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We in the West are in the midst of an earthquake – a worldview shift the magnitude of which has only been experienced twice before. The first took place during the 4th and 5th and centuries as Christendom emerged and the Church shed its identity as a “martyred church” to adopt its new identity as a “mainstream church.” The second took place in the 15th and 16th centuries with the onset of Modernity.
These two shifts took place over time in contrast to the current era which is experiencing blindingly rapid change. This seems to be true for most every dimension of our lives . . . including perspectives on church.
Before launching into a description of Emerging Churches, I want to briefly describe the worldview shift that has resulted in these “new” expressions of church. This will help us be better prepared to understand what we see.
Christendom
In the early 4th century Constantine ’s favorable disposition toward the Church gave it elevated status in Roman society. Eventually church and state entered into a partnership that resulted in the establishment of a “ Christian Kingdom .” Christendom is the term now used to describe that relationship. Citizenship in the state became equal to membership in the church. Mission took place “out there” and was accomplished primarily by expanding the borders of the state.
Modernity
In the mid 1600’s, Rene' Descartes developed a new philosophy. His approach was to methodically discard every notion that could not be proved in search of a foundational “first principle” upon which his new philosophy could be constructed. In the end, the only thing Descartes could be certain of was the fact that he was thinking. His simple statement, “I think, therefore I am,” marked the beginning of the human-centered worldview that continues to drive western thought to the current day.
The Current Shift – The Demise of Christendom
The modern project created a great divide between the natural and the supernatural. As knowledge increased, people perceived less and less need for God. For a time, gaps in scientific knowledge were best explained as acts of God. In the eyes of “enlightened” Christians, Yahweh became the “God of the gaps.” One by one, gaps were closed until human autonomy replaced Divine Presence in the public world of “facts.” As a result, the demise of Christendom is at hand.
The Current Shift – The Decline of Modernity
The metanarrative (all-encompassing story) of Modernity was a myth based on the belief that rationality and reason, combined with continuing technological advancement, would result in continued progress toward utopia. Sadly, humanity’s problems have not been solved. War, illness, and poverty continue to escalate at an alarming rate. Because Modernity has failed to deliver its promised utopia, a “postmodern” metanarrative is now embraced by many.
Responding to the Shift
Churches in the West are responding in one of three ways. First, the response of many local congregations has been to dwell in nostalgia. The assumption is that things would be better if we could just go back to the golden age when things were “good.” In spite of giving intellectual ascent to the need for outreach, “church is for us” programming often prevails. While some of these churches are in plateau, many are in decline and hemorrhaging their younger generations.
A second response is that of accommodation to the broader culture. In seeker-driven churches, the desires and felt-needs of their target audience drive the church’s agenda. All too often these churches become vendors of spiritual goods and services seeking to satisfy the insatiable appetite of a consumer society. Those that are successful become very large, growing primarily at the expense of smaller “feeder churches.”
A third way that some churches are responding to the challenges of contemporary Western culture is to adopt a more missional stance.
EMERGING EXPRESSIONS OF CHURCH
Due to the brevity of this article, I must paint all these portraits with a very broad brush. What I am reporting here are generalized trends -– exceptions abound.
Missional Church
The mission field has come to us. Actually, it has always been here. We are only now beginning to see with missional eyes. An example of those who embrace this perspective is the multi-denominational Gospel and Our Culture Network (GOCN) which asserts that the identity of the Church is inherently missional and it ought to be in missional encounter with the broader culture. For the most part, forms in these churches don’t change. This missional orientation has required a shift in focus from inward to outward, but within current institutional structures.
Emerging Churches
Emerging Churches are a subset of missional church. The distinction is that missional church does not specify a particular culture, whereas Emerging Church refers to expressions of Christian community that exist within postmodern cultures.
Folk in Emerging Churches reject many modern assumptions. They are anti-institutional, and so are willing to experiment with forms. Focusing primarily on Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount, their theology is primarily narrative rather than propositional. As a corrective to the radical individualism spawned by Modernity, these churches strive to be authentic Christian communities that transcend event or location. Their primary goal is to bring Kingdom with them as they live and function within the prevailing power structures of the broader culture (the workplace, social and service organizations, and the like).
Final Thoughts
Will the Emerging Bride (of Christ) last? Only time will tell. All we know for certain is that it is a growing movement that is engaging many in a shifting culture that the modern church has failed to reach.
Finally, some readers will resonate with my assessment even as others will surely disagree. If this article contributes to a better understanding of our context and stimulates further discussion of how the Church, in whatever form, can missionally engage our broader cultures(s), I shall be satisfied.
Mark Hopkins is Assistant Professor of Leadership and Director of Distance Learning at Fuller Theological Seminary where he teaches and administers the M.A. in Global Leadership. Mark also has a preaching and teaching ministry with the Pasadena Church of Christ in Pasadena, California.
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