Once, there was a tendency amongst at least some emergents in Australia to write the institutional church off as irrelevant. I think we’ve moved away from that now, however – now you frequently hear people pointing out that you can’t dismiss your origins, you can’t dismiss the forces that have shaped you and given birth to you. It’s a bit like dismissing your parents as irrelevant.

Not only that, but it highlights the fact that the emerging missional church movement needs the institutional church movement as much as the institutional church needs the emerging church.

I just finished Spencer’s book this week. It’s been sitting on my shelf since it was released. It was interesting since I read it after the Diana Butler Bass book mentioned above.

On Universalism…
Have you read the Evangelical Universalist? It was written under a pseudonym. But it articulates a decidedly Christian view of universalism that takes seriously our sacred texts and grounds its universalist views from there.

It seems that Spencer’s universalism is more of the “unitarian” strain…

I would love to hear your thoughts on if you see anything problematic with one articulation of universalism over the other.

peace

Thanks for the review. It’s questionable as to whether I’d read it, but interesting nontheless. I have to say though, that in my opinion the insitutional Church is not irrelevant because of its faith (orthodox Christianity) but because of its practice – and I too do not mean what happens for 58 minutes on Sunday morning. Now, if there’s something in Chrsitianity that needs a re-working it’s certainly Ecclesiology, which is where Missiology I think is so important. The institutional Church lost its mission over 2000 years. It’s not panentheism or “spiritualism” or any other “ism” in theology that will save the Church. Just a return to what our original call was – service & witness.

When I see you quoting Burke with – “As he writes in his book, he is still committed to Jesus, who remains an important aspect of his faith. – ” I think, yeah, the Unitarian-Universalist Church is really relevant today. Jesus as an “important aspect of his faith” is like saying that coffee is a key component of my diet. Yes, but my life certainly doesn’t revolve around coffee. And if Jesus Christ is not central to one’s faith, then what is he? There’s not much room to equivocate on Jesus.

Anyway, that’s just a few thoughts. I’ve done a little reading recently about the Anglican Church during the 20th Century and have been absolutely fascinated at the different waves of theology passing through over the years and how not one of them really seeemed to stick – and then I hear echos of stuff on this side of the pond and think “it didn’t seem to be that relevant there after a couple decades, why should I believe it now?”

despite all the negative reviews i’m still interested in picking it up and taking a gander.

I’m not talking about worship or spirituality but about the service that a church community provides for the members of that community.

A concrete example might to think about a situation where a young couple with a two or three kids is going along fine until something happens like a grandparent dying and their church community swoops in to provide them with childcare and maybe a few meals while they deal with the situation. Or there could be any number of other examples of the church community caring for its members.

For me, the really cool thing about the institutional church and organized religion is that whether I move to Boston, Atlanta, Austin or San Francisco I know that I probably will be able to find a church where I can be part of that kind of community, or at least churches give me a place to start looking.

When those churches have died off because of their irrelevance, when we are all responsible for our own spiritual experiences and looking for God in everything, where should I look in a new city for a community?

Thank you for this review, as most i have read have been negative. I too received a pre-published copy to read and review but with my health i have been unable to do it. Very thought=provoking stuff! i think many associated with emergent are not progressive in their theology and are still VERY evangelical and recognize a need for change within the church but still too strongly connected to evangelicalism. AT LEAST THIS IS MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

Jim,

I heard Diane speak here in Richmond in November and met her. SHE is FANTASTIC and someone emergent needs to be connected with more. I think i bought the book you mentioned so i look forward even more to checking it out. She gave a great talk.

Adele

Have you read Diane Butler Bass’ book Christianity for the Rest of Us?

I picked it up before Christmas, haven’t made it through it yet, but she highlights some of the life and vibrancy to be found within spiritually vital mainline congregations.