The log in my T4G eye

Bene and Rob have reacted to my last post about T4G in the comments section. I think I can summarize some of what they’re saying:

• it looks like a bunch of mostly middle-class white men who agree with each other asserting our own theology
• it looks like doctrine is sometimes used as a club against others who don’t hold the same doctrine (thumping, us vs. them, with us or against us rhetoric)
• it excludes those who are unlike them – those who are less intellectual, female, etc.
• it focuses on a few stars of the conference circuit
• it can lead to a greater focus on theological nuances than Jesus
• some of the most theological people seem to be the most angry people

Concerns like these can inflame a situation, but they can also help us understand how something like T4G can be perceived from the outside. It may also point to some dangers we face if we’re not careful.

Even though some of this may be a caricature, some of it may also be accurate. Given that we at our best are full of sin, I certainly have to look for the log in my own eye carefully. So maybe there’s a place for listening to these concerns.

Is there some truth to these points? I wonder if there are some dangers that some of us need to hear from these comments, even if we don’t fully agree with them. I’d be interested in your reaction. Please show respect in your comments: I want to learn through this discussion, not attack.