Monday, April 23, 2007
An Emergent Manifesto of Hope
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This book has some good moments but not enough moments to make it a good read. The format of having 25 different author gloss the surface of 25 different topics really doesn’t provide the depth that I would have wanted. However, it could serve the purpose of showing the world that the emergent conversation is still in touch with its Evangelical roots. Emergent is a broad umbrella and this book showcases a broad spectrum of ideas including a few that have not emerged much at all. Many are more conservative than you might expect. The best thing to say about the book is that it introduced a couple of people I hadn’t read much about. I suspect that the real purpose of the book was to get a few of these authors out in the public and maybe get a few writing careers jump started.
The bright spots are:
Samir Selmanovic – “The Sweet Problem of Inclusiveness, Finding Our God in the Other”
Barry Taylor – “Converting Christianity, The end of and beginning of faith”
Rodolpho Carrasco – “A Pound of Social Justice, Beyond Fighting for a Just Cause”
I hope that the idea of Emergent doesn't devolve into a ploy to sell books to young Evangelicals about cultural relativity and small acts of charity. This book could be the first step in that direction but I still maintain hope that the conversation will emerge into something of much greater depth and the beginnings of a much more progressive faith.
8 comments:
Looks like an interesting read. Another book on that topic that I found helpful is Listening to the Beliefs of Emerging Churches
I was going to get that book but I didn't think I could get through Mark Driscoll's section. I'm not sure why he we was included. I guess it was an attempt to bridge some gaps or expand the audience to conservative fundamentalists. Maybe it was just to make some controversy or maybe it was to try and make a public statement that Emergents still don't mind conversing with conservatives.
Or maybe it was to offer multi-perspectives (which is the whole point, right?)
I thought that is the whole point of your blogs and discussion! Are you not willing to take the risk!?!?!? Let me challenge you to read multi-perspectives or you'll be as narrow-minded as the conservative-fundamentalists, just to the other extreme.
You're not a neo-emergent-progressive-fundamentalist, are you?
Rev. Rockstar, You are probably right. I bet it helped make points clear to hear the back and forth, but I'm up to my neck in back and forth right now.
I'm very open to diveristy. Are you kidding? Read my blog. I've read Christians, buddhists, Muslims, liberals, conservatives, libertarians. That is exactly why I do this blog.
I've read Driscoll before even watched his videos on youtube. I'm not refusing to read any sides of these discussions. I just want to avoid the conflict and infighting that is so prevelent in the church AND ON THIS BLOG right now and I've read enough of him to know he is a fundamentalist and is very critical of inclusiveness.
I've spent 38 years living with fundamentalism and dealing with conflicts about doctrine. He is very much an orthodox/"only one way to do things" kind of guy. I really need a break from that stuff. It isn't healthy and just creates more anger so I need to stop for a while.
Gotcha...cool...I certainly can appreciate breaks- I took a long one before entering "vocational ministry"- I highly recommend it!
The reason why I challenge folks to read "the other perspective" is because that is how you can also solidify what you DO believe. i.e. I studied "Open Theism" (which I think is a heresy), but it challenged me to be proactive in my first-hand theology.
Maybe sometime down the road you and I can do a book exchange- you know, you give me your absolute favorite and I'll give you mine...should make for some interesting conversation! Next time, the beer is on me!
Interesting post.
How are the sections organized? If it's just 25 folks talking about whatever's on their minds, it'd be much less compelling than if it was more intentionally structured...you know, like an actual manifesto.
There is some structure. There are main sections that tie the individual essays together. It isn't very cohesive, but I don't think that is the point.
It is the perfect book to read at the book store while you sip a cup of coffee. Read at least the few essays which I listed. Most chapters are only 5-10 pages.
nice to get a chapter mention in this post...
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