Brian D. McLaren

Brian D. McLaren is an author, speaker, activist, and networker among innovative Christian leaders. His dozen-plus books include A New Kind of Christianity, A Generous Orthodoxy, Naked Spirituality, Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road?, and We Make the Road by Walking. He is a senior fellow with Auburn Seminary, and a board member and leader in Convergence Network and Center for Progressive Renewal. He and his wife, Grace, live in Florida and have four adult children and four grandchildren. Brian graduated from University of Maryland with degrees in English (BA, summa cum laude, 1978, and MA, magna cum laude, 1981). His academic interests included Medieval drama, Romantic poets, modern philosophical literature, and the novels of Walker Percy. In 2004, he was awarded a Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Carey Theological Seminary in Vancouver, BC, Canada. And in 2010, he was awarded a second Doctor of Divinity Degree (honoris causa) from Virginia Theological Seminary. He began his career teaching college English. In 1982, he helped form Cedar Ridge Community Church, an innovative, transdenominational church in the Baltimore-Washington region (crcc.org). He left teaching in 1986 to become the church’s first full-time pastor, and served until 2006, when he left the pastorate to devote full time to writing and speaking. Brian has been active in networking and mentoring church planters and pastors since the mid 1980’s, and has assisted in the development of several new churches. He is a popular speaker for campus groups, seminaries, and clergy and leadership conferences, nationally and internationally. His public speaking covers a broad range of topics including the gospel and global crises; theology and postmodernity; liturgy, preaching and spiritual formation; evangelism and inter-religious dialogue, and faith and social justice.