"The theology of the emerging church is often misunderstood due to the acceptance of differences in belief and the stated goal of revealing multiple perspectives rather than a single monolithic perspective. These tendencies are often caricatured as a rejection of absolute truth or an entirely incoherent “anything goes”? theology. Nothing could be further from the absolute truth.
The emerging church sees theology"s purpose in refocusing the church and helping common people make sound judgments on spiritual matters or as Maddox puts it “to give expression to their aspirations, fears and concerns.”? Theology then becomes a way for people to express their story and their part in the larger narrative of scripture. Modernity craved a theology that was prescriptive; right thinking produces right living. The emerging church of the post-postmodern era craves a theology that is descriptive; describing who I am and what I am here for. This sort of folk theology, a theology by and for people, is designed to the keep the church and her descriptions of God understandable and useful to the needs of common people."
It's a good read and for some of you who have been asking for a bit more on this whole area, it's helpful.
Loved his thoughts on different approaches to membership. Comparing them to driver instruction vs. driver examination!
ReplyDelete"folk theology, a theology by and for people".
ReplyDeleteAs opposed to a theology from an intellectual elite (at least in the UK). Well, I'm sure it'll be more palatable to the common man. Guess we'll see the fruit in 20 years or so, when the 'next big thing' comes along and tells us where PM thinking and the EC really missed it, and how you need to be doing it THIS way.
;»?)
I think I feel some of what he describes - not that I am exactly "postmodern" but I am not entirely "modern" either. I need a theology that makes enough sense so I can enter into a conversation about my faith and use words that express what I believe in terms that are comprehendable to someone with a postmodern mind and language. So in a way it is a sort of folk theology but also just the same old theology re-expressed in postmodern terms - like translating it into a new language and in new cultural terms. And, yes, in maybe another 50 or 100 years there will be other cultural shifts and the good news will need to be translated once more into a new langauge. We must never stop telling the story of Jesus; finding a language that the people understand is part of our task.
ReplyDeleteJust my two cents worth. I guess I have been feeling some of that need to know in terms I can understand and tell to others lately.