Andrew Jones had a link yesterday to a 6.5 minute ABC news piece on the Emerging Churches. I found it interesting. You can find it here.
ABC Video on Emergent
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4 responses to “ABC Video on Emergent”
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I found it interesting as well, though somewhat disappointing. Perhaps I shouldn’t have expected more, but I guess I did.
Peace,
Jamie Arpin-Ricci
http://www.emergentvoyageurs.blog.com -
My reaction was somewhat the same. I don’t think the piece captured the breadth or diversity of what is happening. It also more or less cast Emergent as a strategy rather than a movement.
Still, it I though it was fair and respectful which is more than I can say about many reports in the media. -
My concern about the piece is that it confirms many worries about the emergent church.
1. Emergent church views itself as real and traditional as not real or of value. One of those interviewed essentially made that statement.
2. Emergent church adds to the polarization of the church. One statement in the interview was about the cold war that pulled the church in two directions. EC portrays itself as the cure, but one wonders how the EC isn’t just giving yet another polarizing effect. -
“1. Emergent church views itself as real and traditional as not real or of value. One of those interviewed essentially made that statement.”
I agree that this how the video portrayed it. It tended to highlight the trendy. There is a significant element of this but there are also many Emergent communities and individuals that are deeply into the ancient tradtions of the faith.
“2. Emergent church adds to the polarization of the church. One statement in the interview was about the cold war that pulled the church in two directions. EC portrays itself as the cure, but one wonders how the EC isn’t just giving yet another polarizing effect.”
Again I think there is an element of truth here. I have experienced being held at “arms length” in some settings. But I have also found some warm receptions in others.
Some are coming from situations where they experienced some serious wounding in more tradtional circles and some are just being immature. There does tend to be a hostility there. As usual the most vocal and controversial are the ones who will get the attention.
I have also come to know some who are neither atagonistic nor reformist of other tradtions but are genuinely hungry for a more vision of being the church that connects with the culture. Some are independent and some are denominational. (Some are even PCUSA. Check out my links in the sidebar, bottom right.) You don’t see this highlighted very often because they aren’t the squeaky wheels.
So I agree there are some polarizing types but I am unwilling to classify the Emeregent movement this way. After all, are there not polarizing Presbys, Methodists, SBCs, Catholics, etc.? I went to be careful not to identify the worst elements and peg the whole community to that.
Nevertheless, I think you could easily walk away with your impression from the video and I think that was your main point.
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