I though you'd be interested in reading some of the confusion and questionable things that come from McLaren himself:


These are a couple of comments directly from a dialogue area on McLaren's site - anewkindofchristian.com where he answers questions:

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Theory of Atonement

Could you elaborate on your personal theory of atonement? If God wanted to forgive us, why didn't he just forgive us? Why did torturing Jesus make things better?

This is such an important and difficult question. I'd recommend, for starters, you read 'Recovering the Scandal of the Cross' (by Baker and Green). There will be a sequel to this book in the next year or so, and I've contributed a chapter to it.

Short answer: I think the gospel is a many faceted diamond, and atonement is only one facet, and legal models of atonement (which predominate in western Christianity) are only one small portion of that one facet.

Dallas Willard also addresses this issue in 'The Divine Conspiracy.' Atonement-centered understandings of the gospel, he says, create vampire Christians who want Jesus for his blood and little else. He calls us to move beyond a gospel of sin management, to the gospel of the kingdom of God. So, rather than focusing on an alternative theory of atonement, I'd suggest we ponder the meaning and mission of the kingdom of God.



Rumors

I heard a rumor that you are a universalist. I thought I'd check out the rumor before I passed it on.

Thanks for checking! The last thing we need is more rumors flying, whether about me or someone else. About universalism ...

In a few of my books, I describe three responses to the question, "Who benefits from the grace of God in Christ?" Exclusivists say that only confessing, believing, committed Christians benefit. Universalists say that everyone benefits, regardless of their current faith or lack thereof. Inclusivists say the grace of God may extend beyond those who are identified as Christians, but do not wish to define how far.

I find it hard to choose any of these options because I don't like how this question is framed, because it seems to assume that the primary focus or benefit of the gospel is saving individuals from hell after death. As I read the gospels, the focus of Jesus' message was not on getting your soul into heaven after death, but rather it focused on the kingdom of God, which is about God's will being done on earth as in heaven in history, in this life. For Jesus then, the gospel is good news not just for a few individuals beyond history, but it is good news for all creation in history, and beyond. I plan to grapple with this subject in more depth.


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Also he was just listed as one of the top 25 most influencial evangelicals in America in Time Magazine and was on Larry King's CNN show the other night. Read both and listen to what Brian McLaren is NOT saying when asked about gay marriage.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0502/01/lkl.01.html

http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101050207/photoessay/17.html

from Time Magazine:
Quote
Asked at a conference last spring what he thought about gay marriage, Brian McLaren replied, "You know what, the thing that breaks my heart is that there's no way I can answer it without hurting someone on either side."