tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post5677992455732358375..comments2020-02-17T12:26:49.601-05:00Comments on The Ecumethodist: Beyond Denominations?Paul Brownhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16771814142319521408noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-78559089043666862252010-09-14T13:03:01.642-04:002010-09-14T13:03:01.642-04:00It seems to me that "rejection of institution...It seems to me that "rejection of institutions," is just a sexy way to say "rebellious" and "self-centered." Every time people gather together in an organized fashion we have an institution. The alternative to institutions is not spiritual unity but chaos, isolation, and, ironically, the same self-righteousness we were trying to escape in our flight from institutions. Instead of "the X church is the true church" we now get "the true church is a house-church." As I see it, the root of this post-denominationalism is not a noble quest for truth, but merely a christianizing of the culture of individualism that is running rampant in the West.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14344600264710764522noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-65226420642784399112010-07-05T10:25:45.481-04:002010-07-05T10:25:45.481-04:00Thanks for that clarification, Isaiah. I complete...Thanks for that clarification, Isaiah. I completely agree with you that nondenominational Christians tend to reject all institutional forms. This is also shared, I think, in emergent church circles.Paul Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16771814142319521408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-62242293428835300672010-06-30T15:12:23.826-04:002010-06-30T15:12:23.826-04:00Perhaps the use of the word 'non-denominationa...Perhaps the use of the word 'non-denominational' was wrong, what I meant was non-denominational churches tend to minister to those who share a strong rejection of institutional forms. What I meant was working within this culture any thought of visible unity would be directly associated with institutions and bureaucracy, and thus be rejected. <br /><br />Unity is more of personal, private thing between concrete individuals and the idea of expressing unity publically would be foreign.<br /><br />I speak not from a scholarly perspective but from the experience of being in this culture.Isaiahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08858359781563242395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-927565539751801932010-06-29T12:59:07.765-04:002010-06-29T12:59:07.765-04:00Isaiah - thanks for the reading suggestion. In wh...Isaiah - thanks for the reading suggestion. In what ways do you see non-denominational churches falling short of a "public" theology?<br /><br />Julie - I love your use of the word "richer" - it certainly corresponds with the metaphor of each tradition having "gifts" to bring to the others. The question is, are we willing to receive them?Paul Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16771814142319521408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-31512599577862948442010-06-27T09:04:57.402-04:002010-06-27T09:04:57.402-04:00I think you make some good points here, Paul. The ...I think you make some good points here, Paul. The best way forward usually does end up being the hard way. If we would put in the work to learn from each other (denominations), we'd all be the richer. Not sure if we'd be totally unified...but we would certainly be richer.Julie McCrumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-10493631083396930412010-06-19T23:55:34.498-04:002010-06-19T23:55:34.498-04:00A lot of these non-denominational churches have no...A lot of these non-denominational churches have no account of what it means to have "visible unity". In a sense, they have no theology of how to be public, or what public is. Despite some good things about these churches, they struggle with the public and private faith binary and how it relates to their organization.<br /><br />For me a great place to start of a theology of being public (I admit that's an akward way of saying it) is the "Missional Connectedness" chapter of Guder's "Missional Church" (which can be found on Google Books). It changed the way I think of ecumenical relations, for example.Isaiahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08858359781563242395noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-9644652473772663252010-06-19T21:54:49.328-04:002010-06-19T21:54:49.328-04:00thanks meeshthanks meeshPaul Brownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16771814142319521408noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5854140391172903738.post-89367841409007211402010-06-19T09:33:15.259-04:002010-06-19T09:33:15.259-04:00good one pbizgood one pbizMichelle Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15597021249232070115noreply@blogger.com