{"id":1247,"date":"2006-08-16T04:20:42","date_gmt":"2006-08-16T04:20:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.beliefnet.com\/jesuscreed\/2006\/08\/emerging-and-orthodoxy-3.html"},"modified":"2006-08-16T04:20:42","modified_gmt":"2006-08-16T04:20:42","slug":"emerging-and-orthodoxy-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2006\/08\/emerging-and-orthodoxy-3.html","title":{"rendered":"Emerging and Orthodoxy 3"},"content":{"rendered":"

What is the relationship of the emerging movement and the orthodox creeds? How do you think it relates or should relate to orthodoxy? Well, I don’t speak for anyone, but I’ll tell you what I think: it varies. (I’ll bet you dropped dead in surprise on that one.) To see how and why it varies, I point to what I think are four major impulses in the emerging movement, and each of these impulses leads to slightly different interests in orthodoxy.
\nFirst, there is the postmodern <\/strong>impulse. Some in the emerging movement — and don’t say all <\/em>or someone will slap your hand — are in to the emerging movement because it has a postmodern edge to it. That is, it questions the viability of large metanarratives, and it worries about rational, systematic theologies that are neither chastened by our minds’ capacities nor conversant with other theologies. It adheres to a “proper confidence” in Jesus Christ and the gospel, but is not overly concerned with large-scale systematic theologies. Some have lots of questions about the gospel and find postmodernism a quiet place to rest and think about what they believe.
\nSecond, there is a praxis <\/strong>impulse. Some are drawn to the emerging movement because of its edgy and innovative worship and church services, while others are drawn (as I am) to the missional focus of the emerging movement. [Add<\/strong>: Involved in some elements is an ancient-future worship or an ecumenical creedal practice.]
\nThird, there is a postevangelical <\/strong>impulse. Let’s face it, though not all will admit it: there is a significant “I’m no longer what I was when I was a conservative evangelical” in the emerging movement. Many are drawn to the emerging movement because it provides a safe place to believe in the gospel, to follow Jesus, but not be required to adhere to a list of evangelical doctrines that make up evangelical orthodoxy. For many it is postevangelical.
\nFourth, there is a political <\/strong>impulse. I see a growing element here: not all are Democrats and not all are Republicans, but there is an impulse in this movement for social justice. Not just an impulse but a conviction that the justice is central to the gospel. And that means things like poverty, AIDS, the development of rights for others, that sort of thing. Some are drawn into the emerging movement to participate in social justice activities.
\nSo, where does that leave the emerging movement and orthodoxy<\/em>? I’ll speak my mind. I think some in the first group are not so convinced creedal orthodoxy (or any other kind) is all that important. Not all who have been touched by the postmodern shift are against creeds, but some have big issues — some suggest they are historic documents we respect but are not tied to. And there are some who simply no longer believe such things.
\nThe praxis impulse, on the other hand, is I suspect more committed to the orthodox creeds, even evangelical ones, than not. The postevangelical impulse, I suspect, opens up two points of view: some are still evangelical in theology and find great freshness in the shorter more historic creedal statements, while others are more joined at the hip with the pomo impulse and want to question the place of orthodox creeds. Some, I suspect, are willing to reduce the Christian faith to “following Jesus” in behavior — and that is all that matters.
\nI’m not sure about the political impulse, but I think this impulse is probably in tune with pomo and postevangelical impuse, along with a commitment to justice that is so central that orthodox creeds aren’t part of the equation.
\nNow here’s my claim<\/em>: the emerging conversation <\/em>is for all of these sorts (in fact it already comprises all these sorts). But, what that means is that some think orthodoxy really matters (I do) while others think it doesn’t. The conversation is open to both kinds. The conversation is no more only for those who have jettisoned the path of orthodoxy than it is only for those who adhere to orthodoxy. This makes emergent a special movement; there aren’t many like this. I don’t agree with those who are universalists, but I think that question is being asked today and I want to participate in that conversation.
\nOne of my regular readers and conversation partners, RJS, sent me this from Ben Franklin’s justifiably famous Autobiography<\/em> and you’ve just got to read it. It sets out a case why one group was hesitant to post its doctrinal statement, and in a way provides an example of why many, especially the postmodern and political sort, in the emerging movement are nervous about doctrinal statements of any kind.<\/p>\n

These embarrassments that the Quakers suffered from having
\nestablished and published it as one of their principles that no kind
\nof war was lawful, and which, being once published, they could not
\nafterwards, however they might change their minds, easily get rid of,
\nreminds me of what I think a more prudent conduct in another sect
\namong us, that of the Dunkers.
\nI was acquainted with one of its founders, Michael Welfare, soon
\nafter it appeared. He complained to me that they were grievously
\ncalumniated by the zealots of other persuasions, and charged with
\nabominable principles and practices, to which they were utter
\nstrangers. I told him this had always been the case with new sects,
\nand that, to put a stop to such abuse, I imagined it might be well to
\npublish the articles of their belief, and the rules of their
\ndiscipline. He said that it had been proposed among them, but not
\nagreed to, for this reason:
\n“When we were first drawn together as a society,” says he, “it had
\npleased God to enlighten our minds so far as to see that some
\ndoctrines, which we once esteemed truths, were errors; and that
\nothers, which we had esteemed errors, were real truths. From time to
\ntime He has been pleased to afford us farther light, and our
\nprinciples have been improving, and our errors diminishing. Now we
\nare not sure that we are arrived at the end of this progression, and
\nat the perfection of spiritual or theological knowledge; and we fear
\nthat, if we should once print our confession of faith, we should feel
\nourselves as if bound and confined by it, and perhaps be unwilling to
\nreceive farther improvement, and our successors still more so, as
\nconceiving what we their elders and founders had done, to be
\nsomething sacred, never to be departed from.”
\nThis modesty in a sect is perhaps a singular instance in the history
\nof mankind, every other sect supposing itself in possession of all
\ntruth, and that those who differ are so far in the wrong; like a man
\ntraveling in foggy weather, those at some distance before him on the
\nroad he sees wrapped up in the fog, as well as those behind him, and
\nalso the people in the fields on each side, but near him all appears
\nclear, though in truth he is as much in the fog as any of them.
\nTo avoid this kind of embarrassment, the Quakers have of late years
\nbeen gradually declining the public service in the Assembly and in
\nthe magistracy, choosing rather to quit their power than their principle.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

And Sarah Cunningham sent me this nice link<\/a> to the value of creeds. I wish I had it Monday.
\nTomorrow: I’ll look at a “beliefs” articulation in the emerging movement I really like.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What is the relationship of the emerging movement and the orthodox creeds? How do you think it relates or should relate to orthodoxy? Well, I don’t speak for anyone, but I’ll tell you what I think: it varies. (I’ll bet you dropped dead in surprise on that one.) To see how and why it varies,…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":298,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1247","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-theology"],"yoast_head":"\nEmerging and Orthodoxy 3 - Jesus Creed<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/jesuscreed\/2006\/08\/emerging-and-orthodoxy-3.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Emerging and Orthodoxy 3 - Jesus Creed\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"What is the relationship of the emerging movement and the orthodox creeds? 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