Ravi Zacharias and the Emerging Church
As we talked I asked him what issues were of the greatest concern to him and what he was preparing to focus on in the coming year. Much to my surprise, he said that the Emerging church was a great concern to him because it held a low view of truth and was gaining momentum as a gathering point for all kinds of aberrant Christian doctrinal agendas.
Mark Driscoll, an early leader in the emerging church in North America, relates Zacharias concerns with some thoughtthreads within ec. Driscoll reports that Zacharias anticipates it will be his top concern in 2006.
Saturday, January 21, 2006
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7 comments:
"...the Emerging church was a great concern to him because it held a low view of truth and was gaining momentum as a gathering point for all kinds of aberrant Christian doctrinal agendas."
It is interesting to me when someone "outside" says this, as this takes place all over the modern church. It also shows how out of touch moderns are with how we do view truth.
I see in the "movement" (still gag a little on calling it a "movement") that Truth is what we as a movement are seeking. We just do not accept the modern view and their defininiton of truth. This does open a wider door with the possibility of differing doctrines, which are heretical to enter in.... yet I do not see it ever entering the Body of Christ, for only God can place someone in Christ. The danger is there, yet, our God is not afraid of danger... He died on a Cross for us did He not? I see that in this movement people can come together in acceptance of where they are and can be exposed to Jesus and have their life changed to something more real.
I guess I see Emergent as holding a higher standard of Truth... To seek it in it's purest form... in the Person of Jesus Himself.
Blessings,
iggy
Can someone explain to me what the concern is re: truth (in regards to their fears)?
My understanding about Emergent is that they believe Jesus is the only way to God, but that it is not defined as Christianity is the way to God...does that make sense?
To borrow from Rob Bell, Jesus shows us ultimate reality, he shows us what it looks like to be relationship with God, to be fully human. That isn't to say I don't believe Jesus isn't the only way to God, but that Jesus is bigger than any one religion.
Does that make sense? My understanding is this is what Emergent is about pursuing...or am I wrong?
I guess I'm just not afraid of talking about it because I know the church will continue to move forward...God is just much bigger than that...He will see us through...
Hi everyone,
Thanks for your comments and questions. I'll see if I can do some digging and find out more info on Zacharias' comments. Because it's a stated focus for 2006, it may be that he's not yet written/spoken much on it. And it also may be that he's primarily following DA Carson's critiques. But I'll see if I can get a better bead and where he's coming from and report back on the blog.
thanks,
Below are several resources from Zacharias or people that work with him on RZ's view of truth. But really, he's concerned with EC, not simply because it's a "hotbed of heresey", but mostly because he finds it aberrant AND increasingly POPULAR. Like so many others, he's a trend follower. How do you know you're not on the cutting edge?... When everyone thinks you are.
http://www.rzim.org/publications/essay_arttext.php?id=12
http://www.veritas.org/3.0_media/talks/329
http://www.veritas.org/3.0_media/talks/190
http://www.leaderu.com/theology/groothuis-truth.html
Of course, I'm on the "outside" of EC and RZ. I recommend to you all the perspective advocated by Herman Dooyeweerd:
http://www.isi.salford.ac.uk/dooy/truth.html
Here's a great example of why nonEC folk have such trouble with the EC thing. Under the suface of humility lies a refusal to take a stand. And this refusal comes across as very zeitgeisty.
Here's the kind of thing (the approach, not necessarily the specific answer) guys like Carter are looking for: in a word, authority (biblical, pastoral, in the Spirit of Jesus).
Oops. Apparently, the "here's the kind..." link isn't working. It's for an essay entitled "what I think about homosexuality" by Lee Irons. It's an example of pastorally taking a stand.
Try cut&paste this to your browser:
http://www.upper-register.com/irons_trial/WhatIBelieveAboutHomosexuality(Irons).doc
It will open up a "doc" file.
OK... or this Link:
What I Believe About Homosexuality
hope it works.
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