Theoblogy
My latest book, which is a lightly emended version of my dissertation, is now available. It’s called, The Church Is Flat: The Relational Ecclesiology of the Emerging Church Movement. In it, I take my research — both qualitative and quantitative — into eight emergent congregations and put it into conversation with the ecclesiology of Jürgen Moltmann.
The Church Is Flat is available only in electronic form at this time. If you’re unfamiliar with ebooks, they’re quite easy to read — for instance, you can download a FREE Kindle reading app to your PC, Mac, tablet, or smartphone. (Or, you could buy a Kindle — I was given one as a gift, and I love it!) Then, with a couple clicks, you’ll be reading the book!
Purchase The Church Is Flat on Amazon
It’s also available for the Nook at Barnes & Noble.
As a teaser, the table of contents is below:
Preface
Acknowledgements
Note to Readers
Chapter One: The Emerging Church Movement and the Project of Practical Theology Introduction
The “Emerging Church Movement”—A Working Definition
Literature Review
The Emerging Church Movement as a New Social Movement
A Consensus Equilibrium Approach to Practical Theology
The Promise of Transversal Rationality for the ECM
Chapter Two: An Inside Look at Eight Emerging Churches
The Changes in American Protestantism Leading to the Emerging Church Movement
Developments in the 1990s—Three Phases of the Emerging Church Movement
Empirical Research Method
Cedar Ridge Community Church, Spencerville, Maryland
Solomon’s Porch, Minneapolis, Minnesota
House of Mercy, St. Paul, Minnesota
Journey, Dallas, Texas
Pathways Church, Denver, Colorado
Church of the Apostles, Seattle, Washington
Jacob’s Well, Kansas City, Missouri
Vintage Faith Church, Santa Cruz, California
Initial Observations
Chapter Three: Defining “Practice” and the Core Practices of the Emerging Church Movement
Alasdair MacIntyre and a Neo-Aristotelian Concept of Practice
Jeffrey Stout and the Pragmatist Concept of Practice
Pierre Bourdieu: Strategies, Rules, Force Fields, and Practice
The Limits of “Practice”
Using “Practice” to Investigate the ECM
Communities of Practice and the Promise of Ambiguity
Practices of the Emerging Church Movement
Concrete Practices
Practices of Virtue
Initial Observations
Chapter Four: The Relational Ecclesiology of Jürgen Moltmann in Conversation with the Emerging Church Movement
An Overview of Moltmann’s Theological Project
Moltmann in Dialogue with Practical Theology
Moltmann’s Early Ecclesiology
“Friend” as Christological Office
Moltmann’s Later Ecclesiology
Social Trinity as the Basis for a Relational Ecclesiology
Weaknesses in Moltmann’s Ecclesiology
Moltmann and the Emerging Church Movement in Mutual Critique
Political Ecclesiology and Practices of Social Engagement
Chapter Five: Pragmatic Suggestions for a Relational Ecclesiology in the Emerging Church Movement
Defining “Relational Ecclesiology”
Practices of a New Social Movement
Theological Commitments and Related Ecclesial Practices
Panentheism and Sacraments of Life
Social Trinity and Practices of Relationality
The Christological Office of “Friend” and Practices of Public Friendship
A Communal Hermeneutic and Practices of Interpretation
Gleanings for the Enterprise of Practical Theology
Conclusion
Appendix A: Focus Group and Interview Lines Of Questioning
Focus Group Line of Questioning
Line of Questioning: Founding Pastor Interview
Line of Questioning: Layperson Interview
Appendix B: Church Census Survey
Appendix C: Empirical Data
Appendix D: An Excursus on Modes of Cross-Disciplinary Thinking in Practical Theology
Bibliography
About the Author
Endnotes
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