Emergent Church

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

earth. I smell it in the air.” - Galadriel

“The world for which we have been carefully prepared has been taken away by the grace of God.”

- Walter Brueggemann

colonializationmech

anistic w

orldview

over

-rat

iona

lizat

ion

objective reality

universal truth

cultural hierarchiesneat boxes

institutionalization

ultimate viewpoint

lucidity

Modernity

exclusiveness

disambiguation

“We must begin all over again with a new inner orientation…”

– Karl Barth

P o s t m o d e r n i t y

“There is nothing outside of text.” – Jacques Derrida

- everything is “text”- everything needs to be interpreted- realities are brought forth in language - interpret the world through language- world is a text requiring interpretation- “There is nothing outside of context.” – Jacques Derrida

- Imposition of one interpretation as the interpretation is imperial and colonial

- Narratives carry the meanings of language

“incredulity toward metanarratives” – Francois Lyotard

- suspicion of grand narratives- question underlying assumptions- mentanarratives mask particularity, claim universality- acknowledgement of the tyranny of dominant perspectives- “decentering Europe” – Cornell West

- decentering androcentrism & anthropocentrism- appreciation for context- attention to micronarratives actual stories particularity

“power is knowledge” – Michael Foucault

- what counts as knowledge is constituted within networks of power- power produces the accepted “knowledge”- “truth” is a function of power- one perspective claims to be objective or universal- some knowledge is marginalized because of oppression- importance of Trinity UCC and Cathedral of Hope- they speak other truths with power- there are other knowleges and truths to be learned- “insurrection of subjugated knowledges” – Michael Foucault

Bible is a member of the community

Bible offers perspectives to the community

Bible is a library of perspectives

Bible is a postmodern book

Bible can be reclaimed

Bible is propaganda

Biblical propaganda has a point and a purpose

Bible is not objective

Bible is trying to convince and persuade people

Bible + Spirit + community = “Word”

Hermeneutic of Humility

Hermeneutic of Community

Hermeneutic of Suspicion

Tony Jones Dan Kimball Doug PagittBrian McLaren

dankimball.typepad.com

dougpagitt.combrianmclaren.net

tonyj.net

Emergent Church1997-2001

Karen Ward

Heather Kirk-Davidoff

Anthony Bradley

Claude Nikondeha

amahoro-africa.org

postmodernegro.com

submerge.typepad.com

kcchurch.typepad.com

Emergent Church2001-2008

Common values and themes in

Emergent Worship

1 participatory 2 organic 3 sacredness/spiritual 4 multisensory 5 freedom of movement 6 multiple focal points 7 diversity of liturgies and spiritual disciplines 8 emphasis on prayer 9 centrality of Communion10 centrality of Jesus/Kin-dom

e m e r g e n t

v i l l a g e. c o m