Emerging Church Terminology

by Matt Slick

One of the problems with trying to understand some of the writers and teachers in the Emerging Church movement is deciphering what they mean by various terms. They use phrases such as...

1. Becoming - the transformation from the modern to the post modern, emerging view of knowing truth.
2. Christian conversation, the - the Christian based series of stories, myths, experiences, etc. that are offered for acceptance or rejection.
3. Conversation - a flowing, non-precise communication made possible by linguistic commonalities.  Give and take based on people's opinions, experiences, and feelings.  It is an internalized, non-objective feeling that is often discussed or the focal point of meaning.  A non-ending process.
4. Coherantism - belief system that adheres to itself, making sense of the whole when its many parts are interrelated.
5. Contextual - sensitive to the cultural and historical context.
6. Deconstruction - removing the stale, modernistic, absolutism that has permeated interpretation of scripture, God, and truth.
7. Emergent Village - an organization headed by Tony Jones, Ph.D.
8. Emerging - intellectual and/or spiritual movement away from traditionalist, rational, truths.
9. Growing - development of the individual in concert with God in the working of God's plans for the world.
10. Missional - making the emerging conversation part of the social culture as it relates to temporal needs:  housing, clothing, environment, etc.
11. Myth - The stories believed by people that may or may not be factual.
12. Narrative - Non systematic, non linear approach to knowing, a rejection of the absolute codification of spiritual truths.
13. Reimagine - to reinterpret a long-standing truth.
14. Story - myth, procession of myths strung together by conversation.  A lesson with a value statement.  If one story doesn't work for you, try another.  The Christian resurrection is a story.
15. Story of God, the - The procession of myths and narratives dealing with God as found in the Bible or other religious works.
16. Story of Jesus, the - The procession of myths and narratives dealing with Jesus as found in the Bible.
17. Tribe - a localized culture with inherent morals, myths, stories, and customs that differ from one another.  Therefore, which tribe's position is true?

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