A needful, if confused and quite unfinished, conversation
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Andy Crouch. Skeptical of postmodernism, Arminian, (but curiously) open to the New Perspective of Paul & Law, seeks recovery of baptism and eucharist as the enduring means of grace. "Postmodernism is encroaching consumer culture which we must overcome via service and sacraments".
Michael Horton. Reformed, dismissive of postmodernism as a determinant of Christian thinking, critical of 'low-church' theology, believes that justification by faith is Scripture's key question. "Postmodernism is the next bad thing in secular modernism which we must resist with truth and tradition".
Brian McLaren. Emergent, path-finder for a storied, multi-layered, 'refreshed' Gospel centered in Christ. "Postmodernism is the new world in which we must embody and communicate God's message."
Frederica Mathewes-Green. Eastern Orthodox, practical, down-to-earth in a mystical kind of way, offers a relational kind of atonement theology. Postmodernism is irrelevant to our role as God's healers and questioners."
Erwin Raphael McManus. Metropolitan, multi-cultural, urban jungle orientation, pitching an all-out-for-Jesus, never-give-up, all-it-can-be church. "Postmodernism is a radical God-starved jungle we must love and serve!"
The Church in Emerging Culture: Five Perspectives - a book examining different views on the relation between church, world, gospel and discipleship, in no particular order.
After a good introduction from Leonard Sweet (which some say was worth the price of the book alone - I'd agree, if the price was lowered...), Crouch and Horton locked horns from the start with McLaren on the issue of what postmodernity/ism is and much space was spent clearing the misunderstandings surrounding the word (McLaren even claimed Crouch was paying 'rhetorical hardball'). Crouch virtually ties postmodernism to consumer culture and Horton can't seem to take his eyes off postmodernism's negatives (labelling it 'most-modernism' given the impossibility of there truly being a radical break with the supposed modern past).
Crouch is non-Reformed evangelicalism at its 'safest' i.e. neither too liberal to earn Horton's wrath or too stiff to have his books shunned by pro-emerging folk. McLaren, as one might expect, took the postmodernism challenge best to both Horton and Crouch with his creatively worded 'yes-but' subversive poking at their (largely traditional) strongholds.
It's clear, though, that - unless Crouch and Horton don't mind rethinking their ingrained definitions (let alone value-judgments) of postmodernism - a lot of work still needs to be done to even get pomo emergent and 'modern' conservative evangelicals on the same page. To really 'connect' with people like McLaren, McManus, etc., folks like Horton/Crouch have to empathise far beyond what their present suspicions and arms'-length repudiation of postmodernity are allowing them. Criticism and the use of what's "tried and true", undoubtedly the favorite tool of theologians, isn't going to be very helpful here.
Naturally, Horton isn't pleased at the slightest shift away from established Reformed doctrine. He continuously red-flags (what he sees to be) false dichotomies and liberal theology by the others (especially McLaren and McManus). Horton's write-up, IMO, embodies precisely what many are frustrated about in the church : People are exploring new directions, asking new questions, even seeking new experiences but not only are the responses by conservatives not very different from decades ago, it seems like one could reprimanded for not thinking traditionally(!).
If you've not read McLaren before, his essay should be a good first blush with his thinking (although maybe 'questioning' could be a better word). Via questions and reflections, McLaren came to (tentatively, I'm sure) conclude that the Gospel is narrative-formed, multi-layered, cumulative, performative, catalytic i.e. so much more than what tradition and churches have extolled it to be (hence, the annoyance many have with church). Typically emergent, McLaren counsels a spirit of inquiry, continuous seeking, asking, trial-and-error and rethinking as a way of proclaiming a Christ-centered Gospel in ever-changing situations.
In the midst of the Horton vs. McLaren encounters, Mathewes-Green and McManus were more or less cheer-leaders, questioners and one-line provocateurs (especially the former).
Interestingly enough, I found Mathewes-Green's write-up to be the most relaxing and inspirational. Hers was a good break, done in a subversive Q&A format, from the standard 'pop-academic cum evangelical' style of the first three. I'll never forget her line which went, "What might real rebellion look like? Standing outside an abortion clinic on a cold Saturday morning wearing really uncool sneakers and an uncool cardigan, praying."
McManus' essay read more like an inspirational for church growth and ministry and less a theological for-or-against towards postmodernity. Nevertheless, it's clear he's on the left of McLaren with statements like, "In modern times, Scripture have been demeaned into God's comprehensive encyclopedia...we have moved from a missiological hermeneutic to a theological hermeneutic and have lost the power of the Scriptures in the transition."
When all is said, though, this is a book whose gist I find hard to "grasp" and say I've truly understood. The novel format - where comments and questions from the co-authors are inserted within a presenter's essay - was both boon, as it depicted a 'real' conversation, and bane, as it was distracting. Tip: IGNORE the addendums until you've finished reading each section on its own.
Read Crouch and Horton for the best in time-tested theology and if you want some material for a largely cerebral "Intro to Postmodernism" lecture. Read McLaren and you could be quietly inspired to do something new, although you could have more questions than answers. Read Mathewes-Green and you'll want to pray. Read McManus and you feel like jump-starting the next urban crusade.
With such a spectrum of slants and priorities, this book is both a mindtrip and a minefield for learning - you'll learn a lot, but you may not be sure where to step next: Welcome to the new church/world(?)
