‘I am Jack’s Raging Bile Duct’ - Episode 4 - The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill

Mark Driscoll’s vision of manhood indelibly shaped Mars Hill culture. Drawing from his own difficult childhood story, Mark created an ideal for those searching for meaning and direction. Men responded enthusiastically. From “dad talks” about issues about sex, career, and family to “holy anger” over a feminized church culture, he invited men into a stirring narrative where manning up meant passionately loving God and their families.
In this episode of The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill, host Mike Cosper digs deep into the mythic origin story that shaped Mark Driscoll’s ministry to men. He reveals Mark as far more than just an agent of chaos but a man deeply concerned for the health and spirituality of other men, intent on pastoring them toward flourishing. And as Driscoll’s particular brand of masculinity grew toxic, Cosper asks the poignant question, “Why do you stay when things get bad?” How do you reckon with the movement of the Spirit in your midst when your community begins to shatter?
“The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a production of Christianity Today
www.christiani...
Executive Producer: Erik Petrik
Produced, written, edited, and hosted by: Mike Cosper
Music, sound design, and mixing: Kate Siefker
Graphic Design: Bryan Todd
Social Media: Nicole Shanks
Editorial consulting: Andrea Palpant Dilley, Online Managing Editor
Christianity Today Editor in Chief: Timothy Dalrymple
Theme song: “Sticks and Stones” by King’s Kaleidoscope
Closing song: “Dynamite” by Sandra McCracken

[@brackishnz]

1 Peter 5 1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you;b not for shameful gain, but eagerly; NOT DOMINEERING over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

[@brackishnz]

"If a guy killed things then he could be my pastor" - in other words he looked for a form of Christianity that conformed to HIS preferences

[@enerjohnsavior3227]

So sad that so many people subjected themselves (and many still do) to someone with such a limiting vision.

[@greglogan7706]

In fact a really disoriented and bent vision - really just a man of a station of the divinization of his own ego

[@jameswooff3698]

The psychobabble at the 34 min mark from “Marty” was priceless

[@markhicks2800]

So wonderfully told!

[@lilchicklets]

Somewhere along the way he became the embodiment of toxic masculinity. It's clear that he lost his way and I hope that God changes his heart.

[@CrumpledPaperHearts]

Mark’s hilarious.

[@Himmiefan]

Driscoll was preying on vulnerable men in order to shore up his own power.

[@Continuum7]

Somewhere early along the way his good intentions got very warped. Its clear as day because it is still happening to this day at his new 'church'. He has even less checks and balances and no one can usurp his power as the leader there. No elders or council to rope him in, any role like that is eliminated or written in his 'church doctrine' that has no loopholes to remove him as the lead pastor pretty much.

[@naomikerwin2303]

I know MD was very very flawed, but I still appreciate his tough love ministry.

[@thesolarengineer]

You would 😉

[@kenethsoberano]

Every man is flawed. The modern church could use more Driscolls.

[@vicj2141]

That doesn't sound like love at all...at least to me. Sounds like ego.

[@Bob-sd8ns]

He ran away from MH 😂😂😂. Not very tough

[@Bl_Radio]

​@@kenethsoberano hilarious. Driscoll juat dismamtles all the expectations placed on ministers within the Bible. You would either not know that or be intentionally rejecting that.

[@marleneg7794]

MD has encouraged me through my early walk. The msg transcends his personality.

[@ezbody]

People say the same about cult leaders and outright fraudsters.

[@marleneg7794]

@@ezbody hey even a broken clock is right twice a day.

[@TheDannywolff]

having a six-year-old get baptized, his like having a six year old chose their gender. the fact that she had no idea why she wanted to get baptized tells all….. what a shame!

[@policani]

This narrator keeps bringing up Mark Driscoll's Homophobic leanings in his podcasts... Mark did not have an unfounded, irrational fear of homosexuals. He did, however read the scriptures, including the parts about homosexuality without trying to explain it away using the filters of only recently established cultural norms. It seems like the narrator is either misapplying the term because he dosent understand what it means, who Mark was, or is somehow using the phrase as an anti-Christian slur as scripture clearly condemns the practice and he works for Christianity Today.

[@syntheticat-3]

I think it's more about him bringing up the LGBT lifestyle in unnecessary contexts. Case in point, the comments at the beginning of the video--he didn't need to mention lesbians in order to insult anyone who was not "manly" enough to attend the event, yet he did. By turning gay people into a joke, he is making light of sinful practice in order to mock it, something many Christians err in doing. Do you think Jesus would have jokingly called someone a "lesbian" in order to attack his masculinity? Driscoll was not making the theological slam dunk people seem to think he was. And it's not a very funny joke to begin with.

[@paulacameron5920]

I feel like there needs to be more female perspectives included here with regards to the William Wallace comments and toxic masculinity. When he talks about men being pussies he is literally using the feminine as an insult implying that anything feminine is inferior to the masculine. It's easy to not to take offence when you aren't the target, which in this case is women and the feminine.

[@laurarose2412]

Your comment is why MD was allowed to be as successful as he was. There is no toxic masculinity. There are sinful men and sinful women. Collective guilt is ALWAYS wrong!

[@paulacameron5920]

@@laurarose2412 no that is not my comment, that is your comment

[@michaelutley128]

I am not a ME fan, but I agree......we have too man y simps in the church.....we have too many effeminate men. Mark became too toxic in his message and that is what was wrong

[@ikaika3113]

It's interesting how we can stand on the side and say, "I can't believe he did that. I can't believe that happened." We forget that those who lead us are only human just like we are and are prone to error.

[@greglogan7706]

So you're all about cheap Grace I guess anybody can say any bunch of bullshit and you're good with it just because they are human and make errors

[@Zaiderr]

The warning in the beginning……………. Lol

[@dorothywillms115]

I wonder if you listened to the rest. He was at a church in Scotland where the men should have walked out. He simply buffaloes people with his blustery ADHD plus narcissistic personality. The poor man has a medical problem that few people recognize unless they do brain scans like they do at Dr. Daniel Amens clinics (ironically one is in Seattle) or see a Psycologists, which of course they’re not prone to do. Someone needs to enlighten his wife,,,,,he might listen to her,,,,,or he might trade her in. Pray for men like this,,,,,,unfortunately it tends to go with leadership qualities,,,,,eg politicians like Trump or Dr. Fauci. Or Boris Johnson in the UK. Gavin Newsome etc. When they really get carried away they become dictators even in smaller churches.

[@collectibles4u]

Unfortunately this is where you go into the egalitarian complimentarian argument.

[@buckfezos]

Seems to me Driscoll was about 10-20 years ahead of his time

[@jimmybrowning4888]

So you think a plagiarizing, which is theft of someone else's work, bully using his made up authority to be belligerent toward everyone, who hires a company using church funds to make his book a NY times best selling author so he can personally profit, which was estimated at half a million dollars, is ahead of his time? No he's just a common theif using tried and true methods of a con man. He is unrepentant and not qualified to be a pastor. He is a criminal who got away with it because of the freedom of religion we enjoy in this country, still just a criminal, nothing more . Just my opinion. Oh, and he has nothing in common with William wallace . When faced with his crimes, he ran like the coward that he is, hiding behind God told me. I find it strange God never told him not to take money from the church for personal gain, or steal other people's work. BTW he admitted to hiring the company for his book look it up.

[@ezbody]

Not really, he is way behind Putin, and slightly ahead of Trump.

[@nonyabeezwax8693]

Mark is a preacher, he teaches God book teachings of you don't like him don't go

[@titanschannel585]

Ouch, did someone touch your golden calf?

[@Bob-sd8ns]

You need to listen to this whole series. You are naïve

[@Window4503]

If he actually read the Bible, he'd know that he's disqualified according to the Bible's criteria for pastoral ministry .

[@brackishnz]

Tell that to Paul who explained what leaders in the church were supposed to look like.

[@ora_et_labora1095]

If Jesus came today, CT would make a podcast calling him homophobic and toxic

[@TXLogic]

Nah, MAGA christianists would call him woke and queer.

[@recalltolife3478]

Trying to listen to these audio podcasts is like listening to someone speaking underwater. Your narrator needs serious elocution lessons. Next time get a professional instead of someone on staff. Also, your background music, etc. interferes with the narration. Very bad audio quality all the way around. Outsource or get a sound engineer who knows what they're doing.

[@Window4503]

I enjoyed it. Maybe you just have misphonia.

[@fcirica1933]

First episode to make me cry so much

[@laurarose2412]

Sociopath?

[@jonathanjones2270]

I think we Christians need to find better terminology for abuse and hatred and cruelty than "homophobia" and "toxic masculinity"

[@ezbody]

How about "abuse", "hatred" and "cruelty"?

[@jonathanjones2270]

@@ezbody My point exactly Just call evil evil or sin sin instead of using wordly terms

[@ucrsae]

Anyone who thinks the growth of their church rest solely on the Holy Spirit is historically ignorant. Did the Holy Spirit grow Rob Bells church? Did the Holy Spirit grow Islam at 3 times the rate of The Church?

[@Star-dj1kw]

✅

[@MultiVilelinha]

His speech and preach makes complete sense in theory, is biblical, specially when he talks about the responsibility of men, like Christ to the church. In theory, makes since, in reality, god knows what he truly believed.

[@greglogan7706]

But what's new about just taking basic human responsibility Are the people of God so destitute they don't even have a clue about basic human morality

[@marleneg7794]

MD has encouraged me through my early walk. The msg transcends his personality.