McLaren attended the
University of Maryland where he received both a B.A. (1978) and M.A. (1981) [4][5] He holds an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Carey Theological Seminary, Vancouver. In 2010 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Virginia Theological Seminary (Episcopal).
From 1978-1986 McLaren taught college English. He helped form Cedar Ridge Community Church, a non-denominational church in
Spencerville, Maryland, in 1982.[6] He was founding pastor and served in that capacity until 2006. The church eventually grew to include 500 members.[7]
In 2011, McLaren defended
Rob Bell's controversial book Love Wins against critiques from figures such as
Albert Mohler, who argued that Bell advocated
universalism.[8]
In 2013, McLaren stated that he did not believe homosexual conduct to be sinful.[9]
In 2015, McLaren was recognized by Time magazine as one of the 25 Most Influential Evangelicals in America.[10]
Personal life
McLaren is married and has four children and five grandchildren.[5][11] In September 2012, McLaren led a commitment ceremony for his son Trevor and partner Owen Ryan at the
Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase, Maryland.[12]
Publications
Children's Books
Brian D. McLaren; Gareth Higgins (2023). Cory and the Seventh Story. Illustrated by Anita Scmidt. New York: Crown.
Sole-authored Books
More Ready Than You Realize: The Power of Everyday Conversations. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2002.
Finding Faith: A Self-discovery Guide for Your Spiritual Quest. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 1999.
The Church on the Other Side: Doing Ministry in a Postmodern Matrix. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2003.
The Secret Message of Jesus: Uncovering the Truth that Could Change Everything. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2006.
Everything Must Change: When the World's Biggest Problems and Jesus' Good News Collide. Nashville: Thomas Nelson. 2009.
A New Kind of Christianity: Ten Questions that are Transforming the Faith. San Francsico: HarperOne. 2010.
Naked Spirituality: A Life with God in 12 Simple Words. San Francsico: HarperOne. 2011.
Why Did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, and Mohammed Cross the Road? Christian Identity in a Multi-Faith World. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 2012.
The Story We Find Ourselves In: Further Adventures of a New Kind of Christian. London: SPCK. 2013.
We Make the Road by Walking: A Year-Long Quest for Spiritual Formation, Reorientation, and Activation. Jericho Books. 2014.
Seeking Aliveness: Daily Reflections on a New Way to Experience and Practise the Christian Faith. Londo: Hodder & Stoughton. 2017.
The Great Spiritual Migration: How the World's Largest Religion Is Seeking a Better Way to Be Christian. Colorado Springs: Convergent. 2016.
Faith After Doubt: Why Your Beliefs Stopped Working and What to Do About it. Edinburgh: John Murray Press. 2021.
Do I Stay Christian?: A Guide for the Doubters, the Disappointed, and the Disillusioned. London: Hodder & Stoughton. 2022.
Life After Doom: Wisdom and Courage for a World Falling Apart. London: Hachette. 2024.
Co-authored books
Leonard Sweet; Brian D. McLaren; Jerry Haselmayer (2003). A is for Abductive: The Language of the Emerging Church. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Brian D. McLaren; Gareth Higgins (2019). The Seventh Story: Us, Them, and the End of Violence. Porch.
Books part of a Series
Brian D. McLaren; Tony Campolo (2003). Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
Andy Crouch; Michael Horton; Frederica Mathewes-Green; Brian D. McLaren; Erwin Raphael McManus (2003). Leoard Sweet (ed.). The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan.
A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I am a missional + evangelical + post/protestant + liberal/conservative + mystical/poetic + biblical + charismatic/contemplative + fundamentalist/Calvinist + anabaptist/Anglican + Methodist + catholic + green + incarnational + depressed-yet-hopeful + emergent + unfinished Christian. Emergent YS. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2006.
Brian D. McLaren; Chris Seay (2006). The Dust off Their Feet: Lessons from the First Church. The Voice. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Brian D. McLaren; Chris Seay (2007). The Voice of Luke: Not Even Sandals. The Voice. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Finding Faith: A Search for What is Real. Finding Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2007.
Finding Faith: A Search for What Makes Sense. Finding Faith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan. 2007.
A New Kind of Christian: A Tale of Two Friends on a Spiritual Journey. Jossey Bass Leadership Network. Hoboken: Jossey Bass. 2008.
The Last Word and the Word After That: A Tale of Faith, Doubt, and a New Kind of Christianity. Jossey Bass Leadership Network. Hoboken: Jossey Bass. 2008.
Brian D. McLaren; Phyllis Tickle (2010). Finding Our Way Again: The Return of the Ancient Practices. Ancient Practices. Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
The Galapagos Islands: A Spiritual Journey. On Location. Minneapolis: Fortress Press. 2019.
Co-edited volumes
Brian McLaren; Elisa Padilla; Ashley Bunting Seeber, eds. (2009). The Justice Project. Emersion: Emergent Village resources for communities of faith. Ada: Baker.
^"Author Brian McLaren to speak at summer worship series". Asheville Citizen. Asheville, NC. August 12, 2010.
^
abTucker, Abigail (April 27, 2005). "Fire without brimstone: Brian McLaren preaches tolerance and environmentalism, making him one of the country's more unusual yet influential evangelicals". Baltimore Sun.