Darryl's Blog
What's bad about the emerging church?
I have a theory that weaknesses are the flip side of our strengths. I don't know if this theory is true or not, but I think it is true in the case of the emerging church.
Last week I posted about what's good about the emerging church. Here's what I think is bad:
- Angst - The emerging church correctly reacts to many of the bad things they see in the modern church. It's easy to overreact and to start to see everything as wrong, and to become overly negative and cynical.
- Doctrine - The emerging church is broad, and one could argue that it defines itself by the center (Jesus) rather than the boundaries (doctrinal distinctives). I generally like this approach, but I wonder if it's worth drawing a few more boundaries while still holding to the center. To switch to a soccer metaphor, without boundaries, the ball is never out of play and the game gets a little silly at times.
- Gospel - Some say the emerging church is not evangelistic. I don't know about that; I've seen them reach people that the traditional church doesn't. But I am aware that in embracing a holistic Gospel, it's easy to go to the other extreme and forget about the soul.
- Fear of tackling some issues - The emerging church doesn't mind being provocative when it comes to tackling some issues, but it seems to sometimes back off on issues that would make it look, well, offensive and regressive. I often wish that they could tackle some of the hot button issues with the same insight and grace, even if it makes them look out of step with culture.
- Critiquing culture - The emerging church is pretty good at critiquing modernism, but could probably be more outspoken in critiquing postmodernism.
I'm painting with a broad brush here. Many of these may be accurate of some but not of others. And, don't forget, I think that when you add this to my other list, there are many things we can learn from the emerging church, and we're making a mistake if we write the whole thing off too quickly.
Let me make a prediction: those who visit here who are sympathetic to the emerging church may disagree with me on some of those points, but they will welcome critique. That shouldn't be missed. I have found that my emerging friends are actually open to admitting where the emerging church still has room to grow, especially if the critiques are offered in a spirit of generosity rather than of attack.
Last week, I was thinking about how easy it is to badmouth those we disagree with. I don't know how much glee we should take in criticizing our brothers and sisters. I would say, "Very little." For better or for worse, we're in this together, and we don't even have the option of not talking constructively and loving each other.
If you are a critic of the emerging church, and don't have any emerging friends, I'd encourage you to get to change that. I bet you'll both learn lots from each other.
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That's a balanced list and I would agree with most of it.
Rob
Darryl,
In thinking about it, I'd add another one to your list. The seeming rejection of absolute truth.
Rob
Darryl,
Thanks for posting this!
I am glad I got that xml feed from your site working on my computer again!
Seeing this list beside your first list makes me like your first list more as it appears to define things more crisply.
I am going to print these off and keep mulling them over... as I sit in the Kentucky sunshine! :)
1. As a general rule, a holistic gospel is necessarily about the soul (and of course much more.) We are more than beings made up of a soul and so the gospel as to address all parts of our being.
2. What looks like a refusal to tackle issues, is actually a way of saying that the issues in reality are more complex than what the traditional evangelical faith leads one to believe. It's not a refusal to tackle them its a refusal to not tackle them by minimizing what's involved in them.
I appreciate your list - both its brevity and its width.
It'll be interesting to see how people respond to these. Some of the folks I know in emergent are very comfortable with reflection and identfying areas of vulnerability.
I'm not sure that I wouldn't add a sixth - A penchant for thinking or theology over praxis. But that's perhaps a weakness of church in general.
I don't think anyone would deny there is a lot of angst among those in the EC. However I see it as just as much an issue with the established church. Angst is often the catalyst that moves people from established churches towards the EC. From what I've seen most people eventually move beyond the angst. It just takes a long time. EC churches give a place for people to process what they are going through and come to some measure of healing. However This doesn't always happen. Sometimes an EC church is just the last stop on the way out of the faith entirely.
The more I interact with people in both realms I see people all along a spectrum. I see some people comfortable in established church roles thinking radical thoughts, and now I'm beginning to see some elements of the early adopters in the EC looking for something more solid.
Before I say the following, I would like to say that I am part of what would probalby be called an "Emerging Church", and I enjoyed both posts about the good and the bad. Good stuff. But, I wanted to say, in responseo to Rob in particular...
The way I see it, the "rejection of absolute truth" is part of the crituque of modernity. It's like one of the prime, central issues when it comes to that. Now, of course no one in the church (in their right mind) is saying that the Lord isn't the Lord. The way I see it, to let go of absolute truth is to let go of a certain concept of "absoluteness" and of "truth", to let go of a closed form of frameworking and logic making that absolutizes and makes certain things in this earthly realm in a very backwards way - which was given to us by modernity. To let go of the absolute subject and the absolute object as knowable constructs. It's why you have the whole "the kingdom of God is not the church itself" thing that is a recurring lesson these days that seems to be being beaten into our heads (because it NEEDS to be).
Just wanted to throw that out there because there seems to still be a bit of a misunderstanding (?). I mean, just cause you don't have Jesus as the absolutely-known-Truth-subject and the world as the absolutely-known-Lost-object doesn't mean that Jesus is not truly calling after the lost who live in darkness underneath all their conscious intentions without their even realizing it! Because, Jesus is Lord!
First, I like this list and the content. However, I don't beleive that you can beleive in absolute truth but not have construct our lives. If the word of God is not absolute than what makes us different than any other religion group out there? Christ himself claimed absoluteness by telling us that he is the way the truth and the life. From that point of belief there is no turning back.
Darryl,
I like your list and share your concerns/critiques. Do I have your permission to reprint the list on my blog?
good thoughts, darryl. i assume this is related to EC in North America?
"i assume this is related to EC in North America?"
Probably, Andrew. It's based on my experience which is largely N. American.
Reading these critiques makes me think that the Emerging Church you are refering to is somewhat in it's teenage years. It has the agnst, it is listening to Nirvana, it hates the parent's generation, but won't direct any of it's angst to the current generation. It doesn't understand boundaries and wants to hold on to as few things as possible, with no commitment.
I am not saying that I can confirm or deny that this is what Emergent Churches look like. For me my teenage years, were emerging years to me, leading up to a contemplative time I now find myself in. Can you imagine what this Emergent Conversation will look like when it matures? If indeed it is in the growing stage?
"The emerging church is pretty good at critiquing modernism, but could probably be more outspoken in critiquing postmodernism."
Based on my experience, this is a really good point. It seems there was a lot of good thinking about postmodernity a decade ago and now the same definitions are still being thrown around, which are looking pretty tired and simplistic.
the emerging church is fake it is nothing more then a bunch of long haired tattoed pireced generation can create a church that conforms to their view of church i guess they also pick and choose with doctrines they believe according to their culture