I read all of Gibbs and Bolger's 'Emerging Churches' for my final book notes. It was tasty good...ha ha ha...just kidding, but seriously...to the noooootes!
Chapter 1
This chapter identifies areas with which the culture in the United States and the UK are leaving behind modern forms of churches. This is an introductory chapter, and as I have 11 to cover I shall keep my comments brief.
Chapter 2
This chapter is foundational in defining the emerging church movements and its many manifestations. A clear line is made between modern and post-modern forms of church, and how emerging models of church fit within those models.
Chapter 3
This chapter shows how emerging churches have shifted back to a gospel of the kingdom. In this gospel, the words of Jesus are rediscovered. The kingdom as a here and now practice emerges under this gospel as the followers seek to be like Jesus in their everyday lives.
Chapter 4
This was one of the most interesting chapter in my opinion. The way that emerging churches are encouraging a holistic view of Christianity is amazing. For too long the dichotomies between the physical and spiritual has existed. By removing secular space, the emerging church seeks to destroy these dichotomies.
Chapter 5
The community of emerging churches becomes very strong as the members begin to see each other as family. Emerging churches often serve together in the same locations and eat together on a common basis. Life is lived within community as the isolation of the modern world is overcome.
Chapter 6
This chapter details how emerging churches seek to include others who do not follow Jesus into their community. Since the emphasis is placed upon love, emerging churches often invite others into fellowship with them without the direct goal of evangelizing them. The concepts of this chapter were groundbreaking, but I can see how they would be controversial.
Chapter 7
This chapter speaks about how emerging churches seek to engage in a life of service and hospitality. It is not enough for them to simply give money to organizations or have outreaches a few times a year. They seek to live transformed lives that constantly produce the aforementioned values. Again, holism is commonly mentioned.
Chapter 8
Worship is transformed by emerging churches. The era of modernity produced churches where people merely consumed. Emerging churches seek to involve both the mind and body in the act of worship in ways that aren't necessarily charismatic. They also want to have several ages represented in the same room. Holism comes up again...imagine that!
Chapter 9
This chapter emphasizes the emerging church's exaltation of creativity. The church wants to find ways to use culture and produce relevant music and art for the context that it is located in. The church believes that it can no longer afford to be a foreigner within its mission field.
Chapter 10
Leadership models in the church change radically. Many emerging churches want to avoid paid clergy all-together. Obviously, this demands a lot of faith and volunteer time from several people. The concept of the priesthood of all believers is very strong. Sometimes pastors do not even give sermons.
Chapter 11
Another strong movement with the emerging church is to rediscover the mystical practices of old, and to recover traditional liturgies. By doing this, emerging churches reconnect with Christian history in a deeper level than most congregations linked to a traditional denomination. The practice of these ancient rites provide a way to orient the community to God.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
church and Mission final class
We reviewed Pentecostalism in this class period. The story of the Azusa street revival is something of great beauty. I've always felt like events such as these are when God is very close. It pains my heart to see humans put so many limits on what the Spirit can do. Pentecostalism has its own issues, but I really wish the stigma around it would go away. That's just my wish though.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Book Notes 5
For this round of notes, I chose to read the first seven chapters of Beyond Christendom. It is a book full of information that I can not do justice here, but the important info I will put down. On a side note, about every fifth key I try to type isn't registering and it is really irritating. I thought at first that only a few keys were out, but it is basically my entire keyboard. Really awful. Really really awful.
Chapter 1
This chapter was about Globalization. He talks about the term and how he understands it. One of the main theorists he presents and critiques a writer for the New York Times named Thomas Friedman. Hanciles major critique of Friedman and of others is their lack of accurate historical information in their theories. Hanciles sees Globalization as a phenomenon that has been slowly developing throughout the past several centuries.
Chapter 2
In this chapter, Hanciles presents several arguments that point towards the blending of global cultures. The idea I drew from most in this chapter is the section in the beginning where he talks about the positions of secular humanism. There was a popular idea in Western academia that religiousness would simply pass away. There are still some proponents of that theory (see Bill Maher, or however you spell his last name). However, Hanciles states that is clearly not true. In fact, He says that even the opposite is true. Out of this chapter, that idea is the one that stuck out the most for me.
Chapter 3
Hanciles uses this chapter to show the conflicting double nature of globalization. At the same time that it is homgenizing culture, it is also polarizing cultures against one another. The high scale with which the phenomenon of globalization penetrates other cultures is not met with a complete lack of opposition. Hanciles seeks to give his readers a level-headed understanding of the topics a hand and prevents himself from being biased towards any certain explanation of globalization.
Chapter 4
Hanciles tells a story that has been told several times in this chapter. He chronicles the birth and many crimes of Christendom. However, the point he reaches towards the end of the chapter should be pointed out. He speaks of the vernacular Bible, and the efforts to translate the Bible into native languages. He then states that Christ can't be one's savior unless Jesus speaks directly to the culture one is trying to reach. In other words, faith has to be personal. Indigenous forms of Christianity are not only important, but absolutely essential if this argument be true. Neat.
Chapter 5
In this chapter all of the age old figures on church attendance and such are presented. However, he spends quite a bit of time explaining the importance of African Christianity. They have a faith that is very alive and now they are migrating to other places with it. He says this was able to occur because of their pre-existing religiosity, so they were able to take seriously the claims of the Gospel. I think it's important for people from the West to understand the importance of their Christian brothers and sisters from overseas
Chapter 6
This chapter begins presenting Hanciles main thesis in this book. That is that immigration is one of the major if not the major influence on the spread of global Chrisitanity of the past several centuries. He then traces the theme of immigration through the Bible in this chapter and shows that it is a major way that God has used his people throughout time. He states that the ministry of Jesus was that of a wanderer and an immigrant. Such notions should be paid attention to. I know places where stating this could get one shunned from that community, but these ideas are not radical!
Chapter 7
Here, Hanciles gives a history of various migratory periods in world history and shows how they strongly influenced the spread of Christianity. The most important statement in this chapter is about Britain. He states that the greatest clash against the influx of Islam into the UK will not be from British Christians, but from African Christian immigrants who are flooding into that country at a rapid rate. I think it is amazing what one can see when one looks where no one else has. Hanciles states at one point that books like the one he is writing are rare finds. But why I ask?
Chapter 1
This chapter was about Globalization. He talks about the term and how he understands it. One of the main theorists he presents and critiques a writer for the New York Times named Thomas Friedman. Hanciles major critique of Friedman and of others is their lack of accurate historical information in their theories. Hanciles sees Globalization as a phenomenon that has been slowly developing throughout the past several centuries.
Chapter 2
In this chapter, Hanciles presents several arguments that point towards the blending of global cultures. The idea I drew from most in this chapter is the section in the beginning where he talks about the positions of secular humanism. There was a popular idea in Western academia that religiousness would simply pass away. There are still some proponents of that theory (see Bill Maher, or however you spell his last name). However, Hanciles states that is clearly not true. In fact, He says that even the opposite is true. Out of this chapter, that idea is the one that stuck out the most for me.
Chapter 3
Hanciles uses this chapter to show the conflicting double nature of globalization. At the same time that it is homgenizing culture, it is also polarizing cultures against one another. The high scale with which the phenomenon of globalization penetrates other cultures is not met with a complete lack of opposition. Hanciles seeks to give his readers a level-headed understanding of the topics a hand and prevents himself from being biased towards any certain explanation of globalization.
Chapter 4
Hanciles tells a story that has been told several times in this chapter. He chronicles the birth and many crimes of Christendom. However, the point he reaches towards the end of the chapter should be pointed out. He speaks of the vernacular Bible, and the efforts to translate the Bible into native languages. He then states that Christ can't be one's savior unless Jesus speaks directly to the culture one is trying to reach. In other words, faith has to be personal. Indigenous forms of Christianity are not only important, but absolutely essential if this argument be true. Neat.
Chapter 5
In this chapter all of the age old figures on church attendance and such are presented. However, he spends quite a bit of time explaining the importance of African Christianity. They have a faith that is very alive and now they are migrating to other places with it. He says this was able to occur because of their pre-existing religiosity, so they were able to take seriously the claims of the Gospel. I think it's important for people from the West to understand the importance of their Christian brothers and sisters from overseas
Chapter 6
This chapter begins presenting Hanciles main thesis in this book. That is that immigration is one of the major if not the major influence on the spread of global Chrisitanity of the past several centuries. He then traces the theme of immigration through the Bible in this chapter and shows that it is a major way that God has used his people throughout time. He states that the ministry of Jesus was that of a wanderer and an immigrant. Such notions should be paid attention to. I know places where stating this could get one shunned from that community, but these ideas are not radical!
Chapter 7
Here, Hanciles gives a history of various migratory periods in world history and shows how they strongly influenced the spread of Christianity. The most important statement in this chapter is about Britain. He states that the greatest clash against the influx of Islam into the UK will not be from British Christians, but from African Christian immigrants who are flooding into that country at a rapid rate. I think it is amazing what one can see when one looks where no one else has. Hanciles states at one point that books like the one he is writing are rare finds. But why I ask?
Church and Mission class Nov 30
We finished up the reformed church and began talking about the free churches. I have always found it ironic that the reform movement turned around and killed and persecuted other reform movements. Growing up in my hometown, the impact of these conflicts could still be felt. I have been privy to several arguments over the smallest concepts of Christian faith. For example, whether baptism by sprinkling or full immersion was the best way or not. From my perspective these arguments are entirely useless.
Friday, November 27, 2009
Church and Mission class Nov 25
Few were in class, as many had already started to travel for the Thanksgiving holiday. The class was surveyed about the remained material and we decided that we should cover pentecostalism. It is pretty incredible that there are only 2 class periods left. Where did the time go? Hmmm....
church and mission class nov 23
The Lutheran church was finished up, and my questions were answered. We also had a rousing discussion on some emerging churches that came from the Lutheran church. I find it interesting that renewal is happening within denominations. I would like to someday visit these churches. We also started discussing the reformed church.
Monday, November 23, 2009
Church and Mission Class Nov 18
The class has now entered the Protestant reformation. The Lutheran tradition was covered. What I am most interested in are the modern Lutheran churches. What are they like? What defines them and sets them apart from other churches? This is not clear to me yet. Hopefully these questions will be answered.
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