The Great Giveaway...

"As I have interacted with various members of these [emerging church] groups, however, I have noticed on the one hand a propensity to react against evangelicalism's modernity with versions of Christianity that look similar to classic Protestant liberalism. On the other hand, some emergent and/or self-described postmodern churches look like more extreme versions of self-expressivist evangelicalism. They repeat the drive of earlier evangelicalism itself to be new, innovative, free from history, and experiential. I fear if we're not careful, all of this could lead to the same self-indulgent accomodative Christianity we lament today. And so amidst these developments, I discern a need to define what it means to be the church. Several folk in this group make admirable attempts to bring back liturgy and mystery into our church practices. Many seek to revive community. For me, these are significant moves in the right direction. Nonetheless, I believe the movement will fail if we do not reinvigorate an ecclesiology for our times." -David E. Fitch, The Great Giveaway