Emerging in Germany
From numerous discussions I have had in the last few days, it appears that the 'emerging conversation' is finally starting to take off in southern Germany amongst Evangelicals. And one or two theology blogs are in the pipe-line to boot.
While I am not comfortable with the line of reasoning that runs 'Postmodernity, therefore...', my own experience of things emergent has been of a liberation into a reforming and healthy theological adventure. So all I can say about this news is 'Wonderful!'
I look forward to seeing what shape this 'conversation' will take in Germany. You can bet it will be different from that found in the States and the UK – at least I hope so, or something has gone wrong, and 'emergent' will have been understood amiss and simply McDonaldsised for mass consumption with an Anglo-American pre-package. That would be a pity.
posted by Chris Tilling @ 12:27 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
Hi Chris,
we met at the LeRon Shults lectures in Tuebingen some weeks ago, remember? Great to here about some "emerging" movement! Maybe we can connect sometime and check out, which people in the Tuebingen/Stuttgart area are interested in the conversation? Grretings!
Ach! This is a pet peeve of mine, but the objection to this usage needs to be repeated until it sinks into the clueless masses:
There is no "postmodernity" or "postmodern age." There is only a type of literary criticism bearing the label "postmodern."
Like any other buzzword with connotations of acceptably transgressive hipness, it is misused up the wazoo. "Postmodern" is now misused as much as "midrash" was in the Nineties. "Emerging" seems to be becoming a new one.
Has anybody read the book by Moltmann's buddy Johann Baptist Metz, The Emergent Church: The Future of Christianity in a Postbourgeois World (New York: Crossroad, 1981)?
I confess, I haven't read it yet. But maybe the whole emergent thing started in Germany after all.
Hey Alex!
I'm game. I know you live a bit out of town, so let me know when you are around.
Hi Kevin, it is the simple certainty that there was a modernity, and is now a postmodernity, and that therefore ... that I struggle with. I know those like Brown have shown how somthing like 'postmodernity' as described in some literature, is present in such things as media, arts, lit., philosophy etc, but whether it is really a world view change, or just another blip on global capitalism, or something like it .... I dunno. I "get" your reserve.
Hi Mark,
No, I haven't. Looks interesting.
I've thumbed through that one Mark. I like Metz. My take, and I'm doing academic research on the "Emerging Church" in Canada, is that this word Emerging/Emergent has been with us a while. It usually denotes an impulse towards renewal at the edges of established denominations. The Catholics got a fair bit of traction out of the term over the years. It is a fitting name for the edge of the Church that is taking culture seriously and trying to respond appropriately.
As a fan and and Emerging Church minister I'm keen to see how the Germans will take the conversation further. I think you will find some cool Lutheran roots to the current conversation in the US.
i used metz's book a few years ago when i was teaching on emerging church at Freakstock Festival in Gotha, Germany. Lots of good stuff going on in Germany. I dont see it as inferior to the scene in USA or UK. In fact, we have used Germans in our USA events and they have been fantastic.
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