Phyllis Tickle’s The Great Emergence suggests we are in the midst of a global transition in the culture of Christianity, a transition that may last a century or more. What will emerge as the predominant form has yet to be seen. Tickle would agree with my simple faith statement that no matter what shape Christianity takes, God will have a people, even if only a remnant.
There will remain vestiges of what has been. Roman Catholicism, with its fierce resistance to change, will continue to appeal to some. Eastern Orthodoxy and its mystical liturgy has shown a stubborn ability to survive. Protestant denominationalism will continue to be manifested in a multiplicity of ways, but perhaps reduced of much institutional baggage. These major historical religious movements will each make accommodations in order to survive, but something new will emerge to enliven the church, and what that emergence will look like is still a question.
Perhaps there will not be one dominant form and, like Protestantism, there will be a variety of Christian communities. The possibilities are many. We can already observe many examples of movements that have arisen in this generation which are dramatically different from what we might call traditional Christian institutions.
I have previously mentioned the emergence of a “new monasticism,” in which small groups of like-minded individuals and families covenant to live in proximity to each other, often in under-served neighborhoods, whether rural or urban, in order to be a Christian witness of discipleship and service within those communities. Shane Claiborne, leader of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is a nationally known leader in this movement. I suspect that persons who are attracted to this way of Christian living will be a minority, but that new monasticism will play an important role as a remnant in providing an alternative vision of what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, even as old order monasticism did the same a millennium ago.
One cannot fail to recognize the emergence of mega-churches in the last several decades, churches which are independent of denominations, becoming kingdoms unto themselves. Drawing thousands of followers, often centered on the charismatic personality of one leader, these churches often have a “mother” church that gives birth to several satellites, served either by assistant pastor-preachers who share the leader’s theological DNA, or the satellite locations beam in the leader’s teachings by way of live-broadcast video signal. I have found it hard to categorize the theological inclination of these churches. While they all seem to arise from Protestant roots, their ethos seems more centered in a cult of personality than in theological convictions. Elevation Church, led by Steven Furtick, whose home-base is Charlotte, North Carolina is but one example.
And one cannot discount the impact of global Christian movements.
* The emergence of Christian base communities in Latin America which began in the later part of the 20th Century among Catholic-leaning poor people.
* The Taize community in France which has given rise to a renewed spirituality among tens of thousands of young adults who regularly make pilgrimage to Taize.
* The rapid growth of the church among African nations may result in the most dominant form of Christianity over the next five hundred years. We have yet to determine what that impact might be.
Bob Dylan once sang, "The times, they are a changin'." As we live in this time of transition we may feel some anxiety about what is yet to come, as well as grief over what is being lost. However, we should take heart that there is considerable spiritual ferment in the works. Something new is taking shape. Christianity is reforming once again. In the midst of a troubled world, God will have a people who will continue to witness to Jesus Christ and the kingdom he proclaimed until that day when God’s ultimate purpose is fulfilled. And, when the saints go marching in, I want to be in that number.
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