This quarter I am going to re-visit the Baptist Union Five Core Values as my main preaching theme, so I am on the look out for new ideas to include.

Imagine my joy when browsing in SPCK (a dangerous pastime if ever there was one) I spotted a little book called The Inclusive God - a must, I thought for when we get to the Inclusive Community theme (quick test for Bappies reading - can you name the other four?  Answers at end of post!)

To start with I found the style of the book rather abrasive and it came across as rather uninclusive of what it termed neo-orthodoxy.  But then I guess that's the rub with many ideas these days - postmodernism says there is no metanarrative, but that in itself is a metanarrative; advocates of tolerance refuse to tolerate intolerance, and so it goes on.

The book is a quick read and as it progresses the abrasiveness on the whole seemed to give way to some interesting explorations of traditional Christian doctrines, showing that actually there was a broad inclusion of much that neo-orthodoxy embraces.  Rather get into knots over literalism or metaphorical theology, this book seemed to me to search for echoes of inclusion in some key Christian doctrines by referring to the Bible - creation, the fall, the cross, the resurrection.  Whilst it would be easy to pick holes in aspects of the arguments, and more notably the writing style (a few references to God as 'she' amidst a lot of 'he' does not, for me, constitute inclusivity, not least given that I would assert that God is beyond gender.  I also felt that a cynical reading could see the book as suggesting the appointment of a one-legged black lesbian bishop as an epitome of inclusion, though I do not actually believe that is what the writers intend).

The key idea of the book is that just as God is Love, so God is Inclusive.  It does not confuse 'inclusive' with 'anything goes' but at the same time it objects to the existence of 'barriers' or 'fences.'  It doesn't attempt to untangle this dilemma and whilst I suspect the writers and I would differ on where we emerged on various issues, I think they are right in suggesting that we are 'work in progress' and need to wrestle with what it actually means to be an inclusive community.  It is perhaps a shame they are unable to extend a generous inclusivity to those with a more 'neo-orthodox' viewpoint who are also on the same journey of authentic faith, but perhaps they have bad had experiences of being excluded.  My main disappointment was that the book is really too brief to do justice to any of the topics it raises and refers to very few supporting works.

Not a cosy read, but a quick one; not many answers, but some interesting ideas to consider.  Worth £12.99?  Not sure!

Now for forgetful Bappies everywhere, the other four values are... Worshipping, Missionary, Sacrificial and Prophetic, so if you can point me at any good books on these, I'd be grateful.