Emerging Theology as Reclaiming Lutheran Theology - Part One
I’ve been reflecting lately on how much of the emerging conversation is actually about a claiming or reclaiming of what Lutheran theology has been saying for years. So in a series of posts, I will attempt to discuss this in a way that is helpful for the conversation as well as for those of us in Lutheran congregations.
It seems that much of my recent thoughts have occurred in the midst of discussion and this is no different. I was recently at an emerging cohort meeting and one of the other cohort members spoke up about what she has found the emerging conversation to be in recent months. She said, “this is a place to wrestle, a place to question, and a place to live in the tension.”
Living in the tension - that’s part of what makes Lutheran theology distinct. If you’ve been around Lutherans long enough, you’ve probably heard the Latin phrase, simul justus et peccator - at the same time righteous and a sinner. We are fully justified, yet we do not live sin free (at least until the Kingdom is fully realized). We are both saint and sinner - living in the tension.
Emerging theology seeks to live in the questions, wrestling with the Word and what it has to say to our context. At its best, this is what Lutheran theology seeks to do as well… but sadly many of our congregations have gotten away from this for various reasons.
Many in congregations do not feel like their faith community is a place to raise questions, to wrestle with what the Word has to say to us. Many feel like they have to have all the answers in order to be called Christian, in order to come to church even. To admit doubt or question the tradition may seem to be a rejection of the faith entirely. So instead of being honest, these people come to church and pretend everything is good or helpful. But this is far from honest and can even be detrimental to living out our call to proclaim the faith!
So by reclaiming the Lutheran heritage of living in the tension and asking questions, we are also living into what many in the emerging conversation are discovering for the first time.
Kate
Filed under: Lutheran Theology, Theological Ponderings on July 8th, 2008
I concur with all of you!
I am an ordained ELCA pastor, I’m currently teaching and not serving in parish leadership.
I really lamented with jWinters observation that our congregations have become places of a “theology of comfortable and sustained glory” where nothing much surprising happens.
So, here’s my question: how might a “normal Lutheran congregation” signal to the world its willingness to be a place of danger and pain and doubt and wrestling without (a) losing the distinctive cross-centered focus (that is, without becoming TOO Unitarian-Universalist-like); (b) alienating the “comfortable” who have the same questions but will need some time to recognize and embrace the process?
I mean, it would be fun to be an “Emergent Mission Developer” and shape a congregation from the ground up … but what are some possibilities and best practices for reshaping an existing TOG place?
Hank
Reply to hank
It’s really nice to see this similarity being recognized from within the Lutheran Church. I’m a cradle Lutheran who is now serving as a lay pastor in a unique Vineyard Community. We’ve been part of the emerging conversation from almost the beginning and I consistantly resonate with the hard questions and the new perspectives my evangelical brothers and sisters here bring to the conversation. Relying on my background and understanding of something like Luther’s theology of the cross (or several other examples) is helpful in my efforts to advance us and our conversations here beyond some of the less helpful doctrines some of them have been burdened with. This is not to say I think we should just all be Lutheran, but I do think my early training and my perspective have been used by God here and in this community. It’s good to see more unity and less division!
Reply to Julie
Reply to Mike
Mike,
In response to your question about why we’re reading Bonhoeffer’s Cost of Discipleship, part of the reason may be that it seems like a natural decision given that he was Lutheran. But really I believe Bonhoeffer to be an important voice for all of Christianity - not just the Lutherans. His views on discipleship resonate in a world where many view religion as a commercial exchange. I concur with you that his words, “When Christ call a man, he bids him come and die,” are indeed haunting and cut right to the core.
So as we all consider what true discipleship is, I hope we find words of wisdom in Bonhoeffer’s writings.
Peace,
Kate
Reply to Kate
Hey Kate,
Nice post. You guys are using the name of one of my blog categories from my site, “Emerging Lutheran”, so I thought it was worth checking out.
I agree that many of our congregations have become places where “living in tension” has become all but lost. We’re in different Lutheran bodies (I’m an LCMSer), but I have a feeling that this is happening all over the place in Lutheranism and in Christianity as a whole. Instead of offering a place for people to come to wrestle, we have too long offered simplistic (and often incomprehensibly theological jargon packed) answers.
Enjoyed your thoughts…hope to see more.
in Christ,
jW
Reply to jWinters