I never understood what 'Emergent Christianity' was or even 'Emerging Church'.
But I've just finished reading Jesus: Uncovering the Life, Teachings, and Relevance of a Religious Revolutionary by Marcus Borg.
[pause]
Everyone stop to scream 'Marcus Borg! Heretic!!!!. Thank you. Now we can continue with our regularly scheduled programme...
[/pause]
This book is not actually about 'emerging Christianity' at all but at the end of the book, in the Epilogue, he describes 'emerging Christianity' as have two main tenets: 1) The idea that being a Christian requires action against injustice in the world contra the idea that Christianity is just a private, 'spiritual' affair and; 2) The idea that it's OK to have honest doubts and to express them to God.
Well, heck. I think I'm 'emergent' after all. That seems like standard Christianity to me. OK, I accept that lots of Christian communities still don't make it very easy for people to express honest doubts.
But I'm now suffering from that kind of time-warp where I've apparently become too old to think. I crossed - or am crossing - some sort of barrier where I no longer want to think any more but just accept my faith blindly. Argh! I've been waiting all my life for what's apparently 'the emerging church community' and now I'm too old.
Guess I'll just have to stick to blogging. (Yeah, I know that Bebo and Myspace and Facebook are where it's at but I find Facebook rather unwieldy.)
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4 comments:
You're never too old to emerge!I've been waiting all my life for this expression of Christianity, too. I was never comfortable with the liberal social gospel unattached to spiritual formation in Christ. And I suffocate in the fundamentalist, pietist, individualistic religious right. We're not too old, Pam. We're old enough to recognize the truth because we've lived the the half-truths!
Pam, I too agree with what the Emergent's say that you quote as the premise. However, for me it is to what extent. I think individuals DO need to accept Christ as their Savior for Salvation AND we need to do more for caring for the poor, hurting and injustice in the world (when properly defined). From what I have seen in Emergent they seem to reject anything that is individualistic even though Scripture is clear "Except A MAN be Born Again he cannot see the Kingdom of God." or "If YOU confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and Believe in your heart that God has risen from the dead you shall be saved." However, we are the "Body of Christ" but we are a Body of Believers doing the work for Sanctification, discipleship and obedience to Christ at the same time. If one focuses too much on community and not on individual responsibility that goes against Scripture. If one focuses too much on the individual and not enough on the Body of christ's responsibility then that too goes against Scripture. To me Emergent is more an "anti-right in anyway" (there are varying degrees of Religious Right. I'm saying Emergent tries to reject any association as opposed to recognizing some of the truths in the Religious Right)then it is "community". That is coming from someone who has went to an Emergent service. I also believe that the emergents also misunderstand and overgeneralize the Religious Right. It is to look at specific groups and how they are presented in the media and not look objectively at them. Emergent's fail to do that. dh
DH, I have no idea why you think that I don't believe in 'making a commitment to Christ'.
I really have no interest in trying to prove to you that I believe in 'commitment to Christ'.
I hear what you're saying. I know that you believe in 'making a commitment to Christ'.
You've said this over and over. It gets boring and it's not a particularly interesting conversation either. Sorry if that sounds harsh, but telling people the same things over and over doesn't actually serve to convince them.
If you reread what I said it goes beyond commitment to Christ, etc. I'm reacting to the Emergent's reacting to Evangelical's on the issue. As opposed to recognizing the good they want to diminish the focus Evangelicals have as opposed to my recommendation of adding to the focus with some of the concerns Emergents have. Also Emergents have the opposite problem Evangelicals have because they tend to react negatively to their own detriment against Evangelicalism.
I never thought that you don't believe in "making a commitment to Christ". I just believe those who are Emergent have that as a diminished focus and/or have a more "personal" aspect as opposed to relaying the importance for Salvation of ones soul for eternal life. Also, they need to add to their focus on Community the understanding that the point of Community is that it is a Community of Believers as opposed to just Community. We must lead the individuals within the Community to become believers. The church is not made of just people it is made up of Believers and those who aren't Believers their resonibility is to become Believers. dh
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