The Emergent ChurchA quick overview, and my concerns

Tanner Stevenson

Christian Faith 2010

Please take the time to pause the presentation and click the video links throughout.

• There is a difference between the terms “Emerging” and Emergent”

• Key Components of Emerging:– Missional minded– Faith as journey more so than decision– Culturally relevant

The Emerging Movement

The Emerging Movement

• “A catch-all phrase for a group of pastors who are trying to figure out how to do church in a post-modern world.” -Mark Driscoll

• Post-Modernism: this culture, many sources of truth, a lot of doubt, high emphasis on tolerance

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcbnGXSYxuI

The Emergent Church

Out of the Emerging Movement sprung a group of pastors who spearheaded the Emergent Church

• Incorporates post-modern thought into theology• Focuses on the “way” of Jesus

– (Jesus is our example)

• This is where we will spend most of our time• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s049aMBtFAA

The Players

Brian McLaren Doug Pagitt Rob BellPhoto courtesy of wordpress.com Photo courtesy of Creative Trust Inc. Photo courtesy of wordpress.com

The Emergent Church

Brian McLarenRob Bell

Doug Pagitt

The Emergent Church

Missionally Minded– Recognized the gap between believing and doing

– Doctrines don’t produce fruit, the “way” of Jesus does

– Seeks to contextualize gospel to post-modern culture• “Repaint the faith”-Rob Bell

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poi3imQkQsQ

Missionally Minded– Recognized the gap between believing and doing

– Doctrines don’t produce fruit, the “way” of Jesus does

– Seeks to contextualize gospel to post-modern culture• “Repaint the faith”-Rob Bell

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poi3imQkQsQ

Missionally Minded– Recognized the gap between believing and doing

– Doctrines don’t produce fruit, the “way” of Jesus does

– Seeks to contextualize gospel to post-modern culture• “Repaint the faith”-Rob Bell

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Poi3imQkQsQ

The Emergent Church

In order to appeal to post-modern culture…

• Emergents say NO DOCTRINE

• Doctrine is divisive and dogmatic

• “Systematic Theologies claim to have nailed down, freeze-dried, and shrink orthodoxy forever.” –Brian McLaren, A Generous Orthodoxy

The Emergent Church

Faith is a Journey, much more conversational

• “Drop any affair you may have with certainty, proof, argument—replace it with dialogue, conversation, intrigue, and search.” -Brian McLaren, Adventures in Missing the Point

The Emergent ChurchFaith is a Journey, much more conversationalElephant Illustration: (to an extent)

The Emergent Church

• The 3 D’s: Doctrine=Dogma=Division

• “The bible is open-ended” and “a human product.” –Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

• “To say scripture is the word of God is to employ a metaphor.” -David Tomlinson, The Post-Evangelical

The Emergent Church

• Doctrines that Emergents are holding loosely to:

-Virgin Birth

-Reality of Traditional Hell

-Substitutionary Atonement

Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SOUfsX2fbk&feature=related

The Emergent ChurchConcern/Criticism

-Bible not literally God’s word.Karl Barth’: bible is “derivatively and indirectly” God’s word.

Rob Bell: “Our words aren’t absolutes (language of bible)”

D.A. Carson calls this the “gagging of God”

Augustine: “No single error due to the author”Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv6uxCch7oc (6:47) Pete

“For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions .” 2 Tim 4:3

The Emergent Church

The Emergent Church

trampoline Idea

The Emergent Church

• Christianity is like a trampoline

• Doctrines are “springs”

• The idea is that we can remove non-essential springs and still allow the person to jump

The Emergent Church

But where do we draw the line?

Are the virgin birth, reality of hell, and substitutionary atonement non-essential doctrines?

The Emergent Church

Essential Element of the emergent movement:

Focuses on the “way” of Jesus for right living

“…isn’t the way of Jesus still the best possible way to live?” –Rob Bell, Velvet Elvis

The Emergent ChurchConcern/Criticism: Doctrines Compromised

Reality of Hell: Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:48 Virgin Birth:Luke 1:35

Substitutionary Atonement: John 3:36, Romans 6:23, 1 Thess 1:7-9

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0isqLRhClo (5:07-9:17)

Concern/Criticism: Doctrines Compromised

Reality of Hell: Matthew 10:28, Mark 9:48 Virgin Birth:Luke 1:35

Substitutionary Atonement: John 3:36, Romans 6:23, 1 Thess 1:7-9

• Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0isqLRhClo (5:07-9:17)

The Emergent Church

How does grace play into Emergent thought?

“Could it be that grace is something to be opted out of, rather than something to be opted into?” -Spencer Burke, A Heretic’s guide to Eternity

The Emergent Church

Main Difference• Emergent church: “There is no better way to

live, than to emulate Jesus Christ, no matter what happened or what will happen.”

• Reformed/Emerging: “Because of what happened (sin, alienation, atonement, resurrection), because of what will happen, I live for Christ.”