The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture

I thought I would write a few reviews of the books that I have been reading lately. I tend to keep a few books going all at once, and this practice has the tendency of deadening the effects of the book. I rarely take the time to process one book before I go to the next. So this reviewing exercise will help me slow down a little and take at least a few minutes to process.

"The Hidden Power of Electronic Culture" by Shane Hipps is a fascinating short read for those interested in cultural issues as they relate to the church. Hipps is the pastor of Trinity Mennonite Church in California. I know what you are thinking...."how could a Mennonite write a cutting edge book about electronic culture??? Hipps, however, was trained in corporate advertising and spent his early career in jobs studying consumer culture. He later left the corporate setting and trained for ministry at Fuller Seminary.

Hipps goal is to understand the balance between cultural relevancy and faithfulness to the gospel, especially as it relates to electronic communication. Using the work of communications theorist, Marshall McLuhan as a guide, Hipps investigates the gains made by electronic media, but also the "unintended consequences" of media in the church.

One of the "myths" that Hipps hopes to dispel is the belief - in Rick Warren's words, that "the methods always change, but the message stays the same". In fact, Hipps states that "whenever methods or media change, the message automatically changes along with them". It is better to think through carefully all the effects, intended or not, that media creates - because media is not the unbiased carrier of the message like so many Christians assume. Part I of the book then seeks to demonstrate how the church has been affected, for good and ill, from media changes such as printing, the telegraph, television, etc.

Part II of the book seeks to demonstrate what the church might look like as it thinks through the questions of media culture. There are chapters on community, leadership, and worship in the electronic culture. Far from debunking all electronic media - Hipps actually seeks to find ways that the church can faithfully engage the culture, yet with its eyes open to the effects of the church's use of new media.

The last chapter on "Worship in Electronic Culture" is especially thought-provoking as Hipps points out some negative effects that media can have on congregational worship. For instance , he talks about the use of "media spectacles" designed to grap consumers attention instead of leading toward authentic worship. He also has a few interesting paragraphs on the new wave of church growth methodology - video venues.

While I do not agree with all of Hipps conclusions - it didn't take a lot of convincing me that electronic media forms are not innocent tools. Many churches, in a rush to be relevant, have been asleep to many of the unintended effects of the tools that we use. Even with some of my questions about all of Hipps statements, I believe he has done well to point out that "we must probe our media and methods with the right questions" - and not just - "does it work to attract people"? Just attracting people is not even close to the fullness in which the church is called.

Comments??? In what ways have you seen church media used well or used poorly?

Who Am I? Anabaptist

This is the third installment of streams of theological thought that have influenced my current theological state. I am evangelical, Wesleyan, and Anabaptist.

Few people have connection to the anabaptist movement in our culture, so I will spend a little time explaining the movement. The anabaptist movement arose during the reformation period and was quickly dubbed the "radical reformation". They were persecuted both by Luther's reformtation churches and the Roman Catholic Church. They protested the connection between state politics and the church. They also believed that people should make a conscious decision to join Christ's church and not be "forced" to be a part by the state church which expected infants to be baptized as a sign of the Christian nation.

The anabaptist movement today is known best through the denominations known as Mennonites, or Brethren churches. I came in contact with anabaptist thought through the writing of John Howard Yoder, J Denny Weaver, Alan Kreider, and secondarily through Stanley Hauerwas, who is a Methodist theologian that has been influenced by Anabaptist thought.

Here are the points of Anabaptist thought that I find particularly helpful:

1. Anabaptists have always had a strong view of the church and community. Because they were so persecuted during the reformation and afterwards, they have a deep sense of community. And since they believed theologically that the church is made up of people that profess Christ and meet to be discipled in His ways (not just infant baptized at some point in the past) - they see church as the locus of God's activity in the world. The church's gathering becomes an outpost of God's reign in the midst of a world that is yet to be redeemed. For anabaptists, the church is not a building that individual Christians meet together in order to sing and hear a sermon. No, the church is the gathering of the spirit-filled community coming together to worship and disciple one another in how to live faithfully as Christ-followers.

2. Anabaptists have always led the way in caring for the poor, looking out for the outcast, etc. Possibly as a effect of their own persecution, Mennonite churches have always had a stong sense of connection with the poor and disenfrachised. For such a small denomination, the Mennonites have an incredible amount of influence in prison work, poverty issues, peace issues, and justice issues.

3. Anabaptists have a strong sense of discipleship in the way of Christ. The early anabaptist objected that discipleship is not a function of becoming a good state citizen, but is about following Jesus in his manner of life and his way of death. Therefore, they have an incredible way of reading the Gospels and accepting Christ's life as normative for Christian discipleship. Hence, they have a wonderful correction to many evangelicals that effectively believe that what is important about Christ is that he died to save us from sins. Anabaptists believe that Christ lived in order to show us how to live. Very inspiring...

4. Anabaptists have also led the way in peace witness. This peace witness comes from their reading of Christ's life and death. Christ lived as a servant and when he could have called ten thousand angels to defend himself, He chose to suffer as a servant to the world, and let God the Father vindicate him. Anabaptists believe that Jesus, in the way he lived and died, teaches us that suffering servanthood is a way of witness to our world. Trying to take control of the world through violence is contrary to Christ's life and to Christian discipleship. I must admit I have been profoundly enriched by this reading of Christ's life and death.

5. Finally, Anabaptists have been critical of the relationship between church and state. They are aware how discipleship in the way of Christ can be challenged by state citizenship - where the most important role of the individual is to be a good American and support the country's policies and war-making. Anabaptist believe that our primary allegience is to Christ and His church, and sometimes this demands a prophetic challenge to the culture.

Well enough for now. But hopefully, you can see how enriching Anabaptist thought can be, especially in conversation with evangelical and Wesleyan thought. I would love to hear comments about evangelicalism, Wesleyan, and anabaptist streams of thought. What streams are enriching you?

Who Am I? Wesleyan

My latest thread of posts have been digging into the meaningful traditions that feed my theological makeup. I am evangelical, Wesleyan, and anabaptist.

Following up on my recent posts, I now want to outline some of the Wesleyan strengths that I have come to appreciate. I have been a part of Wesleyan churches now for 10 years - and I am finding keen theological insights from this heritage more and more.

I have spent more time in the past year intentionally looking into the theology of John Wesley and the heritage of Methodism. Three books of particular note have been extremely helpful:
-John Wesley's Moral Theology by D Stephen Long
-Rethinking Wesley's Theology for Contemporary Methodism, ed by Randy Maddox
-Responsible Grace: John Wesley's Practical Theology, by Randy Maddox

"Responsible Grace" is an especially helpful book. I recommend it to anyone interested in Wesley or in ministry in a Wesleyan church.

Here are the streams of Wesleyan thought that I have come to appreciate:

1. When it comes to a view of salvation, Wesley blends Eastern Orthodox thought of "healing our diseased sin nature" with Western Christian thought of absolution from guilt. Wesley didn't collapse salvation into a moment in time where sins are forgiven (as many evangelicals tend to do). Instead, Wesley saw salvation as a "recovery of Holiness" (p. 25, "Responsible Grace) Thus, salvation is bigger than a one-time decision, but entails a life lived in discipleship.

2. Wesley's view of sanctification (even though how it happens and when it occurs is still debated) represents a positive expectation of discipleship and change in a believers life if he cooperates with the grace of God. This view is so refreshing, especially in light of many traditions that expect little can be done about our sin-soaked ways in this life. But Wesley expected change in this life - and I like that view of discipleship (some similarities with anabaptist expectations)

3. I am also intrigued by Wesley's insistence on helping the poor, educating children, and ministering to those in need. If one is interested in social issues, one will find a conversation partner in Wesley, even if Wesley didn't tend to have a well worked out theology of social action.

Like all movements, Wesleyan thought has its weaknesses. For instance, because Wesley never intended to start a new church, he doesn't work much on the theology of the church. And many Wesleyan churches have tended to be hijacked by conservative evangelicalism, where salvation (and sanctification for that matter) is seen as a moment in time when I gave my life to Jesus.

My commitment over the next year is to read more of Wesley's sermons. I believe that his legacy as a churchman and a theologian is well worth investigating. I am surprised that so many "Wesleyans" know so little about Wesley...