Mark Driscoll and the Emergent Church

[KMK]

There was an interesting interview with Mark Driscoll in the latest Modern Reformation magazine. Driscoll says...

What we are seeing is, the two hot theologies right now among the younger evengelicals are sort of a "new Reformed theology," which is basically just the older form rediscovered, and what is known as Emergent, or emerging theology, which is becoming the new left."

Being an old guy I have no idea what this emergent stuff is all about. I recognize (especially here on PB) that there are many Godly younger people who are very knowledgeable about theology and have a sincere hunger for the Word, but I am out of touch with the emergent thing.

What do you young'ons think? Have any of you attended 'emergent churches'? Do you have friends that do? Is it a big deal? What is it like? Are there pluses and minuses? (Too bad the detective emoticon does not come with a grey beard)

 

[Chris]

There was an interesting interview with Mark Driscoll in the latest Modern Reformation magazine. Driscoll says...



Being an old guy I have no idea what this emergent stuff is all about. I recognize (especially here on PB) that there are many Godly younger people who are very knowledgeable about theology and have a sincere hunger for the Word, but I am out of touch with the emergent thing.

What do you young'ons think? Have any of you attended 'emergent churches'? Do you have friends that do? Is it a big deal? What is it like? Are there pluses and minuses? (Too bad the detective emoticon does not come with a grey beard)

'Emergent' is a broad term. Driscoll can be theologiocally sound in one breath and go off the deep end in the next, and that sums up the emergent movement as a whole. A key sign of 'emergent' theology is an open-mindedness towards the occult, towards mysticism, towards 'new expressions of spirituality', an extreme level of inclusiveness, extreme 'seeker-friendliness'.....in short, if you see a church doing things you'd expect of young, immature Christians (picture a church ran by ungrounded teenagers; a mixture of truth and error), there's a good chance they have an 'emergent' influence.

 

[Augusta]

*goes to find her MR magazine*

 

[Ravens]

If you don't have the moxy to attend an emergent service, it is rather easy to reproduce one in the comfort of your own home. Just go into a candle lit room by yourself, burn some nag champa, and say two words, "community" and "relational" over and over. If it pleases you, mix in a " Hari " every now and then for good measure.

When you tire of it, go have a cup of coffee; you've just experienced an emergent service.

 

[jawyman]

There was an interesting interview with Mark Driscoll in the latest Modern Reformation magazine. Driscoll says...



Being an old guy I have no idea what this emergent stuff is all about. I recognize (especially here on PB) that there are many Godly younger people who are very knowledgeable about theology and have a sincere hunger for the Word, but I am out of touch with the emergent thing.

What do you young'ons think? Have any of you attended 'emergent churches'? Do you have friends that do? Is it a big deal? What is it like? Are there pluses and minuses? (Too bad the detective emoticon does not come with a grey beard)

I would stay as far away from the Emergent Church as possible, but if you are interested in learning more about them follow this link.

http://www.emergingchurch.info

 

[Theoretical]

If you don't have the moxy to attend an emergent service, it is rather easy to reproduce one in the comfort of your own home. Just go into a candle lit room by yourself, burn some nag champa, and say two words, "community" and "relational" over and over. If it pleases you, mix in a " Hari " every now and then for good measure.

When you tire of it, go have a cup of coffee; you've just experienced an emergent service.

Having been to several emergent church services a few years, when I was TULIP-only Reformed, that is a very accurate assement of them.

 

[VaughanRSmith]

I do have a soft spot for Driscoll. He may have weird views on charismatic things, but all in all I find him a fairly well grounded reformed pastor. He's mixed up with the emerging movement, but really what he says about the church and society are very Biblical.

A key sign of 'emergent' theology is an open-mindedness towards the occult, towards mysticism, towards 'new expressions of spirituality', an extreme level of inclusiveness, extreme 'seeker-friendliness'.....in short, if you see a church doing things you'd expect of young, immature Christians (picture a church ran by ungrounded teenagers; a mixture of truth and error), there's a good chance they have an 'emergent' influence.

These are things that I don't see coming from Mars Hill Church (not to be confused with Mars Hill Bible Church and Rob Bell).

 

[Tirian]

I have heard it said of one of the local emergant churches that they claim the are not "based on the bible", but rather they are based on the "teachings of Jesus only".

 

[travis]

There is a distinct difference between those who call themselves 'emerging' (Driscoll, Acts 29 Network, decidedly reformed) and 'emergent' (Bell, Generous Orthodoxy, Prayer Lamps and Labyrinths, etc).

Driscoll (emerging) is pretty vocal about the problems with the emergent church.

 

[KMK]

There is a distinct difference between those who call themselves 'emerging' (Driscoll, Acts 29 Network, decidedly reformed) and 'emergent' (Bell, Generous Orthodoxy, Prayer Lamps and Labyrinths, etc).

Driscoll (emerging) is pretty vocal about the problems with the emergent church.

He admits in the article that he left that *movement* when Brian McLaren came on board.

He also said his church grew by a thousand in one month because of a hunger for reformed teaching. I hope that is true.

 

[VaughanRSmith]

He admits in the article that he left that *movement* when Brian McLaren came on board.

He also said his church grew by a thousand in one month because of a hunger for reformed teaching. I hope that is true.

That was while he was doing his series on Ruth wasn't it? I remember reading something like that in the most recent MR.

 

[KMK]

That was while he was doing his series on Ruth wasn't it? I remember reading something like that in the most recent MR.

That's the article I am talking about.

 

[Scott Shahan]

There is a distinct difference between those who call themselves 'emerging' (Driscoll, Acts 29 Network, decidedly reformed) and 'emergent' (Bell, Generous Orthodoxy, Prayer Lamps and Labyrinths, etc).

Driscoll (emerging) is pretty vocal about the problems with the emergent church.

I have been downloading Driscoll's podcast's on itunes for the last few months and I really like this guy. Driscoll loves Jesus and he loves people. If I lived in Seattle I would be going to Mars Hill Church.

 

[BobVigneault]

It's very clear that a bunch of you have a soft spot in your head for Mr. Driscoll. He did indeed come out of the emergent church movement. I still can't synthesize his pastor calling with his vulgar mouth. We discussed this a while back after Jenny had directed us to a review of his book. I don't understand him and have decided to steer clear. I enjoyed hearing him interviewed on Whitehorse Inn but then I read of his dark side. Ugh!

We discussed him a bit in this thread.

 

[KMK]

It's very clear that a bunch of you have a soft spot in your head for Mr. Driscoll. He did indeed come out of the emergent church movement. I still can't synthesize his pastor calling with his vulgar mouth. We discussed this a while back after Jenny had directed us to a review of his book. I don't understand him and have decided to steer clear. I enjoyed hearing him interviewed on Whitehorse Inn but then I read of his dark side. Ugh!

We discussed him a bit in this thread.

I remember this thread! That is why his name sounded so familiar. Even though he says he has broken with the emergent church, does his ecclesiolgy still remain basically the same? Does worship at Mars Hill look like an emergent church?

 

[KMK]

Wow. Have any of you seen this site? http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/index.html

Apparently Rick Warren wrote a forward to a book called "The Emerging Church". Is Warren/Saddleback an example of an 'emergent church'?

Apparently Warren is into some interesting things. Something called 'breath prayers'. And something called 'labyrinths'. Are these things distinctive of emergent churches? Is this true of Driscoll?

 

[Chris]

Wow. Have any of you seen this site? http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/index.html

Apparently Rick Warren wrote a forward to a book called "The Emerging Church". Is Warren/Saddleback an example of an 'emergent church'?

Apparently Warren is into some interesting things. Something called 'breath prayers'. And something called 'labyrinths'. Are these things distinctive of emergent churches? Is this true of Driscoll?

Breath prayers and labyrinths........can you say 'contemplative spirituality'???

 

[Gryphonette]

I'd classify Warren and Saddleback as "emergent", but my mind boggles at the idea of Mark Driscoll promoting a "breath prayer" or walking a labyrinth.

Driscoll can be a fair chunk earthier (though he doesn't do it all the time...I've listened and watched many of his Sunday sermons and they're fine) than most of us are comfortable with, but that very earthiness would make him recoil at the notion of anything so new-agey.

He dislikes intensely anything remotely smacking of new age junk.

He's not perfect - but then, of course, who is? - but Driscoll preaches Jesus Christ and Him crucified more boldly and forthrightly and unapologetically than darn near anyone else, bar none.

Plus he's in Seattle and preaches male headship of church and family, plus hammers home that "God hates divorce."

He's still comparatively young. Seeing as how he's showing the excellent sense in hanging around with the likes of John Piper rather than Rick Warren, I'm confidant he'll continue to mature as a pastor.