The Emerging Church

The Emerging Church is a loose affiliation of individuals, churches, and organizations of many different theological outlooks. The beginnings of this movement, or “conversation,” grew out of a desire to reach those who share a postmodern worldview, and who thus might be resistant to truth claims such as those found in the Bible.

The conversation often reflects common postmodern themes, such as inclusivity, art, community, creativity, participation, earth keeping, and social activism. Emerging Church adherents are also experiential, are attracted to mystical practices, and are interested in recovering “ancient practices,” including the liturgy. Many of them consider protest a part of their “platform,” protest against the “institutional church” in particular. This protest reflects a distrust of authority, a rejection of things such as “proof texts” and systematic theologies, and a presupposition that the church has been unduly influenced by modernism.

They also emphasize the “church” out in the world, as opposed to church on Sunday morning. Many in the liberal portion of the Emerging Church reject the Biblical view of hell and original sin in an orthodox sense, and view the Bible as a collection of “stories” that are to be interpreted by the local community in their particular cultural setting. While they may claim to uphold such things as inerrancy and the ecumenical creeds, their subscription is often based on a false Neo-orthodox viewpoint, opening up a Pandora’s box of relativity and heresy. Their lack of interest in doctrine leads to uncertainty, and their lack of an understanding of Law and Gospel often leads to an emphasis on works at the expense of the Gospel. There is also a strong thread of liberation theology present. Due to their unwillingness to take a doctrinal stand, the role of the pastor becomes more that of a conversation facilitator, rather than a teacher.

Some of the more recognizable names affiliated with the Emerging Church include leaders such as Spencer Burke, Mark Driscoll, Andrew Jones, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Brian McLaren, John O’Keefe, Doug Pagitt Chris Seay, and theologians Walter Bruegemann, John Franke, Stanley Grenz, Scot McKnight, Erwin McManus, Leonard Sweet, and N. T. Wright.

The Brothers of John the Steadfast published an article on the Emerging Church that investigates the movement in further detail. Click here for the first of the 5-part article.

Thanks to Scott Diekmann for this definition.