More emerging stuff
Riley rightly asks, "Do our propositions lead us to love? Do our catchisms lead us to love?" I certainly resonate with these questions. In catechizing our child(ren), my wife and I don't want to produce theologically astute reprobate(s). We want children who love Christ and His Word and the propositional truths that proceed therefrom.
However, it seems as though others who are asking the same questions are making it a matter of modernism vs. postmodernism...enlightenment holdovers and german theologians.... traditional vs. emergent, evangelical vs. mainline. Otherwise, why all the hullabaloo? If, with Riley, emergent churchers are simply calling us back to making sure our theologies are leading to right living, then great. We could sure use the reminder, but why is this supposed to be distinctive and causing the need to start an emerging church? Who doesn't want this? There certainly seems to be something deeper behind the questions themselves. Implied in the questions is the belief that the Church has been getting it wrong for some time now and it's time she did something to get it right (again).
However, it seems as though others who are asking the same questions are making it a matter of modernism vs. postmodernism...enlightenment holdovers and german theologians.... traditional vs. emergent, evangelical vs. mainline. Otherwise, why all the hullabaloo? If, with Riley, emergent churchers are simply calling us back to making sure our theologies are leading to right living, then great. We could sure use the reminder, but why is this supposed to be distinctive and causing the need to start an emerging church? Who doesn't want this? There certainly seems to be something deeper behind the questions themselves. Implied in the questions is the belief that the Church has been getting it wrong for some time now and it's time she did something to get it right (again).
posted by Josh at 8:33 PM
2 Comments:
using the umbrella of "emerging churchers" may be as unfair as referring to "presbyterians" in one broad brush stroke. it is a varied group with many different perspectives... and many different perspectives about the things you are discussing here.
you know, because it has happened to you, that you cannot take an isolated statement that someone has made - and has made to make a very specific point about a very specific thing - and apply the sentiment to an entire group. life and people just don't work that way.
these are people who want to learn how to love GOD and neighbor just like you. and many of these people have read "the institutes", read their bible all the way through, read lewis, and kant, and hume, and schleiermacher, and hegel, and tillich, and bonhoeffer, and luther, and beza, and owen, and frame, and van til... they can sing charles wesley and faber and bonar hymns, and they appreciate liturgy and tradition.
this is not us vs. them. we are all in this body, and we are all imperfectly trying to know HIM who is perfect... seeing through a glass dimly.
the only problem i can seem to identify is that maybe our "glasses" are smudged in different places.
This has definitely been a struggle for us. We're kind of an anamoly. Theologically, we definitely lean toward the Reformed side. But, I see a ton of problems with traditional Reformed theology (which I would love discuss). I think a lot of the "postmodern" and "emerging" crowd have a lot of real questions, even though their answers aren't always "orthodox."
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