Emerging Africa

I agree. It would be great if critics would converse a bit, entering into dialogue openly. It's a bit annoying when people are antagonistic from the start.

Envoy

Hi Steve, thanks for your comments. This is an important conversation and I would like to see it go further. It is my impression that the emerging church has arisen out of the failure of the "modern" church to practice authentic biblical Christianity. Like postmodernism's response to modernism, it is in many ways a reaction to what the Western church had (has) become with its consumerist approach, "Christendom" mindset, 'modern' values and practices, and failure to embrace a missional perspective toward our rapidly changing (and increasingly postmodern) world. Emerging churches tend to embrace values and practices that are attractive to the postmodern thinker, but that does not mean they are postmodern concerning underlying beliefs and espoused values. The emphasis on community, incarnational living, authenticity, experiential encounter with God, narrative, and missional engagement are, nonetheless, very attractive to postmoderns. Many critics incorrectly see the emerging church as either doing things differently or compromising biblical truth just to attract young people. We both know that this is not the heart of the movement. Though I have not come across much overt criticism, there are certainly issues that the movement will face as it seeks to live out biblical Christianity in today's world. Ironically, what is emerging today may be mainstream tomorrow. This is the history of the Church over the ages. Sadly, there will be those who go astray because they become isolated and lose sight of the biblical purpose of the Church of Jesus Christ. We must all be praying for new churches and movements as the apostle Paul did. Perhaps the most powerful way to help those who are critical of the emerging church is by practicing what Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:12 (NASB) "Let no one look down on your 'youthfulness', but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe". Incarnational Christianity is very hard to gainsay. Many of those in the "modern" church have a non-biblical and rather enculturated view of what it means to be the 'Church'. Even concepts of "success"are often modernistic rather than biblical. Perhaps the Holy Spirit will empower our conversation in such a way that we can all learn and grow in God's purposes. Thanks again to everyone involved for your willingness to provide this forum.

Bless you,
Bert Watson

*sigh* Hello, postmodernism. Hello, you word, used to paint people either as "friends" or "foes." Hello, you seperator!

Those South Africans Christians who critique posmodernism, saying it's all about "the death of absolute truth," believe that postmoderns can't agree on meaning, since meaning becomes irrelevant when there are no absolutes. Interesting, then, that they've invented their own definition of postmodernism. I've yet to read a postmodern author/philosopher who believes in the death of absolute truth (invitation to those who think I'm wrong: simply cite someone). Actually, it was a modern philosopher who wrote about "The death of God"...and isn't it interesting that postmodernism is opening up a space for religion in the "secular" world once again (see chapter 2 in John Caputo's "On Religion" called "How the secular world became post-secular").

So, those who believe that postmodernism removes the possibility of absolute truth, please follow your own advice and do some research into the meaning of postmodernism. And since any discussion of postmodernism will lead to the concept of deconstruction (which is widely misunderstood as "de-struction"), a good place to start is to read John Caputo's "Deconstruction in a nutshell."

Steve, you asked if anyone expounds a "postmodernism ideology" - well, I don't know what that is! I do know that last century brought to rise something called "the critique of ideology" which was meant to finally crush religion as a valid intellectual option. But what happened is that critique got turned in upon itself, which opened a space, ironically, for religion. So I see postmodernism as good news!

Roger,

Thanks for that, and for taking up the challenge.

Since wrting that the descriptions of "postmodernist ideology" were vague, i have now found a better description and critique of postmodernism here.

Unfortunately, it criticises postmodernism from a modernist point of view, with modernist assumptions. But at least it gives a definition and a description.

And, as I said on my blog at Notes from underground: The emerging menace in South Africa, I've not noticed much "postmodern ideology" among emerging people I've encountered. Concern about mission and evangelism in the postmodern world, yes, but not "postmodernist ideology" as such.

Wow - I was out the loop for a while as I am finalising my proposal for my Doctorate on this very issue and so am excited to see great comment and good thinking. I would like to believe that we are an emergent generation of Christ followers in a postmodern world, trying as best as we can to be authentic and real. It all begins and ends with love and I do pray that the "church'","ecclesia", "people" would generate enough grace to be in conversation as opposed to a 'them' and 'us' situation. Our Lord is premodern, modern, postmodern, and post to the power of whatever modern. In all and through all, weakness,confusion, deception and of course life, breathe, hope.I would like to believe that it is all about meeting us where we are and moving us more into the likeness of Creator, Redeemer and Sustainer.

How do we see ourselves authentically as African and alive with possibilities?