the emergent church
What exactly is this "emergent church" thing all about? I think that I might be a part of it with out even knowing it?
posted by Todd Paris @ 2:27 PM
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
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10 Comments:
So, are you just throwing out these questions until you get one that ignites the family feud fire or what?
I'm sure there are some aspects of the emergent church that you have delved into. However, based upon what I know you have learned/ been taught/ researched on your own, I would say that you will never become part of the emergent church unless you totally flip your lid.
Mike might have some additional input on this (since he thought he might be emergent when we first discussed it). I would say that by using technology in your ministry, building relationships with believers and unbelievers, blogging, wearing jeans to church, investigating what you believe (and why you believe it), etc...you are not emergent.
The "emerging church conversation” is a controversial 21st-century Christian movement whose participants seek to engage postmodern people, especially the unchurched and post-churched. To accomplish this, "emerging Christians" or "emergents" seek to deconstruct and reconstruct Christian beliefs, standards, and methods to fit in the postmodern mold. Proponents of this movement call it a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature. The predominantly young participants in this movement prefer narrative presentations drawn from their own experiences and biblical narratives over propositional, Bible exposition. Emergent methodology includes frequent use of new technologies such as multimedia and the Internet. Their acceptance of diversity and reliance on open dialogue rather than the dogmatic proclamation found in historic Christianity leads emergents to diverse beliefs and moral expressions.
Critics of the movement are often conservative evangelical theologians and pastors who disagree with the movement's embrace of postmodernism, believing such a worldview leads emergents to unorthodox theology, relativism, antinomianism, universalism, and syncretism. These critics frequently associate emergent theology with the liberal theology that has historically been at odds with Christian fundamentalism and Evangelicalism.
Emergent Christians often see themselves as bridging the divide between conservative evangelical Christianity and liberal mainline Christianity.
Wow. Thad Paris skates to the blue line, he cocks, he shoots, he SCORES. Excellent post Thad! Very descriptive, very succinct (for a very complex movement) response!!!
that ought to shut Todd down. But the problem is that they suck you in on the edges and then you get the hook.
Mike
by the way, by using the term "emergent church" in the title, Todd has a better chance of getting more traffic to our mind-numbing blogsite! :)
Why does everyone assume that I am always trying to stir up trouble???? I'm not. It was a legit question. That was in fact a well stated reply Thad and what I was looking for. I was thinking maybe I was Emergent until this statement "The predominantly young participants in this movement prefer narrative presentations drawn from their own experiences and biblical narratives over propositional, Bible exposition."
Then this quote makes me think that I am. "Emergent Christians often see themselves as bridging the divide between conservative evangelical Christianity and liberal mainline Christianity."
Todd,
I am certainly not trying to bridge any gaps between "conservative evangelical Christianity and liberal mainline Christianity". Iam very comfortable in the conservative camp running forays into the enemy camp to rescue prisoners of war!
Could it be that we lived a substantive portion of our lives with you? :)
Thx, Mike
Mike, Is that a civil war?
Bridgeing the gap has the idea of meeting in the middle to me not being on one side or the other.
Todd,
it is not a civil war; we are not on the same side. This is what makes me a "fundy-boy Baptist", I love truth. There is not a middle ground in truth. The only reason that I want to build a bridge to the liberal mainliner is so that I can drive over to meet him and drive back with him in the truck. I have no place for liberalism, i only wish to rescue liberals.
Mike
Here's a link to some definitions from someone who considers themselves to be emerging:
http://www.johnsmulo.com/emerging-definitions.html
according to the definitions that thad gave a link to I would be more missional in my thinking. http://missionalapologetics.com/
Why should I not be? what am I missing?
Perhaps you would enjoy Mark Driscoll and also Art Boulet's blog if you are a missional thinker.
http://aboulet.wordpress.com/
http://theresurgence.com/blog/2//
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