Since the MBS fair last week I've been thinking a bit about contemporary spirituality whilst reading 'Religion in Modern Times'. I'm trying to get my head around the process of sacralization and where the emerging church fits into the wider sociological framework.
Heelas and Woodhead identify three varieties of religion: Spiritualities of Life, Religions of Difference and Religions of humanity (these are then further divided down into a variety of sub-sections). Quite interestingly different stalls at the MBS fair would fall into all three categories but the majority would be 'Spiritualities of Life'.
This is an over simplification but:
• Within a Religion of Difference authority is attributed, first and foremost, not to human beings or nature but to the transcendent. Humanity is saved by a God outside rather than a god within.
• Within a Religion of Humanity great authority is attributed to humanity and the goodness of humans.
• Within a Spirituality of Life divinity is located within self and nature
Religions of Humanity are in decline whereas Spiritualities of Life and Religions of Difference are growing. Christianity falls into both Religions of Difference and Religions of Humanity - the Christian versions of Religions of Humanity are the ones which are struggling the most largely because they have sold out to a secular world-view that relocated God in the privatized realm.
There can be no doubt that the emerging church is a Religion of Difference (believing in a transcendent God) yet my perception would be there would be a rejection of the dualism within this thinking and also a positive view of humanity, hence we draw from Religions of Humanity. I think that we need to recognise the common ground with Spiritualities of Life, affirming the value of self and nature as being made in the image of God and yet affirming God's transcendence too.
At the MBS fair it is easy to walk around and unhelpfully spot 'heresy', however, I think that the missiological task is to recognise what God is doing in this context already and to work alongside God in his ongoing work. The next step is to attempt to explore what church looks like for people who follow a Spirituality of Life...I'm not yet aware of anyone who has established a Christian community with the MBS context...can anyone tell me otherwise as i'd love to chat with them!
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