My friends at Zondervan have recently begun shipping a book titled Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches, edited by Dr. Robert Webber. Contributing to the book are five pastors (Karen Ward, Doug Pagitt, Dan Kimball, John Burke, and myself) with varying beliefs on the assigned issues of the Trinity, the atonement, and Scripture. As is common in counterpoint books, we each wrote one chapter, and then briefly responded to the chapters written by the other contributors. We never did meet for the project, but over the years I have had the pleasure of meeting each person in various contexts, so that was helpful in allowing me to understand something of their ministry and theological perspective. Anyone wanting to order the book can do so here. You can also view and download a portion of my chapter that Zondervan has made available here.
Also, beginning on February 6th at the National Pastors Convention in San Diego, each of the contributors will be part of an extended discussion (you can find more information about the conference here. And, Friday June 1- Saturday June 2 we will have the authors in Seattle for an event hosted at Mars Hill Church where we will discuss/dialogue/debate various theological issues that are some of the hot topics among varying streams of the emerging church. The Resurgence will be distributing the sessions for free in case you cannot join us, and also giving the files to the other speakers to distribute as they see fit through their own networks. Sadly, the editor Dr. Robert Webber will not be joining us as his health is not good and I would encourage people to be in prayer for him and his family in this difficult season.
Just finished the book...a few thoughts on your chapter.
First, great job - I think the avalanche of footnotes was helpful in pointing out that Christian theology flows from God's self-revelation in Scripture. Condensing that much into the space allotted was a massive effort no doubt. You bleed like Bunyan. I also felt your responses throughout were measured and charitable while not giving ground or pulling back necessary warnings. The Rilke line was a bit of a zinger, but I knew there would be at least one at some point.
Second, there were a couple of very minor issues I wanted to put out to sharpen your chapter. The table you had on worldviews was very good but could be given a bit more precision. I would add to the atheism category "some Buddhists" and then add the word "Some" to Buddhists under polytheism. This would more accurately reflect the range of Buddhist thought as Thervatans are silent on the issue of god while Mahayanans are more theistic. Also, I think your classification of Hinduism as polytheistic might need some massaging. Hindus do have thousands of deities - yes. Yet they are seen as representations of the one divine reality in which all things participate. So Hinduism is properly pantheistic/monistic with multiple avatars/gods representing the one divine reality. Hindus pursue good works, knowledge, or devotion to a god as equally valid paths so you find great diversity in Hindu thought as to the nature of gods.
Finally, your use of the term "redemptive historical" hermeneutic on page 32 may confuse some people with redemptive-historical preaching which I find helpful and that you do often (ala Frame, Keller). I thought "redemptive-movement hermeneutic" would be a better term for what you were describing in relation to so called "evident" biblical trajectories (ala Webb's Slaves, Women and Homosexuals).
This book is greatly valuable to the broader confessional/evangelical/living orthodox whatever we are now Christian world. It puts some things out there so more can see what is actually being kicked around in some circles.
Thanks Mark for your hard work on this project - it was a deposit of your time that was needed for the body of Christ. Well done brother.
Reid
PS - It seems to me that Doug Padget needs to read up a bit more on quantum indeterminacy, before he leans toward worldviews being built upon it, but I'll save that for the book review when I get to it. His questions are good and should be approached precisely from a theistic ontology which will never be "antiquated." He also seems to be unaware that we actually are building computers based on quantum behavior which we map quite well with mathematical probabilities. It is not as "unknown" as presented...anyway.
Reid Monaghan, Pastor, Inversion Fellowship
www.powerofchange.org
I'm curious,
What are you hoping will be the result of the book/discussions?
How did you process through your responses? And how did your previous history with the authors affect your repsonses?
Thanks
Mark,
Just finished the book...a few thoughts on your chapter.
First, great job - I think the avalanche of footnotes was helpful in pointing out that Christian theology flows from God's self-revelation in Scripture. Condensing that much into the space allotted was a massive effort no doubt. You bleed like Bunyan. I also felt your responses throughout were measured and charitable while not giving ground or pulling back necessary warnings. The Rilke line was a bit of a zinger, but I knew there would be at least one at some point.
Second, there were a couple of very minor issues I wanted to put out to sharpen your chapter. The table you had on worldviews was very good but could be given a bit more precision. I would add to the atheism category "some Buddhists" and then add the word "Some" to Buddhists under polytheism. This would more accurately reflect the range of Buddhist thought as Thervatans are silent on the issue of god while Mahayanans are more theistic. Also, I think your classification of Hinduism as polytheistic might need some massaging. Hindus do have thousands of deities - yes. Yet they are seen as representations of the one divine reality in which all things participate. So Hinduism is properly pantheistic/monistic with multiple avatars/gods representing the one divine reality. Hindus pursue good works, knowledge, or devotion to a god as equally valid paths so you find great diversity in Hindu thought as to the nature of gods.
Finally, your use of the term "redemptive historical" hermeneutic on page 32 may confuse some people with redemptive-historical preaching which I find helpful and that you do often (ala Frame, Keller). I thought "redemptive-movement hermeneutic" would be a better term for what you were describing in relation to so called "evident" biblical trajectories (ala Webb's Slaves, Women and Homosexuals).
This book is greatly valuable to the broader confessional/evangelical/living orthodox whatever we are now Christian world. It puts some things out there so more can see what is actually being kicked around in some circles.
Thanks Mark for your hard work on this project - it was a deposit of your time that was needed for the body of Christ. Well done brother.
Reid
PS - It seems to me that Doug Padget needs to read up a bit more on quantum indeterminacy, before he leans toward worldviews being built upon it, but I'll save that for the book review when I get to it. His questions are good and should be approached precisely from a theistic ontology which will never be "antiquated." He also seems to be unaware that we actually are building computers based on quantum behavior which we map quite well with mathematical probabilities. It is not as "unknown" as presented...anyway.
Reid Monaghan, Pastor, Inversion Fellowship
www.powerofchange.org