Increasingly Convinced Part II

Reading The Church in Emerging Culture, Five Perspectives. Essentially the work brings five different leaders into a dialog as they contribute their own thoughts in the form of a chapter and then comment on each other’s contribution.  In Andy Crouch’s chapter he asserts that postmodernity is really a form of ultra-modernism.  Using common analogies of experiencing flight and other heavily science dependent activities, Crouch rather convincingly points out the counter productive nature of an “either/or” choice between post-modernity and modernity.

In much of Crouch’s critique he uses “Neo” from McLaren’s series as a foil.  Refreshingly McLaren enters into dialog with Crouch agreeing with his conclusion but not his definitions.  To McLaren the modifier “post” is used to signify something that flows out of and uses the analogies of a postgraduate not becoming anti-intellectual or a child’s birth bringing a new generation that does necessitate the death of the older generation.

Perhaps a fuller understanding of how the term “post” and the subsequent consequences of application could be helpful to the conversation I find myself in.  There may have been a disconnect of some sort in the living out of this understanding.  As new ministries have sprung up, a chord has been struck with many; but perhaps this chord is not as a full as one would desire.  If the EM truly flows out of a more modern understanding of faith then the EM must appreciate this heritage and acknowledge it’s continued existence.  Instead it seems that many are working with the same definition as Crouch and seeking to completely abandon all that smacks of modernism.