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Emergents and Calvinists: CT Dialogue with Jones, Hansen

Posted May 1, 12:23 PM | 3 comments | by Editor | Link

Christianity Today has initiated a dialogue between Tony Jones (author of The New Christians) and Collin Hansen (author of Young, Restless, Reformed). The first exchange was posted today and further updates will continue over the next several days.

The CT editors write, “The books and movements share a number of themes: reaction against entertainment-driven church life, desire for transcendence, rediscovery of tradition, and a need to answer common misconceptions about the movements. Christianity Today invited Hansen and Jones to read each other’s books and discuss how the rise of one movement might illuminate aspects of the rise of the other. Are both movements scratching the same itch? Are there internal tensions in one movement that also appear in the other?”

Here’s one short excerpt, from Tony, writing to Collin, “I am committed to God’s sovereignty, to the inspiration and authority of Scripture, and to the atoning work of Jesus. And, I was pleasantly surprised how your book highlights the cross-pollination that’s taking place in your circles between Baptists, Presbyterians, and charismatics. That’s some ecumenism that I wasn’t expecting (and another aspect of ministry that we agree on)! Where we probably differ is not so much on theology, but on epistemology. ... the Emergents that I hang out with are less sure of their right-ness. In fact, they’re less sure that we, as finite human beings, can get anything all that right.”

Keep track of the conversation on ChristianityToday.com

Previously: Emergents and Calvinists: “Never the Twain Shall Meet”?

Update: Self-described “emerging crone” Jenell Paris writes, “May I implore Jones, Hansen, and their commenters to discuss the role of women in their respective movements and the embeddness of patriarchal presuppositions in contemporary western theology? This first installment speaks of what ‘people’ in the movements think, but by ‘people’ do they really mean ‘men’? In what contexts, on what issues, and by whose authority are women allowed to have opinions and to voice them? As a female reader, I wonder whether and when words like ‘people’ or ‘they’ or ‘we’ include me. ... Gender is not ancillary, derivative, or marginal to some a-cultural center set of theological concerns. Patriarchy is a constitutive element of contemporary and historical religious discourse, and organizational and personal practice.”

Follow the conversation on ChristianityToday.com to find out if this gets addressed

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Welcome to the Reader's Forum

1Sarah Lynne May 2, 08:05 PM

That was an interesting exchange. I just read this post and the response to critics. I thought both of them were good, but I wonder why “critics” continue to assert that we have different theology? How many times do people like Mclaren and Jones have to assert that they DO believe in truth and that Christ is the way and etc etc? I like how Jones differentiated between theology and epistemology. It will be sad if critics make certainty (in the intellectual sense) the measure of Christianity. Faith and hope are in things we do not see.

I am absolutely confidant and fully believe in Christ, but I would never claim to have absolute/certain knowledge. One has to do with my commitment to what I feel God has revealed to me, the other with my intellectual ability as a human being.
Most Christians I know seem to get that, so why the hooplah? The practical application is humility and grace. I do believe that we must have some level of confidence to properally act out the kind of love Christ modeled, but I don’t think that church has ever done that well. False confidence found in an assertion of absolute knowlegde breads fear and then violence. We can see it in the fear of science, other belief systems, culture, etc and it has obviously lead to embarressing violence from the church. On the other hand, the confidence and hope that comes from a belief in Christ (while understanding your own limitations) should result in both acting in response to your belief, the ability to love people who believe differently, and a firm belief that it is God who reveals Himself to others, and while we have an important role in that, proving God’s existence/Christianity does not rest on our shoulders (and doesnt have to be possible). This fits perfectly well with reformed thinking. It allows us to understand the existance of poly-vocality in our world without patronising our neighbors. We know we are as fallible as them, and so we should offer our beliefs with humility, but on the other hand, we should still have the confidence that comes from our relationship with God.
2Scott Lenger May 2, 11:42 PM

For a long time I’ve been puzzled by the apparent need of (E/e)mergents to be apologists to Fundies and the Reformed. As postmoderns don’t we have the epistemological privilege? If (E/e)mergent reflects a more appropriate theological perspective (and I think it does), then why spend so much time defending it?

Then I came across all the crazy comments/reviews of McLaren’s Generous Orthodoxy at Amazon.com and now I think I maybe kinda get it.

3Jo Ann Karn May 30, 08:04 AM

What about those who do not worship the same God we believe in? I believe God made them, loves them and forgives them as he does me.
My love and acceptance of them is what God expects. He is the one in charge..not me.

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