The Latest in Academic Youth Work Part 2: Emerging Church and Youth Work

Still happily embedded in my study week, enjoying dissertations from the best young academic-theological minds in the youth work world in Britain – moving on to my highlights from and thoughts on another Youth Ministry Thesis:

“Can Some Aspects of Emerging Church Culture Result in De-Emphasising The Bible In Contemporary Youth And Children’s Work?” by Philippa Ruth Wehrle. 2013.

Emerging Church? A preliminary thought.

It’s worth saying that this massively helpful critique of the ripples of the emerging church in youth work is really only based on the Brian McLaren aspect of the emerging movement. Although in many ways McLaren is the figure head of much of the emerging church and specifically emergent village, he is certainly not representative of all of it.

Philippa says “Whist emerging church proponents will slightly differ on their scriptural stance…” however my experience is emerging church proponents differ massively and wildly in their approach to scripture. Worth keeping in mind methinks.

The Reclassification of The Bible

Philippa begins by walking us through the reclassification of Scripture by McLaren as a Library rather than a Constitution. Another way of putting this might be useful and informative, but not authoritative and instructional. McLaren therefore treats scripture as an ongoing conversation which we are invited into but doesn’t hold the weight of sola scripture evangelicals classically have with it.

There are many beautiful things to learn from such an approach – mainly not allowing ourselves to read our own presuppositions into it. However as Philippa points out, taking this approach can also mean that the bottom drops out of the Word and our anchors and foundations start to disappear. The Word no longer has authority over believers and we need no longer to place ourselves under its instruction.

 “The authority Word of God is inseparable from the authority of the Person of God.”

I might find myself being more open to and favorable of much of McLaren’s approach than perhaps Philippa is, especially the conversational reading of God’s Word as timeless and relational. However I share her thoughts on the danger of ambiguity and downplaying of the authority present in the Word of God.

In a later section, Philippa shows how the authority Word of God is inseparable from the authority of the Person of God – to reject one is to reject the other. My suspicion though is if we find place for living authority in McLaren’s conversational approach to scripture we would learn boat loads!

Straw Men and False Antitheses

Very importantly Philippia critiques McLaren’s ethically questionable approach to argument and discussion. She lists off some of his false conclusions drawn from questionable arguments and identifies straw men opponents made in much the same way.

This is absolutely vital as McLaren’s foundational belief is in conversational theology, but his own approach to conversation and discussion is far more manipulative and dogmatic than can comfortably sit with this.

Much of his opponents are people or positions that he has either misunderstood or unfairly represented, but in his characteristically playful style he judges and demonizes whole schools of thought without proper discussion.

The result?

Having downplayed the authority of the Bible, and downplayed further intelligent defense of this authority we are led “into an ambiguous Christianity that tends to be idolatrous and autonomous.”

The Effect on Youth and Children’s Work

McLaren’s approach to scripture, says Philippa “means [young people’s] lives needn’t be challenged by biblical propositions which are often countercultural in today’s society; when the world and the Bible disagree, they needn’t choose between them, because the emerging church approach appears to offer both.”

She raises two important questions:

1st. “Is the emerging church approach and it’s de-emphasis of the Bible going to attract young people to Christianity?”

2nd. “Is it going to transform young people’s lives so that they become committed and mature followers of the true God who seek to serve him with their whole lives?”

“Personal faith in Christ, for it to be genuine and saving must have propositional content.”

To answer these Philippa points out the obvious important point which is that the world already offers them this form of ‘Christianity’; warm, simple, and compromising communities. Further she points out that ambiguity and uncertainty are not helpful for young people in this culture – they need structure, guidance and authority, especially now when the rest of the world is giving them less and less of this.

“Young people cannot be genuine believers simply because they are involved in social action, or have a vague notion of who God is: “personal faith in Christ, for it to be genuine and saving must have propositional content” says Philippa (quoting also DeYoung and Kluck, Why we’re not emergent, 74).

Philippa’s Conclusions

Young people need both ‘heart’ and ‘brain’ religion concludes Philippa. The Bible must be understood as the “true self-revelation of God to his people, though which the essential gospel truths are revealed, and by which Christians are authoritatively taught and corrected.”

The Bible is our way to understand Jesus and how we have salvation – so it must be protected as authoritative and taught as such.

My Final Thoughts

There is lots to admire about Philippa’s thesis. The Bible is certainly God’s own revelation; beautiful, true and authoritative. It is creative and life giving and communicates to us the very heart of God.

Further, her passion to teach the Bible wholly and counter-culturally to young people is excellent and needs to be mimicked across the youth work spectrum if we are to see young people be fully cross-carrying, God-exalting Christians.

However, there is some agitation I have at lack of engagement with the Bible as an organic book with relational, timeless, conversational aspects that are new and newly creative every morning. The Bible without the Holy Spirit is a book – simple as and no more. Dead and molting. But when the Spirit of God shines through the pages and meets with us then theology and Christianity comes to life.

In short the Bible is big enough to be subject to our humanity and God is big enough to protect His words through the grandest of scrutiny and the softest of liberal engagement.

The Bible does not save – God does. And He has a whole tool-belt to do that with. God has spoken yes – but God also speaks. The Bible is received, yes – but God is organic and takes all the time and space he wants to open and not close our perceptions of him. The more we nail down, the less we know God.