c. scott andreas

In a recent post at Organic Jesus, I wrote that I often find myself writing in the oppositional language protest and frustration. I do not mean to do so. Such writing merely reflects my utter lack of creativity and inability to navigate icy waters with care. I hope in time that God will grant me the peace and soundness of mind to move to a more productive place.

I’m currently reading Scot McKnight’s lecture “What is Emerging” delivered at Westminister Theological Seminary a few months ago. With great wit, fine analogies, and beautiful words, Dr. McKnight brings two Christian movements - evangelical and emerging - into conversation with one another (I use the word conversation deliberately).

My recent posts concerning Genesis 1 as a site of tug-of-war between the exegetes and storytellers can be read as the wordy result of the turmoil I experience when someone place their copy of Systematic Theology (any of ‘em) on a pedestal and says “end of discussion.” On page 24, McKnight writes:

“The emerging movement is suspicious of systematic theology. Why? Not because we don’t read such folks, but because (1) the diversity of theologies alarms us, (2) no genuine consensus has been achieved, and most importantly, because (3) God didn’t reveal a systematic theology but a Storied narrative and (4) no language is capable of capturing the Absolute Truth who alone is God. Frankly, the emerging movement loves ideas and theology; sometimes we sit down with its leaders and its participants and you’ll find that they love theology - they just don’t ‘have’ a [single, unified] theology and they don’t ’subscribe to’ a theology or ‘confess’ a theology. They believe the Great Traditions offer us ways of telling the truth about God’s redemption in Christ, but they don’t believe any one theology gets it absolutely right.”

When I speak highly of interpreting biblical narrative as an authoritative source for Christian thought and practice, there’s often a false dichotomy lurking quietly below the surface - it’s a question of “Genesis vs. Pauline epistles,” “story vs. narrative,” etc. That need not (and should not) be the case.

The moment we cease speaking to each other and excluding interpretive possibilities due to emotive reactions rather than calm, reasoned engagement in conversation with one another, we have failed to fulfill God’s dream for His church today.