Last night our college ministry partnered with our Middle School, High School and Young Adult Departments in hosting a night with Shane Claiborne called, “Have Less, Live More.” It was the culmination of six months of collaborative study and teaching on the Minor Prophets between our departments and we brought Shane out to embody some of the messages we see in the Minor Prophets regarding poverty, wealth, social justice, community, truth, love, et cetera. I thought Shane was amazing and we were quite spoiled by having him speak at our morning staff chapel, enjoying lunch with him and then seeing him speak last night. I have a lot of things going through my head and I’m trying to process all of them. But the one message that resonated with me was:
- How can I be a different kind of (fill in the blank)? Doctor, lawyer, teacher, pastor, counselor, engineer, parent, et cetera.
As Shane shared stories of people who have chosen to be different kinds of doctors, lawyers and engineers I was thinking to myself how can I be a different kind of college pastor/a different kind of marriage and family therapist? It seems like a simple question, and it is. But the reality is, is that we are often so busy and too consumed with ourselves that we rarely take time to think differently. He told the story of a robotics engineer who instead of just pursuing that work to it’s own end and making lots of money, he has chosen to build robots to disassemble land mines in foreign countries that often take the lives of children. He talked about a Harvard lawyer who decided to move to the South and represent those on death row who are often without money or the right resources. He talked about a massage therapist who decided that instead of just having a practice where she charges $100 to give people with money massages, she goes into the inner city, washes the feet of the poor and gives them foot massages. That is being a different kind of (fill in the blank).
I also have been thinking a lot about Shane and where he fits into Evangelicalism, Christianity, et cetera, mainly because he attracts a wide variety of people from various denominations as well as various strains of Christianity, both Catholicism and Protestantism. His message has really resonated with me and my students this last year as well. So that’s why I was intrigued this week to read the post Four Models of Emerging Churches by Wess Daniels. Wess describes the four models (emerging churches and their thinkers/practitioners) as:
- Deconstructionist Model (Peter Rollins, Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, etc)
- Pre-modern/Augustinian Model (John Milbank, James K. Smith, etc)
- Emerging Peace Church Model or/Open Anabaptism (Shane Claiborne, Rob Bell, etc)
- Foundationalist Model (Mark Driscoll, Dan Kimball, Erwin McManus, etc)
If you know me, or read this blog, you know that I talk a lot about the emerging church, and that I’m very drawn to many, many aspects of it. But I was intrigued by Wess’ critique because I never thought myself as placed in the “Emerging Peace Church Model”, though the people Wess characterizes as a part of that model I am very drawn to. This last March we hosted Rob Bell on his Sex God Tour, last night was Shane Claiborne as you know and two years ago we hosted, a night with Donald Miller. Though Wess doesn’t characterize Don as falling into one of the models, I wonder where he does fit. I think he might fit into the “Emerging Peace Church Model” as well, and I don’t think it’s a surprise that Miller recently preached at Bell’s church.
So to bring it all back together I’m asking myself the questions:
- Is there a connection between my attraction to the emergent church, and the ability to be a “different” kind of pastor/counselor/father/husband/friend, et cetera?
- Is the emerging church the one strain of Christianity (at least right now) that allows for some rethinking, that allows others to see things with fresh eyes?
- Does mainstream evangelicalism or mainline denominationalism prohibit or restrict those within it from seeing things anew because of the inability to break free from certain traditions, rules, polity, etc?
Just thinking out loud…..
If you are drawn to the emerging church, what do you think of the four models and where do you see yourself?
Hey Rhett I’m a new reader. Hence why you don’t know me. I thought Daniels’ 4 models seemed to fit pretty well. I know Bell says that he isn’t a part of the emerging church. I think we in Christianity seem to assume that anyone young or anyone asking questions is “a part” of it. I don’t see that thinking like this is fair. I would probably put myself into the camp with Dan Kimball. I think he is a great conservative theological/pastoring voice in this conversation/movement. But I will say that Shane’s message has really resonated with me and has really made me dig deeper than I have previously.
Tyler,
I agree….not once has Rob Bell or Donald Miller ever talked about the “emerging church”, but since they do ask questions they are lumped in there. I tried to ask Donald Miller a question about it one time and he basically told me he would have nothing to say on it…..
Rhett
I like to ask questions, and I think that goes beyond me being an “artist” or whatnot. But, does this make me emerging? In some ways I really ask the same questions I am finding that these guys are asking. I am not coming to conclusions that are the same, however, on a lot of stuff. As times goes on, I bet the rethinking will simply have some newer lines drawn. Even so, I hope we can always be rethinking. Every generation has to otherwise they are living a faith contextualized in an era that no longer exists.
I think you have it wrong. Brian McLaren would fit into the anti-Christ model of a church because he rejects essential Christian doctrine such as the doctrine of hell and the penal substitutionary atonement of Christ on the cross. These are the things the church fathers and many through the centuries have died for. We just blow these things off like lint while we create our cool, postmodern churches. We give hip names to old-fashioned, damnable heresy according to the Word of God. How about a biblical model for our churches? Now there’s an idea!
If you wrote an article about life we’d all reach enitlghenment.
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I find these sorts of breakdowns (Wess’) to be incredibly helpful and debilitating at the same time. As someone who is embarking on a planting mission (San Diego) I find myself ravenous for digestible models, yet seduced by the temptation to merely cut and paste.
I really enjoy Claiborne’s perspective. For me, he’s a fresh voice in the discussion of praxis.
I am sorry to say this, but some of the language that goes for post-modern like ‘praxis’ and some of the perspectives like that Jesus’ mission was to end poverty is so typical (and I hate to say it because someone is going to take offense, but it is appropriate) neo-marxist and thus modern.
I’m curious to find out what blog system you happen to be using? I’m experiencing some minor security issues with my latest blog and I would like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any solutions?
Listen to this…be careful as you exploring the emergent church. I too was pulled into what Shane Claiborne was preaching, but be careful, it is easy to be deceived by the enemy: http://media.alwaysbeready.com/library/campbell-charlie/studies-topical/emergingchurch/emergingchurch-f.mp3