Emerging church
en missionerande gemenskap i en postmodern tid
FörsamlingsstrategiFörsamlingstillväxtChurch Growth MovementEvangelisationMissionEvangelikalEcklesiologiMission-Shaped ChurchSekulariseringLiquid ChurchKaren WardBrian McLarenDan KimballBen EdsonGeneralSystematic and practical Christian theologyKristen teologi (allmänSystematisk och praktisk)History of the Christian churchKristna kyrkans historiaPhilosophy and Religion
The main discussion in this essay concern what the Emerging Church is, its sociological and theological context, their main critique of modernism and the consequences in theology and praxis. EC is not a new church but wants to be a new way of being church. In England much of the discussion concerning EC has found a context within the report Mission-Shaped Church (MSC). EC differs from Emergent Village which is a continuing discussion from a postmodern philosophical view.EC is born in an evangelical context with the tensions in the postmodern context, the liminal situation with among other items the disussion about a liquid culture and liquid church. Other backgroundfactors are the ChurchGrowth-movement, Willow Creek and the Gospel and Our Culture.EC critisizes its evangelical background and moves the center from justification to incarnation, from propostionalism, individualism, mission and activism to a theology of incarnational community life.Four different proponents are considered; Brian Mclaren, Dan Kimball, Karen Ward and Ben Edson. Their practises differ. Dan Kimball is more a pragmatic evangelical, Brian McLaren a postevangelical and Karen Ward and Ben Edson are working from a perspectricve of the Means of Grace.The author says that EC is a child of postmodernism in the different spiritual practices. They also emphasizes the Church as a community. Perhaps is the evangelicals heritage lack of liturgy and mysticism one reason that the EC is so eager to excavate these practices.From this follows eclecticism, and in some cases a shift from evangelicalism.Even though EC is not a Church it is a new way of being Church. It wants to be incarnational and as such embody community. In this embodiment it wants the Church to come to the people than the people coming to church. In this attitude belonging comes before believing.