Tony Stiff is a graduate of Westminster seminary, a friend, and a solid young thinker -- and he will do a four part series for us on "Missional" theology and Bible reading. I look forward to this series and I ask you to join in the conversation.
I must tell you how much I appreciate folks like Tony -- regular readers of this blog, regular commenter, and one willing to offer suggestions like this for the blog. It is folks like you -- and Tony -- that make this blog what it is. Thanks.
Now over to Tony, and here's how he opens:
"Every time I walk into a Christian bookstore I see the word missional applied to dozens of trendy books on how to do church from authors of diverse traditions. It seems like missional is the newest model on the shelf for pragmatic evangelicals to buy and consume and self-apply. Missional is doing for younger evangelicals what Neo-Evangelicalism did for the last generation."
The essence of the missional church in the West is to recognize a change of conditions: from the Christian West to the Post-Christian West. What is the biggest evidence for this in your opinion? Where do you most feel the Post-Christian condition?
"The British missionary
Lesslie Newbigin went to India around 1950. There he was involved with a church living 'in mission' in a
very non-Christian culture. When he returned to England some 30 years later, he
discovered that now the Western church too existed in a non-Christian society,
but it had not adapted to its new situation. Though public institutions and
popular culture of Europe and North America no longer 'Christianized' people,
the church still ran its ministries assuming that a stream of 'Christianized',
traditional/moral people would simply show up in services. Some churches certainly did
'evangelism' as one ministry among many. But the church in the West had not
become completely 'missional'--adapting and reformulating absolutely everything
it did in worship, discipleship, community, and service--so as to be engaged
with the non-Christian society around it.
It had not developed a 'missiology of western culture' the way it had
done so for other non-believing cultures." Tim Keller, The
Missional Church
"Rather than occupying a central and influential place, North American Christian churches are increasingly marginalized, so much so that in our urban areas they represent a minority movement. It is by now a truism to speak of North America as a mission field."
Discussion Questions:
1.
How does the life of Lesslie Newbigin help us understand the
situational shift the Church in the West has gone through?
2. What do you think caused the church to lose its presence and influence in the West?
Intro video for this study @ Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCowUtjot4c
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I believe the enlightenment had a transforming impact upon the west which resulted in the fall of "Christendom" (which may not be that bad a thing). Secondly, the Western Church became inward focused. While we sent missionaries "out there" to do mission we turned in on ourselves at home. Third, during many of the years that the church held considerable influence over government/society we didn't put our best foot forward. That is we were not church in a way that was modeled on Jesus. Fourth, the postmillenialist "liberals" thought we could build the kingdom on earth through social progress, while the premillenialist "conservatives" believed the world would get worse and worse prior to God's returning. In this way evangelism and working for justice were rent asunder and the church became entangled in infighting that alienated many.
Thanks Tony for your post and helpful link:
"Where do you most feel the Post-Christian condition?"
Every culture in the West will experience this slightly differently. I was talking with a Swedish theology teacher recently who described how there is talk of detaching removing theology, and denominational seminaries, from the university realm. This in a country with all its Lutheran heritage and legacy of state church.
I live in a country that was one of the most intensely "Christian" cultures in the world (Ireland). I feel the 'post-Christian' condition in deeply negative attitudes to Christianity. The church is 'bad news', it limits personal freedom, it stifles life, it is about obligation and rules, it protects its own interests, and given a chance used power for its own interests. I think Newbigin said that the West is the toughest mission field since Christianity has been 'tried' and found not to work. That's my take on how many people see it here.
Thank you Tony and dopderbeck for interacting with my comments. I did in fact miss one and that is the evangelical tendency to equate a modern worldview with a Christian worldview. With that there is a strong reaction with science, using scientific method, etc, but not really "getting it", both culturally and academically. All in all the person in the pew and many pastors just don't understand worldview's (theirs or others) and don't have the ability to see the situation critically. I think popular writers like Dan Kimball are doing a great job with that interaction.
Thanks everyone for contributing to this conversation. I'm learning so much from everyone's comments.
Patrick thank you for sharing an Irish perspective. I'm stateside so I can see how my countries context, particularly in our cities, are growing more and more post-Christian. But to hear your story and what you've observed is really helpful and humbling. Thank you.
Thanks Tony,
Reading back my comments seem very pessimistic! There are signs of hope, especially in these sorts of discussions. Maybe we can pray that out of brokenness will come a healthier, humbler, missional church.
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