Is there a way between emerging and traditional?

by Matt Zimmer

May 27, 2010 | Life | 17995 responseshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehousestudio.com%2Fwp%2F2010%2F05%2F27%2Fis-there-a-way-between-emerging-and-traditional%2FIs+there+a+way+between+emerging+and+traditional%3F2010-05-27+13%3A00%3A47Matt+Zimmerhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.thehousestudio.com%2Fwp%2F%3Fp%3D1799

Having read Deep Church: A Third Way Beyond Emerging and Traditional by Jim Belcher, my initial reaction is one of praise.  Not only is the style and format of the book approachable, but the author gives a balanced and fair treatment of “emerging” and “traditional” churches. I also give kudos to Belcher for providing inspirational thought on how he is actively pursuing a third way (meaning neither emerging nor traditional) to be and do “body life” as the lead pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian in Costa Mesa, CA.

This book, published by InterVarsity Press, walks a line between academic and colloquial literature. While some of the content contains words that don’t necessarily roll off the tongue of the average lay person, Belcher’s writing style and format still keep the reader turning pages.  I am sure that for me much of this is because I am eager to learn more about the social/religious phenomenon of what “emerging” and “emergent” mean in light of the “traditional” way of doing and being the Church.  Even so, the book is not academic in a strict sense of the word.

Belcher approaches his subject so that word meanings are clear regardless of one’s predisposition to agree with one side of the argument or the other.  As one reads, with Belcher’s help it feels like you have a solid handle on the defining thoughts of both emergent and traditional views, and how those thoughts come into conflict. With all this firmly in mind, Belcher pulls out a third line of thought that mixes his opinions of the two camps with his praxis of how he embodies a new way within the context of the church he leads. This third way is the real treasure in this book, and separates it from other works that attempt to describe Christianity today. The weaving in of a third way is not past tense, but rather present tense, making application of thought and practice a current reality. Most books simply address a practice in the past tense.

Word meanings are important to this book. In particular the words “emergent,” “emerging,” and “traditional” are soundly explained in ways that their proponents appreciate.  Belcher gives his opinions on what he likes and dislikes about what these words mean, and how these words are played out in the theological context of our churches today. He pulls no punches in describing healthy and unhealthy understandings and practices of what these words portray in our ecclesiology today.  I like this.  He’s not an advocate for one or the other, he’s like a third party observer helping the reader better navigate the road he or she is traveling so as to better understand the landscape of the current ecclesiological discussion.

Belcher’s formal theological training is steeped in the thoughts and theology of John Calvin, and I enjoyed how much I learned about those. In my opinion the Calvinist perspective isn’t a deal-breaker for non-Calvinists. A reader with a Wesleyan theological view could easily adapt the views of Belcher into a more Wesleyan model of doing church a “third way,” although they’ll have to overlook Belcher’s view of atonement on page 115.

Finally, I liked the real-time application of this book. Reading about the deep church in the areas of worship, evangelism, preaching, and community life can be very helpful, and can provide new thoughts for living out biblical ways of church life. Ultimately this book is about finding a way forward beyond the often-warring camps of emerging and traditional churches. Finding a “centered-hermeneutic,” discovering a new way of evangelism, and simply explaining the various buzz words of the emerging movement were all helpful.  I highly recommend this book for its creativity, insight, and format, as well as for providing a balanced approach to living out a “new way.”