Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Quotes from "Why We're Not Emergent"
I am in the middle of the book I have to read for my Theology and Philosophy in Modern Culture class, "Why We're Not Emergent" by Kevin Deyoung and Ted Kluck, I went into this book with an open mind.
I don't want to accept everything I read in a book because they "sell their point" and convince me they are right. I appreciate the introduction of this book (although, I have other issues with the introduction) where they encourage the readers to look up their sources and think through the points themselves. They make very interesting claims and arguments against the "Emergent church" which have caused me to think a lot about what kind of church I have been part of and what kind of church I want to be part of. For me, it's hard to understand a lot of their claims, because it's not a denomination or a set standard of beliefs. It's guys similar to Brian McLaren, Spencer Burke, and Rob Bell, they criticize: very popular with the young generation but altogether different between every person.
Really, what I've determined so far is they are "Evangelical Christians" who have more of a postmodern (tolerant) view that oftentimes differ from the traditions of church. The authors spend a lot of time on specific books and authors, and there are parts I agree with and parts I don't, and parts I'm just not sure. But I am enjoying reading it. I'd like to share some quotes:
"In the music scene, at least, it's really cool to search for God. It's not very cool to find him."
The postmodern Way is "an experience. The journey is more wandering than directional, more ambiguous than defined. It requires less doctrinal reflection and more personal introspection. We are so in-tuned with our dysfunctions, hurts, and idiosyncrasies that it often prevents us from growing up, because maturity is tantamount to hypocrisy in a world that prizes brokenness more than health."
"My generation needs to realize that Christianity is more than chic fragility, endless self-revelation, and the coolness that comes with authenticity."
"We are on the road to producing a race of men too mentally modest to believe in the multiplication table."
"I think, in general, it's easier to be against something than to stand for something."
"In emergent circles, spirituality is hot and religion is not. if it is really true that wherever you are finding 'passion and love and exhilaration' there 'you are finding God,' Christianity has no unique message to give the world."
"Young people will give their lives for an exclamation point, but they will not give their lives for a question mark, not for very long anyway. Once the protest runs out and the emerging church has its own blogdom, and conferences, there will be no exclamation mark, and all that's left will be ethical intentions and passionate appeals for kingdom living. The protest will sustain a movement for a while, but once that's gone there will be no great vision of God, no urgent proclamation of salvation, no eternal judgment or reward at stake, just a call to live rightly and love one another. That message will sell on Oprah, but it should not be called the gospel."
Thoughts?
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The "emerging" church is an attempt to water down the gospel in the name of social justice. These churches will volunteer in the community, but will have a "watered-down" gospel. That's what the emerging church is. It has little to do with denominations, but with the substance of the teaching.
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