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Church & Credibilityin a
Postmodern World
The Christian Church is a
premodern movement
that became a
modern institution
and now must shift to a
Postmodern context
Post-colonialist
Post-secularist
Post-rationalist
Post-communist
Post-capitalist
Post-nationalist
Post-institutionalist
Post-patriarchal
Post-Christendom
4
Broadway was originally the Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. This trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of Manhattan Island.
3 forms ... one way.
The Christian faith, like all religious traditions, has taken many forms through its history.
It continues to take new forms.
It is still in the making.
10
Like the individuals who constitute them, [our spiritual communities] are unfinished and “in the making.” They have the capacity to move forward if
they choose ... and the freedom to stagnate and regress.
11
I believe that all of us play a role in choosing and creating our futures - as
individuals and as communities. We don’t need to wait passively for history
to happen to us. We can become protagonists in our own story. We can
make the road by walking.
Old
Paradigm/
Model
Early
Transition
Late
Transition
New Paradigm/
Model
Buildings ... or ... ?
Weekly gatherings ... or ... ?
Historic arguments ... or ... ?
Self-preservation ... or ... ?
Information ... or ... ?
What is possible?
Buildings - communityWeekly gatherings - constant digital
connectionHistoric arguments - contemporary
crisesSelf-preservation - common
good/missionInformation - spiritual experience
What is possible?
Buildings - communityWeekly gatherings - constant digital
connectionHistoric arguments - contemporary
crisesSelf-preservation - common good,
missionInformation - spiritual experience
What is possible?
beau
ty
There are many reasons to compare our religious communities to an old male tortoise ... Slow-moving …
isolated …
Ancient-looking
withdrawn in its shell … won’t stick its neck out
There are many reasons to compare the crises in our world to a tsunami …
There are many reasons to compare the emerging global culture to an orphaned hippo
…
Orphaned by religion …
science … government …
the economy … technology … consumerism… “progress”…
What could happen in our world if the church “came out of itself” for the common good?
solidarityhumility
methodologyliturgy
mission networks
storybe
auty
many forms ... one path
in a
Church & Credibility
Postmodern World
There are many reasons to compare our churches to an old male tortoise …
