Thanks for those asking where I have been -- Rhett you were right -- my two new classes are keeping me pretty busy -- great stuff, but I am barely staying ahead of the students (if that) ...What else?
I was sick with the flu for two weeks -- that pretty much knocked me out --
I saw U2 at the Staples Center Tuesday of last week -- awesome show -- I definitely have some blog posts off of that if I can sit down for a few minutes...
Cool things coming up: Brian McLaren is speaking here at Fuller at November 8, 7pm to 9pm on Tuesday -- I have the good fortune, along with Kara Powell and Rudy Carrasco to offer a response...
On Dec. 3, 9am to 12pm, I'm speaking with the Emergent SoCal group - really looking forward to that as well...
Technorati Tags: everyday life
Glad you are back. It's actually a good thing you didn't post for a while, because I needed to keep coming back to your last post. Good stuff.
Posted by: Rhett Smith | November 07, 2005 at 11:12 AM
Ryan, congrats on the book. I have it on the way from Amazon. You are the featured speaker on the World Christian Podcast this week. I am trying to help push the book! You can get the feed at http://www.esler.org
Posted by: Ted | November 08, 2005 at 04:21 AM
Ryan, thanks for taking the time to meet last week. I look forward to continuing the dialogue ...
p.s. I'm with you about the U2 experience. I have a few posts on that as well!
Posted by: Jeremy Del Rio | November 08, 2005 at 07:47 AM
Seen my cell phone. I may have left in class today.
Posted by: Erin Wyma | November 08, 2005 at 03:14 PM
Too bad Fuller does not have the event on its webpage...
Posted by: Russ Kirby | November 08, 2005 at 04:59 PM
glad you are back. i relate to just keeping ahead of the students. i look forward to your reports from the u2 concert. i'm going 12.4 in boston with sonja and isaiah (he's seven and pumped). i'm preaching saturday at a new outreach service in santa rosa, ca called elevate--curious to see if they've just attracted church members who now come to a service with music they like better or if 'seekers' whatever they are really come. by the way, ryan, we reopened the volf gathering in feb. hope you come. +cs
Posted by: christian scharen | November 10, 2005 at 02:13 AM
Glad to hear your feeling better.
Keep up the great dialogue.
Posted by: Jerry from PA | November 10, 2005 at 04:55 AM
You were at Yale, and I didn't even know. That's only 45 minutes from me. I know it was a quick trip, but I could have picked you up from the airport or something. :o) Later.
Posted by: Nick Connell | November 15, 2005 at 09:40 AM
Great book Ryan! Congratulations to you and Eddie for your new book, Emerging Churches (Baker). Outstanding piece of sociological research into the emerging church movement. I admire the way that you were able to allow the voices of the persons you interviewed to speak for themselves without intruding your own critical analysis and perspective. This is a must read for all interested in this movement. Having said that, the book, while a good read, begs for response and dialogue. Here goes! The chapter on “Identifying with Jesus” (3) was provocative. I had already been alerted by a reader of my own manuscript on an Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches (InterVarsity, 2006), that my heavy reliance on Paul would not sit well with many in the movement, who preferred Jesus over Paul. In fact one of your participants in the project stated that he had given up on Paul and turned back to Jesus. I guess that Paul has been used to proof text a good bit of systematic theology (e.g. Calvin and Luther!). On the other hand, to turn away from Paul is to turn away from Paul’s Christ. The Christ of Paul is the crucified, resurrected, ascended and present Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit. While Paul certainly had first hand reports of the ministry and teaching of Jesus prior to his death on the cross, the Christ that he met on the Damascus Road had already ascended to heaven and was present now through the Holy Spirit. The church that emerged out of Antioch through Paul had spread throughout his world (including Rome), by the time of his death, not by identifying with the Jesus of the synoptic gospels (which had not yet been written!) but by the power of the crucified and risen Christ through the Holy Spirit. The absence of the cross, resurrection, Pentecost and the eschatological imprint of the coming Christ upon the emerging churches as reported in this research project is stunning, to my mind. I came away with the impression (just an impression!) that for many who are active participants in emerging churches, the cross and resurrection were more of an historical accident than a theological necessity. It is as though Jesus could have fulfilled God’s mission in the world through the Kingdom without death and resurrection as a means of overcoming the human dilemma of sin and death. But now I realize that I have introduced theology into the discussion, which, I gather, is to be part of the ‘modern world left behind!’ –maybe a new series? Fascinating book! Ray Anderson
Posted by: Ray Anderson | November 19, 2005 at 08:44 AM
Ryan, looking forward to hanging out the 3rd.
Posted by: Kyle | November 19, 2005 at 01:38 PM
Hey man, I am reading the book you co-authored. I am enjoying it! I fyou are ever in the Louisville Kentucky area, please email me. We have a coffee shop out here, Logos, and we woul love to have you speak. God bless you in your journeys.
Mike Noakes "red.hot"
Posted by: Mike Noakes | November 19, 2005 at 06:37 PM
Got the book today Ryan. 100 pages in, good read so far.
To continue the Theology discussion a little, I dont believe the emerging church is theology-less. It has moved away from right-knowledge into right-practice. It also acknowledges that maybe right-knowledge may not be the saving-knowledge that many in the modern church have been taught it is.
I find myself drawn to theology of being missional. Not only reading Newbigin and Willard but others as well. I found James Brownson's book Speaking the Truth in Love to lay an incredibly theological foundation for missional thinking.
Just my 2 cents.
Posted by: Jerry from PA | November 26, 2005 at 02:51 PM
I doubt if you remember me, but I was at the FTS prospective weekend. I asked the question regarding how to integrate the MAT: Theology and the Arts with the MACC: Contemporary Culture.
This doesn't really have anything to do with what you posted, but rather on a conversation I had with a campus minister friend today who is very interested in EC issues. The question is... is the emerging church a "white man's theology?" Does the emerging church discussion have any relevance to people whose cultural background is not middle-class white American/European, and what contributions are being made to the EC conversation by people of other ethnic backgrounds?
I'm looking forward to picking up the book you cowrote along with Dr. Gibbs, especially to see if it has any relevant information to this question. I see EC in many ways as a conversation with postmodernity, and one of the chief values of pm (insofar as it can be defined in terms of values) is multicultural awareness and allowing for a plurality of diverse voices within the conversations that are happening. So I'm interested to see what voices are involved in the EC conversation.
If you could email me with some relevant thoughts that would be phenomenal. And I love U2, I presented a paper on theological themes in the Elevation video for a seminar course in my undergrad, and am working on a series of theological reflection essays for the Atomic Bomb album.
From the LiveJournal emergingchurch community:
Thank you. :-)
Posted by: Jason Barr | November 29, 2005 at 03:28 PM
I doubt if you remember me, but I was at the FTS prospective weekend. I asked the question regarding how to integrate the MAT: Theology and the Arts with the MACC: Contemporary Culture.
This doesn't really have anything to do with what you posted, but rather on a conversation I had with a campus minister friend today who is very interested in EC issues. The question is... is the emerging church a "white man's theology?" Does the emerging church discussion have any relevance to people whose cultural background is not middle-class white American/European, and what contributions are being made to the EC conversation by people of other ethnic backgrounds?
I'm looking forward to picking up the book you cowrote along with Dr. Gibbs, especially to see if it has any relevant information to this question. I see EC in many ways as a conversation with postmodernity, and one of the chief values of pm (insofar as it can be defined in terms of values) is multicultural awareness and allowing for a plurality of diverse voices within the conversations that are happening. So I'm interested to see what voices are involved in the EC conversation.
If you could email me with some relevant thoughts that would be phenomenal. And I love U2, I presented a paper on theological themes in the Elevation video for a seminar course in my undergrad, and am working on a series of theological reflection essays for the Atomic Bomb album.
Relevant conversation from the LiveJournal emergingchurch community.
Thank you. :-)
Posted by: Jason Barr | November 29, 2005 at 03:29 PM
Thanks for the wishes -- good to be back...
Posted by: Ryan | December 08, 2005 at 04:10 PM