Emergent: Philosophy
- Doctrine - Practice
Highlights
Basis
and Motivation
1)
Reaching the Post Modern Mind (Evangelism)
2)
Experiential Interpersonal Relationship with the Lord and His Church
(Fellowship)
3)
Re-thinking the Scriptures (Doctrine)
4) The
Evolution of Thought and Philosophy
5)
Maturing of the Saints (Sanctification)
Note:
Please remember, this is an overview of some items embraced
by some advocates of the “Emerging” movement. Many of the motivations and
practices here are not in and of themselves wrong. Our focus is doctrine not
necessarily practice, method or motivation. We are not making an effort to lump
everyone and or everything into the same basket.
Also remember: The Road to Hell is paved with good
intentions. The measuring rod of truth is not experience or emotion. It is the
Holy Scriptures. We believe the Bible to be the last word on faith and practice.
E.P.I.C.
Emergent leader Leonard Sweet describes the emergent church
with the acronym EPIC.
“E” stands for experiential because post moderns desire
more than listening and thinking. They want to enter into worship as an
experience of the senses. This is why medieval rituals appeal to them.
“P” speaks of participants as opposed to observers. They
want an active faith. Rather than a sermon they might hold a “conversation.”
“I” relates to image-based. Projected images, artwork,
film and video are all attractive to this generation. They are sight-oriented.
“C” means communal. They desire a strong sense of
community. They are “people” persons. Instead of going to church they
want to be the church.
1)
Reaching the Post Modern Mind (Evangelism)
Emergent church leaders don’t all agree on where the church
goes from here but they all believe that it must go somewhere. They believe the
modern church cannot connect with the postmodern mind. They believe the Gospel as we know it has failed to reach the post
modern mind.
Quotes:
“We
got the gospel wrong.” – Todd Hunter
Doing good supersedes doctrine.
Common Label: Missional
2)
Experiential Interpersonal Relationship with the Lord and His Church
(Fellowship)
Dan Kimball, author of The Emerging Church, says this
is necessary because “the basis of learning has shifted from logic and
rational, systematic thought to the realm of experience. People
increasingly long for the mystical and the spiritual rather than the evidential
and facts-based faith of the modern soil.
Prayer:
(Contemplative Prayer) (Prayer Labyrinths)
Meditation
(Eastern Forms of Meditation)
Confession
(As Ritual)
Solitude
(As Essential)
Vows of
Poverty (As a Discipline)
Use of
Candles, Incense, Icons (Embracing Early Church and Catholic Traditions)
Chuck Smith Jr., in his book, There is a Season (foreword by Brian McLaren), provides
insight into this mystical experience. He writes: "What would happen if we
allowed people to "feel" what we cannot explain, to know with the
heart and not with the brain? We would open the door of faith to a wider
audience than if we continued to insist on a rational belief in the facts as the
only legitimate starting point of the Christian faith."
Common Label:
Experiencing God
3)
Re-thinking the Scriptures (Doctrine)
The Gospel of the
Kingdom
Replacement Theology
Amillennial Theology
Preterism
Deconstructionism – Example: Bricks and Springs (Robb Bell)
Absence of Eschatology (Brian McLaren says they are inventing a new Eschatology)
Transubstantiation, Eucharistic Worship
“Vintage Faith” -
Bible study is often replaced by the study of books or
programs.
On Doctrine Brian McLaren states,
“Ask me if Christianity (my version of it, yours, the
Pope’s, whoever’s) is orthodox, meaning true, and here’s my honest answer:
a little, but not yet. Assuming by Christianity you mean the Christian
understanding of the world and God, Christian opinions on soul, text, and
culture…I’d have to say that we probably have a couple of things right, but
a lot of things wrong, and even more spreads before us unseen and unimagined.
But at least our eyes are open! To be a Christian in a generously orthodox
way is not to claim to have the truth captured, stuffed, and mounted on the
wall.” Brian McLaren
4)
The Evolution of Thought and Philosophy (Experiential / Progressive Theology)
“The
Brian McLaren writes, “Right now Emergent is a
conversation, not a movement. We don’t have a program. We don’t
have a model. I think we must begin as a conversation, then grow as a
friendship, and see if a movement comes of it.”
Deep
Shift 2008
DeepShift will call people to a deep shift in their thinking about
faith, church life, mission, ministry, art, justice, leadership, community, and
worship. It will emphasize deep personal inner transformation integrated with
deep organizational transition as well, in the context of the "Generous
Orthodoxy" I write and speak about. And unlike many conferences, this
gathering will put special focus on the "yes, but how?" question.
City Include: (West Coast US)
Common
Label:
Change
Agents
Dealing
with Resisters
5)
Development and Maturing of the Church (Sanctification)
Success is often
measured by numbers and energy
Spiritual Formation (Beware of Converting Principles into Formulas)
(Who Forms the Spirit?)
"Sometimes we think of spiritual formation as
formation by the Holy Spirit. Once again. That's essential. We can't evade
it--formation by the Holy Spirit. But now I have to say something that may be
challenging for you to think about: Spiritual formation is not all by the
Holy Spirit. None without the Holy Spirit. But there's always more
involved. And here again we run into the problems of passivity over against
activity. Here lies the deepest challenge to the very idea obedience to Christ
in our times. We have to recognize that spiritual formation in us is
something that is also done to us by those around us, by ourselves, and by
activities which we voluntarily undertake...There has to be method." from
Spiritual Formation, What is it and How is it Done? by Dallas Willard
Additional
Notes
Leadership
There are no official leaders or headquarters; some have said
that there are thousands of expressions yet only a few churches have sold out to
the concept; and even those claiming the name can’t agree on what is going on.
Recognized, but not official leaders of the movement at this
time include: Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Dan Kimball, Doug Pagitt, Leonard Sweet,
the late Mike Yaconelli, Spencer Burke, Erwin McManus, Tommy Kyllonen (aka Urban
D) and Donald Miller. Some see Richard Foster and Dallas Willard as
key mentors for the movement.
These
diversions from good Biblical interpretation is a manifestation of the spirit of
Anti-Christ.