Emerging doubts
Two Fuller Seminary academics have spent five years researching the phenomenon that has become known as the Emerging church. The findings of their study have been published in “Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures” (Eddie Gibbs, Ryan K. Bolger)
The authors provide a sympathetic portrayal which allows the 50 leaders of the Emerging church in the US and UK to speak for themselves. An appendix of almost 100 pages provides helpful biographical notes on each of the 50 leaders interviewed. Allowing their views to be set in the context of their lives and ministries.
Emerging churches are distinguished by three core practices:
(1) identify with the life of Jesus
(2) transform the secular realm
(3) live as community
These three distinctives are expressed in a further six behaviours:
(4) welcome the stranger
(5) serve with generosity
(6) participate as producers not consumers
(7) create as created beings
(8) lead as a body
(9) merge ancient and contemporary spirituality
According to Gibbs and Bolger the Emerging church defines itself over and against other expressions of church. The Emerging church is set apart from “young adult services, Gen-X churches, churches-within-churches, seeker churches, purpose-driven or new paradigm churches, fundamentalist churches or even evangelical churches” (235).
In fact, these forms of church are roundly condemned. “Their approach to ministry is modern with their dualistic/spiritualized/interiorized understanding of Jesus, their embrace of the sacred/secular split, and their focus on the church meeting as opposed to community life. The same is true for their parents, seeker churches. . .” (45).
Despite their attacks on other expressions of Christianity, especially evangelicalism, the authors describe the Emerging church as “a fragile movement that can be marginalized by denominational leaders and killed with criticism by theological power brokers.” (29)
Obviously the critique is only allowed to go one way.
According to Brian McLaren and Andrew Jones (aka TallSkinnyKiwi), key representatives of the movement, this is THE book to read on the Emerging church. I think they are right.
Unfortunately, reading the book left me deeply concerned about the nature and future of Emerging church as a movement.
