Gabe T. and I decided that we wanted to read a book together and talk about it. We agreed on “The New Christians” by Tony Jones. I thought blogging about this book and interacting with it on this blog might help all of you who are wondering what happened to Josh while in Seminary. For all of you who I went to Seminary with or know where I am coming from, you can just enjoy and dialog..if you want. It will also give me something focused to blog about.
In this book Tony lists a series of dispatches from what the emerging church is about and is becoming. These dispatches tell of what beliefs/thoughts emerging types are aligning themselves with. The first and second dispatches are found in chapter 1. The first dispatch relates that emerging types care little for denominational differences (including the non-denominational denomination) and instead are appreciated the vast spectrum of Christianity. I have come to really appreciate this for myself having gone to Seminary where to my left I sat next to a Greek Orthodox and to my right I sat next to a Church of God in Christ (Pentecostal).
The second dispatch relates that emerging folk reject the politics and theologies of left and right because they are both formed by modernity. Instead emerging folk are more interested in the nuances and complexity that is what makes up reality. Perhaps some more clarification is needed. Both Liberalism and Fundamentalism comes from the philosophical premise called Foundationalism. Tony defines this as”The theory that at the bottom of all human knowledge is a set of self-inferential or internally justified beliefs; in other words, the foundation is indubitable and requires no external justification.”Fundamentalist made this foundation the Bible. Catholics finally made the Pope infallible with the First Vatican council around the same time. Both were reactions to theories of Darwin in the middle and late 19th century. Liberals made their foundation human experience, which, for those who care, comes from the theologian Friedrich Schleiermacher and his belief that our utter dependence on God was the foundation of faith. Gary Dorrien names the foundation of Liberal theology reason and experience.
So, emerging types reject foundationalism instead relying on more complex systems in order to form their beliefs. Faith doesn’t just come from experience, the Bible, external or internal authorities, tradition, history, signs, symbols, but on different streams leading to the author and perfecter of our faith.
Disclaimer: If you find anything that is factually incorrect, please let me know. I am open to criticism.
Tony Jones, The New Christians Dispatches From the Emergent Frontier (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008).
2 responses so far ↓
Jeremy Serrano // November 24, 2008 at 4:11 pm |
There is a distinction, according to Ryan Boldger, between the “Emerging Church” and the “Emergent Church.” The Emerging Church is the vast spectrum of the movement, while the Emergent Church is more centered around emergent village, Toney Jones and his cohorts.
joshuaserrano // November 24, 2008 at 9:25 pm |
Thanks for pointing that out.