What the Heck is the Emerging Church anway?

by Jessica

I've pasted below what originally started out as a comment I was making on a friends blog after reading his review of D.A. Carson's Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church. It got a little long (ya think!) so I decided not to post it there and put it here instead. Let me know your thoughts.

hmmmm, Kevin, sounds interesting and I may have to give it a read. Not having read it so commenting really only on your comments about the book there are a few things that give me pause. I would have to argue that Carson's view that the emerging church absolutely rejects modernity and has taken a position of absolute embrace of postmodernity is a major misinterpretation of the conversations from the leadership of emerging churches. It's so strange to me that I've heard this before (McArthur and others have shared similar critiques) and yet find my self sitting here scratching my head and saying, "Where? I just don't see it." Maybe it's because I find myself thinking a bit more like a postmodern but all I really see is a group of people questioning and wrestling with the meaning behind some of the status quo practices of the church not a rejection of all things modern. As it is, rejecting modernity should not be the same thing as rejecting the church or even a complete embrace of postmodernity. By the very questions and willingness to dialog about such issues (including theology, doctrine, and a social gospel) the emerging church has not moved into a position of absolute embracing of postmodernity, if it had the conversation would have stopped already and a new dogma would be in place. Sure, there may be emerging churches that are doing just that but as a whole I would question that critiques application. I do agree however that once a critic makes up their mind that an issue as fundamental as this is so flawed and closed for discussion they will then miss the positive practices and reforms that come from questioning the status quo.

That said I do believe the church needs to accept postmodernity as the common worldview today. As with modernity the church needs to find ways to communicate with a culture that has a different worldview than that of Scripture. When emerging leaders speak of rejecting modernity it is usually in the context of realizing that modernity is no longer the commonly held worldview of today's society and the church shouldn't feel threatened by this because modernity does not and never has equaled true Christianity.

I agree with Carson’s and your concerns about how emerging church leaders seem to portray the modernity and evangelicalism in an absolutist and controlling way, attempting to reduce and dismiss the churches impact at times. How ever, sadly, there are times in the history of the Christian Church that give evidence to such arguments. Personally I don’t feel that tactic is productive or edifying at all (I have the same issue with those that are attacking the emerging church) but comes from a place of bitterness and hurt and maybe even fear of being misunderstood or dismissed. What really needs to happen here is healing and reconciliation. For some, even if they can’t argue this with historical backing what they do have is personal experience and that is worth more than any amount of proof. If someone feels as though they have been treated such by the church then this is the reality of the modern church for them. It is with these people that the emerging church can reach in ways the modern church cannot. You mention that a side effect of this has been a questioning of the historic faith itself. I wonder if this is a bad thing? First of all, people have been questioning the faith since the faith began and will continue to do so. In Scripture we are encouraged to taste and see that the Lord is good, the mode with which that is done today is by questioning. Secondly, we don’t want to encourage a faith that is accepted without a personal investment that leads to conviction and ownership. The individual that really knows from a personal conviction what they are living for because they have tested and tried it will have a much firmer faith than one that felt they could never question and therefore never come to a personal understanding that would be in evidenced by a life lived with conviction. And third, doesn’t it seem appropriate that an invitation to question our historic faith is issued by Christ’s church? Everyone else is telling the world to question the historic faith, atheists, teachers, deists, etc. If the church is the one place where such journeying is not encouraged it will also be the one place where such answers are never found.

Again, I haven’t read Carson’s book so this is my response to your response. Hope it makes some sense. The emerging church is not just one thing. I continue to pray that the emerging church will cease to define itself by what it is not but will soon find a way to articulate what it is. Better yet, I hope the conversations and dialog continue but we stay away from arrogant answers and remain authentic and open with the journey.

I’m glad to hear you are exploring this but I’d like to encourage you to interact and dialog with those that are a part of the emerging church, you’ll find all types and we don’t all agree. Still, you will get a better feel and understanding of what God is doing in this small segment of his church by participating in the dialog instead of reading about it. Just my two cents. Anyone else?