An Emerging World View

Like many, I am wrestling with the idea of emergent Christianity. What is interesting is that there are several conversations going on -- from Brian McLaren to Marcus Borg -- using this language.

In relation to the ongoing Transforming Theology conversation, Process Theologian Philip Clayton invites former Emergent Village Coordinator Tony Jones to engage in a conversation about what the emerging church paradigm might look like.

Clayton suggests that the idea of emergence is now part of the scientific conversation -- specifically the biological conversation -- it is a reversal of the modern reductionist viewpoint that pulls everything down to the base -- atoms and such -- and sees how things emerge from the base, without a cap. There is an openness here that might allow for God to be involved, pulling the process up from the base, transforming the social and physical processes.

Here is Clayton's opening invitation:



Here is Tony's answer, where he affirms the principle that emergence isn't just a transitional moment, but a constant. Indeed, change is the one constant:



Mike Leaptrott is taking up this conversation, so keep watch there.

Comments

roy said…
good stuff Bob
Anonymous said…
Christianity, to remain viable, has to change but it'd essential tenets must not be changed to suit the whims of political correctness and "cool".
Jesus would not have compromised his principles as a lot of "Christians" have done and are doing to seem nice and acceptable to the world. Read Edward Schillebeeckx' "Jesus in our Western Culture"...

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