volf-ing emergent, emerging volf (part one)

we just finished an amazing event and I want to share a bit about it for those who were not here, but as well for those who were. Emergent national coordinator tony jones and I planned the 2006 emergent theological conversation here at Yale with our mutual friend miroslav volf who is director of the YCFC and a professor of theology at Yale Divinity School.

What was amazing? As Larry Mullin, the drummer for U2 would put it, God walked through the room. The event definitely had an anointing and while we prepared as best we could, the anointing was a gift beyond what anyone expected and stood out head and shoulders above the mundane list of “things we could do differently to improve the event.” More on that in the zoomerang survey to follow up--let me here mention some of the aspects of what felt to me like the beating heart of the event.

1. so many wonderful people. but it wasn't JUST numbers. When tony and I were planning the event we set the limit at 100 hoping to get that but not sure given the 60-70 at past theological conversation events. We had 300+ and the chapel at Yale Divinity School (the biggest space we have) was packed—no seats left on the floor, and people standing, sitting up in what used to be the “altar area,” people up in the balcony, wow.

but it wasn't just that people came. it was that they came having read two long and hard books of theology and offered the hospitality of their focused attention to one of the world's leading theologians. not for an hour, but for six. six hours let us get deeper than sound bites, deeper even than polished lectures or finished books. we got into the places where we're all struggling, where we're seeking--all of us--for a way forward that is true to the God we know in Jesus Christ.

but it wasn't just that people came to talk about theology. it was that women and men, evangelical and mainline and catholic, black and hispanic and asian and white, younger and older, and we found a means to talk together. it was, as one person put it near the end, the practice of ecumenism that we in the church rarely experience. it was not the 'lowest common denominator' or 'we're all really the same deep down' but rather: can we build a space where our process of talking with one another is as important as the deeply held convictions we've staked our lives upon? this, as rudy carrasco said in the hallway, was an amazing part of this meeting and exceed the diversity and the hospitality of past gatherings. he thought it was the work of the spirit through the topics of miroslav's work--embrace, giving, forgiving. it set a context for the conversation and shaped our dispositions coming into the time together.

2. faith as a way of life. monday night miroslav talked about what for him is most engaging, difficult, and needed--theology that serves a way of life. this, to my mind, is a major overlap between mv's theology and emergent. it was that vision that caused me to leave the ministry in a church setting to come and work with him at the center. and it is this vision that animates my daily work and, increasingly this year, my writing (along with the pastors who are part of the faith as a way of life project, i'm writing a book called faith matters: pastoral leadership for faith as a way of life due out in a year or so from eerdmans)

primary research and theological systems are of some use, and one needs to think about how various commitments regarding one doctrine (say, one's view of christology) impacts the others (say, one's view of ecclesiology) and so on. but if theology is not also and primarily an integrated whole and grounded in practices that make up a way of life, then it misses its most important purpose. to make his point, he quoted his mentor, jurgen moltmann, who says "theology has become marginalized because theologians are afraid to deal with the difficulties of real life."

this will, i think, be viewed as a key component of emerging church theology. here is brian mclaren writing a couple of years ago in the journal leadership: "if christianity isn't the quest for (or defense of) the perfect belief system ('the church of the last detail'), then what's left? In the emerging culture, I believe it will be 'christianity as a way of life,' or 'christianity as a path of spiritual formation.' miroslav's work with us on monday night, including his comments about our faith as a way of life project's struggle to think theologically in just this way, will add fuel to the fire of this emerging direction in theology. to make progress in this area, miroslav challenged the church, and especially its pastoral leadership, to preach the gospel and not a second-hand warmed over psychology or sociology. when preaching does this it betrays a lack of trust in the power of the gospel story. if theologians and pastoral leaders are about faith, and really faith, as a way of life, then the gospel has to be the center of our task.

(more in the next post--anon and +peace!)

Comments

[James]

Chris,
Great overview. You hosted a great event and I was humbled to be a participant in it.
Thanks,
James

[christian scharen]

Thanks, James. I've got a couple great pictures of you if you want me to send them on. It was my first in the flesh emergent event (i've been around the online conversation for a few years) but it won't be my last!
+peace

[Anthony]

Chris,

It was great hanging out with you and the emo-theologues. Thank you for your gracious hospitality. I look forward to future dialogue.

Great overview. I shocked someone was able to fit my big head in a photo. thanks.

pax,

Ant

[kevin beck]

Chris,
Thanks for all your hard work on putting this together. We had a great time.

[Virgil Vaduva]

Guys, you did an awesome job. I know what goes into organizing these things and I want to say that I very much appreciate your hard work and also the open arms with which many of us were received.

[Sam Andress]

Chris,

Thanks for your wonderful capstone comments on the conversation. Us (Sam, Chris and Josh) who came out from Pasadena, CA (Fuller Seminary) were left pondering how such a beautiful gathering could occur. From pentecostal to orthodox to mainline to seminarians to Rwanda! Wow, God is on the move, because that stuff does'nt happen unless God is working and his obedient people respond.

Thanks again for the amazing hospitality and the ride back to our hotel. I was wondering if I could brave the cold and move back to the east coast and possibly Yale for Phd work, and I realize that I can do it! (though I know what we experienced was mild weather:)).

Blessings,

Sam