Twisted Christian

A major shift in North American Christianity is currently taking place, with the advent of the emergent or emerging church. In The Great Emergence, Tickle provides a history of this phenomenon, explaining the primary nature of the changes, and the historical reasons for it. She does this by answering three questions about the Great Emergence: what is it, how did it come to be, and where is it going?

Part 1 answers the question, “What is it?” Tickle explains Christianity undergoes major cultural shifts about every 500 years, starting with Jesus’ arrival in the 1st century, followed by changes during the time of Gregory the Great in the 6th century, the Great Schism in the 11th century, and most recently, the Great Reformation, 500 years ago. During these major upheavals, the Church holds a giant “rummage sale” of ideas, discarding some, keeping others, in an effort to answer the fundamental question, “What is Authority?” The Great Reformation’s answer was sola scriptura, which resulted in a split of Christianity into two traditions, Catholic and Protestant. Christianity was due for a new shift, and this time the Great Emergence is questioning the authority of sola scriptura.

Part 1 also introduces Tickle’s analogy for describing religion as a social construct. She uses the metaphor of a boat attached to shore by a cable, representing the human social unit attached to some purpose or power greater than itself by the cable of meaning. (34) The cable is composed of three parts which must be examined before the great time of change can be complete. These parts are: the outer shell, which is the story or shared narrative of the social unit; the inner mesh sleeve, which is the common imagination or common agreement of the social unit; and a three part interwoven core of spirituality, corporeality, and morality. Part 3 explores some of the impact the Great Emergence has had on the Church’s current cable of meaning.

In Part 1, Tickle emphasises how events in the years preceding each great change set the stage for the major shift to occur. Part 2 answers the question, “How did it come to be?” by describing first, the conclusions of the Great Reformation, and second, the developments of the peri-emergent period. It is the changes from the Great Reformation, the last major shift, that provide the basis for the challenges confronting the Great Emergence. The Great Reformation answered the question of authority by transferring authority from the papacy to scripture, encapsulated by the concept sola scriptura, scriptura sola.

Developments in science, psychology, and technology during the peri-emergent period have provided the agents of change that sparked the questioning of authority which has led to the Great Emergence. Tickle points to scientists like Darwin and Faraday, and psychologists like Freud and Jung as catalysts of change. Their contributions –the theory of evolution, the role of the subconscious in human thought- shattered many of the illusions held by Christians, challenging beliefs explained away for centuries as “another one of God’s mysteries.” These factors helped erode the concept of sola scriptura, bringing up anew the question, “What is authority?”

The increasing complexity of technology, culminating in the internet, allowed easier broadcast of these challenging ideas. New concepts that would have been rejected as heresy coming from the pulpit were now beamed into people’s homes via mass media. This allowed people to process potentially discomfiting ideas and information outside of the church, in a place where they felt comfortable and in control. These developments in science, along with technological globalization, and the “I’m spiritual, not religious” movement initiated in the 60s and 70s brought the spiritual strand of the cable of meaning under examination. Tickle describes a final blow to sola scriptura due to debates over the ordination of women, slavery, divorce and homosexuality. These contentious issues made it clear that, while scripture as the source of authority may not be dead altogether, the protestant method of teaching scripture was in need of serious overhaul. (101)

Part 3 answers the questions, “Where is it going?” Tickle is humble enough to admit “there is a certain temerity, if not outright arrogance, in thinking that any of us can answer before the fact such a question as where a cataclysmic shift in human affairs ultimately is going to go,” (119) but she does give a run down on the changes taking place, and the questions that need to be answered before the Great Emergence is complete. The central and overarching question that must be answered is, “Where now, is the authority?” As sola scriptura remains the foundational source of authority for Protestantism, this becomes the dividing point of contention for the Great Emergence.

Tickle proposes a series of images to understand the growth of the emergent church in the future. She begins by placing Christian denominations on a quadrilateral diagram, then shows a centripetal force of exchanging ideas swirling from the centre, which is the evolving emergent church. Finally, she points out the importance of resistance, which keeps the centripetal force of swirling ideas from spinning out of control. Tickle also touches on how the Great Emergence addresses issues like metanarrative and logic.

Tickle provides an informative and insightful perspective on the phenomenon she calls the Great Emergence. Writing a history of an event that is currently underway is a tall order, but I find her focus on the past sets the foundation for truly understanding what is happening in the present. In his review, Jonathan Brink states, “It’s much more than a history book. It’s a clear and concise look into the strings that moved and are moving the system.”[1] We cannot understand the events unfolding around us without some knowledge of the preceding events that brought about the current changes. Her discussion of the Reformation and its effect on the peri-emergent period, and explanation of the various events that shaped the beginning of the Great Emergence are invaluable for understanding where we are going.

In that regard, although the history lessons of Parts 1 and 2 are important, I felt more time needed to be given to Part 3’s discussion of the future for the emerging church. Tickle does touch on changes happening inter-denominationally, and which questions have not yet been answered for the culmination of the Great Emergence, but more discussion on what changes to theology the Great Emergence will cause would complete the analysis. I also think an introduction of some key emergent leaders, such as Brian McLaren and Rob Bell, and their work, would add depth to the final section.

I also found it strange that Tickle rarely mentions God. I understand she is focused on the underlying issue of the authority of scripture, but as Phil Bourne asks in his review, “Where does God, as the Bible describes him, fit into all of this?”[2] Christianity is God-centric as much as it is scripture-centric, and with the belief that he is an active participant in our history and the shaping of our world, I thought mention of him would be important.

The Great Emergence is a great resource for those looking for a brief history of the important events that set the stage for this shift in Christianity, as well as an overview of the changes that are currently taking place. While I found it had a few shortcomings, and could have cited a few more sources in order to give her claims a little more authority, I found it to be a great book for those interested in the history behind the emergent church.

[1] Phil Bourn, "Book Review: Phyllis Tickle, The Great Emergence: How Christianity is Changing and Why." St. Francis Magazine 5:6, December 2009: 178-186, http://www.stfrancismagazine.info/ja/13%20PhilBourne-bookreview(1).pdf
[2] Jonathan Brink, “The Great Emergence Book Review,” October 7, 2008, The Adventurous Way, http://jonathanbrink.com/2008/10/07/the-great-emergence-book-review/

Part 3: Crossing the Line

It has been a long time since I have read a book that has been as thought-provoking as The Naked Gospel. I appreciate being able to sit down and read something that challenges my beliefs, yet isn't insulting. I like to think that I'm a pretty liberal Christian, but I find that this book pushes even my limits, which is awesome. The Naked Gospel is causing me to grow in so many ways and I'm questioning previously unchallenged beliefs and coming away with strengthened resolve in some things I currently hold close, and with new ideas that are helping me grow in other areas of my faith.

There are a number of main points in Part 3 that Farley uses to further illustrate the point that we should be saying "out with the Old and in with the New" all while backing it up with scripture.

Farley starts off Part 3 by laying the foundation that Jesus' teachings were for Jews, not Christians, and that the new covenant came with the death of Jesus, not his birth.

This idea has the potential to drastically change the way Christians read and interpret the Bible. To say that Jesus' teachings are for Jews, and not instructions on how Christians are to live is a pretty major deviation from traditional Christian theology, and not one that I'm quick to accept. I do like that Farley backs up everything that he says with scripture, but then scripture can be interpreted to say almost anything you want, so I'm still not 100% sold. It is definitely an interesting idea, and something that deserves more thought than I've presently given it.

Following those initial foundational points, Farley goes on to say that while the Old isn't necessarily abolished, it has no place in the life of a Christian and that we shouldn't be making our own covenant that is a mix of Old and New. Creating a mix allows us to avoid the "suffering under the stringency of the entire law," but it also means we don't "enjoy the bliss of unconditional favour." Without giving ourselves fully to the guidance of the Holy Spirit within us, we will always find that there is something missing.

I'm one of those people that finds his Christianity to be a mix of the Old and New. And while I don't suffer from any of the guilt associated with not being able to meet the expectations of a perfect law, neither do I think that we can just throw it all away. Many of the laws from the Old Testament create the very moral fabric of our society, and I don't understand how the Holy Spirit wouldn't guide us along similar paths. I don't understand why we can't keep some of the old laws, without the guilt associated with not living up to them.

The final main point to this part is Grace. "Grace isn't just a treatment for sin; it's actually the cure for sin!" Farley does an excellent job with his description of grace in this section. He explains that grace isn't necessarily a response to sin, but rather something much greater. Grace was what allows "Jesus to produce through us what's needed in the moment." Grace is the opposite of guilt. Grace doesn't leave room for guilt, or inadequacy, nor is it merely nothing more than mercy. Grace is the Holy Spirit inside of us. Grace is the New Covenant. Grace "deactivates our pride and when we remove the law from our lives, our self-effort is no longer prodded to control behaviour."

Farley ends Part 3 with a section that is meant to give us a sense of comfort; that it is okay to feel shaken and uneasy by all of these new ideas he is putting forth. But also don't feel like just because you've read it, that it makes it true. He reminds us to keep an open, yet critical, mind as you read, and keep an open dialogue with God through prayer; allow Him to speak to you as you read and grow. There are some amazing ideas in here, but I don’t think we should adopt them just because they are a cool new thing. Try them on for size, see how they fit, but don't just accept them outright because someone wrote them in a book. Growth is a very important part of Christian life, and Farley puts forth some great ideas to get the brain thinking.

Now, despite my reservations about some of the idea's Farley puts forth, I'm loving this book and would recommend it to all Christians. It is something that needs to be read with an open mind, and if you don't agree with everything, that's fine, but just opening your mind to the possibility can bring so much growth. It will expose your weaknesses so that you may better explore them, and help to strengthen your beliefs.