[continued from here, here and here]
Dr Don Carson gave a short approximately 2 hours talk on the Emerging Church Movement on Friday afternoon, from 2-4pm including Q&A. It was informative, especially since Carson has researched and has even written a book on the Emerging Church Movement, entitled Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church.
In this talk, Dr. Carson spend most of his effort on analyzing the Emerging Church on the fronts of Epistmology and Truth. In this he presented the truth excellently. The Emerging Church Movement is by and large fraught with a flaweed Epistemology which have more in common with Postmodernism than with biblical Christianity. Similarly, their delibrate obfuscation of the truth doesn't help matters.
Now, of course, when discussing an ever-evolving and non-monolithic movement, sweeping generalizations are generally not helpful. Carson acknowledges this to be the fact, and definitely whatever one might say, they would be always at least one person who could speak up and protest that this is not what they or their group believes to be the case. Nevertheless, despite the variation in beliefs and practices, there are a few traits common to the Emerging Church Movement. The most important similarity of course is the emphasis placed on praxis or works over and against doctrine. The Emerging Church Movement, in a bid to reach the culture, has a certain propensity to ape it even on areas where Chrstians are told not to ape the world. This is particularly seen in the area of Epistemology, whereby the Emerging Church Movement by and large have embraced the skepticism and cynicism of Postmodern deconstructionist theories, and have thus applied these theories to the doctrines of Scripture.
As it happens, most people in the audience doesn't seem to an inkling of philosophical trends, and thus Carson took some time to explain the difference between the pre-modern, modern and postmodern epistemologies. Everything here of course is a summary, and he didn't have the time to go into the details. That is why although it lasted about 2 hours, it is still considered short, since only a summary of the main points could be stated, and only those 'in the know', so to speak, are most likely to know the various people which Carson mentions (Derrida, Foucault etc.). As it is already, Carson did not have the time to mention various trends in the Emerging Church Movement with the recent polarization and possible fragmentation of the movement (which I asked him about it privately), and the difference between Emerging and Emergent, and of course the various leaders within the movement, only mentioning the most famous figurehead and leader Brian McLaren, and Rob Bell in passing. Incidentally, Carson is of the impression that Mark Discoll has left the Emerging Church Movement. If he has indeed done so, I sure hope he has made it public and renounced the heretics in them publicly, otherwise he would continue to be tarnished with the label of the rapidly apostasizing Emerging Church Movement.
All in all, this was a good introduction to the challenge of the Emerging Church Movement. It is hoped that the next talk on this issue, if it would ever materialize, would be much longer and more in-depth.
And so, in conclusion of the three posts, I am thankful for the opporunity to attend this conference, and for God to provide us with a good speaker in the person of His servant Dr. Don Carson. For those who did not go for the conference, if you are interested you may purchase CDs of the sermons and talks here (go to the 'PT tapes' section) when it is ready.
Now to Him who is able to keep you from falling, to the only wise God our Savior, be all blessing and glory and honor and power and praise. Amen.
9 comments:
hi Dan. Thanks for the post. I am probably one of those that you mentioned . .
"at least one person who could speak up and protest that this is not what they or their group believes to be the case"
. . . and i think the missional epistemology of the emerging church [at least my corner of it] with its strong Christological base is not heretical but actually more true to the Scriptures than that of purely dispensational or reformed heritage but its logical for us all to believe we see the Scriptures clearer than those on the other side of the fence.
I find the Lausanne Covenant to be a good neutral base to meet other missional and emergent Christians for purposes of partnership and resourcing.
Hey - I would love to hear what the emerging churches in Singapore are looking like as young people start churches in that culture. Its been a long time since i was in Singapore (with OM) but i do hope to be there again soon.
every blessing!
Hello Andrew,
I don't think you would like to be associated with the Emerging Church Movement present in Singapore. There is only one proclaimed ECM church in Singapore (Free Community church), and it is situated on the looney left fringe. They promote homosexuality (in fact, almost all if not all their members are homosexuals) and they question every doctrine including the Incarnation, neccessity of correct doctrine etc. Most churches here are either charismatics, conservative or liberal, and the fastest growing churches are Neo-Apostolic charismatic ones.
thanks Daniel. i looked at their website but they seem like a traditional church with liberal beliefs - i didnt see anything emergent about them.
are parts of teh cell church movement in singapore being taken up by younger generations?
are their house churches among the emerging culture?
thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.
Sounds interesting, this ECM-thing. It is more prevalent in the West (or Westernised nations) - esp. those countries with a "Christian" history.
I remember reading a critique of this movement, where the author was of the opinion that the adherents of this movement were reacting against the Mega Church movement. They decided the best course of action was to go back to the Primitive church, i.e. the Medevial church! Yikes!
I admit to being part of this movement, without realising it was a movement. Living in the West, I was drawn by this mindset - and even bought the books on monastic living (Benedictine), architecture of the church, and pilgrimages!
Thank God, I was delivered from them all!
hmm... DA Carson.. of the little that i know of him he seems quite gd.. but (going off topic) in one of his bible commentaries he was of the opinion that a portion of the text was probably not authentic.. and at that point in time I found that to be rather odd, not knowing what to think of such a line to be found in a bible commentary.. well actually now i still wouldnt know what to think of it except that I dont really bother about it
Andrew:
Eh well, let's just put it this way. They call themselves Emerging, and love people like Brian McLaren. That's the closest to Emerging established churches have become.
The cell church model is growing strong in the Singapore churches. It has permeated all churches, conservative, charismatics and all in between, and embraced especially by the young. Personally, I think it is a good thing IF done properly.
For perhaps something more in tune with the mainstream Emerging movement, I think they may exist only among the expats. Singapore Chrstians in general are still emnamored by the cell church model, and signs and wonders phenomenon. Perhaps the next generation may be different, but at the moment, the ECM don't have many adherents here.
Marn Chi,
I don't know about that either. If Carson did indeed make that statement, then it would be good to see what was he actually talking about. If Carson was talking about the Comma Johanneum (http://www.bible-researcher.com/comma.html) in 1 Jn. 5:7-8, then I am fine with that.
all very interesting.
there are a lot of similarites and connections with the EC over the past 20 years and the cell church movement - we read and were inspired by the Singapore movement and it gave us freedom to start churches in homes and other places.
i only spent 5 weeks in Singapore and Malaysia (985) but it was enough to meet some wonderful Christians and take away spiritual gifts from your country.
Every blessing to you.
Well Andrew,
I don't think even the most charismatic cell church in Singapore would want to identify itself with the EC movement. Somehow I don't see anyone thinking that is it OK to question doctrines such as substitionary atonement, the reality of hell etc, and yet we should consider them Christians.
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