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Sometime last year, I received the following e-mail asking me my perspective on the emerging church movement. If you don’t know what that is, this e-mail exchange will still make some sense. I would say we probably have a lot of different opinions on the movement within Grace, but here was my response as simply some food for thought. Here was the original e-mail. I have changed the name to make it anonymous:
Hi, Chris
What are your thoughts on the Emerging Church Movement? How would you define it, are there things associated with it that we should learn from, and are there things associated with it that are dangerous (and if so, how do we combat those things)? These are questions that my wife and I are processing and would appreciate your input as we seek clarity on this issue.
Thanks,
Joe
My response:
Thanks for the e-mail, Joe. Again, sorry it has taken me a little while to get back with you. I didn’t want to give you a trite answer. Here is how I will answer your question.
There have been, are, and will be many “movements” within the Christian church. An example of some of these movements are the following: Seeker sensitive movement, Parachurch movement, Charismatic movement, Dominion theology movement, Contemporary Christian music movement, Young Earth/Old Earth Movement, Church Growth/mega church Movement, Liberal Theology Movement, Conservative/Fundamentalist Movement, Liberation theology movement, Home School Movement, House Church Movement, health/wealth movement, emerging church movement, etc.
Most movements are reactionary and while they usually emphasize a good point (and can serve as a correction in the church), they often take things to an extreme and swing the pendulum over to one side. Believers in the church often negatively react to their positions and arguments, and this becomes a reaction to the reaction. The end result is that you have polar opposites who argue for and against their positions. Most of the time the most biblical and balanced truth is somewhere in the middle. The polarization is unfortunate, because generally there is healthy truth contained within the movement outside of its extreme.
The emerging church is no different. In my humble opinion (and it is only that) this movement is by nature reactionary. It is a reaction against the traditional church (go to a building to get your spiritual goods and services), it is a reaction against the “Seeker Sensitive” church (performance oriented and spectator oriented), it is a reaction against approaching doctrine as logical proofs that make perfect sense while minimizing mystery and the transcendental, it is a reaction against viewing God and the church through the lenses of Greek culture versus Hebrew culture (left brain/linear in thinking versus right brain/creative and nonlinear in thinking), it is a reaction against emphasizing the distinctions among denominations versus emphasizing the likenesses, and it is a reaction against these things and much more (both in approaching style and in approaching doctrine).
What happens in any movement is that extreme statements are made by some public voices in any given movement, and the critics on the other side use those examples to show the error of the movement as a whole and why it is so unbiblical and dangerous. And while it is true that those extreme statements are usually unbiblical and should be called out, most don’t have the ability to avoid “throwing the baby out with the bathwater” while they do this. In other words, most pounce on the extreme statements and cannot look past them to see some of the truth contained in the movement. Even if a movement can have an overall positive effect and correction to the church at large, the focus becomes exclusively on the extreme statements and further polarization occurs.
These kind of polarizing debates occur within the peak of all these movements. I really like reading from authors of all the different movements I mentioned above. I find solid truth in all of them, and at the same time I find some error with some of the more extreme statements and ideas in all of them. I cannot think of any of these movements that don’t make extreme and unbiblical arguments at times. If someone were to ask me, I don’t consider myself in the seeker sensitive camp, the mega church camp, the emerging church camp, the liberal church camp, the fundamentalist church camp, the charismatic church camp, or even the house church movement camp. Yet, at the same time, the polar opposite of each camp would probably label me in all of these because I do believe and practice some of the biblical truth I see in all of them.
As it pertains to the emerging church (or any other camp for that matter), I don’t like some of the extreme statements that I hear from some leaders within these camps, and I would not shy away from declaring them as error. As you can imagine, if you take any of those issues I raised regarding what the emerging church is reacting to, and you take them to an extreme, you will move into unhealthy and unbiblical perspectives. I am sure it is not hard to see what those unbiblical positions might look like. While we should never shy away from declaring truth from error, I have really appreciated much of what has been written from this particular movement, and it challenges me to look back into Scripture, to shed some of my presuppositions that I perhaps didn’t know I had, and to make me more biblically balanced. I think most of the movements I have studied have done this for me.
This may be a little broader answer to your question about my take on the emerging church (and may not be specific enough for you). I think, though, that explaining this broader perspective as a whole on church movements in general helps you understand how I approach these kinds of things, and how I would not agree with certain aspects of emerging church and wholeheartedly agree in other areas.
Feel free to ask me any follow-up or clarification questions – or if you want me to get more specific. I am certainly no expert in all this – just trying to learn and grow as I journey through it.
Thanks, Joe.
Chris
January 28th, 2009 at 2:48 pm
WOW very well thought threw and said Pastor. Being caught up in some of these movements myself and following the leadership of these movements, who was I to question that they were not hearing from God, for I was a babe in Christ at the time and was hungering for all that God had. Every one of them had there extremes and error’s that I did not see at the time. There was a nugget and a element of truth in each one. As I look back, what I realize now is the leadership of that movement had heard from Lord for the most part, but had went to seed on that teaching and possibly always looking for more revelation, to enhance what was already being said. In all of these movements there were individuals and familys that were hurt, and some times loosing loved ones and following some prophecy across the country to find out that it was not God. I praise God that he allowed me to go threw some of these movement’s, and he protected me along the way. Many years ago I was questioning God on all the thing’s I had been taught and by many excellent teachers. As I continued to seek God he showed me something very simple one day. When you are so close to something you can not see it as well as if you were to take a step back and take a look. If I hold my hand 3 in. away from my face I can not see it as well if I hold it a foot away. What the Lord was impressing up on me was to take a number of steps back and take a look at all what I beleived and embraced. It was amazing, and it did not happen over night, but threw prayer and going back to the word I found alot of things that I beleived were twisted, scripture taken out of context, very close to the truth and unblibical. I started a bible study 3 years ago with some men and the theme that God gave for the study was ( Is there subtantial scripture to support what you beleive). All and all these movements were apart of my traning that I might be able to help others and see just how mere men following God, with good intension’s could be swayed, be lifted up with pride or be tricked by satan’s devises. In my heart I always want to be open to correction and rebuke if need be, that I could have that balance in my life that would glorify God. js
January 29th, 2009 at 1:20 pm
Some thoughts and/or questions regarding movements: Would you say that not all movements are created equal? As I consider the movements you listed, some of them strike me as being more troublesome as others. Health and wealth, for example, I would consider more damaging than, say, parachurches. The Emerging Church is harder to pin down, because it has so many “streams”, so it makes saving the baby while still tossing out the bathwater rather complicated. What I have appreciated about the EC is the thoughtful look they have taken at the culture. Fundamentalism largely ignored the culture until the 80’s –then I suppose it decided to come of the closet, form the Moral Majority and politicize godliness, if that were possible. So I’m definitely down with the redemptive approach toward culture (this includes incorporating the arts, which the church has largely ignored for at least half a century). But I have to say that I feel VERY queasy about some of the EC’s mish-mashing of historic Christian doctrine. It’s hard for me to get behind a movement that seems to toy around so brazenly with ideas like open theism, universalism and every perspective of atonement except the primary one–penal substitution (a.k.a “cosmic child abuse”—according to some)—without which there IS no cultural redemption! Talk about an adventure in missing the point!!! Anyway, all that to ask, how is something like this really to be handled? You said, of course, that unbiblical statements should be called out, but I wonder if that is enough. I’m concerned about the underlying assumptions that are the springboard for such statements. You mentioned that your own presuppositions have been challenged (which I know is good, we all need that), but I’m wondering about theirs! The negative (in my view) aspects of the EC I believe could cause more damage in the long run than good aspects will help. Just some thoughts . . .
January 30th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
To take a broader look at this point even, shall we talk about the Baptist movement, the Methodist movement, the Presbyterian movement, etc. What are any movements or denominations but a platform of beliefs that Christians rally around? This has been going on for thousands of years. It is evident in the religious and political divisions within Jewish culture pre-dating Christ and even exists in the New Testament church:
“…One of you says, ‘I follow Paul’; another, ‘I follow Apollos’; another, ‘I follow Cephas’; still another, ‘I follow Christ’.” -1Cor 1:12
We are all people with an imperfect understanding of God and His Word which is unchanging truth. The EC (as I understand it) basically holds that God’s Word must be interpreted and applied to today’s culture so that it is applicable to me. The extreme here is that we throw out all religious tradition in light of this and begin making up our own truth.
I figure most movements and denominations start(ed) out with individuals who had a specific and legitimate concern with doctrinal issues in the church proper. Usually, these individuals where genuinely seeking the truth of God and were willing to step out in faith against the cultural and religious norm. The problem is, people often rally around a leader to create a movement, and quite often the movement becomes bigger than the original idea that started it. Extremes begin to surface and… well, thus the topic.
I think Chris has verbalized something that I have been pondering since we moved to town in July. I was raised Methodist/Baptist/Non-denom, have experienced Assemblies of God and now work within the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. Through all of this, I have seen very positive ideas and doctrines as well as negative aspects as well. Denomination brings with it tradition and doctrine – both firm foundations to stand on when it comes to what to believe. Denomination also brings with it rigidity that sometimes may ignore a changing culture, and therefore slowly lose relevance for all but the staunchest followers. How can one body have so many divisions? Can we as Christians take the good parts from each of these movements and denominations to truly seek God’s truth, or are we just creating our own movement if we do?
February 2nd, 2009 at 11:14 am
Thanks for the comments on this post. Let me respond to the three of you:
JS – I think your experience is similar to many who have grown up in the church and have experienced leaders from many different movements.
It is very encouraging to hear how God has given you the wisdom now to discern more clearly and not just trust what church leaders teach.
Carrie – I do think you are right. Not all movements are created equal. Some will have more truth than others. I think our goal is still the same. Whatever truth there is, let’s allow that to challenge us. In the health and wealth movement, as an example, it is certainly true that God blesses people in Scripture materially and physically. There are numerous examples we could turn to. However, those examples, when not in concert with other examples in Scripture when God doesn’t bless that way, can lead us to some unhealthy conclusions and perspectives. We can acknowledge the truth within the movement, be challenged by it, but avoid the conclusions many in the movement make.
Regarding the EC movement, you say you feel very uneasy about how some historic doctrine is handled. The point, to me, on this is that this is only true of some of the more extreme and outspoken leaders of this movement. I can easily look past those comments or leaders and see a great deal of truth and helpful correction for the church. I don’t get overly hung up on the extreme statements or teachings. I just believe they are wrong and look for the nuggets of truth in spite of them.
As an example, there have been many times in my life of ministry that people have attacked me personally or my leadership. Sometimes the criticisms are legitimate and sometimes they aren’t. Sometimes I get criticized in a wrong way, and people have taken things I have said or done out of context. When they attack me, I get very defensive, I question their motives, and because they have taken things out of context I know that their “underlying assumptions” are wrong. (This has not happened in a while but I am sure you know that I mean.)
Earlier in my ministry, I could only get defensive and angry at these unfair and unsubstantiated attacks and criticisms on me. I would completely dismiss them. As I have matured, however, I have learned to look for nuggets of truth, among the criticisms. And guess what, there are almost always some nuggets in there. I have to set aside the things I completely disagree with, acknowledge they are wrong, and avoid throwing the whole thing out – because if I do, I will usually miss some aspect of truth in the criticism that God could have used to shape me.
I think these same principles hold true with regard to movements that we may believe are predominantly wrong. Let’s not just focus on the things we disagree with – let’s spend more time focused on those nuggets that God can use in our life and the life of his church.
John – I think you are right when you mention this is very similar to denominational ties. Anytime we rally around any one leader, author, pastor, or otherwise, I believe we risk another splinter movement.
April 29th, 2009 at 7:25 am
Thanks, Chris, for pointing out that we can glean some helpful meaning from a movement without having to agree with some of the outspoken “leaders” that get quoted all too often. I identify a great deal with the emerging movement, but that doesn’t mean I am 100% in line with some of the things I hear about it.
That’s the problem with movements like these, they are a bit dirty and not quite as cut-and-dry as many would like.
May 3rd, 2009 at 2:23 pm
Chris, I so appreciated your comments on the EC. God has certainly blessed you with the gift of teaching and communication.
I have done a lot of research on this movement.
I have real concerns about some of the leaders nationwide in this movement. They have crossed the line and are teaching outright heresy.
There are those who deny the substitionary atonement of Jesus. Universalism is now acceptable in some of the Emergent circles.
Hell is now being denied by some. Some deny that homosexuality is even sin.
I would agree we can glean from other teachers and movements. No one has the corner on truth. But “some “of these teachers are heretics who the bible warns of. They are attacking “foundational” truths of Christianity.
They certainly teach some truth but their foundation has crumbled. There is no baby left in the bathwater with heretics. I would say, the baby died.
I remember a Pastor from years back saying….error will always come into the Body of Christ riding piggy back on the back of truth. I believe there is a lot of truth in that.
Chris, you are a great Pastor and a gifted teacher of God’s Word.
You are so sweet, I don’t understand how anyone could attack you.