Along The Way Book Review
When I've reviewed books in this space before it has always been by finishing the book and reflecting back over it as a whole. I've decided to try something new. I've just begun reading a new book and thought I'd post my thoughts as I make my way through it - or as we say around here - along the way. So here goes part one of many...
Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger
I've read the first 65 pages of this book, subtitled "Creating Christian Community in Post-modern Culture". I'm pretty engaged. I'm guessing if you think on 'ecclesiology' or church in culture it would give you some thought provocation too. The authors begin with a chapter looking at culture in the 21st century. Judging by my experience, the take is pretty good. They delve into where church has been mis-engaging with culture as we've moved from modern era to post-modern era. They support their assertions by quoting renowned 'Emerging Church' voices from the U.S. and the U.K. at each point.
In demonstrating that the church has been mis-engaging , the statement is made: "Culture (the unchurched world) 'gets' that Jesus was for the marginalized and the oppressed. It is the church that needs to be trained to look at Jesus again." To support that statement they quote a study done recently in Seattle that showed 95% of unchurched folks hold a favorable view of Jesus - rather it is the church they dislike, for they do not readily see the church living out his teachings.
The authors next get into defining the emerging church. This part ought to be interesting as it seems that 10 people asked would offer 10 different definitions. They offer these bullet point identifiers: (1) They identify with the life of Jesus; (2) They transform the secular realm; (3) They live highly communal lives. I am looking forward to the next few chapters as they promise to add meat to those bones.
Darinisms where the emerging church is concerned:
We often take that word emerging and think of emerging out of something, leaving it behind and forsaking it. I wonder, what if we considered emerging into something? Thoughts?
Emerging Churches by Eddie Gibbs and Ryan Bolger
I've read the first 65 pages of this book, subtitled "Creating Christian Community in Post-modern Culture". I'm pretty engaged. I'm guessing if you think on 'ecclesiology' or church in culture it would give you some thought provocation too. The authors begin with a chapter looking at culture in the 21st century. Judging by my experience, the take is pretty good. They delve into where church has been mis-engaging with culture as we've moved from modern era to post-modern era. They support their assertions by quoting renowned 'Emerging Church' voices from the U.S. and the U.K. at each point.
In demonstrating that the church has been mis-engaging , the statement is made: "Culture (the unchurched world) 'gets' that Jesus was for the marginalized and the oppressed. It is the church that needs to be trained to look at Jesus again." To support that statement they quote a study done recently in Seattle that showed 95% of unchurched folks hold a favorable view of Jesus - rather it is the church they dislike, for they do not readily see the church living out his teachings.
The authors next get into defining the emerging church. This part ought to be interesting as it seems that 10 people asked would offer 10 different definitions. They offer these bullet point identifiers: (1) They identify with the life of Jesus; (2) They transform the secular realm; (3) They live highly communal lives. I am looking forward to the next few chapters as they promise to add meat to those bones.
Darinisms where the emerging church is concerned:
We often take that word emerging and think of emerging out of something, leaving it behind and forsaking it. I wonder, what if we considered emerging into something? Thoughts?
2 Comments:
(1) They identify with the life of Jesus; (2) They transform the secular realm; (3) They live highly communal lives.
This sounds like the church as Acts would describe. Could we consider that the "emerging church" is emerging INTO the original idea of "church" rather than out of the more recent idea of church.
By Jodi Richardson, at 8/24/2006 8:20 PM
My question, why does it need a title like that? How about, the Liquid Church, or Submergent church?
By Sumner, at 8/26/2006 3:51 PM
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