The main difference between what I’ve heard from popular protestant evangelicalism (Tim LaHaye, conservative missiology and missions, etc.) and Stonestreet is the emphasis on going to heaven and purpose of this present world. He would say we should not be yearning for heaven but yearning for a new earth. Thus, most of his theology will be pointed at this earth. So heaven, while having a part in theology (place for God, etc.) even for him, is almost eclipsed in its importance and motivation for our daily lives. Juxtapose this to popular Protestant evangelicalism where heaven is the only good place or focus for our lives and this earth is “going to hell in a handbasket.” The difference is in emphasis and would, if teased out with Stonestreet, lead to a vastly different theology. This places earth above heaven in importance. I find it a helpful corrective to place more emphasis on living well in this world, but there is still emphasis placed upon yearning for a heavenward dwelling. So he makes a good point, but it is simply a shift to the other end of the spectrum. All you have to do is find a couple controversial articles by N.T. Wright on this issue and you will probably have a theologian that Stonestreet likes. Wright actually wrote one on how all the verses dealing with “going to heaven” are misused and we may not be going there. Check them out.
