Since a number of the churches in Ashland have formed (or are re-shaping) around the Emergent philosophy I thought I better check into it a bit more. This text is proving to be quite a good synopsis and critique (not to mention absolutely hilarious!). Certainly it has helped me to recognize that the influence of this unbiblical philosophy in our town is much wider than I originally thought (Let's just say that if you attend, 5 Stones, The Crossing, New Hope, or some of the more hip Methodist churches, you are getting a goodly dose of this teaching. Smaller streams of influence can be felt elsewhere around town too).
If you are not familiar with the movement at all, just know that it is a postmodern take of Christianity. First of all, the emergent crowd emphasizes that Christianity is not grounded in propositions (i.e. simple doctrinal statements). This is odd because the emergents never cease making their own propositional statements! Secondly, they insist that we haven't read the Bible correctly for the last 2000 years (but these expert deconstructionists have!).
Here are a few quotes...
Speaking of how you need to be on the watch for wolves who dress in sheep's clothing,
I've never met a Christian who didn't like the Bible. No matter how liberal or conservative, mythical or literal, text-critical or traditional--no matter the approach, every Christian of every persuasion whom I have ever known or read has liked the Bible.
Speaking of the role of inerancy, how its debate has arisen in recent history, and how it relates to the the emergent/postmodern,
It was not modernism that invented inerrancy. It was modernism that undermined inerrancy. And postmodernism is avoiding it altogether.
I wish I could copy and paste the section entitled, "Are You Emergent?" where they spell out in one tediously long, but gut busting funny sentence some defining characteristics of Emergents. I think I would probably be breaking some copyright laws though if I did. You will just have to look it up on your own. Page 21. Suffice it to say, if your church is trying to be "with it" and/or you have people who want to serve lattes before, during and after church, you're most likely in an emergent church.
2 comments:
I attend an emergent church. It has revitalized my faith, challenging me to see the way of Jesus as a lifelong journey of honesty, exploration and discovery, rather than seeing the Christian life as a dead old thing, cut, dried and pressed between the pages of a book.
I hope you are reading books by emergent authors as well as books by their critics. Otherwise I'd guess you're getting an unbalanced picture.
I hope you are getting a balanced perspective as well. Obviously, I recommended this book for people like yourself. You need to realize that postmodernism and Christianity cannot be assimilated. They are distinct enemies.
Also, emergent philosophy does not "enliven" Christianity. That stuff "pressed between the pages" of Scripture is "living and active." (Hebrews 4) The Bible says that the law "revives the soul." (Psalm 19)
Moreover, emergent philosophy is what deadens faith. That is because it denies the fact that God is knowable--the above mentioned book has a great section on this by the way. But as you point out, emergence chips away at the authority of Scripture (yes that dead old thing, cut, dried and pressed between the pages of a book) pointing to the fact that God has not expressly revealed himself in a way that is intelligable to man.
My friend, come to our place and see just how vital the Scriptures are. We definately show that the gospel is the power of God for salvation.
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