Lucas Wright

Professor Isaacs

English 123

Coffee and Cigarettes: My Emergent Exploration and Confession

The Way I See It #1: Understanding Jell-O and Its Postmodern Ingredients

“The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the

air. Much that once was, is lost, for none now live who remember it”.1 This quote from

the movie The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring is the spoken manifestation

of a driving frame of mind and realization behind what has been called the “emerging

church”2 movement. At this point it may seem logical to begin an explanation of what the

movement really is, but that would be premature as it is first necessary to construct a new

mental frame of mind from which one may be able to correctly assess the movement in

its proper context.

The world has always been in a state of constant change and evolution, and along

with it so has the church. The current post-transitional3 transition period in which our

world is now immersed4 is the context in which the emerging movement is inspired and

moving. In recent years many have thought to put a finite definition to what this

1 The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was released in 2001 as an adaptation of the classic book written by J.R.R. Tolkien and contains many useful illustrations for the paradigm conflicts our world is now facing. 2 From here on out I will use the terms emerging and emergent interchangeably. I realize that most would identify a distinction between the two, but for the sake of length, and for my personal disagreement of this distinction they will both refer to the general movement with the focus being on the more emergent side. For more see Part 2. I would also like to point out that I am writing my own perception of the movement and its stances, and that this in no way is the complete unbiased analysis of the movement. 3 I use the term “post-transitional” not to indicate a state of being beyond transition, but to illustrate a current cultural transition that can only be summarized as being “post”, whether it be postmodern, post-colonialist, or post-Christian. 4 This I realize may seem a debatable statement of fact, but the opposition to the realization of this statement is a shrinking minority. Recommended reading: A New Kind of Christian (2001 Brian D. McLaren) for a Christian perspective on this “post” transition.

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movement stands for, and what its mission is. While these attempts to define have been

well intentioned, they far fall short of anything that could be considered to do the

movement justice. The reason for their failure has been that they assume the emerging

movement can be caged into a systematic box of concepts and perspectives and put on a

shelf along with every other ideological or theological movement from the past. While it

is important to realize the historical connection between the emerging movement and the

church throughout history, it is a severe mistake to seek a finite label for this movement,

as that would undercut what the movement is all about. This does not mean that it is

impossible to illustrate temporal pictures of the movement, but one must realize, when

engaging the movement, that it is based on a foundational state of fluid motion and

unending evolution; both building on its predecessor’s constructs and demolishing them.

“Defining the emerging church is like nailing Jell-O to the wall. The

“what” and “who” of the movement are almost impossible to define. This

is due, in part, because the movement is new (at least in name and style if

not always in substance). New movements are always more amorphous

and less codified. But the Jell-O-like nature of the emerging church is also

intentional. It is, after all, a “conversation”.5

This so called “jell-O-like” nature of the movement is telling of the foundation upon

which the emerging movement bases its direction; postmodernity. If the traditional

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5 Author and pastor Kevin DeYoung from the book Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) (2008 Moody Publishers). A generous critique of the movement, its “leaders”, and its literature.

American church of the last three decades was a reaction to modernity, then the emerging

church is most certainly a reaction to a postmodern state of culture in the world.

The name itself illustrates a great deal of the general postmodern ethic. It is clear

from this label that Postmodernity is an unfinished concept of what will become the

dominant paradigm or worldview from which people will view life in the universe. While

postmodernity is by its very nature fluid and uncertain, there are distinct principles it

follows in its existence.

It is first and foremost a reaction. It is a reaction to the strict dichotomy of truth

that was produced in modernity. Author Nancy Pearcey illustrates this dichotomy in her

acclaimed book Total Truth: Liberating Christianity From Its Cultural Captivity, in which

she illustrates what she has labeled the “two-realm theory of truth”. In this model

religious and moral truths were privatized as optional and seen as less than credible as

objective full truths. They were put on the lower realm. Scientific truth and the

philosophy of materialism were the “objective truths, and were placed on the upper

public level. Postmodernity reacts against this idea of objective truth by suggesting that

while there may be some objective truth, all people live under subjective worldviews.

The postmodern ethic then relieves the focus that was placed, in modernity, upon the

acceptance of objective scientific truth, and places it on the human inability to find see

objectively through a subjective lens.6 While this new openness regarding truth is an

important characteristic of postmodernity, it is important to see it’s in depth implications.

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6 This would be seen by most as a moderate explanation of the postmodern perspective on truth. More extreme manifestations of postmodernity would argue that the truth itself is always subjective leaving no room for any solid objective truth. This view, while appealing to many in the current culture, is not postmodern but in fact relativism. While the two concepts share many similarities, it is important to note that they are not the same.

Not only does it illustrate a bridging of the modern dichotomy, but also it seeks a

complete restructuring of the ways in which people think. Brian D. McLaren writes,

“The fact that to us thinking and analyzing seem to be synonymous

suggests how successful modernity has been at marginalizing all other

forms of thought-imagination, intuition, pattern recognition, systems

thinking, and so on”.7

This explanation of modern thinking holds true to Pearcey’s two-realm theory of truth.

Society, including the church, has become so heavily dependent and entwined in

modernity that it views the process of thinking as just that, an analytical process by which

everything is input and then dissected into smaller parts. This is based on the assumption

that truth holds no ambiguity or mystery. While this assumption would seem normal and

perfectly acceptable to most people in the west, it does not hold up under scrutiny, as life

experience rarely exists without ambiguity or mystery. Life is full of mystery,

unexplainable phenomena, and horrible catastrophes, which defy all human reason and

analysis. It is this realization, which spurs the postmodern ethic forward. McLaren writes

again, “To be postmodern means to have experienced the modern world and to have been

changed by the experience-changed to such a degree that one is no longer modern”.8 The

key phrase in this quotation would be the “experienced the modern world”. In reaction to

the modern mind’s absolute analysis of life, the emerging postmodern desires to raise the

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7 A New Kind Of Christian by Brian D. McLaren (Jossey-Bass, 2001). This book displays basic principles of the postmodern transition and asks what Christianity will look like in this new culture. This book and its message are cornerstones of the emerging movement.8 A New Kind Of Christian by Brian D. McLaren (Jossey-Bass, 2001). Again this book is an essential text for understanding this movement’s relation to postmodernity.

value of experience so that it can exists on par with all other areas of analytical truths

such as scientific theory.

The emerging movement realizes that within postmodernity lies an unprecedented

opportunity to bring Christian truth into culture as a truth that is accepted as credible and

holistic.9 Along with this realization comes an understanding of the differences between

modernity and postmodernity, which lead to an understanding of transition. In his book A

New Kind Of Christian, emergent figure Brian D. McLaren lists five phases that consist

of a worldview transition.

1. Stability, when life is fine, current theories explain everything

adequately, and questions are few-perhaps like Dorothy of The Wizard

of Oz living happily in Kansas

2. Discontinuity, when the old system seems to be working less well-

reflected socially in Dorothy’s conflict with her witchy neighbor,

psychologically in her ambivalent desire to run away from home, and

physically in the approaching thunderstorm

3. Disembedding, when we begin feeling that the current system is

insupportable and we begin to disconnect from it-like Dorothy being

carried away from Kansas by the tornado

4. Transition, when we haven’t fully left the old world and we haven’t

fully entered the new world-like Dorothy newly arrived in Oz trying to

get her bearings

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9 The concept of holistic truth and faith are essential to the emerging movement and are discussed in part 2.

5. Reformation, when we decide to make a go of it in the new world we

have entered-like Dorothy setting out on her Journey to see the

Wizard, invigorated with new hope and passion. 10

To understand the emerging movement it is important to understand these principles of

transition, as the entire movement was started as a natural reaction to number two,

discontinuity. It is this feeling of the current way not amounting to any authentic spiritual

experience or real application to postmodern thinkers and culture that first triggered the

creation of the emerging church movement. It is also important to understand, if one is to

have a proper understanding of an emergent thinker’s mindset, where the culture and

church at large is in relation to this table of transition. A general consensus among

worldview observers indicates that in the past the various transitions, ancient to medieval

or enlightenment to modernity for example; take roughly fifty to sixty years. The

emerging stance on a position would put current culture about thirty years or so into

transition which in regard to McLaren’s five phases would put culture in phase three,

disembedding, with parts of it reaching into the fourth phase of real transition.

The emerging movement, with the aforementioned transitional position and

postmodern stance on truth influencing them considerably, has thus realized that for the

church to survive in transition, it too must transform. With this foundation of transition

and subjective worldview it is no wonder that so many within the traditional evangelical

and reformed traditions find the movement confusing and frustrating. A reason for this

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frustration, aside from the vague and uncertain nature of the movement, is that at first

glance it seems the movement is nothing more than new liberalism and a protest against

10 A New Kind Of Christian by Brian D. McLaren (Jossey-Bass, 2001).

the boarder evangelical tradition. On the surface that may seem to be the case, but once

the postmodern foundation is taken into consideration it becomes clear that the emerging

movement is less of a cry against evangelicalism and more of cleansing water, which

seeks to wash away any negative effect modernity may have had on evangelical theology.

This point may be seen as out of place, but it is important to dispel such a rumor before

moving ahead with an investigation into emerging concepts since many of the

movement’s leaders claim to be evangelical Christians. With this in mind one can now

move into exploring emerging theology, methodology, missiology, and the various other

areas of emergent thought.

The Way I See It #2: The Journey out of Compartmentalization and the

Differentiation Between Contextualization and Emergent Holism

“emerge-the primal humility, vulnerability, and passion of a search for a way with

God together in the world we live in”.11 This quote, from the Emergent Village’s An

Emergent Manifesto of Hope, illustrates beautifully all that the emerging movement,

including what some define as the “emergent” distinction12, seeks to find. It is important

to note the language used, in particular the idea of a “passionate search for a way with

God”. To most in the emerging movement, this concept is a far cry from the intellectual

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certainty and down pat answers that were presented by what they refer to as a Christian

faith tainted by the effects of modernity. This statement also helps those who are studying

the movement by holistically defining “emerge” as both the physical action of the church

11 Taken from Chapter 1, Growing Pains, of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker Books, 2007) by Emergent voice Mark Scandrette.12 I write “some define” not to tear down the circle of orthodoxy which divides most of the Emergent Village, but to express by own personal view that such a division is premature to the movement, and is upset by exceptions to the rule such as author and pastor Dan Kimball, and those who are still “up in the air” such as Rob Bell.

emerging in postmodern culture, and more importantly as a state of mind, which

encompasses every aspect of the Christian faith. This definition leads to one of the first

directional principles which, despite the diverse make-up of the movement, all in the

emerging ideal share.

One of the most important principles, which propel the Jell-O-like emerging

movement in a forward direction, is that of a holistic approach to the Gospel message and

faith within culture. This is a very loaded statement by itself and needs to be unpacked

within certain contexts, lest it be taken as heresy and bad methodology.13 To fully grasp

this concept, which many in the movement are trying to articulate, it is important to

realize that, as with most concepts of the emerging movement, it is both a realization and

a reaction. The first area in which this emergent holism is placed is that of presentation of

the Gospel by the Church. It should be noted that this would quickly bleed over into an

understanding of the actual theological stance of holistic faith in the emerging movement.

There are two overarching views regarding this concept of holistic faith in

emerge. The first, which is not so much an emerging concept as just the traditional idea

of contextualization, sees the Gospel of Jesus as the traditional narrative of the life, death,

and resurrection of Jesus Christ by which, through acceptance of God’s grace, humans

are saved from their sins through a legal sort of atonement. In this view the goal is the

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contextualization of the Gospel by the Church, largely through changes in methodology

and presentation, to the existing and emerging postmodern cultures, in which the church

13 Certainly there are those I personally would take caution when approaching this subject (i.e. Doug Padgett and Tony Jones). This caution however, would be equally paralleled when dealing with someone considered more conservatively “orthodox” such as John McArthur of the Masters College and Seminary.

is now surrounded. Such changes in methodology relate to the postmodern nature of the

culture by utilizing more culturally relevant visuals, and transitioning from a systematic

Gospel presentation to a narrative presentation, which places more focus on real

encounters and experiences with God. While these principles are typical of most

emerging churches, the manifestations of them in ministry are unique and depend largely

on each Church’s unique cultural context. Pastor of Vintage Faith Church in Santa Cruz,

California writes,

“Instead of one emerging model, there are hundreds and thousands of

models of emerging churches. Modernity may have taught us to look for a

clean model to imitate. But in today’s postmodern context, it’s not that

simple. However, you can see striking patterns developing among

churches that are connecting with post-Christian hearts and minds all

across America, as well as in England”.14

As stated before, this is not a concept unique to the emerging movement, as

demonstrated by the seeker-sensitive movement led by Saddleback’s Rick Warren and

the Willow Creek model. Rather it is a newly renovated and improved version of

contextualization, which has been modified specifically for the various postmodern

manifestations in culture by removing many of the negative influences of movements

such as the seeker-sensitive. This, once again, is a reaction to the emerging culture.

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“Today’s seekers are hungry for symbols and metaphors and experiences

and stories that reveal the greatness of God. Because seekers are

constantly changing, we must be sensitive to them like Jesus was; we must

14 From the book The Emerging Church (Zondervan YS, 2003), by Dan Kimball.

be willing to meet them on their own turf and speak to them in ways they

understand”.15

The second perspective regarding holistic faith and culture goes beyond the realm

of traditional contextualization through changed methodologies, and seeks to ask several

penetrating questions: 1.) What amount of “traditional” Christian faith in the west is a

construct of modernity? 2.) How has this modern mindset hindered people’s

interpretation of scripture and the Holy Spirit? 3.) What can Christians in a postmodern

world rediscover in the Gospel? 4.) Within postmodern culture, what does the label

Christian mean, and what does it look like to be a true follower of Christ?16 It is these

questions and the answers many of the Emergent leaders propose that are at the center of

the controversy surrounding the movement. It would seem, as the two-realm theory of

truth and other modern systems are deconstructed, that these questions are perfectly

logical. The truth is that they are essential for the future of the church.

The emergent movement identifies several aspects of “traditional” Christianity,

both theologically and practically, as modern constructions created not only in reaction to

the modern state, but also in relationship with modernity.17 A general list would consist

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of traditional church structures, church location, the church’s affiliation with political

parties and ideologies, the development of systematic theologies and certain questionable

scriptural interpretations, and how Christians ought to view and hold scripture. This, for

15 Taken from Rick Warren’s forward in Dan Kimball’s The Emerging Church (Zondervan YS, 2003). 16 The movement looks to ask many more questions than these, but I feel that these are the most basic and essential questions, which emergent Christians base their journey on, myself included among them. 17 It is important to remember that this is a generalization and not all in the movement fell this way. I have chosen a more extreme version of the movement because I feel that it exists as the most pure form of emerge.

some, would seem to be a questioning of the very foundation upon which Christianity

rests however, the faith of Christians everywhere, as emergents see it, is dependant on

Christ and the Holy Spirit. Rather than see openness and uncertainty as something to be

feared and as evil, the emerging approach seeks to rely on the spirit over what would be

considered “orthodox tradition”. This allows the movement to flourish at the edge and

within the margins of modern western Christendom. With this in mind they are

comfortable, and even excited at the prospect of a renewal that is both overtly spiritual,

and outside the box of modern tradition. McLaren writes,

“the spiritual resurgence that I see brewing is unconventional and even

irreverent at times, largely developing outside the boundaries of our

institutional religion. But that to me says more about the rigidity of our

institutions than the darkness of our current spiritual resurgence”.18

It is important to note how McLaren addresses the “darkness of our current” in response

to the strong opposition against the neo-orthodox, emerging, and postmodern movements,

which have arisen amongst many conservative evangelical congregations. He addresses it

by first exposing the ironic situation many of the opposition find themselves in. Many

opposed to the emerging church movement are beginning to feel what many postmodern

Christians have been illustrating for a long time. The modern version of Christianity is

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simply not sufficient for the period following modernity. The difference between many of

these opposing evangelicals and the emerging church however, is that where the

emerging movement sees weakness in the modern Gospel and opportunity for revival, the

18 A New Kind Of Christian by Brian D. McLaren (Jossey-Bass, 2001).

opposition sees a revival of Godless culture, which is simply unresponsive to the

Gospel.19 It is from this that some have coined the postmodern shift as a “a renewal of

paganism in western culture”. While this may be true in some non-Christian circles, it is a

vast assumption to make regarding the whole of postmodernity. It is this assumption that

then drives the opposition to condemnation of the culture and the movements, which seek

to integrate into culture, fearing that the church may fall into unrighteous syncretism.

This is a reasonable fear however; a similar question might then be posed to modern

churches in relation to their close ties to modernity.

The Way I See It #3: A Contrast of Gospels and The Emergent Concept of

Orthopraxy

The emerging movement seeks to, as stated in the opening quotation of part two,

find a way, together as a community, with God in the world in which humanity lives. To

do this the emerging movement longs to present a message of faith in Christ that contains

salvation both for our eternal souls and for the here and now. This means embracing a

holistic Gospel message which not only includes a salvation of penal substitution for sin,

but also embraces salvation as a new way of life; the Jesus Way as it is commonly

referred to among emergent circles.

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“I was missing something, perhaps something important. Jesus’ cross in

the past saved me from hell in the future, but it was hard to be clear on

what it meant for me in the struggle of the present. And more importantly,

19 This again is a generalization, as proved by critiquing author D.A. Carson in his book Becoming Conversant With The Emerging Church (Zondervan, 2005), and authors Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck in their book Why We’re Not Emergent (By Two Guys Who Should Be) (Moody Publishers, 2008).

did the Gospel have anything to say about justice for the many, not just the

justification of the individual”? 20

This questioning is typical for most in the emerging movement. The modern Gospel

message was full of hope somewhere in the distant future, yet it was found lacking in the

areas of social justice, and communal salvation in the present here and now. A central

tenant of emergent backed theology and orthopraxy rests on a desire to realize and bring

to fruition God’s kingdom to the here and now of life through all that the Gospel entails,

both salvation from mankind’s depravity, and a call to walk the Jesus Way.

This concern for both the future and for the here and now is strikingly similar to

the Old Testament perception of God and salvation. It is similar in that the Hebrew

people of the Old Testament both loved and feared a God who was living and moving in

the world around them in both subversive and overt ways, but without any intricate

concept of a life beyond death. It bewilders many modern Christians, who have been

brought up on a fragmented Gospel, to think that the Hebrew people would fear and obey

Yahweh without any real concept of the afterlife.21 The emerging perception of the

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Gospel however, embraces this as the way all Christians should interact with Christ and

his Gospel. This is not a view based on trying to change what has always been, but rather

a move towards reclaiming what once was; a holistic Gospel which is dependant on the

20 Taken from Chapter 1 of Brian McLaren’s A Generous Orthodoxy (Zondervan, 2004). A very useful book as it focuses in on the importance of individual and communal experience within an emergent Christian faith in Christ. 21 This dependence on future salvation, I believe, is one cause of the modern Church’s apathy and ignorance regarding social justice, poverty, and other evils our world faces. When God is going to destroy the earth, it does no good trying to save it or even preserve it seems to have been the main biblical interpretation which supported this kind of disregard for humanity. It is the hope of many, including myself and not just the emergents, that the focus will be, within proper context, on both the future we are saved to and the restoration of the here and now, and the fight for that restoration through following Jesus Christ.

living God who gives both salvation for the future and the restoration of justice and hope

for the here and now through living for Jesus and in the Jesus Way.

To explain this holistic Jesus Way, and to understand the emergent perception of

the Way, there must be an understanding of the term orthopraxy. Orthopraxy in the way

of emergence has grown to encompass not just orthodox practice based on orthodox

doctrine, but to define orthodox doctrine based upon practical experience and vice versa.

This concept, to some, may seem terribly out of order and, no pun intended, very

unorthodox.22 This definition however, is in fact more useful and true in many ways. It is

truer in that it acknowledges an interconnectedness, which flows both ways between both

doctrine and real world experience. An example would be this: a church decides that

based on the historically Caucasian majority in Christian congregations, and biblical

imagery of white representing purity that people of Caucasian persuasion are more

acceptable to God and better followers of Christ. On paper, this may seem to make sense

until however, someone from the congregation sees an African American who does a

better job of ministering to the lost and sharing the good news. There are now two

possibilities. Either the devil has taken on a new camouflage (a Christian), or the

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doctrine of white supremacy is flawed.23 While this hypothetical situation is not perfect, it

illustrates well the idea of a two-way relationship between orthodox doctrine and

practice. A doctrine cannot exist as true if it proves contradictory to real life experience

22 While it may be defined in a truly unorthodox way by some in the emerging movement, I am choosing (in the spirit of the Emergent Way) to write generously and from my own perception and idea.23 I should hope the answer to this hypothetical situation is obvious.

or if the practice of that doctrine is impossible. The reverse would be to say that no

practice could be considered orthodox if it contradicts a doctrine, which has already been

seen as true. This perception of orthopraxy is more useful in that it better mirrors the

Christian life; meaning is exists upon a principle of interconnectedness and flowing

harmony. There is no compartmentalization or division with this definition. Theology is

the basis from which everything a Christian, and church does. Integration of theology and

methodology is essential to Emerge since everything is a theological issue whether it is

an issue of biblical interpretation or how church members are interacting with the

surrounding environment.24 It is this orthopraxy, which helps to propel the emergent

following of the Jesus Way.

The Way I See It #4: Generous Communal Faith and The Conversational

Theological Method

So what then does this Jesus Way and holistic approach consist of, and what is the

emerging movement doing to bring this into a practical way of faith? It is first and

foremost a generous way of faith guided by communal conversation.

A generous Christianity is a more holistic Christianity, because it

acknowledges how integrally interconnected we are with each other and

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with the world. We are striving to be with God and with our neighbors, as

Jesus was and is with God and neighbor.25

24 Although I have not personally seen the DVD I would assume this is a basic understanding of what Rob Bell speaks about and means in his Everything is Spiritual sermons. I can also not help but think how this mirrors the reformed stance of doing everything to the glory of God. 25 Taken from chapter 3 of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker Books, 2007) by artist and pastor Nanette Sawyer. The title of this chapter (What Would Huckleberry Do? A Relational Ethic as the Jesus Way) speaks, I think, of the need and growth of this concept of a Jesus Way, which it seems we have lost.

It is important to notice the emphasis placed by this Emergent Village pastor on being

with God, while at the same time being with neighbor. To the emergent Christian the

state of being with God never exists apart from being in community with other believers,

and non-believers. If holistic faith is the primary tenant of the emerging way, then it is the

renewed importance of community, which propels the movement into holism.

Community formed with the emergent understanding of orthopraxy is the foundation for

everything within the emerging church movement. That being said, true authentic

community can only exist if real communication is made possible and then practiced.

This is where the use of the word conversation becomes so important.

“Conversation is mutual engagement in pursuit of wisdom . . .

Conversations move beyond claims and arguments toward understanding

that is beyond ideology; conversations encourage us to probe the

complexities of our world. Through ongoing conversation we learn to trust

the Holy Spirit’s presence in our lives, trusting that God is with us,

helping us to evaluate the information and the exchange”.26

Too often it seems that the Church interacts very negatively with itself when

disagreement arises. Whether it is over the issue of predestination vs. the sovereignty of

God, or where a church should hold its annual fellowship picnic, disagreement happens.

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The emerging movement does not seek a mystical solution to disagreement within the

body of Christ; in fact the movement, at times, seems to encourage the opposite.

26 Taken from chapter 17, Orthoparadoxy: Emerging Hope for Embracing Difference, of An Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker Books, 2007) by author Dwight J. Friesen.

Disagreement is an integral part of life and certainly to healthy Church ministry.27 As

stated in the quote by Mr. Friesen, conversation encourages believers to move beyond

preconceived notions of truth and ideology, and move then forward towards a purer and

more accurate truth. This is not to say that conversation pushes members away from the

timeless truths of the Christian faith. A better way to phrase this might be to say that

conversation moves believers towards a more accurate understanding of the truth, which

has always existed. This aspect of the conversational method is absolutely essential to the

emerging movement since the entire movement is based upon open reexamination, and

the communication of the results this reexamination yields. By learning to see what has

always been from a different angle, the emerging movement yearns for a more complete

and total Christianity, which can build upon, but not be constricted by the tradition or

superficiality of modernity.

The concept of a conversation is also essential in that it removes the all too

common assumption that a vocal disagreement is synonymous with an aggressive debate.

Those within the emerging movement realize that much of the division that exists in

churches today is caused by harsh words, which come about in debates over everything

from church doctrine to petty cosmetic issues. It is here that the emerging idea of

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conversation is especially relevant to the concept of community. For there to true and

authentic community with loving sharing individuals who respect and nurture each other,

there must be a defined line between healthy passionate discussions, and aggressive

27 Here I am talking about differing opinions and possible interpretations of some second and third tier doctrines. The more extreme in the movement would deem a church perfectly healthy even is there were no concrete agreements on primary Christian doctrine. I do not affirm this more extremist view. It should also be noted that this acknowledgment of disagreement is a perfect example of the emergent definition of orthopraxy, as seen in how it seeks an agreement with real life experience and the biblical principles of disagreement in love.

debates which only serve to divide and break down the body. While many would call this

an idealistic and naïve goal, those in the emerging movement believe that this

conversational method is possible and even closer to the calling of the Jesus Way.

Conversational community, like the any other concept in the movement, is

thought to be holistic, encompassing every topic possible. Included in this is theology. It

is the regular foundation of most churches and denominations to have a set of theological

stances and perspectives by which every member of the church must agree to if they are

to enter into the fellowship of the church. While this is great in some ways, it tends to

create what the emergent way would call a sort of “us, them” mentality among fellow

believers.

“We feel comfortable talking about ministry methodology and all types of

innovative new ideas, but when it comes to theology, we can sometimes

be very uptight and rigid. If we find that someone holds any theological

position other than that of our church or particular denomination, our

protective defenses go up. Anyone questioning any facet of our particular

theology is often perceived as trespassing into dangerous territory that

should not be entered. In the very place that should feel free to have

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safe, open, and even fun theological discussions, sadly, this is the place

it can often be most dangerous.”28

28 Taken from Chapter 18, Humble Theology: Re-Exploring Doctrine While Holding Onto Truth, by Dan Kimball, of An Emergent Manifesto Of Hope (Baker, 2007). The bold print is of my own addition, but the textual content remains the same as the original printing.

It would seem that in many modern churches, the honest questioning and exploration of

theology by members and even staff is discouraged. Based on what Dan Kimball has

stated, this is a serious misunderstanding of how communication and theology are to be

related in a church context. It is absurd to think that the church should be a place of rigid

theological principle. That is not to assume that the church should have no solid

theological foundation, but that open exploration as to why there is such a foundation is

to be encouraged, and even demanded of staff members. Pushing the boundaries and

reexamining the tradition is within emergent orthopraxy, and essential to healthy

theological study. In this, the emerging church movement cries out for safe haven among

churches so that Christians everywhere may engage in open and honest conversation, in

order to bring one another closer to God’s truth. This not only impacts individual one-

time communication, but the entire process of discipleship. The emerging concept of

discipleship will focus on each disciple wrestling with theology in a real living fight that

will lead to authentic belief and understanding, all within the context of the church.

The Way I See It #5: Communal Theology and Unselfish Salvation

The last core concept of emerge builds on the previous concept of conversational

communal faith, and on salvation for the here and now of life.29 The traditional focus of

the Gospel message of salvation, as stated earlier, has been salvation for the afterlife. As

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mentioned previously, the emerging movement denies that this is the complete message,

and tries to view the gospel message holistically. While this does include focusing on

both the afterlife and the present reality of life, it also includes rethinking the structural

29 I say the last core concept for the sake of this paper’s length since the scope and influence of the movement goes far beyond the five parts of this paper.

nature of salvation through Christ. Modernity brought to the Church, among other things,

an idea of individualism. This individualistic approach was useful and healthy at first, as

it allowed the church to break free of the almost totalitarian state affiliation of its

members. As time progressed however, it created some very unhealthy views, which

produced a self-centered Gospel that was focused more on the value of humanity than

that of the glory of God. The effects of this can be seen in the various catch phrases used

in modern reference to Christ as the “personal” savior. While Christ does save individuals

it is both inconsistent with the biblical text, and very self-absorbed to make the

commonly heard assumption that even if there were only one human on earth, God would

have sent Jesus to save that one singular soul.

“ Can’t seeking my personal salvation as the ultimate end become the

ultimate consumerism or narcissism? . . . Doesn’t being preoccupied with

our own individual salvation put us in danger of being like the selfish

people on the Titanic who were scrambling for the life rafts, more

concerned about themselves than others? . . . I am a Christian because I

believe that Jesus is the savior of the whole world”.30

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Some might view this as an introduction to a universalistic Gospel, but that would be a

severe misinterpretation.31 McLaren is speaking about a growing mood and opinion,

which longs to break free of the narcissistic feel of the “personal gospel”. It is true that

30 Excerpt is taken from chapter 4, Jesus: Savior of What?, of A Generous Orthodoxy (Zondervan, 2004). This chapter has a great deal more to say on the subject of salvation of the here and now, but for the purpose of this portion of the paper I will only deal specifically with the subject of communal salvation. 31 While I cannot state with certainty, it is a general assumption among most evangelicals that Brian McLaren is indeed an inclusivist who borders on a relative universalism.

Jesus is a personal savior, yet it is also true that Jesus is the savior of his community. The

church as a body is saved from its iniquity, and reconciled to God as a complete

community. The emerging movement allows for a more complete perspective on

salvation, incorporating both the personal and communal aspects as essential parts of

God’s saving grace.

The Way I See It #6: An Open Conclusion

The emerging movement is one that is both frustratingly controversial, and full of

pure inspiration and hope. It seeks to acknowledge God’s sovereignty and power within

all cultures and times, and to bring the church into real and authentic communion with

Christ. It is true that it has its flaws, but so does every movement, from the brutal revolt

of Protestants in Europe to the tent revivals of the Wesley brothers; whenever the church

moves it is exciting and dangerous. To state a conclusion would be premature with such a

movement as this, as it will only be proven wrong a month from the current. As time

moves on so will the emerging movement, growing and maturing and eventually dying,

giving way to the next emergence of the church of Jesus Christ in an always lost and

suffering world.