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The '''emerging church''' or '''emergent church''' is a diffuse movement which arose as a "conversation" (in emerging church terminology) in the late [[20th century]] in [[ Western Europe]], [[North America]], and the [[South Pacific]]. The emerging church is concerned with the [[deconstruction]] and reconstruction of [[Protestant]] [[Christianity]] in a [[postmodernity|postmodern]] cultural context.
The '''Emerging Church''' or '''Emergent Church''' is a diffuse movement which arose as a "conversation" (in Emerging Church terminology) in the late [[20th century]] in [[Western Europe]], [[North America]], and the [[South Pacific]]. The Emerging Church is concerned with the [[deconstruction]] and reconstruction of [[Protestant]] [[Christianity]] in a [[postmodernity | postmodern]] cultural context.


== Background ==
== Background ==
Line 6: Line 6:


===Characteristics===
===Characteristics===
Though expressions of the emerging church vary according to cultural context, tradition and school of thought, they share some distinguishing characteristics including a common and unique language of discourse; encouragement of creative expression; [[holistic]] forms of worship; fluency in [[new media]]; sensitivity to [[postmodernity]]; organizational simplicity; a [[missional]] approach; an [[ecumenism|ecumenical]] commitment; and placing value on social justice. {{ref|ec6}}
Though expressions of the Emerging Church vary according to cultural context, tradition and school of thought, they share some distinguishing characteristics including a common and unique language of discourse; encouragement of creative expression; [[holistic]] forms of worship; fluency in [[new media]]; sensitivity to [[postmodernity]]; organizational simplicity; a [[missionary]] approach; an [[ecumenism | ecumenical]] commitment; and placing value on social justice. {{ref | ec6}}


=== Origins ===
=== Origins ===
The emerging church originated in reaction to many perceived problems of the late [[20th century]] Church: declining attendance of [[Protestant]] churches, particularly amongst [[Generation X]]; concern over how the Church would adapt to [[postmodern|postmodernity]]; opposition to [[fundamentalism|fundamentalist]] doctrines and practices; a neglect of ancient [[Christian]] tradition and practices; a wish for an [[ecumenical]], [[catholic]] Church; and increasing suspicion of the [[missiology]] of the market-driven [[mega-church]] and institutionalized Christianity.
The Emerging Church originated in reaction to many perceived problems of the late [[20th century]] Church: declining attendance of [[Protestant]] churches, particularly amongst [[Generation X]], concern over how the Church would adapt to [[postmodern | postmodernity]], opposition to [[fundamentalism | fundamentalist]] doctrines and practices, a neglect of ancient [[Christian]] tradition and practices, a wish for an [[ecumenical]], [[catholic]] Church, and increasing suspicion of the [[missiology]] of the market-driven [[mega-church]] and institutionalized Christianity.


Initially described as a conversation, the emerging church's increasing extension to [[Asia]], [[Africa]], and [[South America]] by [[2005]] led some [[ecclesiology|ecclesiastical]] scholars, thinkers, and practitioners to describe it as a movement. Others debate this, arguing the term inappropriate {{ref|ec1}} when there is no central leadership and no communal doctrines or order.
Initially described as a conversation, the Emerging Church's increasing extension to [[Asia]], [[Africa]], and [[South America]] by [[2005]] led some [[ecclesiology | ecclesiastical]] scholars, thinkers, and practitioners to describe it as a movement. Others debate this, arguing the term inappropriate {{ref | ec1}} when there is no central leadership and no communal doctrines or order.


=== Influence of Postmodernism ===
=== Influence of postmodernity ===
Postmodernity set the cultural context for the emerging church occurrence in the global West and influenced emerging church thought. Through his work, Stanley Grenz (1950-2005), Author of Primer on Postmodernism, urged the emerging church in its postmodern context and conditioning to personify the Christian gospel with a post-individualistic, post-rationalistic, post-dualistic, and post-noeticentric attitude. Grenz envisioned the emerging church emphasizing communal living and the individual in interdependent relationships; human beings as more than cognitive creatures; doctrinal statements secondary to the core objective of the Christian faith to move people toward Christ; and an understanding of knowledge that serves “the attainment of wisdom.”{{ref|sgrenz}}
Postmodernity set the cultural context for the Emerging Church in the West and influenced Emerging Church thought. Through his work, Stanley Grenz (1950-2005), author of ''Primer on Postmodernity'', urged the Emerging Church in its postmodern context and conditioning to personify the Christian gospel with a post-[[individualism | individualistic]], post-[[rationalism | rationalistic]], post-[[dualism | dualistic]], and post-[[noesis | noeticentric]] attitude. Grenz envisioned the Emerging Church emphasizing communal living and the individual in interdependent relationships, human beings as more than cognitive creatures, doctrinal statements secondary to the core objective of the Christian faith to move people toward [[Christ]]; and an understanding of knowledge that serves “the attainment of wisdom.”{{ref | sgrenz}}


Brian McLaren, emerging church Author and prominent figure, contended that postmodernism obtained positive and negative characteristics. According to McLaren, some forms of early postmodernism were dangerous, but were needed in order to restore balance to cultural thought and behavior. McLaren encouraged the emerging church to direct postmodernity towards positive tendencies.{{ref|mclareninterview}}
Brian McLaren, Emerging Church author and prominent figure, contends that postmodernity has positive and negative characteristics. According to McLaren, some forms of early postmodernity are dangerous, but are needed in order to restore balance to cultural thought and behavior. McLaren encourages the Emerging Church to direct postmodernity towards positive tendencies.{{ref | mclareninterview}}


Modern Christians often critiqued the occurrence as adopting and conforming too easily to postmodern thought, neglecting modern evangelical theology, praxis, and thought.
Modern Christians often critique the movement as adopting and conforming too easily to postmodern thought, neglecting modern evangelical theology, praxis, and thought.


=== New Media and the Emerging Church ===
=== New media and the Emerging Church ===
The emerging church excelled in the use of [[new media]]. The connection to developing generations and Christianity was predicted to be enabled by a focus upon communication.{{ref|pward}}. Hence, the fusion of old and new media often brought a sense of community and connection to the emerging church. The advent of new media allowed the emerging church to exist in virtual, online forms. Internet churches, individual and community blogs, online message boards, and wikis often built new media relationships through on-going conversation about life, spirituality, and the church.{{ref|jones3}} Moreover, new media not only delivered community and conversation, but arguably fueled emerging church thought globally.
The Emerging Church excels in the use of [[new media]]. The connection to developing generations and Christianity is predicted to be enabled by a focus upon communication.{{ref | pward}}. Hence, the fusion of old and new media often brings a sense of community and connection to the Emerging Church. The advent of new media allows the Emerging Church to exist in virtual, online forms. Internet churches, individual and community blogs, online message boards, and wikis often build new media relationships through ongoing conversation about life, spirituality, and the church.{{ref | jones3}} Moreover, new media not only deliver community and conversation, but arguably fuel Emerging Church thought globally.


=== Terminology: "conversation" or "movement"? ===
=== Terminology: "conversation" or "movement"? ===
Some EC thinkers and practitioners describe the emerging church as a "conversation" and not a "movement", arguing that at present it is so far too unstructured to qualify as the latter. For instance, Pastor Brian McLaren of the prominent emerging church network Emergent says that "movement" carries connotations of a clear leadership and agenda. "Right now Emergent is a conversation, not a movement. We don't have a program. We don't have a model" [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/12.36.html].
Some EC thinkers and practitioners describe the Emerging Church as a "conversation" and not a "movement", arguing that at present it is still too unstructured to qualify as the latter. For instance, Pastor Brian McLaren of the prominent Emerging Church network Emergent says that "movement" carries connotations of a clear leadership and agenda. "Right now Emergent is a conversation, not a movement. We don't have a program. We don't have a model" [http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2004/011/12.36.html].


== Theological Developments ==
== Theological developments ==
{{Expandsect}}
{{Expandsect}}


=== Missiology ===
=== Missiology ===
At the turn of the century, the emerging church arguably did not have a common missiology. Perhaps, proliferated by the missiological works of Roxburgh, Bosch, Newbigin, Hunsberger, and the Gospel and Our Culture Network (GOCN), the emerging Church had discovered grounds for a renewed missional theology. As a result of insufficient theological depth on how churches perceive their identity and then how churches associate with their cultural context, Hunsberger addressed Newbigin’s ideology of churches becoming domesticated by culture instead of occupying a domestic missiology that confronts culture.{{ref|ec7}} Theological depth and cultural context were essential questions surfacing in the missiological inquiries of the emerging church. Guder, addressed the core of missional perspective being concerned with the Kingdom of God.{{ref|ec8}} Modern missiology often focused upon building the Church collectively or adding to the numbers of individual churches, thus focusing on building bigger and better churches which produced religious goods and services for consumption.{{ref|ec9}} The emerging church sought to understand and renew the mission of Christ in its postmodern context. Chris Seay, emerging church Pastor, defended, “It should be clear we are championing the gospel and missional values, not what (some) describe as ‘ministry intentionally influenced by postmodern theory.’”{{ref|ec10}} Guder suggested there are three major distinctions concerned with surfacing missiology:
The Emerging Church arguably does not have a common missiology. Perhaps, inspired by the missiological works of Roxburgh, Bosch, Newbigin, Hunsberger, and the Gospel and Our Culture Network (GOCN), the Emerging Church has discovered grounds for a renewed missionary theology. As a result of insufficient theological depth on how churches perceive their identity and then how churches associate with their cultural context, Hunsberger addresses Newbigin’s ideology of churches becoming domesticated by culture instead of occupying a domestic missiology that confronts culture.{{ref | ec7}} Theological depth and cultural context are essential questions surfacing in the missiological inquiries of the Emerging Church. Guder addresses the core of missionary perspective being concerned with the Kingdom of God.{{ref | ec8}} Modern missiology often focuses upon building the Church collectively or adding to the numbers of individual churches, thus focusing on building bigger and better churches which produce religious goods and services for consumption.{{ref | ec9}} The Emerging Church seeks to understand and renew the mission of Christ in its postmodern context. Chris Seay, Emerging Church Pastor, has defended this position, saying, “It should be clear we are championing the gospel and missional values, not what (some) describe as ‘ministry intentionally influenced by postmodern theory.’”{{ref | ec10}} Guder suggests there are three major distinctions concerned with surfacing missiology:


* The church as a body of people sent on a mission in contrast to the church as an entity located in a building or in an institutional organization
* The church as a body of people sent on a mission in contrast to the church as an entity located in a building or in an institutional organization
* The church as a community of gathered people brought together by a common calling and vocation (sent people)
* The church as a community of gathered people brought together by a common calling and vocation (sent people)
* A shift from ecclesial centric view of mission (mission is about building a church) to an emphasis on the mission of God (mission is about the Kingdom or reign of God){{ref|ec11}}
* A shift from church-centered view of mission (mission is about building a church) to an emphasis on the mission of God (mission is about the Kingdom or reign of God){{ref | ec11}}


== References ==
== References ==


{{note|ec1}} Burke, Spencer, et. al. "Our Response to Critics of Emergent" Emergent-US: The Blog, June 2, 2005; Carson, D.A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005; Gibbs, Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.
{{note | ec1}} Burke, Spencer, et. al. "Our Response to Critics of Emergent" Emergent-US: The Blog, June 2, 2005; Carson, D.A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005; Gibbs, Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.


{{note|sgrenz}} Grenz, Stanley. A Primer On Postmodernism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.
{{note | sgrenz}} Grenz, Stanley. A Primer On Postmodernism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.


{{note|mclareninterview}} Heaton, Terry. "10 Questions for Brian McLaren." http://donatacom.com/papers/10Q7.htm, last accessed July 5, 2003.
{{note | mclareninterview}} Heaton, Terry. "10 Questions for Brian McLaren." http://donatacom.com/papers/10Q7.htm, last accessed July 5, 2003.


{{note|pward}} Ward, Peter. Liquid Church. Hendrickson Publishers, 2002.
{{note | pward}} Ward, Peter. Liquid Church. Hendrickson Publishers, 2002.


{{note|jones3}} Jones, Andrew. "New Media Fluency." TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, April 15, 2005.
{{note | jones3}} Jones, Andrew. "New Media Fluency." TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, April 15, 2005.


{{note|ec2}} Carson, D.A. (2005). ''Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church''. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-25947-9.
{{note | ec2}} Carson, D.A. (2005). ''Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church''. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-25947-9.


{{note|ec3}} Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript).
{{note | ec3}} Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript).


{{note|ec4}} Jones, Andrew. "Are We a Movement?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, June 8, 2005, quoting an email to Ryan Bolger, Ph.D. from Dr. Paul Pierson on behalf of Jones.
{{note | ec4}} Jones, Andrew. "Are We a Movement?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, June 8, 2005, quoting an email to Ryan Bolger, Ph.D. from Dr. Paul Pierson on behalf of Jones.


{{note|ec5}} Bainbridge, William S. The Sociology of Religious Movements. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997, 3.
{{note | ec5}} Bainbridge, William S. The Sociology of Religious Movements. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997, 3.


{{note|ec6}} Jones, Andrew. "What is Emergent?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, January 4, 2005.
{{note | ec6}} Jones, Andrew. "What is Emergent?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, January 4, 2005.


{{note|ec7}} Hunsberger, George R., and Craig Van Gelder. The Church between Gospel and Culture: The Emerging Mission in North America. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1996, 1.
{{note | ec7}} Hunsberger, George R., and Craig Van Gelder. The Church between Gospel and Culture: The Emerging Mission in North America. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1996, 1.


{{note|ec8}} Guder, Missional Church, 89, quoting Norman Perrin, Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus. New York: Harper & Row, 1967, 54.
{{note | ec8}} Guder, Missional Church, 89, quoting Norman Perrin, Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus. New York: Harper & Row, 1967, 54.


{{note|ec9}} Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 75-83.
{{note | ec9}} Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 75-83.


{{note|ec10}} Seay, Chris. "Is Pomo Nomo?" Christianity Today, February 20, 2003.
{{note | ec10}} Seay, Chris. "Is Pomo Nomo?" Christianity Today, February 20, 2003.


{{note|ec11}} Guder, Missional Church, 77-83.
{{note | ec11}} Guder, Missional Church, 77-83.


==External links==
==External links==
Line 72: Line 72:
*[http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week846/cover.html The Emerging Church, Part Two] July 15, 2005, PBS ''Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly''. Retrieved July 29 2005.
*[http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/week846/cover.html The Emerging Church, Part Two] July 15, 2005, PBS ''Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly''. Retrieved July 29 2005.


==See Also==
==See also==


*[[Alternative worship]]
*[[Alternative worship]]

Revision as of 18:36, 29 July 2005

You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
 The Emerging Church or Emergent Church is a diffuse movement which arose as a "conversation" (in Emerging Church terminology) in the late 20th century in Western Europe, North America, and the South Pacific. The Emerging Church is concerned with the deconstruction and reconstruction of Protestant Christianity in a postmodern cultural context.

Background

Characteristics

Though expressions of the Emerging Church vary according to cultural context, tradition and school of thought, they share some distinguishing characteristics including a common and unique language of discourse; encouragement of creative expression; holistic forms of worship; fluency in new media; sensitivity to postmodernity; organizational simplicity; a missionary approach; an ecumenical commitment; and placing value on social justice. [1]

Origins

The Emerging Church originated in reaction to many perceived problems of the late 20th century Church: declining attendance of Protestant churches, particularly amongst Generation X, concern over how the Church would adapt to postmodernity, opposition to fundamentalist doctrines and practices, a neglect of ancient Christian tradition and practices, a wish for an ecumenical, catholic Church, and increasing suspicion of the missiology of the market-driven mega-church and institutionalized Christianity.

Initially described as a conversation, the Emerging Church's increasing extension to Asia, Africa, and South America by 2005 led some ecclesiastical scholars, thinkers, and practitioners to describe it as a movement. Others debate this, arguing the term inappropriate [2] when there is no central leadership and no communal doctrines or order.

Influence of postmodernity

Postmodernity set the cultural context for the Emerging Church in the West and influenced Emerging Church thought. Through his work, Stanley Grenz (1950-2005), author of Primer on Postmodernity, urged the Emerging Church in its postmodern context and conditioning to personify the Christian gospel with a post- individualistic, post- rationalistic, post- dualistic, and post- noeticentric attitude. Grenz envisioned the Emerging Church emphasizing communal living and the individual in interdependent relationships, human beings as more than cognitive creatures, doctrinal statements secondary to the core objective of the Christian faith to move people toward Christ; and an understanding of knowledge that serves “the attainment of wisdom.”[3]

Brian McLaren, Emerging Church author and prominent figure, contends that postmodernity has positive and negative characteristics. According to McLaren, some forms of early postmodernity are dangerous, but are needed in order to restore balance to cultural thought and behavior. McLaren encourages the Emerging Church to direct postmodernity towards positive tendencies.[4]

Modern Christians often critique the movement as adopting and conforming too easily to postmodern thought, neglecting modern evangelical theology, praxis, and thought.

New media and the Emerging Church

The Emerging Church excels in the use of new media. The connection to developing generations and Christianity is predicted to be enabled by a focus upon communication.[5]. Hence, the fusion of old and new media often brings a sense of community and connection to the Emerging Church. The advent of new media allows the Emerging Church to exist in virtual, online forms. Internet churches, individual and community blogs, online message boards, and wikis often build new media relationships through ongoing conversation about life, spirituality, and the church.[6] Moreover, new media not only deliver community and conversation, but arguably fuel Emerging Church thought globally.

Terminology: "conversation" or "movement"?

Some EC thinkers and practitioners describe the Emerging Church as a "conversation" and not a "movement", arguing that at present it is still too unstructured to qualify as the latter. For instance, Pastor Brian McLaren of the prominent Emerging Church network Emergent says that "movement" carries connotations of a clear leadership and agenda. "Right now Emergent is a conversation, not a movement. We don't have a program. We don't have a model" [7].

Theological developments

Missiology

The Emerging Church arguably does not have a common missiology. Perhaps, inspired by the missiological works of Roxburgh, Bosch, Newbigin, Hunsberger, and the Gospel and Our Culture Network (GOCN), the Emerging Church has discovered grounds for a renewed missionary theology. As a result of insufficient theological depth on how churches perceive their identity and then how churches associate with their cultural context, Hunsberger addresses Newbigin’s ideology of churches becoming domesticated by culture instead of occupying a domestic missiology that confronts culture.[8] Theological depth and cultural context are essential questions surfacing in the missiological inquiries of the Emerging Church. Guder addresses the core of missionary perspective being concerned with the Kingdom of God.[9] Modern missiology often focuses upon building the Church collectively or adding to the numbers of individual churches, thus focusing on building bigger and better churches which produce religious goods and services for consumption.[10] The Emerging Church seeks to understand and renew the mission of Christ in its postmodern context. Chris Seay, Emerging Church Pastor, has defended this position, saying, “It should be clear we are championing the gospel and missional values, not what (some) describe as ‘ministry intentionally influenced by postmodern theory.’”[11] Guder suggests there are three major distinctions concerned with surfacing missiology:

  • The church as a body of people sent on a mission in contrast to the church as an entity located in a building or in an institutional organization
  • The church as a community of gathered people brought together by a common calling and vocation (sent people)
  • A shift from church-centered view of mission (mission is about building a church) to an emphasis on the mission of God (mission is about the Kingdom or reign of God)[12]

References

^ Burke, Spencer, et. al. "Our Response to Critics of Emergent" Emergent-US: The Blog, June 2, 2005; Carson, D.A. Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005; Gibbs, Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript). Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2005.

^ Grenz, Stanley. A Primer On Postmodernism. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.

^ Heaton, Terry. "10 Questions for Brian McLaren." http://donatacom.com/papers/10Q7.htm, last accessed July 5, 2003.

^ Ward, Peter. Liquid Church. Hendrickson Publishers, 2002.

^ Jones, Andrew. "New Media Fluency." TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, April 15, 2005.

^ Carson, D.A. (2005). Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church. Zondervan. ISBN 0-310-25947-9.

^ Eddie & Ryan Bolger. Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures (Manuscript).

^ Jones, Andrew. "Are We a Movement?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, June 8, 2005, quoting an email to Ryan Bolger, Ph.D. from Dr. Paul Pierson on behalf of Jones.

^ Bainbridge, William S. The Sociology of Religious Movements. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997, 3.

^ Jones, Andrew. "What is Emergent?" TallSkinnyKiwi.com: The Blog, January 4, 2005.

^ Hunsberger, George R., and Craig Van Gelder. The Church between Gospel and Culture: The Emerging Mission in North America. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1996, 1.

^ Guder, Missional Church, 89, quoting Norman Perrin, Rediscovering the Teaching of Jesus. New York: Harper & Row, 1967, 54.

^ Clapp, Rodney. A Peculiar People: The Church as Culture in a Post-Christian Society. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1996, 75-83.

^ Seay, Chris. "Is Pomo Nomo?" Christianity Today, February 20, 2003.

^ Guder, Missional Church, 77-83.

See also

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