Emergent Church

“ The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air.” - Galadriel

“ The world for which we have been carefully prepared has been taken away by the grace of God.” - Walter Brueggemann

colonialization mechanistic worldview over-rationalization objective reality universal truth cultural hierarchies neat boxes institutionalization ultimate viewpoint lucidity Modernity exclusiveness disambiguation

“ We must begin all over again with a new inner orientation…” – Karl Barth

P o s t m o d e r n i t y

P o s t m o d e r n i t y

“ There is nothing outside of text.” – Jacques Derrida everything is “text” everything needs to be interpreted realities are brought forth in language interpret the world through language world is a text requiring interpretation “ There is nothing outside of context.” – Jacques Derrida Imposition of one interpretation as the interpretation is imperial and colonial Narratives carry the meanings of language

everything is “text”

everything needs to be interpreted

realities are brought forth in language

interpret the world through language

world is a text requiring interpretation

“ There is nothing outside of context.” – Jacques Derrida

Imposition of one interpretation as the interpretation is imperial and colonial

Narratives carry the meanings of language

“ incredulity toward metanarratives” – Francois Lyotard suspicion of grand narratives question underlying assumptions mentanarratives mask particularity, claim universality acknowledgement of the tyranny of dominant perspectives “ decentering Europe” – Cornell West decentering androcentrism & anthropocentrism appreciation for context attention to micronarratives  actual stories  particularity

suspicion of grand narratives

question underlying assumptions

mentanarratives mask particularity, claim universality

acknowledgement of the tyranny of dominant perspectives

“ decentering Europe” – Cornell West

decentering androcentrism & anthropocentrism

appreciation for context

attention to micronarratives  actual stories  particularity

“ power is knowledge” – Michael Foucault what counts as knowledge is constituted within networks of power power produces the accepted “knowledge” “ truth” is a function of power one perspective claims to be objective or universal some knowledge is marginalized because of oppression importance of Trinity UCC and Cathedral of Hope they speak other truths with power there are other knowleges and truths to be learned “ insurrection of subjugated knowledges” – Michael Foucault

what counts as knowledge is constituted within networks of power

power produces the accepted “knowledge”

“ truth” is a function of power

one perspective claims to be objective or universal

some knowledge is marginalized because of oppression

importance of Trinity UCC and Cathedral of Hope

they speak other truths with power

there are other knowleges and truths to be learned

“ insurrection of subjugated knowledges” – Michael Foucault

Bible is a member of the community Bible offers perspectives to the community Bible is a library of perspectives Bible is a postmodern book Bible can be reclaimed Bible is propaganda Biblical propaganda has a point and a purpose Bible is not objective Bible is trying to convince and persuade people Bible + Spirit + community = “Word” Hermeneutic of Humility Hermeneutic of Community Hermeneutic of Suspicion

Tony Jones Dan Kimball Doug Pagitt Brian McLaren dankimball.typepad.com dougpagitt.com brianmclaren.net tonyj.net Emergent Church 1997-2001

Karen Ward Heather Kirk-Davidoff Anthony Bradley Claude Nikondeha amahoro-africa.org postmodernegro.com submerge.typepad.com kcchurch.typepad.com Emergent Church 2001-2008

Common values and themes in Emergent Worship 1 participatory 2 organic 3 sacredness/spiritual 4 multisensory 5 freedom of movement 6 multiple focal points 7 diversity of liturgies and spiritual disciplines 8 emphasis on prayer 9 centrality of Communion 10 centrality of Jesus/Kin-dom

e m e r g e n t v i l l a g e . c o m