Slideshow image

     I’ll be leading a book study this Lent based on Phyllis Tickle’s book, The Great Emergence.  You might ask why this book since it was originally published in 2008 and is no longer groundbreaking news.  Tickle is not one of the Emergent pastors  or theologian pioneers like Doug Pagitt, Brian Mclaren, Tony Jones, or Peter Rollins (to name a few).  Rather, she wrote to explain a phenomeon that was already happening. 

I’ve read her book and heard her speak at both The Festival of Homeletics in Nashville and Epiphany Explorations in Victoria and have come to believe that, when we understand the history of change in the church and observe what is happening in a Post-Modern and Post-Christendom society, we are better able to understand and possibly embrace the tenets of the Emergent Church. Hopefully we will have a chance to study some of the work of Emergent Thelogians at a later date.

I  want to give you my opinion and some background of Emerging Christianity, to possibly entice you into wanting to know more.  Here are the “Coles Notes” according to Wayne. 

The roots of Emergent Christianity come from fundamental churches and a large number of its’ pioneers were young pastors in that tradition, often doing youth work.  Many of the doctrinal beliefs around sexuality, gender identity, creation, human rights etc. did not fit with their lived experiences.  They began to question the literal interpretation of scripture which is a fundamental belief to most Conservative Christians.

So, why did they not join a traditional/liberal denomination like the UCC?  They found that they missed that deep personal relationship with Jesus that the Conservative Church does such a good job of fostering and, as well, the strong bonds of community.

At the same time, young people in liberal/traditional churches were drifting away because they were yearning for an experiential experience that was sometimes missing.  Their churches were doing a good job of using the language of metaphor to describe biblical narratives, were advocates for social/environmental activism and often practised the deep liturgies of an ancient church that the Emergents longed for, but traditional Christianity often failed to account for, or provide, opportunites to experience the Risen Christ.

Emerging Christianity is where these two longings meet in the midst of a Post-Modern culture.  It probably has more in common with the first Christian Communites that we find in the Book of Acts than in the modern church.  You’ll probably find many aspects of the Emerging Church on-line, in the New Monastism movement, in House Churches, in Lay Communities and even fragments in traditional churches that are embracing some of the practises and theology of the Emergent Church.

Obviously, in a blog, this just skims the surface but I hope it is enough to peak your curiousity.

Blessings from your questioning Pastor,

Wayne