Categories: uncategorized
Date: 10 August 2005 16:09:03
Whilst I agree with theorists like Grace Davie who argue that the UK church is culturally v.different to the US, I think what is going on in the US is important because the UK tends to be v.influenced by what is happening stateside, particularly in evangelical circles, (just draw up a list of popular books and conference speakers & you'll see what I mean).
As such todays debates on that side of the pond are tomorrows issues overhere (often), although we may not realise because the debates tend to trickle down into localised issues, which often we don't realise feed into much wider debates; (often I believe we unconciously absorb one set of ideas which then colours our view on all kinds of things, dependant upon who we've read / heard).
The whole emergent debate going on appears to be one of these kind of things. On one hand it appears to be theologians particularly, but Christians more generally arguing with each other again and so a debate to be avoided (why can't people ever agree?). Yet on the other one gets the feeling that the way this goes could, and I only say could, feed down into the way the (evangelical) church develops more generally over the next decade or so (in terms of "what is the acceptable view" and "where do we draw the lines") and whether emergent is just this seasons black, so to speak, or something influential over the longer term.
As such the current postings from Brian McLaren on emergent- US are worth a read, as much for a good story as the contribution to the debate going on (thanks to Jason for link) as is the complex christ blog, because although it again appears to be from the pro-emerging side, it actually explains the debate in a way that people in the UK, who are outside the debate, can understand, (thanks to Maggi for the link to that one, from her site).