Not an easy road.
20 February 2008.
I'm finding it increasingly difficult to be a christian with an emerging theology. Alot of things depend on church affiliation.
- Ashley Visagie's blog
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Comments
intruiging
Hmm - Ashley thats a bit criptic! Well if you haven't jettisoned everything yet, I'm interested to know what you mean by "christian", and "church affiliation".
Are you saying Emerging Theology is taking you away from G-d? Or that Church is a hinderance? And what exactly depends on church affiliation? Identity? Income? Sense of being faithful?
Please tell more...
christian difficulties
I'm with Nic, you will need to elaborate a bit more.
Do you mean it was easier to be a Christian with a theology you held prior to your transitional theology or that the transioning nature of emerging theology reduces or shifts the core, for you, of what being a Christian 'is'?
Envoy
Is theology really the problem?
I don't see the issue as being a christian with emerging theology. A large part of spirituality is community and fellowship. A faith that is meant to be shared.
One problem, which I'm sure you've experienced, is that Christians have conditions on acceptance. I.E. Walk, talk, think and look like us and you'll be accepted. Churches, as being the sum(or more) of their parts, relfect this attitude.
I my experience the church takes the position that knowlegde is ultimate. Not just knowlegde, but right knowledge. Emphasis is placed on having the right ideas, or at least regergitating them on command. This is great for people who just want to fit the mold and be told what to think, but it is a big big problem for any person who has an idea that challenges,even in a non-threatening way, officially sanctioned theology. My problem with this is that is it a very different reality to the one I have of Jesus. And as Christians, if we are not like Jesus, then we're doing something wrong.
My interpretation of Jesus is that he accepts and loves us always, regardless of our actions, appearence and most importantly, our ideas. He takes the position of ultimate power, love.
This is sadly not practised by the church at large.
Emerging theology?
It's kinda difficult knowing what an 'emerging theology' actually is. I don't think there really is one.
For sure, the emerging conversation has quite a bad rep amongst those who only know the major revisionist side (where all the heresies come from) but this is not all there is to the emerging conversation. It was always meant to just be an open conversation about the things that Christians want to talk about, and about how Christianity is to work in our current contexts and culture. While some have institutionalised it (and I say, shame on them, but anyway) - and I fully understand the need to be a 'part of something official' - I don't think that's really what the emerging conversation is ever about. Nor should it ever be. I prefer it to just be a normal 'Christian conversation.'
True, it's certainly led to a lot of changes of views in my mind; but, that's not because there is a specific theology - that's only because some really great people, who truly love God, partake in the conversations.
I always say that I am neither Emergent, Baptist, Calvinist etc. or a New Covenant Ministries dude (an apostolic group of people my church relates to.) Relationship is the central core of how I live out my Christianity (yes, and this means I need to be a part of a local church) and it wasn't Calvin, Luther or my pastor who died for me on the cross. It was Jesus. Therefore, I fellow Jesus and not a church institution. And, I am committed to my brothers and sisters, who are ACTUALLY the church - and live out my calling both in and through the local church (local community of believers) who God has made me responsible to.
www.ryanpeterwrites.com
"The Glory of God is man fully alive" - St Iraneaus
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