Seminar on the Emerging Church at Calvin College: Thurs., Jan. 29

As part of its annual Symposium on Worship, the Calvin Institute of Christian Worship will be hosting a one-day symposium on the emerging church, featuring speakers Jason Clark, Pete Rollins, and Kevin Corcoran.  Here's further info:

Exploring the Emerging Church: Theology, Culture, Ritual, and Meaning
Jason Clark, Kevin Corcoran, Peter Rollins; with respondents James K.A. Smith, Lori Wilson, Michael Wittmer; hosted by Nathan Bierma
Calvin Symposium on Worship
Grand Rapids, Mich.
January 29, 2009

Three scholars will present drafts of their work that will result in a book and DVD analyzing and documenting the emergent church movement in the US and the UK.  Three respondents will raise questions of importance to the broader Christian community, especially questions of worship and evangelism. As the day progresses, we anticipate discussions of a cluster of significant themes in emerging church life—from consumerism, conversion, hermeneutics, to ecclesiology, eschatology, deconstruction, and postmodernism—that promise to challenge all participants to deepen their own framework for ministry. Participants can review the three authors' chapters ahead of time to prepare for this day of presentations, video segments, responses, and Q&A. Come to contribute to the conversation.

On the website you'll also find a detailed schedule.  This seminar grows out of a book being pulled together by Kevin Corcoran.  You can find drafts of the chapters (including chapters by Scot McKnight) here. 

During the Worship Symposium itself (Jan. 30-Feb. 1), there are a couple of other sessions of related interest: Clark, Rollins, and Corcoran will stage a reprise of this discussion, and I'll be leading a little workshop on "Postmodernism, Worship, and Evangelism." 

Almost enough to entice one to the cold of West Michigan winter!

Comments

[Kyle Nolan]

so is this not closed to the calvin community? because when i checked on it last fall i thought it was. if it's not, i'll see you there!

[James K.A. Smith]

Not sure why it would be, Kyle. I would think it's open to anyone who registers (and there's likely a discounts for students and staff from Calvin).

[Lloyd Chia]

I'd really like to attend this event, but I'll have to drive 10 hours from Missouri to get to Grand Rapids, and drive back the next day. I hope the session won't be full when I get there!

[Jason Clark]

I'm looking forward to being there.

[James K.A. Smith]

Well, Lloyd, I'm not sure if the symposium is worth that much of your time (or the carbon footprint)!. The main presentations will eventually appear as a book. But if you're interesting in coming that distance, I'm sure you could pre-register.

Looking forward to having you here, Jason!

[rodney neill]

Poor old Pete Rollins will be outnumbered 5 to 1 but be warned that he is a worthy adversary with good communication skills! Would it not have been more fair to invite an ally for Pete like Tony Jones to this theological smackdown?

Rodney

[Garreth]

I was wondering considering we can read the drafts of the articles for the emerging seminars on line, is it possible on this site then to comment on them. Seeing I'm from Northern Ireland and wont be at the seminar, I would still like to give a point of view if that is possible, even if I wont be at the event itself.

Thanks

Garreth

[Garreth]

If I had actually read the above post where it said about contributing to the conversation, I wouldnt have sent the comments above.

I found some of the articles very thought provoking, I would just like to say a few things regarding Pete's first article.

I enjoy reading Pete's work because It make me think, even if I don't necessarily agree. I would just like to comment on this idea of 'suspended space' and the 'I-Thou relationship'.

Central to Pete's point of view of 'suspended space' is the suspension of our'ontic positions: political, biological, cultural identities'. Even though this is being performed through a theo-dramatic threatics, I wonder, if we bracket out our ontic positions is there any space to suspend, simply because as i see it these ontic positions is what it means to be human, to be other, so if these ontic positions are suspended, do we not have a totality of sameness, because without our ontic positions we are no longer human beings but clones of one another with no difference of plurality of interpretation.

Secondly why cant a 'I-Thou' relationship happen within the bounds of our ontic positions?

Maybe I reading Pete incorrectly but I thought I would just give my opinion, even if I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Thanks

Garreth

[James K.A. Smith]

I'll see if I can get Pete, Kevin and Jason to perhaps join in on the conversation in the comments section of this post.

[Jason Clark]

I'm here and up for responding/engaging with any comments. Jason

[Garreth]

I feel I need to rephrase my first comments on Pete's view of 'suspended space'. I meant to say that when Pete suggests suspending our ontic positions to open space to an I-Thou relationship, can there be an I-Thou relationship, because as I stated in my other comments, do we not have a totality of the same,because there is no longer any form of difference, our being human has been suspended. So if we cant escape our ontic positions why give them up? I think underlying Pete's argument he is holding unto some dream of purity, even if he sees the dream of purity as impossible.

Pete also states, that "Christainity isnt fundamentally hermeneutical but rather involves laying down our various religious and poltical interpretation of reality"...but we should, "take up the identity of Christ", but then do we not interpret the 'identity of Christ', through our ontic positions, which Pete calls to suspend.

Secondly doesnt Pete at the end of his thesis notcontradict himself then, by interpreted the 'virgin birth' through a political ontic position, which seeks to liberate and bring healing to the poor and the oppressed, so Pete argue for a certain poltical point-a-view rather than another.