Further responses on diversity in the Emerging Church

I am Emergent and I Don't Fit the Stereotype

by Julie CLawson

"A truth that I’ve repeatedly been reminded of this past year is the utter inappropriateness of basing one’s identity on the belittling of others. What it means to be a man of integrity cannot be defined through the mocking of Asian culture. What it means to be a Real Man cannot be defined through the debasement of women. And what it means to be a real 21^st Century Christian cannot be defined through the dismissal of the entire Western church ..." 

This Is What the Emerging Church Looks Like?

by Jarrod McKenna

"How would you react if someone called you an “evangelical”? How about if they called you part of “the emerging church”? Does “evangelicalism” make you think of a history of compassionate activism or reactionary fundamentalism? Does “emerging church” bring up for you connotations of fresh creativity or sloppy theology? With the new cover article for Sojourners, blogs are hot with discussion of the emerging church (again). Some of which is helpful, asking important question that help us more fully embody the Gospel we profess. Others posts reminds me (to paraphrase Zizek) that fundamentalism in its last death throes will always be the most fierce ..."

Why Outsider Critiques are Important for Emergent

by Soong-Chan Rah

"A wise man once told me, “Sometimes the best show of support is to raise a challenge.” I was also once told that you argue with your cousins, you don’t argue with strangers. I am not “emergent.” It doesn’t really fit with my experience. I don’t necessarily mesh with the culture of emergent. I don’t fit it theologically. I actually like being an evangelical (theologically at least). I say this to confess that I write as an outsider/observer of emergent rather than one who knows the movement inside and out. At the same time, my outsider status does not mean that I have nothing to say about emergent or that I am not allowed to offer a valid critique ..."

The Emerging Church Brand: The Good, the Bad, and the Messy

by Shane Claiborne

"First, I want to say I do not want to discourage those who have found renewed hope in Jesus and the Church through 'emerging church' conversations and circles. And I am fully aware that there are all sorts of 'emerging church' conversations happening, especially overseas, and some promising new signs of hope such as the indigenous (First Nation) youth movement that embraces the language of 'emergence.' There are lovely things happening inside and outside of the great 'emergence' ...” 

Looking Beyond the U.S. for Emerging Church Trends

by Becky Garrison

"In response to my buddies Shane and Jarrod’s reflections on the global emerging church culture, I thought I’d repost some reflections I wrote about the UK/U.S. Anglican emerging church scene for the Fall ’09 issue of Yale’s Reflections Magazine. When I reported on the HipHopEMass services transpiring in the Bronx, I was introduced to the work of Jonny Baker, one of the leaders of Grace, a Christian alternative worship community in London. One of the first things I noticed when I first visited Grace and many other UK emerging services in 2007 was the absence of a pulpit or altar as the centerpiece. These leaders tend to see themselves as facilitators or curators who work in the background, similar to a DJ, rather than placing themselves front and center. The ethos of the service is influenced by all of the community members rather than shaped by a charismatic leader. Participants bring in the technologies and media of their everyday lives — TV, video, iPods, computers, face-to-face conversations. These tools are employed not to create cool worship but rather to connect participants with each other, using those particular pieces that speak to them ..."