Christian identity & the nature of church in Consumer Culture

By Jason Clark

15 Dec 2008

Today and tommorow, I’m writing my first draft (from my research notes over the last few months), of the first of two chapters of my book project with Pete Rollins, Scott McKnight, and Kevin Corcoran.  I’ll be getting to my second chapter and will blog about it later this week.

This first chapter is in three parts.  

1.  My Story: Firstly I’ll give some of the story of my location with and to Emerging Church, as a church planter, and my academic work.  

2.  Consumerism: Then I’ll be describing one problem surfaced from my own context, that I think the wider western church and E/C face, of consumerism as religious system, and how it affects belief and practice in church life and the formation of Christian identity.

3.  Assessment: Lastly I’ll make an assessment of emerging church in relation to this description, suggesting areas where it is working well and areas where it has become captive to consumerism for it’s ecclesiology.

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  1. Comment by Laura

    8.19 pm on 15 Dec 2008

    Jason, I’m looking forward to reading on your process and your thoughts. I have seen the captivity to consumerism in ministry and in my studies. I’ve also seen the looks on people’s faces and the changes in their behavior when they first learn what the church is and why we are here. Very powerful.

    1. Comment by Jason

      11.02 am on 16 Dec 2008

      The possibilities within consumerism, and where are captive to it with emerging ecclesiologies, is at the heart of my chapter, I hope!

  2. Comment by fernando

    10.40 am on 16 Dec 2008

    As always, I look forward to reading your words.

    I also envy your position a little. At this stage of my research I had tried to start a blog and given up. It would have been great to have an online readership to bolster the real world readership. I remember this stage of my research as feeling particularly lonely.

    1. Comment by Jason

      11.03 am on 16 Dec 2008

      Thanks mate, it is so good to have company from others and readers to bring some perspective.

  3. Comment by rodney

    10.48 am on 16 Dec 2008

    Jason,

    Any chance of blogging about the background,title and purpose of this book project…..it would be interesting to know some of story behind this project?

    I am not sure about the phrase ‘emerging’ church any more (it is such a loaded term) ..I was hoping for a new phase in the conversation with fresh ideas/dialogue, etc. however this is only my personal thought.

    It should be an interesting collaboration given the the authors!!

    I like your initial chapter thoughts

    Rodney

    1. Comment by Jason

      11.00 am on 16 Dec 2008

      Hi Rodney,

      I think the provisional title is:

      Conversing with/in Emerging: Philosophical and Theological Reflections on the Emerging Church

      It’s aimed at a large segment of the reformed church who are interested in Emerging Church. It’s also going to be academic in slant, hopefully used in seminaries as a theological critique of emerging church, and church leaders who want to get above popular stereotypes of church and emerging church.

      I feel a sense of awe at the people writing around me!

  4. Comment by mike

    3.43 pm on 25 Jan 2009

    Hi Jason

    I look forward to hearing more – it sounds like it potentially brings together a number of my own interests including, from the emerging church to consumerism. When is this due to be available?

    Mike

    1. Comment by Jason

      3.58 pm on 25 Jan 2009

      later this year, end of 2009 most likely

      warmly, Jason

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