In 2003, I began to write a series of books about hearing God’s voice, starting with Can You Hear Me? Tuning in to the God who speaks. Those works launched an itinerant ministry, training people in the beautiful practice of “listening prayer”—a contemplative practice with effective results in the world of “inner healing.” Nothing I’ve produced since then has generated so many wonderful testimonies or so hateful opposition.
When, in 2007, I published a collection of essays titled Stricken by God? Nonviolent Atonement and the Victory of Christ, our critique of penal substitution theory hit a nerve—a rather raw nerve for some, deep resonance for others. Central to that reaction were the many suggestions that God has already given me an important message and ministry—hearing God—and that I should not sabotage it by straying out of my lane. Strange, because that’s what not the Voice told me. Today, I continually hear that our theology of the Cross was decisive in dissuading many folks from abandoning Jesus. Glad I ignored those concerned warnings.
When, in 2009, I published a book titled Her Gates Will Never Be Shut: Hope, Hell & the New Jerusalem, my critique of eternal conscious torment, it hit a nerve—a rather raw nerve for some, deep resonance for others. Central to that reaction were the many suggestions that I should have stayed in my lane. Strange, because that’s what not the Voice told me. Today, I continually hear that our theology of the Hope was decisive in dissuading many folks from abandoning Jesus. Glad I ignored those concerned warnings.
When, in 2016, I published a book titled A More Christlike God: A More Beautiful Faith (and now two sequels), my critique of the unChristlike God of retributive violence, it hit a nerve—a rather raw nerve for some, deep resonance for others. Central to that reaction were the many suggestions that I should have stayed in my lane. Strange, because that’s not what the Voice told me. Today, I continually hear that our theology of cruciform Love was decisive in dissuading many folks from abandoning Jesus. Glad I ignored those concerned warnings.
Since 2016, having graduated with a Ph.D. in Political Theology, having written half a dozen political science texts, and having become a lecturer on Peace Studies at IRPJ.org, even then, if I offer any public political commentary that rejects the myth of redemptive violence or calls us to transcend the matrix of right-left ideology and politicized faith, guess what… yup, I hear that same ominous “Stay in your lane, Brad.”
Strange, because that’s not what the Voice told me.
And you know what? I think I won’t.
