It’s time for the COLLIDE stop on The Fine Line Blog Tour! The new book from author Kary Oberbrunner releases December 5 and in order to build a little anticipation I asked Kary a few questions about the book. Here’s what Kary had to say:
COLLIDE: The title of your book, The Fine Line, refers to what you believe is a fine line between being in the world but not of the world. What are some misconceptions in the Church about what it means to be in or of the world?
KARY OBERBRUNNER: Many Christ followers for many years have misunderstood what being in the world, but not of it truly entails. For fear of being of the world, the Separatists (in the book “deceived God lovers”) have forever attempted to escape the world. Their motives are correct, wanting to be righteous, but their outcome are always skewed.
Sometimes the Separatists have built a Christian subculture -a cheesy, vanilla flavored, sanctified copycat version of pop culture. Other times Separatists have done some farily epic, but irrelevant acts, like a guy named Simeon Stylites a monk type figure alive in the 400’s who lived on top of a 50 ft. pillar for over 36 years, in order to escape the wicked world.
The plan backfired and he became a rock star in his own right, only attracting more “worldly” fame.
For fear of going out of the world, the Conformists (in the book “deceived people lovers”) have forever become of the world. Their motives are correct, wanting to be relevant, but their outcomes are always skewed too.
Many Conformists become church haters and hypocrites. Conformists want to change the stereotype of Christians being lame, but they cross the line and the limits by simply conforming to the world, instead of transforming it.
COLLIDE: What authors or thinkers influenced you in the in/of conversation?
READ THE FULL STORY HERE
