Book Review.
Hirsch, Alan. The Forgotten Ways. Reactivating the missional church. Brazo Press, 2006.
A.H.- founding director of Forge Mission Training Network. Church planter.
Comment. Henry.
Hirsch is an outspoken representative of the emerging church camp. The endorsements for this book come from that camp. That designation would put him at odds with church leaders of the institutionalized church found in most denominational organizations. The reading of this book will seriously mess with your ‘comfort zone’ as you become exposed to what Alan calls Apostolic Genius.
There have been amazing phenomena of explosive growth of Christianity, e.g. the early church, the growth of Christianity in China after Mao Tse-tung’s Cultural Revolution, etc. “It is the central task of this book to try to give a name to these phenomena and to try to identify the elements that constitute it” (intro)
“All great missionary movements begin at the fringes of the church. Most great movements of mission have inspired significant and related movements of renewal in the life of the church.” (30) Churches must transition from being attractional to engaging culture on its own turf. This calls for a “proximity space”, (37) where interaction on a broad scale can take place. Disciple-making becomes an indicator of success when this happens.
“Apostolic Genius” (78) is the key to explosive Christian growth. At its center is the Lordship of Jesus. The ‘elements’ of Apostolic Genius are, “Disciple-making, Missional-Incarnational Impulse, Apostolic Environment, Organic Systems, and Communitas not Community.” (79) Together these elements become the “mDNA” (79) (m is missional) of Apostolic Genius. “The rest of this book will be an attempt to describe these aspects of Apostolic Genius by identifying, defining, and translating each aspect of the mDNA into our context in the West.” (79)
Discipleship in a believer is a process that is never completed. “The major threat to the viability of our faith is that of consumerism.” (106) “The quality of the church’s leadership is directly proportional to the quality of discipleship.” (119)
“The missional-incarnational impulse- is the impetus and patterning of Jesus movements over space and time.” (128) This element is in contrast with the contemporary church focus of “the evangelistic-attractional mode”.
The apostolic environment is represented by the ministries listed in Eph. 4:7,11-12, ‘apostolic, prophetic, evangelistic, pastoral and teaching/didactic. The body of Christ was never meant to become an institution but rather remain an organic ‘body’ experiencing organic growth. Such grow this described as “viral growth”. (210) There is a difference between reproduction (early church) and cloning (institutional church).
The fifth element of Apostolic Genius is “communitas” (217) (an instructured community in which people are equal, or to the very spirit of community characterized by liminality- Wikipedia) e.g. Israel during the Exodus.
“This book has been about bringing to light a lost potential that has lain hidden at the very heart of God’s people for much too long.” (245)
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Leaving Church.
Book Review.
Taylor, Barbara Brown. Leaving Church. A memoir of faith. Harper San Francisco. 2006.
B.T.- named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University. She lives on a working farm in rural Habersham County, Georgia.
Comment. Henry.
This is a story about leaving the church not abandoning the church. Actually it is really about a career change that involves a transition with adjustments marked by a fairly high level of spiritual trauma. Barbara is a gifted story-teller, something that makes for a great preacher. Her story is a real delight to read. As a result of this read I have gained a clearer understanding of a position that I would describe as a ‘non-evangelical Christian’.
Barbara began her career when she was ordained as an Episcopalian priest in 1983. She was one of four priests at All Saints Church in Atlanta. Her husband Ed had an engineering firm in the same city.
As a child Barbara had a great sensitivity to and impressive understanding of what she calls “the Presence” (23), her idea of God. She demonstrated a very strong gift of compassion for those (creatures) in need. As a young adult she chose to go to seminary with no plans for ordination. While a student at Yale Divinity School she discovered Christ Episcopal Church and this ‘connection’ put her on the path of ordination. From the time of her ‘call’ it took five years for her gifts of ministry to be confirmed as a potential priest.
Concerning her motivation for ordination Barbara explains, “I wanted to move in with God on a full-time basis and ordination looked like my best bet”. (41) She served as an associate rector at All Saints Church in Atlanta for nine years. Her transition to rector of Grace Calvary Episcopal in Georgia was a major change for her.
Barbara succeeded a rector who had been at Grace for many years and had recently passed away. She described her feelings like “the second wife of a widower. I wanted to make up for what they (the congregation) had lost when Julieur died, without trying to take his place”.
When Ed and Barbara bought acreage and built their dream home the people saw this as a commitment to permanency. It turned out to be a short-lived dream. Two contemporary issues brought on the consideration that Barbara should consider leaving the church. The first was a rapid growth of Grace-Calvary that required some decision-making that caused division in the congregation and non-pastoral, administrative responsibilities that took Barbara way out of her comfort zone. The second was a denominational conflict over the ordination of lesbian and gay priests. These issues brought her to a crisis of faith. “I wanted to recover the kind of faith that has nothing to do with being sure what I believe and everything to do with trusting God to catch me though I am not sure of anything”.
Barbara’s transition from a rector of a flourishing church to a professor of religion at a local college is a moving story. “There was no mastering divinity. My vocation was to love God and my neighbour, and that was something I could do anywhere, with anyone, with or without a collar.” (209)
Leaving the professional association of the church included a great deal of ‘keeping’. “I will keep the prayer book and hymnal.” (215) “I will keep the Bible, which remains the Word of God for me.” (216) “I will keep faith- in God, in God’s faith in me, and in all the companions whom God has given me to help see the world as God sees it.” (230)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Taylor, Barbara Brown. Leaving Church. A memoir of faith. Harper San Francisco. 2006.
B.T.- named one of the twelve most effective preachers in the English-speaking world by Baylor University. She lives on a working farm in rural Habersham County, Georgia.
Comment. Henry.
This is a story about leaving the church not abandoning the church. Actually it is really about a career change that involves a transition with adjustments marked by a fairly high level of spiritual trauma. Barbara is a gifted story-teller, something that makes for a great preacher. Her story is a real delight to read. As a result of this read I have gained a clearer understanding of a position that I would describe as a ‘non-evangelical Christian’.
Barbara began her career when she was ordained as an Episcopalian priest in 1983. She was one of four priests at All Saints Church in Atlanta. Her husband Ed had an engineering firm in the same city.
As a child Barbara had a great sensitivity to and impressive understanding of what she calls “the Presence” (23), her idea of God. She demonstrated a very strong gift of compassion for those (creatures) in need. As a young adult she chose to go to seminary with no plans for ordination. While a student at Yale Divinity School she discovered Christ Episcopal Church and this ‘connection’ put her on the path of ordination. From the time of her ‘call’ it took five years for her gifts of ministry to be confirmed as a potential priest.
Concerning her motivation for ordination Barbara explains, “I wanted to move in with God on a full-time basis and ordination looked like my best bet”. (41) She served as an associate rector at All Saints Church in Atlanta for nine years. Her transition to rector of Grace Calvary Episcopal in Georgia was a major change for her.
Barbara succeeded a rector who had been at Grace for many years and had recently passed away. She described her feelings like “the second wife of a widower. I wanted to make up for what they (the congregation) had lost when Julieur died, without trying to take his place”.
When Ed and Barbara bought acreage and built their dream home the people saw this as a commitment to permanency. It turned out to be a short-lived dream. Two contemporary issues brought on the consideration that Barbara should consider leaving the church. The first was a rapid growth of Grace-Calvary that required some decision-making that caused division in the congregation and non-pastoral, administrative responsibilities that took Barbara way out of her comfort zone. The second was a denominational conflict over the ordination of lesbian and gay priests. These issues brought her to a crisis of faith. “I wanted to recover the kind of faith that has nothing to do with being sure what I believe and everything to do with trusting God to catch me though I am not sure of anything”.
Barbara’s transition from a rector of a flourishing church to a professor of religion at a local college is a moving story. “There was no mastering divinity. My vocation was to love God and my neighbour, and that was something I could do anywhere, with anyone, with or without a collar.” (209)
Leaving the professional association of the church included a great deal of ‘keeping’. “I will keep the prayer book and hymnal.” (215) “I will keep the Bible, which remains the Word of God for me.” (216) “I will keep faith- in God, in God’s faith in me, and in all the companions whom God has given me to help see the world as God sees it.” (230)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Igloo Dwellers Were My Church.
Book Review.
Sperry, John. Igloo Dwellers Were My Church. 2001. Bayeux Arts, Inc. Calgary.
J.S.(Jack)- Jack Sperry moved to the tiny Canadian Arctic settlement of Coppermine in 1950. He spent 40 years in the Arctic as an Anglican priest and later became a bishop of the Arctic.
Comment. Henry.
Although this story is about a priest whose church was made of igloo dwellers, this is also an intriguing resource of interesting Arctic history. The aborigines of the Arctic are a unique people and Jack has done an impressive job of including information about their life style and history. Jack was a ‘model missionary’ to these people during the last half of the 20th century.
John Sperry was a missionary to the Eskimos of the central Arctic. Born in England, he was educated and ordained as an Anglican priest. He was uniquely called to this special parish. He began his ministry in Coppermine in 1950. Two years late his bride joined him. They were married in Coppermine and raised their family (girl and boy) there.
Pioneer missionaries have some things in common. Language is crucial. It must be learned and usually put into writing for the first time. This was part of John’s assignment and experience. He became familiar with the beliefs of the people and saw a positive response to Christianity which gave them a welcome deliverance from the fear and bondage of superstition and the control of perceived holy men (shamans).
During John’s ‘tenure’ in the Arctic he saw many changes, some good and some not so good. Manufactured goods came from the south that were brought in by the Hudson Bay Company. Rifles made hunting easier and more productive. The introduction of snowmobiles and outboard motors brought a huge change in speedier travel. Increasingly locals lived in permanent all-season dwellings. The construction of the ‘Dew Line’ brought employment and wealth. With wealth came consumerism and all the negative things associated with it. The old society disintegrated. Family life was virtually destroyed. “The social fabric of the Arctic society was beginning to fray.” (158) The work of the RCMP changed from ‘managing’ people’s needs to law enforcement and dealing with the negative influence of alcohol and drugs. Suicides became more common. The work of the missionary changed dramatically.
In his Epilogue, Kuanakutin, who acted as editor of this book gives John this personal tribute. “Jack Sperry’s presence in our lives has meant the world to us. He has helped us through rough times, and his cheerfulness adds sparkle to our time in an astounding land.” (162)
Sperry, John. Igloo Dwellers Were My Church. 2001. Bayeux Arts, Inc. Calgary.
J.S.(Jack)- Jack Sperry moved to the tiny Canadian Arctic settlement of Coppermine in 1950. He spent 40 years in the Arctic as an Anglican priest and later became a bishop of the Arctic.
Comment. Henry.
Although this story is about a priest whose church was made of igloo dwellers, this is also an intriguing resource of interesting Arctic history. The aborigines of the Arctic are a unique people and Jack has done an impressive job of including information about their life style and history. Jack was a ‘model missionary’ to these people during the last half of the 20th century.
John Sperry was a missionary to the Eskimos of the central Arctic. Born in England, he was educated and ordained as an Anglican priest. He was uniquely called to this special parish. He began his ministry in Coppermine in 1950. Two years late his bride joined him. They were married in Coppermine and raised their family (girl and boy) there.
Pioneer missionaries have some things in common. Language is crucial. It must be learned and usually put into writing for the first time. This was part of John’s assignment and experience. He became familiar with the beliefs of the people and saw a positive response to Christianity which gave them a welcome deliverance from the fear and bondage of superstition and the control of perceived holy men (shamans).
During John’s ‘tenure’ in the Arctic he saw many changes, some good and some not so good. Manufactured goods came from the south that were brought in by the Hudson Bay Company. Rifles made hunting easier and more productive. The introduction of snowmobiles and outboard motors brought a huge change in speedier travel. Increasingly locals lived in permanent all-season dwellings. The construction of the ‘Dew Line’ brought employment and wealth. With wealth came consumerism and all the negative things associated with it. The old society disintegrated. Family life was virtually destroyed. “The social fabric of the Arctic society was beginning to fray.” (158) The work of the RCMP changed from ‘managing’ people’s needs to law enforcement and dealing with the negative influence of alcohol and drugs. Suicides became more common. The work of the missionary changed dramatically.
In his Epilogue, Kuanakutin, who acted as editor of this book gives John this personal tribute. “Jack Sperry’s presence in our lives has meant the world to us. He has helped us through rough times, and his cheerfulness adds sparkle to our time in an astounding land.” (162)
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Creative Retirement.
Book Review.
Bankson, Marjory Zoet. Creative Aging. Rethinking Retirement and Non-Retirement in a Changing World. Skylight Paths Publishing. 2010
M.Z.B.- an artist and spiritual guide. Former president of Faith At Work and editor of Faith@Work magazine. Currently teaching on spiritual companionship at several schools.
Comment. Henry.
A relevant book with practical advice and teaching for those who want to prepare for retirement and/or who are in early stages of retirement.
The time from age sixty to seventy-five is identified as the “generative period” for retirees. Retirement has taken on a new meaning. It is a transition not a cessation and that involves a ‘call’ to a new stage of life. There are seven stages to this transition; “release, resistance, reclaiming, revelation, risk, and relating”. (4) (Sounds like a sermon outline.)
Just like ones life-work is (should be) determined by a ‘call’, attention needs to be given in mid-life to a call as retirement approaches. (This provides a very important element of anticipation of a career change from success to significance. HD) Such a call will probably include a re-visiting our identity as we consider what our new work will be and how we are gifted for that work. Transition involves an ending with some level of loss and/or grief and a beginning with some level of risk.
For those who don’t have a planned or mandatory retirement there are signs that suggest that this option should be considered. “Release is never as simple as it sounds.” (27) Experiences of career changes are beneficial in adapting to transition. When planning and anticipated adjustments are addressed they result in good ‘closer’.
Resistance is natural and normal when there is a transition from ‘doing’ (success) to ‘being’ (significance). “There is wisdom in rest- and ‘wasting time’ between purposeful activities.” (43) “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy” (Ten Commandments) There is a path that leads through the resistance to change, from doing to being.
Retirement is the time we have the opportunity to “Reclaim riches from the past”. (55) These could be talents, skills or buried gifts. In the process of these ‘discoveries’ we should expect some level of pain and suffering. Pay attention to your dreams.
Revelation will be part of discovering all the potential newness of the changes in retirement. Search with expectation. Don’t lose sight of reality and risk in your decisions regarding change. “Desire to be useful.” (106) There is a whole world out there with potential for community, personal connection and rewarding service.
“If, as we cross the threshold into this gift of extra time that we have received so gratuitously, we can let our ego boundaries soften to permeable state and let ourselves receive the grace that surrounds us every day, then we will find enough light to take the next step on the backpacker’s trail that is ours on a journey of creative aging.” (135)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Epilogue.
I am in my twentieth year of retirement and I want to take a liberty to add a few of my own comments that I feel relate to this resource. I took an early retirement from teaching. One of my motivators was the statistic of the extended life-span of early retirees. I and my wife have been blessed with good health. We have had very fulfilling experiences as volunteers in non-profit organizations that involved some interesting travel. We enjoy the “wealth” of our family community; five children and their spouses, thirteen grandchildren and eight spouses, and five great-grandchildren. Life is good. For most of my retirement I have carried on me my personal card which has this ‘text’ on it, “committed to adding flavour and light to lives of people I meet”. You might say I am a ‘raving fan of retirement’.
“Retirees are an untapped resource for meaningful service to an expectant, appreciative community.”
HD
Bankson, Marjory Zoet. Creative Aging. Rethinking Retirement and Non-Retirement in a Changing World. Skylight Paths Publishing. 2010
M.Z.B.- an artist and spiritual guide. Former president of Faith At Work and editor of Faith@Work magazine. Currently teaching on spiritual companionship at several schools.
Comment. Henry.
A relevant book with practical advice and teaching for those who want to prepare for retirement and/or who are in early stages of retirement.
The time from age sixty to seventy-five is identified as the “generative period” for retirees. Retirement has taken on a new meaning. It is a transition not a cessation and that involves a ‘call’ to a new stage of life. There are seven stages to this transition; “release, resistance, reclaiming, revelation, risk, and relating”. (4) (Sounds like a sermon outline.)
Just like ones life-work is (should be) determined by a ‘call’, attention needs to be given in mid-life to a call as retirement approaches. (This provides a very important element of anticipation of a career change from success to significance. HD) Such a call will probably include a re-visiting our identity as we consider what our new work will be and how we are gifted for that work. Transition involves an ending with some level of loss and/or grief and a beginning with some level of risk.
For those who don’t have a planned or mandatory retirement there are signs that suggest that this option should be considered. “Release is never as simple as it sounds.” (27) Experiences of career changes are beneficial in adapting to transition. When planning and anticipated adjustments are addressed they result in good ‘closer’.
Resistance is natural and normal when there is a transition from ‘doing’ (success) to ‘being’ (significance). “There is wisdom in rest- and ‘wasting time’ between purposeful activities.” (43) “Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy” (Ten Commandments) There is a path that leads through the resistance to change, from doing to being.
Retirement is the time we have the opportunity to “Reclaim riches from the past”. (55) These could be talents, skills or buried gifts. In the process of these ‘discoveries’ we should expect some level of pain and suffering. Pay attention to your dreams.
Revelation will be part of discovering all the potential newness of the changes in retirement. Search with expectation. Don’t lose sight of reality and risk in your decisions regarding change. “Desire to be useful.” (106) There is a whole world out there with potential for community, personal connection and rewarding service.
“If, as we cross the threshold into this gift of extra time that we have received so gratuitously, we can let our ego boundaries soften to permeable state and let ourselves receive the grace that surrounds us every day, then we will find enough light to take the next step on the backpacker’s trail that is ours on a journey of creative aging.” (135)
henrydirksen.blogspot.com
Epilogue.
I am in my twentieth year of retirement and I want to take a liberty to add a few of my own comments that I feel relate to this resource. I took an early retirement from teaching. One of my motivators was the statistic of the extended life-span of early retirees. I and my wife have been blessed with good health. We have had very fulfilling experiences as volunteers in non-profit organizations that involved some interesting travel. We enjoy the “wealth” of our family community; five children and their spouses, thirteen grandchildren and eight spouses, and five great-grandchildren. Life is good. For most of my retirement I have carried on me my personal card which has this ‘text’ on it, “committed to adding flavour and light to lives of people I meet”. You might say I am a ‘raving fan of retirement’.
“Retirees are an untapped resource for meaningful service to an expectant, appreciative community.”
HD
Monday, January 2, 2012
The End of Evangelicalism?
Book Review.
Fitch, David E. The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a new faithfulness for mission. Cascade. 2011. D.F.- professor of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, Lombard Ill. He is also a pastor at Life on the Vine Christian Community, Chicago. (CMA)
Comment. Henry.
Fitch examines the church in North America as a ‘political presence of evangelicalism’. His approach to this discipline is impacted by the ideological theory of Slavoj Zizek, a political theorist. Culture views evangelicals as ‘arrogant, exclusive, duplicitous, and dispassionate’. Christianity has become an ideology. Fitch is taking a path less travelled to address a problem that we as evangelicals need to not only be aware of but also be prepared to deal with. This is a very thought provoking challenging resource.
Introduction: This book asks the question; How does what we believe shape our “politic” (political theology) in the world? “Evangelicalism has become an ‘empty politic’ driven by what we are against instead of what we are for.” (xvi) Evangelicalism has been shaped by three beliefs, “the inerrant Bible, the decision for Christ, and the Christian nation” i.e. USA. (xvii) It is how these beliefs have developed that has shaped us “as a people prone to an arrogant, duplicitous, and dispassionate posture in the world”. (xvii) There is a need for the development of “an evangelical missional political theology”. (xxi)
The US elections of 2000 and 2004 marked a high water mark for evangelicalism’s influence on politics in the US. Culture and economy were experiencing negative change. Criticism of evangelicalism came through the writings of influential evangelical writers; David Kinnaman (UnChristian), Brian McLaren, and Shane Clairborne (activist). Robert Webber and Dallas Willard championed “liturgical renewal movements” (5) There were calls from many directions for serious change (re-defining) of evangelicalism which was in crisis as an ideology. “Evangelicalism needs a political theology.” (10) “How do evangelical beliefs bind people together and shape them for the work of Christ’s mission in the world?” (11)
Fitch uses the insights of Slavoj Zizek a political theorist to do an ideological analysis of evangelicalism. “Ideology takes place in the root practices we keep doing together even when they don’t make sense.” (20) Ideologies are formed by “master signifiers- a conceptual object around which people give their allegiance thereby enabling a political group to form”. (26) An “irruption of the Real” (29) recognized by “overidentification and jouissance” (32) can help us in further analyzing an ideology.
When the doctrine of ‘inerrancy’ is examined critically we discover that it “allows us to interpret the Bible to mean anything we want it to mean because after all we believe it to be inerrant”. (55) “The recent history of evangelicalism is strewn with excessive ‘irruptions’ of this pervasive drive to be right.” (65) “Via ‘the inerrant Bible’ we can see how the Bible can become a Master-Signifier for evangelicals that in turn shapes us into antagonism with the world instead of gathering us into the life of a triune God and his work in the world”. (71)
“The ‘decision’ remains the hallmark of evangelicalism.” (81) Upon examination as a Master-Signifier it has the potential to become an “empty signifier which shapes us for duplicity” (88) when our lives are not affected by that decision. Ted Haggard is an example of such an empty signifier.
The emptiness of the Christian Nation signifier is illustrated by the ‘over-identification’ by statements like Jerry Falwell’s statement re: 9/11 and Pat Robertson’s statement of Hurricane Katrina being an act of God’s punishment.
So, what about an evangelical political theology? “The politic of the church then, must be founded at the very point of the Incarnation itself- where Christ is received into this world by the people of Israel via Mary.” (126) Fitch uses supporting arguments from several evangelical theologians to present a re-evaluated position on the authority of Scripture. (Barth, Balthasar, Vanhoozer and N.T.Wright.) “These theologians prod us to leave behind the Bible as ‘inerrant according to the original autographs’ to instead understand it as our one and true story of God for the whole world- infallible in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (138) There are interesting implications that arise out of this change. “The politic of the church is shaped by Scripture as the very real incarnational presence of Christ extended by the Spirit in the world- a politic of fullness in the world.” (141)
Wright, Millbank and Willard provide direction regarding the second element of evangelicalism, conversion and salvation. The focus shifts from a personal faith to God’s faithfulness. Conversion by faith is still a necessity. Such a conversion includes the commitment to spiritual disciplines that characterize a Christ follower. It is a transformation that results in a committed, changed life style, not just a single event recorded on a calendar.
Henri de Lubec, William Cavanaugh, and John Yoder are contributors to a re-evaluation of the ‘Christian nation’ element of evangelicalism. “If the church is the social body of His Lordship (His in-breaking Reign) incarnating Christ in the world for God’s mission, it must not be segregated into a gathering on Sunday morning.” (168) Fitch argues “that a belief and practice rightly centred in the incarnate Christ should shape its politic into the character of the ‘Sent One’ and the mission in the world. The resulting character of our political existence should take on the Son’s disposition in the world: one of inclusive hospitality, integrity (faithfulness) with the gospel, and compassion in and alongside the world.” (175)
In the epilogue Peter Rollins, Brian McLaren, Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost deal with “ideological traps that relate (can arise) to a re-configuration of the three doctrinal commitments of evangelicalism”. (183)
Fitch, David E. The End of Evangelicalism? Discerning a new faithfulness for mission. Cascade. 2011. D.F.- professor of Evangelical Theology at Northern Seminary, Lombard Ill. He is also a pastor at Life on the Vine Christian Community, Chicago. (CMA)
Comment. Henry.
Fitch examines the church in North America as a ‘political presence of evangelicalism’. His approach to this discipline is impacted by the ideological theory of Slavoj Zizek, a political theorist. Culture views evangelicals as ‘arrogant, exclusive, duplicitous, and dispassionate’. Christianity has become an ideology. Fitch is taking a path less travelled to address a problem that we as evangelicals need to not only be aware of but also be prepared to deal with. This is a very thought provoking challenging resource.
Introduction: This book asks the question; How does what we believe shape our “politic” (political theology) in the world? “Evangelicalism has become an ‘empty politic’ driven by what we are against instead of what we are for.” (xvi) Evangelicalism has been shaped by three beliefs, “the inerrant Bible, the decision for Christ, and the Christian nation” i.e. USA. (xvii) It is how these beliefs have developed that has shaped us “as a people prone to an arrogant, duplicitous, and dispassionate posture in the world”. (xvii) There is a need for the development of “an evangelical missional political theology”. (xxi)
The US elections of 2000 and 2004 marked a high water mark for evangelicalism’s influence on politics in the US. Culture and economy were experiencing negative change. Criticism of evangelicalism came through the writings of influential evangelical writers; David Kinnaman (UnChristian), Brian McLaren, and Shane Clairborne (activist). Robert Webber and Dallas Willard championed “liturgical renewal movements” (5) There were calls from many directions for serious change (re-defining) of evangelicalism which was in crisis as an ideology. “Evangelicalism needs a political theology.” (10) “How do evangelical beliefs bind people together and shape them for the work of Christ’s mission in the world?” (11)
Fitch uses the insights of Slavoj Zizek a political theorist to do an ideological analysis of evangelicalism. “Ideology takes place in the root practices we keep doing together even when they don’t make sense.” (20) Ideologies are formed by “master signifiers- a conceptual object around which people give their allegiance thereby enabling a political group to form”. (26) An “irruption of the Real” (29) recognized by “overidentification and jouissance” (32) can help us in further analyzing an ideology.
When the doctrine of ‘inerrancy’ is examined critically we discover that it “allows us to interpret the Bible to mean anything we want it to mean because after all we believe it to be inerrant”. (55) “The recent history of evangelicalism is strewn with excessive ‘irruptions’ of this pervasive drive to be right.” (65) “Via ‘the inerrant Bible’ we can see how the Bible can become a Master-Signifier for evangelicals that in turn shapes us into antagonism with the world instead of gathering us into the life of a triune God and his work in the world”. (71)
“The ‘decision’ remains the hallmark of evangelicalism.” (81) Upon examination as a Master-Signifier it has the potential to become an “empty signifier which shapes us for duplicity” (88) when our lives are not affected by that decision. Ted Haggard is an example of such an empty signifier.
The emptiness of the Christian Nation signifier is illustrated by the ‘over-identification’ by statements like Jerry Falwell’s statement re: 9/11 and Pat Robertson’s statement of Hurricane Katrina being an act of God’s punishment.
So, what about an evangelical political theology? “The politic of the church then, must be founded at the very point of the Incarnation itself- where Christ is received into this world by the people of Israel via Mary.” (126) Fitch uses supporting arguments from several evangelical theologians to present a re-evaluated position on the authority of Scripture. (Barth, Balthasar, Vanhoozer and N.T.Wright.) “These theologians prod us to leave behind the Bible as ‘inerrant according to the original autographs’ to instead understand it as our one and true story of God for the whole world- infallible in and through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (138) There are interesting implications that arise out of this change. “The politic of the church is shaped by Scripture as the very real incarnational presence of Christ extended by the Spirit in the world- a politic of fullness in the world.” (141)
Wright, Millbank and Willard provide direction regarding the second element of evangelicalism, conversion and salvation. The focus shifts from a personal faith to God’s faithfulness. Conversion by faith is still a necessity. Such a conversion includes the commitment to spiritual disciplines that characterize a Christ follower. It is a transformation that results in a committed, changed life style, not just a single event recorded on a calendar.
Henri de Lubec, William Cavanaugh, and John Yoder are contributors to a re-evaluation of the ‘Christian nation’ element of evangelicalism. “If the church is the social body of His Lordship (His in-breaking Reign) incarnating Christ in the world for God’s mission, it must not be segregated into a gathering on Sunday morning.” (168) Fitch argues “that a belief and practice rightly centred in the incarnate Christ should shape its politic into the character of the ‘Sent One’ and the mission in the world. The resulting character of our political existence should take on the Son’s disposition in the world: one of inclusive hospitality, integrity (faithfulness) with the gospel, and compassion in and alongside the world.” (175)
In the epilogue Peter Rollins, Brian McLaren, Alan Hirsch and Michael Frost deal with “ideological traps that relate (can arise) to a re-configuration of the three doctrinal commitments of evangelicalism”. (183)
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