Letters to Emerging Christians
Scot McKnight (blog) has managed to place himself in a unique position. He is an orthodox theologian (if I may be so “generously orthodox” to include an Arminian who upholds the Trinity, full divinity of Christ, necessity of a substitutionary atoning death, bodily resurrection of Christ, the Word-of-God authority of Scripture, etc., as “orthodox”) who has the ear and respect of many within the emerging church movement. He is unabashedly “emergent sympathetic” and yet unafraid to criticize where criticism is due.
Today he has begun what he promises to be a series of “letters to emerging Christians” in which he responds to questions or insights he has received from self-identified emergents with a letter about what he thinks about controversial emerging church leader Brian McLaren. Most intriguing to me is his insistence that character should count for at least as much as stated beliefs, and is in fact the best revealer of what one actually believes. What think ye?
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November 14th, 2006 at 9:43 pm
Well, I’m not sure that’s quite what I said in the comments section. “At least as much…”? I do think our behavior shows what is deepest in our heart — so if we are nasty there is something wrong deep inside with our beliefs.
Blessings on your folks out there on the hill and in that great bookstore, Mark.
November 14th, 2006 at 10:05 pm
Scot,
The way we like to say it around here is “true belief” is just another word for “worship.” What you do shows what you truly worship, and what you truly worship will flow out into your actions. So I see beliefs and behavior as equally dependent and therefore of equal importance. To emphasize one over the other seems dangerous to me. De-emphasize beliefs and behavior has no anchor or bumper guards. De-emphasize behavior and belief can turn mean and impersonal.
Anyway, thanks for your comment…and keep those stimulating Jesus Creed posts coming!