I am featuring this post today because I am in Richmond, VA, and am about to spend an enjoyable day with Fritz Kling, author of "The Meeting of the Waters" and founder of Kling Philanthropy Group. Original Post: Feb 2010 Fantastic book comes out in a few days called "The Meeting of the Waters: 7…
Read MoreAccounting for Fundamentalisms
In treating the subject of fundamentalism, the authors write as scholars with firsthand exposure to the movements, emphasizing the internal dynamics and processes by which the movements construct their own realities rather than “accounting” for the “sources” which has been the fatal tactic of many EC critics.
They see fundamentalism as a dynamic process, something more dynamic than static, a “movement that unfolds over time.”
They also view fundamentalism from the macro, considering it as part of a wider field of competing movements, “existing in dynamic tension with its various detractors and competitors.” Today we would probably use the terms “complexity” and “systems thinking” to describe their strategy.
Their conclusion is that fundamentalism arose in the beginning of the twentieth century because institutions were weaker, the grass-roots individuals were conditioned to attend church, a heterogenous society allowed for new social niches, economic prosperity was channelled into religious structures which gave them publishing houses, colleges and mission boards as well as trained clergy and scholars who could articulate the movement’s key emphases. The movement was not so much a rejection of modernity, although some elements of modernity were selectively rejected, but in fact the new and changing conditions of modernity created new opportunities for the movement to take hold and grow.
Fascinating stuff. At least I thought so. The old guy on the train didn’t ask me to elaborate on the book so maybe its not everyone’s cup of tea. But I do appreciate the work of Wuthnow and Lawson from their chapter “Sources of Christian Fundamentalism in the United States” and I hope that scholars examining the new church and mission movements today will take a page from their book.
Related on TSK: When I heard Karen Armstrong speak on fundamentalism
Read More5 Tips For Attending a Baptist Church Without Embarrassing Yourself
This morning we are at Bromley Baptist Church in London. Apart from a visit to the Met Tab, the last time I went to a London Baptist church was in 2004 and I wrote up a few guidelines on not getting embarrassed at a Baptist Church. Here are a few of them. 1. Sit in…
Read MoreRedeemer City to City and Missional Stuff
Redeemer City to City is the new name and new look for Redeemer’s Church Planting Center. Check out the new web site. What you may not know is that one of the many wonderful people that have featured on my blog for the last . . . shoot . . almost a decade . .…
Read MoreAl Mohler Tops the Religion Blogs
Dr Albert Mohler is a big man on radio, behind the pulpit, in the classroom, in the biggest office of one of the biggest Seminaries in the world, and also on the blogosphere. In fact he has just topped the blogosphere with the leading religion blog according to Technorati rankings. I know this because I…
Read More5 Biggest Church Planting Mistakes
Biggest Church Planting Mistakes: 1. Rushing ahead 2. Underestimating the cost 3. Violating the Sabbath 4. Hanging on too long 5. Not having a coach From “Most common mistakes church planters make” by Shawn Lovejoy and David Putnam, both of ChurchPlanters.com HT: iGod, AndrewSD is a Vineyard pastor who blogs. The Vineyard UK are preparing…
Read MoreMark Driscoll goes to Haiti
My old friend Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church went to Haiti with James MacDonald. They recorded some footage that I look forward to seeing. Well done Mark! The first video is here on YouTube but I expect much more to come. He also got interviewed by USA Today where he speaks out against the…
Read MoreBlogging Tip: Find your inner Luke and BLOG ON!
A few years ago I was asked to write a short thought for a book called The Blogging Church: Sharing the story of your church through blogs. I just noticed on Google Books that parts of the book are online, including my contribution. Here’s a screenshot of my suggestions for blogging pastors. Andrew Jones, from…
Read MoreWhat to call those new fandanged churches?
New churches are popping up everywhere and have been ever since the church planting movement began to take shape two decades ago. If you are looking for a good phrase that describes then, sorry, you are out of luck. Stuart Murray Williams gives a little historical perspective of these new fandangled churches and lists 8…
Read MoreCoptic Orthodox Shooting: 7 Dead
The funeral for the six Coptic Orthodox Christians who were shot last week was attended by 5000 people. The shooting happened in a Coptic Orthodox church in Egypt on Jan 6 which is Christmas Eve according to their calender. A Muslim security guard also died in the shooting. We grieve for the senseless loss of…
Read MoreHow To Spot a Church Movement
Good conversation at Neil Cole’s blog on whether the organic church movement is actually a movement or not, and what some of the secrets of igniting a movement might be. Lets be honest – most of us wouldn’t recognize a a spiritual movement if it turned into a giant marshmellow and fell on our head!…
Read More3 Things the Emerging Church Took From the Catholics
What did the Roman Catholics ever do for the Emerging Church? Nothing! The EC had to figure it all out by themselves. Over 2 decades of struggle and experimentation and getting laughed at and being misunderstood. Actually, thats not quite true. A few things come to mind. And since I promised last week to mention…
Read MoreI had no idea he was a 5-point Calvinist!
Eddie Eddings comes up with his best Calvinst cartoon to date. Related: Why I am not a New Calvinist (by one guy who should be)
Read More6 More Types of House Church
The last post on why you can no longer ignore the emerging house church movement generated a few comments regarding the actual size of the movement and how it is estimated. Thanks everyone for your thoughts. I realize the movement is difficult to see, as I have written about before. The article was written by…
Read MoreRed-Eye Shift at a 24-7 Prayer Room
Our family took the red-eye shift at the local 24-7 Prayer room on Saturday night. We tagged teamed all night until 6 in the morning. Our kids slept in their sleeping bags until they were tagged. They did well. And they loved it. A lot more colorful and interactive than the boring prayer meetings I…
Read MoreAdvent Resources
Jonny Baker has details on this years crop ofAdvent Ideas from Proost [Posted with iBlogger from my iPod touch]
Read MoreSix Good Reasons to Stay Anglican
“We are convinced that this is not the time to abandon the Anglican Communion.” Peter Abuja, Primates Response to Vatican’s recent offer to receive disillusioned Anglicans. I think denomination-hopping is for wussies, anyway. And the Anglican communion has launched so many good networks that there’s no decent reason to look elsewhere. Here are 10 good…
Read MoreVerge: Missional Communities Conference
Verge is a “Missional Community Conference” in Austin, Texas, Feb 4-6, 2010. They have offered to bring me over to blog it and I have tentatively accepted. Hard to resist because church planting guru George Patterson is one of the speakers. And Austin rocks! Related: Small missional communities is a social network that was just…
Read MoreThe Starfish Manifesto Released
BIG ANNOUNCEMENT from Wolfgang Simson in today’s email. We have been waiting a long time for this book. I suggest, despite Wolfgang’s generous offer of posting it everywhere, that we all just point to the PDF at the starfish portal. “Dear friends, after a long time in the making I am happy to finally present…
Read MoreNext Decade – Prediction Number 1: Church Will Revisit 1930’s
Yeah. I know it’s a month away from end-of-decade-prediction time but I feel the first one coming on now. I think the next decade of 2010 to 2020 will involve a revisiting of the 1930’s, especially in relation to church and mission. Why? The church in the West will use up much of this coming…
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