McKnight Highlights

Went to hear Scot McKnight talk about his newest book (Kingdom Conspiracy) at Northeastern Seminary on Wednesday. Here are some highlights of what he had to say in the form of 50 brief notes:

1. Christians are using the term 'kingdom' in all sorts of different ways
2. McKnight sees 'kingdom' as an ecclesiological (church) doctrine
3. He means to basically equate (unpopularly) the kingdom with the church
4. Skinny jeans Xians tend to be younger, democrat-voting and, for them...
5. Kingdom = good people doing good things in public sector for common good
6. But good works disconnected from church, while good, are not kingdom
7. Skinny jeans Xians are influenced by social gospel and liberation theology
8. Pleaded pants Xians tend to be older, republican-voting and, for them...
9. Kingdom= Redemptive moments (conversions, healings, changes in law)
10. But when the kingdom is 'everywhere' it is nowhere
11. Pleaded pants Xians are influenced by guys like Dodd/Ladd/etc.
12. McKnight says both reduce kingdom. Kingdom is a complex.
13. Kingdom is intensely political, can't be spiritualized
14. The character of the king determines the character of the kingdom
15. There are 5 elements of the kingdom/church (he nearly equates them)
16. First, a kingdom has a KING (theocracy-->monarchy-->christocracy)
17. Second, a kingdom has a a king who RULES (as redeeming Lord)
18. Third, a kingdom has a king who rules a PEOPLE (don't devalue church)
19. Fourth, a kingdom has a king who rules a people with a LAW (for church)
20. Fifth, a kingdom has a king who rules a people with a law in a LAND (???)
21. Kingdom and church are the same, but not identical (doesn't know why)
22. You can't follow Jesus w/o the church (that's not biblical)
23. The kingdom is just the people of God. So is the church. 
24. We tend to skip from fall to individual redemption
25. But OT isn't obsessed with fall or individual redemption
26. We should emphasize theocracy-->monarchy-->christocracy narrative
27. Gospel is not about individual salvation, it's about Jesus being King
28. Reducing atonement to substituion metaphor alone is a sacrilege
29. Jesus died with us, instead of us, and for us (identifies to incorporate)
30. The heavier we get in interpretation, the more likely we're not listening
31. Nervous about commitment to universal or para-church w/o local church
32. Local church is a dwelling place for God, a politic where love rules
33. Love is a rugged commitment to be with & for someone unto Christlikeness
34. Churches are to be a fellowship of the different
35. We can't expect for a village/city/nation what we can't display ourselves
36. We fight about what we think about. Who is fighting about Jesus?
37. Church is marked by Gospel, fellowship, sacrament, Spirit, sharing, witness
38. Church isn't getting together at Starbucks, it's more ordered than that
39. Good works within church will spill over into public sector
40. Secular work puts food on the table. It is not kingdom work even if it's good
41. 'Son of Man' doesn't refer to Jesus' humanity. It's about suffering/vindication
42. Kingdom mission must be cruciform
43. We must start with Jesus, not add Jesus to our predetermined agenda
44. Question is not where will I go when I die, but who is Jesus
45. God does capital I Incarnation. We do lower case i incarnation
46. Incarnation is about dying to bring life, not just going where people are
47. It is actually impossible to preach the Gospel without words
48. My book IS reactionary. I'm reacting to the sloppy usage of 'kingdom'
49. 'Conspiracy' in title isn't necessary (just bouncing off Willard)
50. Some places 'church' isn't allowed, that's terrible. But Kingdom=church.