EMERGENT 101: A class I never intend to take and

... a philosophical "sleight of hand" I have no intention of buying into.

Since I recently posted on Brian Mclaren, I've learned more about this new theological and conceptual framework. I'm more convinced now than then it is aberrant and probably just christian relativism in drag.

Chuck Colsen addresses the issue from his perspective, a sensitive and thoughtful examination of what he preceives as a dangerous trend and "perilously close to the trap set by postmodern deconstructionist Stanley Fish."

Colsen also said ...

... in their effort to reach postmoderns - who question the existence and knowability of truth - I expressed fear that they are coming dangerously close to teaching that objective truth does not exist.

[...]

The [issue keeps] coming back to that one stubborn question: What is truth? While I now have increased sympathy for what emerging leaders are trying to accomplish, I still believe some have wrongly diagnosed the church - believing evangelicals are wedded to dry, dusty doctrine, the curse of modernity.

Therein lies a serious problem for me. When someone says: because I'm older, I must be out touch; ergo "sit down, move over, shut up, and stay out of the way, the young lions are here." Not only is that un-Christian it's decidedly unbiblical and unwise.

Colsen says it for me ...

Like all statements that can lead us into error, those have the ring of truth.

We clearly need young leaders to replace us old guys, but we need young people who get their wisdom from above, not from this world [James 3:13-18].

I'm still turning the emergent stone around to see if it's a semi-precious stone or just another dull rock like all the other dull rocks we've seen.

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TAGS: Christianity, Chuck Colsen, Church, Christianity Today, Ecclesiology, Emergent church, Relgion, Relativism, Theology