution to "read with discernment") that Lifeway is spreading "poison" and says Lifeway has "contaminated shelves" and is harming pastors' ability to grow godly believers - and Jim throws in the accusation that Lifeway is doing all of these evil deeds for financial gain.

This is not surprising, as Smyrl is the same guy who last fall called Catholic priests "cult leaders" on the FBC Jax blogs, and who last week in the pulpit took words out of context to mischaracterize FBC Dallas' new video manifesto as "blasphemous self-promotion".

[Haruo]

[Dave Roberts]

I guess it's obvious that he feels he is training people from his church to have no abilities in "critical thinking." If you swallow all he spews, no wonder he is afraid of a book. I wonder how many of his folks actually ever go to Lifeway anyway?

[Haruo]

Well, the ones who do should have the backhand of fellowship applied, surely. Smyrl sounds like the se-papist. With apologies to John Smyth ...

[Gary]

Seems that all the blogs have been removed from the website.

Infected toe? Amputate at the neck. Yep! That's the ticket!

[William Thornton]

FBCJax Watchdog, the persistent critic of the church and pastor, copied the blog to his site. Read it here:

He and a "collegue" wanted LifeWay to pull the book. They did, reviewed the decision, and decided to put it back for sale in stores with a caveat.

I don't know what the problem is here. Smyrl is the "Executive Education Minister" and he is just executing. I think Thom Ranier and LifeWay are a bit too big to fit in his guilllotine.

A few people in my church have the Shack. One is a virulent critic. The others don't seem to like it.

[Stephen Fox]

I think they should sever ties with everything.

The Bible says to come out from amongst em.

As for me, I think Babs Taylor is on to something about the Theology of Bodily Incarnation:

http://www.christiancentury.org/article.lasso?id=6185

Now what would happen if you got a good body theologian in The Shack????

[Big Daddy Weaver]

I hear that Roger Olson (a Truett professor known for his anti-Calvinism) is teaching a Sunday School class on The Shack. I've been told that he's written a strong response to The Shack for publication.

I think that the author of The Shack is speaking at Wade Burleson's church this Spring.

[Mark]

"The Shack?"
Is that anything like "the snack (Cheetos)?"

[SLyons]

Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is with The Shack. I've always liked him, ever since he played at LSU.

[Ed Pettibone]

[lespuryear]

[Mark]

Is there anyone willing to enlighten the rest of us as to what "The Shack" is?

[Cathy]

be40619009a09d3a18174110.L.jpg (6.05 KiB) Viewed 19019 times

I believe the book was self published and became a huge success. I haven't read it, but with my work schedule I haven't read much lately. A man meets God in an unlikely setting. You'll have to read an online review.

[Big Daddy Weaver]

[Haruo]

Thanks, BDiddy, that's a very interesting conversation. It sounds to me like his Baptist Catholicity is diametrically opposed to what I see Smyrl as advocating, but I could be wrong. There was one Q&A in the piece that intrigued me so much (and that is so far afield from this thread) that I'm going to post separately about it.

[Shortandy]

Personally I think its more about he money than the theology for lifeway anyway. The Shack has a been on top of their sales list for a while now.

As to the theolgy....I don't like it. God as a big black woman, the Spirit as a little asian girl. Clearly those are not found in scripture and therefore they are theologically off. I thik the book (maybe not on purpose) facilitates improper thinking, and respect for God.

However, why pick on one book? There are many on the lifeway shelves that a lot of SBC members probably don't like.

[Ed Pettibone]

[Haruo]

[lespuryear]

[Mark]

[Haruo]

[Ed Pettibone]

Haruo. wrote in part "Wait a minute, does The Shack actually say God is a lesbian? That's what Smyrl implies,.."

Ed: Haruo where does Smyrl imply such? Smyrt is quoted as saying "I’m thankful they did not fictionally present Christ as a lesbian woman. ..." I am in disagreement with Smyrt's general thesis but we need not make it worse.

[Haruo]

You're right, Ed, it is not necessarily true that Smyrl implied that. I should have said "That's what I infer from what Smyrl said". But I did infer that, and was surprised.

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