An Emergent Manifesto of Hope

We read the Manifesto of Hope as a community of women and enjoyed our discussion every week. The topics are interesting and stimulate honest and intimate personal and communal reflection. I highly recommend reading The Manifesto as a group within your faith community.

Recently I got given a gift card to Borders and was finally able to go out and buy a book instead of relying on the trusty old library. So I picked up a book that I've been wanting to read but that the library didn't carry and to which I was not privilege with an advanced reader's copy (I'm not complaining). I've been curious to read it because it is the first book that Emergent has released in their new line of books. And I thought the format would be perfect for just this type of entrance into the publishing world. The book is made up of 25 authors who each wrote a chapter for the project with general editors, Doug Pagitt & Tony Jones, providing intermittent thoughts and transitions between sections. These 25 authors represent a diverse group of people that are, Protestant and Catholic, male and female, mainline and evangelical, clergy/pastors and lay leaders, authors and bloggers, black, white, hispanic, and Native American. This is the book's strength. It's diversity of authors and thus it's diversity of perspective. My only complaint in this regards would have been to had a more diverse ethnic presence and a sampling of thoughts that come from outside of the American context. But I also realize that with anything new, it takes time for diversity to establish itself. As far as the book itself . . . it's a great introduction to what makes Emergent what it is and what sets it apart from other denominational or organizational structures. Namely, friendships and conversations. This context of friendship and conversation is what funds the theological imagination and hopeful practices of the church emerging. Instead of Emergent creating a movement focusing on doctrinal statements (defining whose out) . . . they have been a part of a friendship that has organically created itself in the form of a conversation about the dynamic tension between God, culture, theology, ecclesiology, and practice. True to form, I don't always find myself agreeing with everything written or shared. But true to form, I count myself privileged to be part of an extended friendship where agreeing is less important than belonging. I suppose, as what should be expected, the best chapters are written by the "professional authors". Brian McLaren's chapter on the direct, inseparable ties of colonialism and postmodernity is borderline brilliant. Sally Morgenthaler has an excellent chapter on leadership in a flattened world that was equally insightful. And Tim Keel wrote a beautiful piece about leadership needing to come from the artists at the margins. Rudy Carrasco has a nice chapter on inner-city work and the primacy of social justice. Samir Selmanovic has a chapter on inclusiveness that left me entirely frustrated and yet intrigued to stretch and think wider. My friend Adam Walker Cleaveland shares his thoughts on why he has chosen to stay within the system and structures of the church, which was a challenge for me to think about. And Nanette Sawyer had a very good chapt

"An Emergent Manifesto Of Hope" is the collaborative work of Bethal Seminary's Dough Pagit (Pastor of Solomon's Porch in Minneapolis, Minnesota) and Fuller Theological Seminary's Tony Jones 9formely the minister to youth and young adults at the Colonial Church of Edina in Edina, Minnesota). "An Emergent Manifesto Of Hope" is a compilation of the diverse and divergent voices of pastors, students, and thoughtful Christians focused upon the issues involved in the emergence of Christian communities. Addressed in articulate essays, articles, and other writings include spirituality, theology, multi-culturalism, post-colonialism, sex, evangelism, and other issues of contemporary significance to active and participating Christians. The result is an informative, thought-provoking, occasionally inspiring, sometimes challenging, and always very highly recommended reading for Christian men and women of all backgrounds and denominational affiliations.

The Manifesto of Hope is a collection of essays by a plurality of voices who associate with the Emergent Village. The diversity helps to reveal what many of us already know--The emergent village conversation among friends is anything but homogeneous. While some who desire conformity, and certitude may find this diversity frustrating I found it to be very refreshing. There is plenty here to connect with people from all areas of contemporary Christian thought. The book is designed to spark further conversation and does that well. The careful reader will find some things that they agree with and other things that inspire new ways of thinking. From contributions from some more conservative perspectives to some that push the edge of the envelope, there is plenty to fund your theological imagination. Perhaps the best thing about the book is that in addition to some well known names in the Emergent Village friendship, it introduces us to several new names that bring a depth and dynamic to the conversation as a whole. Of course, this book may not be for everyone. Critics of Emergent Village will no doubt find plenty here to confirm there suspicions, and many will leave comments that make you wonder if they even read this book. My hunch is that if they would read it to engage in the conversation they would be pleasantly surprised that there is much here by several authors that they would probably be in agreement with. All in all this is a great introduction to a generous, Christian, conversation among friends.

Emerging Church books are getting to be increasingly common. It's an "in" movement and a lot of people have a lot of things to say about it. Lots of people try to define it or describe it or put their stamp on it. Some good, some bad, much positive, a lot negative. With all those books out it's hard to come to some kind of picture of what is really happening. That's why this book is so great. Love Emergent or hate it, this book will give you a sense of the conversation by those who are most engaged in it. It will help steer a person past a lot of the popular conceptions and point out the emphases, issues, questions, and hopes found among those who are yearning for renewal in the church for our era. This is a very positive thinking book, focused on how to move forward, how to embrace the work of God, how to step past the frustrations and find new patterns. Along with Emerging Churches by Bolger and Gibbs, this book is likely the primary resource for understanding the flow and rhythm of Emergent as it exists now. Rather than being limited to simply liturgical differences, this book shows the broad and holistic approaches that underlie Emergent efforts. I don't agree with it all, with some essays really resonating and others really challenging. But it all got me to think and helped me get a much more solid sense of the quite interesting theology that's coming into increasing clarity. I highly recommend this for those interested in this conversation. For those who are looking for encouraging new paths of hope, and for those who feel there's something going on in our generation but don't quite have the words to describe what it is.