Brian McLaren Book Tour in Salt Lake City

October 2 Update: Due to low pre-event registration/ticket sales, McLaren's organization decided to cancel this event. My thanks goes to everyone who got behind this presentation, including Wasatch Presbyterian Church for the venue, First Presbyterian Church for covering travel costs, and all those who were planning on attend. I highly recommend McLaren's book, particularly for conservative evangelicals who many times have dismissed the author for his controversial views and actions. There is much in this volume to consider, discuss, and put into practice, which I will discuss in a forthcoming book review for the Evangelical Channel at Patheos.


Brian McLaren will be speaking in Salt Lake City to promote his new book Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?: Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World (Jericho Books). The event is sponsored by the Evangelical Chapter of the Foundation for Religious Diplomacy and will be held Saturday, October 6 at 6:00 p.m. at and in partnership with Wasatch Presbyterian Church, 1626 South 1700 East in Salt Lake City. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door. This event will include an engaging multimedia presentation on the major themes of the book plus 20 minutes for questions and dialogue, followed by 30 minutes for book signing. Members of all faiths are invited.

About the Book:

When four religious leaders walk across the road, it’s not the beginning of a joke. It’s the start of one of the most important conversations in today’s world. 

Since 9/11 the question has become more and more urgent: How should Christians - members of the world’s largest religion - treat members of other religions? If we maintain an “Us vs. Them” attitude or make conversion the price of love and fellowship, we fuel mutual misunderstanding and hostility. But if we buy tolerance for other faiths at the cost of commitment to our own, we undermine our own faith.

 In his best book yet, widely acclaimed author and speaker Brian McLaren proposes a third alternative to these unsatisfactory options, one built on “benevolence and solidarity rather than rivalry and hostility.” This way of being Christian is strong but it doesn’t strong-arm anyone. It goes far beyond mere tolerance to vigorous hospitality toward, interest in, and collaboration with the other. It is more necessary than ever before.

Simple yet profound, this groundbreaking book shows readers step-by-step how to reclaim this strong-benevolent faith, revealing:

 • How a new understanding of key Christian doctrines can end religious rivalry and foster new relationships,
• How a fresh perspective of Christian and colonial history can replace our lingering “superior” attitudes with empathy and humility, and
• How by standing in solidarity with “the other” as Jesus did, we can become a force against injustice and inhumanity – fulfilling the Christian mission like never before

Blending history, narrative, and brilliant insight, McLaren challenges us to stop creating barriers in the name of God – and in doing so, he invites Christians to become more Christ-like.

About the Author:

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and public theologian. After teaching college English, Brian pastored Cedar Ridge Community Church in the Baltimore-Washington DC area. Brian has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors for over 20 years. He is a popular conference speaker and a frequent guest lecturer for denominational and ecumenical leadership gatherings in the U.S. and internationally.

Brian’s writing spans over a dozen books, including his acclaimed A New Kind of Christian trilogy, A Generous Orthodoxy, and his most recent title, Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words (2011). A frequent guest on television, radio, and news media programs, Brian is also an active and popular blogger, a musician, and an avid outdoor enthusiast. Learn more at his website, www.brianmclaren.net. Brian is married to Grace, and they have four adult children.