"Mere Christianity"

Recently, I recommended CS Lewis' book "Mere Christianity at my pastor's page. I highly recommend this book as it is a good defense of Christianity and theism. It has been extremely influential to many and many have come to faith because of it. Although I do not agree with everything in the book, it is nonetheless a great book that everyone should read.

"Signs of Emergence"

I continue to do research on the Emerging Church and so I when I ran across Kester Brewin's book, "Signs of Emergence: A Vision for Church That is Organic/Networked/Decentralized/Bottom-up/Communal/Flexible/{Always Evolving}," I thought that I would give it a try. The title alone reminded me of Brian McLaren's book, "A Generous Orthodoxy" (I won't give the full title). But it's content, though not theological like McLaren's, proves my basis thesis regarding the emerging church; it is rooted in analyzing culture rather than analyzing Scripture.

The book has 1 primary argument: the culture is changing and we must change with it. This thesis is repeated throughout the book. For example:

The church now seems to stand in the same place as God stood in some 2,500 years ago: misrepresented, accused of bigotry, portrayed as narrow=-minded and in love with power, only interesting in buildings, ready to smite the dirty and sinful, over-occupied with sex, and ready to lend support for unjust wars. -65

If we cannot adapt, the pressures of them will crush us too and form our fossilized homes, leaving us to museums and history books. -84

Other passages from the book could be used, but these will suffice. The argument goes that since the culture is changing, the Church needs to catch up in order to be able to engage the culture, impact the culture, and reach the culture.

This leads to the argument that God, like culture, is evolving too. Therefore, we must avoid "stony immutability" (64). Note the argument:

This in turn will mean that the idea of truth in the Emergent Church will change. It will no longer reside in some intangible conceptual work of theology that only the fully trained and ordained can unlock. Instead, the pursuit of it will be about our shared experience. Some will bring their wisdom from the church's history, others a story from their social work, still others a passage from Scripture, and others a song or poem..It is about an open dedication to understanding that each of us has a contribution to make, that no one is worthless, that no one person can have the final say on what is true. Of course, over time, the connections and associations that are positively reinforced over and over will become established in the memory and collective consciousness - but this will not be due to one person's input and not stored in one person's mind. There will no longer be a single external authority to which people look for truth, but rather a distributed network of authorities that people look to in order to assimilate multiple perspectives. -110-111

One should be able to see the major problem with this postmodern thinking.. Biblical texts, theology, etc. are not first consulted, rather culture is. Though the author does reference Scripture throughout, it remains to be used rarely. Scripture only appears whenever it benefits the argument of the author. It is clear throughout that Scripture is not the foundation by which his argument and even theology stands.

In fact, that's the problem. Theology is not "immutable," but is "evolving." All things are evolving. Culture. God. Theology. Therefore, the Church needs to evolve or it will become an exhibit in history museums.

Brewin would see someone like myself as someone stuck in modernism and out of touch with society. I would respond by saying that being Biblical is not the same as being modern. God's Word transcends culture, language, society, and man. The problem with the Emerging Church is that it offers the same failed solution as the church of modernity (which they are reacting against) offered. Whenever we redefine the Church to look like the culture, we are cutting ourselves short and are limiting the power of the gospel. The gospel transcends all things including culture.

Brewin does not offer any solutions to the Church. Rather, he is simply adding to them. For those interested in the Emerging Church, you might find this book interesting. But for those who are interested in saving souls and growing the Church, look elsewhere. In fact, if your turning to the Emerging Church for ecclesiastical and soteriological help, your looking for it in the wrong place.

"The Great Emergence"

Phyllis Tickle has written what Brian McLaren considers to be the most important book of 2008 and it is certainly adding to the "conversation." Actually, it simply explains the reason there is an apparent conversation. Tickle certaintly has written a book that defines what the Emerging Church is and where it has come from in "The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why." However, as she defines and explain this "Great" Emergence, she has also reminded orthodox believers why the Emerging Church is the threat that it is.

I am currently working on my thesis which will be on the Emerging Church. I have written extensive articles and reviews on the movement because I feel that they represent one of the biggest threats to Biblical Christianity in the Church today. They are wolves in sheeps clothing.

Tickle's thesis is simple: every 500 years the Church goes through a fundamental shift and the Church is now experiencing one of those shifts. This shift is labeled the Great Emergence. The previous shift was the Great Reformation preceded by the Great Schism, Gregory the Great, and other movements. The basic question that is asked during these fundamental shifts is simply, "where now is the authority?"

Tickle begins to trace the historical shifts and how this, and other, questions have led to the fundamental shift. The most recent shift, the Great Reformation, helps us understand where the Church is going next. The Great Reformation answered the question regarding authority as Sola Scripture, Scriptura Sola, meaning "Scripture only, only Scripture."

This reflects, the author argues, the change to modernism where truth was determined by propositions. Therefore, the Reformers cry for Sola Scriptura made sense. Culture was tired of placing authority on Scripture, the Pope, and Tradition.

The authority, however, is no longer on Scripture alone. Why? It is apparent, and here is the proposition of my thesis, the answer to that question is one word: culture. The Great change is the result of change in the culture. Tickle writes her longest chapter on the changes of culture and those who affected that change. Persons like Charles Darwin, Karl Marx, Albert Einstein, and others along with things like the automobile and Alcohol Annonymous have led to the Great Emergence.

We have and are moving from modernism to postmodernism. Therefore, the Church will follow suit. This change reflects the asking of the fundamental question: where now is the authority? Tickle concludes her book by answering that question for us. The athority is now in both Scripture and Community. This should not surprise us.

Postmodernism questions propositions and truth itself. Therefore, no one community has the complte truth. And if no one has the complete truth, then authority cannot be in Scripture alone. The Reformers help, but they are not sufficient. God has revealed Himself, but apparently not all of Himself. Apparently, He has left something out. And what is missing can be found and experienced in the community.

Thus the cry for conversation (which is how she defines the Emerging Church), dialogue, social justice and aid, and other aspects come into play. The issue is authority. Authority is not just in Scripture, but also in each other. Therefore, we must be open an honest conversation about issues of faith, culture, truth, God, religion, Christianity, Christ, Scripture, morality, and everything else.

Herein lies a major problem with this thesis. I believe that Tickle is correct in her thesis. She has rightly given the background and definition regarding the Emerging Church, but I do not believe that this Great Emergence is a move forward, but rather a move backward. How so?

The Great Reformation was about the issue of authority, but the issue of authority was not about authority of Scripture and the Pope. Rather, it was regarding the authority of man being equal to that of God. The Reformation was a cry that God alone was authoritative.

The Emerging Church is a return to what the Reformers were reacting against. The Emerging Church doesn't place authority in the Pope, but like the Catholic Church on the eve of the Reformation, the Emerging Church has given equal authority to both God and man. And like the Catholic Church before them, the Emerging Church will end up putting the word of man above that of God and we are already seeing fruits of this. They are drastically redefining what Christianity is. No longer do they proclaim the gospel, but rather they proclaim a social gospel with compromised convictions. They have used culture and postmodernism as idol in which they define who they want God to be rather than let God define Himself as He has in His Word.

To the postmodern Emergent, I sound like someone stuck in modernism; someone stuck in the past. But to such I person, I would respond: why repeat the same mistakes of the past? Man is the problem. And if man is the problem, why place authority in man. Why not trust the infallible, the perfect, the eternal, and the Omiscient God? Why repeat the mistakes of the past?

Rather than changing directions, maybe we should return to where we started and keep traveling on that road?

Weekly Recommendation: "Jesus: The Greatest Life of All"

Every week, I provide our church a recommendation that usually coincides with the Sunday morning sermons. We are currently going through the Final Week of Jesus and so I have been recommended books covering the life and ministry of Christ. Most I have already reviewed, but this week, I have recommended a book that I have not had the chance to post an official review.

The book is called, "Jesus: The Greatest Life of All," by Charles Swindoll. It is part of his "Greatest Lives" series. I highly recommend Swindoll's book especially for those who are wanted a good introduction into the Gospels and insight into the life and ministry of Jesus with great application.

For more of a review, though it is not one per se, click here and read what I had to say in my Weekly Recommendation.