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New Zealand: Christianity is Pregnant

The document discusses three possible futures for Christianity: continuing contraction, conservative resurgence, or pregnancy. It argues that pregnancy, characterized by theological and liturgical renewal, missional reorientation, and new ecumenical alliances, is the best future. For Christianity to experience pregnancy, it will require convergence between progressive Catholics, evangelicals, mainline Protestants, and other groups. Pregnancy will convert, cost, and change Christians, and will require a romance between social movements and institutions.

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The Scriptures are full of unlikely pregnancies ...
Unlikely Pregnancies of the Bible: Gomer Sarah Ruth/Naomi Hannah Elizabeth Mary
TOO CYNICAL! TOO OLD?! TOOYOUNG?! NOTREADY? SELF DOUBT UNLIKELY! UNPREPARED?ASHAMED? FAILED BEFORE!
Unlikely Pregnancies of the Bible: Gomer Sarah Ruth/Naomi Hannah Elizabeth Mary NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLEW ITH GOD!
COULD CHRISTIANITY BE PREGNANT?
signs of pregnancy - flexibility (2 kinds) - creativity - realism - restlessness - dreaming - anticipation - discomfort
JOY!
JOY! PANIC!
JOY! PANIC! ANXIETY!
JOY! PANIC! ANXIETY! MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS!
JOY! PANIC! ANXIETY! MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS! SELF DOUBT WONDER INSECURITY RESPONSIBILITY EXCITEMENT!
the narrative of decline ... whom do we blame?
“It is customary to blame secular science and anti-religious philosophy for the eclipse of religion in modern society. It would be more honest to blame religion for its own defeats. Religion declined not because it was refuted, but because it became irrelevant, dull, oppressive, insipid. When faith is completely replaced by creed, worship by discipline, love by habit; when the crisis of today is ignored because of the splendor of the past; when faith becomes an heirloom rather than a living fountain; when religion speaks only in the name of authority rather than with the voice of compassion--its message becomes meaningless.” ― Abraham Joshua Heschel, God in Search of Man: A Philosophy of Judaism
the narrative of decline ... whom do we blame? N EW N AM ES N EW IDEN TITY N EW N ARRATIVE
the narrative of decline the narrative of pregnancy
“There is something afoot in the universe, something that looks like gestation and birth.” - Pierre Tielhard de Chardin
the narrative of pregnancy Christ born in you. Christ born in us. Christ born in today’s world.
It’s time to stop naming ourselves by the narrative of decline. It’s time to accept for ourselves and announce to the world ...
Good News! We are Pregnant!
JOY! PANIC! ANXIETY! MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS! SELF DOUBT WONDER INSECURITY RESPONSIBILITY EXCITEMENT!
“I am the Lord’s servant. Let it be to me according to your word.”
Good News! Christianity is Pregnant!
Pregnancy as a Christian future.
Three possible futures: Continuing contraction Conservative resurgence Pregnancy
Three possible futures: Continuing contraction - Shrinking numbers - Wrinkling members - Low retention - Low evangelization - Constrained leadership - Secure finances
Three possible futures: Conservative resurgence - Immigration fears - Western domination - Terrorism fears/revenge - Playing to bases - New alliances (global, ecumenical)
Three possible futures: Conservative resurgence - Immigration fears - Western domination - Terrorism fears/revenge - Playing to bases - New alliances (global, ecumenical)
The greatest threat to world peace is radical Islam... Only the United States, and more specifically, only the conservative, evangelical Christians of America are who stand between radical Islam and their quest for global domination. If the world is to be saved from Muslim conquest, it will be America who does it. And if America is to be saved, only conservatism can do it. And if conservatism is to be saved, it will be those Bible-believing patriots who do it–those conservative, evangelical Christians who are the bedrock of the American way of life. Why? Because only Christianity has the intellectual and spiritual horsepower to defeat radical Islam and prevent the world from returning to the darkness of the 7th century. After all, the story of the birth and growth of Western Civilization is pretty much the story of the birth and growth of Christianity. The divide between East and West today, fundamentally, is the divide between Islam and Christianity. Christians and Muslims know this, it’s the secularists who don’t get it–or at least won’t admit it. - Why Al Queda Supports the Emerging Church - #1 Religious Talk Show Host NRB Award Winner
Three possible futures: Pregnancy - Theological & liturgical renaissance - Missional reorientation - Post-national, post-partisan identity/ethos - Spiritual-social movement (Peace, planet, poverty) - New alliances (global, ecumenical)
Which future(s) should you prepare for? Which future seems most likely?
Which future(s) should you prepare for? Which future seems most likely? DO NOT CONSPIRE INYOUR OWN DIMINISHMENT! (PARKER PALMER)
Which future(s) should you prepare for? Which future seems most likely? Which future should you help create? DO NOT CONSPIRE INYOUR OWN DIMINISHMENT! (PARKER PALMER)
Three possible futures: Pregnancy - Theological reformation - Missional reorientation - Post-national, post-partisan identity/ethos - Spiritual-social movement (Peace, planet, poverty) - New alliances (global, ecumenical)
Pregnancy takes two ...
Two Parents ... Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant Mainline and Evangelical Critical and Experiential Contemplative and Activist Institution and Movement Rooted and Innovative Majority and Minority Convergent and Distinct Pregnancy
Two Parents ... Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant Mainline and Evangelical Critical and Experiential Contemplative and Activist Institution and Movement Rooted and Innovative Majority and Minority Convergent and Distinct Pregnancy
Two Parents ... Catholic/Orthodox and Protestant Mainline and Evangelical Critical and Experiential Contemplative and Activist Institution and Movement Rooted and Innovative Majority and Minority Convergent and Distinct Pregnancy
Methodists alone can’t solve Methodist problems. Presbyterians alone can’t solve Presbyterian problems. Baptists alone can’t solve Baptist problems. Our solutions won’t fit in our sectarian silos. Pregnancy
Intersection
Intersection: Church
Intersection: Church World
Intersection Church World
Convergence Missional Mainliners Progressive Catholics Progressive & Post- Evangelicals Socially engaged peace & ethnic churches
Convergence Missional Mainliners Progressive Catholics Progressive & Post- Evangelicals Socially engaged peace & ethnic churches
Convergence Progressive Catholics Socially engaged peace & ethnic churches Progressive & Post- Evangelicals Missional Mainliners
Pregnancy takes two ...
Pregnancy converts you.
“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” ― Elizabeth Stone Pregnancy converts you.
“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” ― Elizabeth Stone Pregnancy converts you. Pregnancy costs you.
“Making the decision to have a child - it is momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body. ” ― Elizabeth Stone Pregnancy converts you. Pregnancy costs you. Pregnancy changes you.
Many Christians, pastors, denominational leaders, and congregations would rather not be converted, pay the cost, or undergo the changes of pregnancy. Pregnancy converts you.
Many Christians, pastors, denominational leaders, and congregations would rather not be converted, pay the cost, or undergo the changes of pregnancy. Pregnancy converts you. That’s OK. Just don’t let them hold you hostage!
Pregnancy converts you.Pregnancy converts you.
Pregnancy takes two ...
Pregnancy converts you.
Pregnancy typically involves romance.
If Christianity’s future is pregnancy ... it will require a romance between a movement and institutions.
we need a theology of institutions, movements. and Communities
Communities Families, individuals, and organizations linked to a common environment, collaborating for the common good.
Institutions: Organizations which conserve the gains made by past social movements to serve their community.
Social Movements Organizations which make proposals or demands to current institutions to make progress towards new gains for their community.
Both movements and institutions... Organize for their purpose Need one another Are frustrated with one another Benefit - or harm - communities
Without movements ... Institutions stagnate ... Without institutions ... Movements evaporate ...
Movements may ... - successfully inject their values into the institutions they challenge. - create their own institutions. - be co-opted. - be defeated.
From Greg Leffel Faith Seeking Action: Mission and Social Movements
Leffel’s 6 Characteristics of Vibrant Social Movements
1. Opportunity Structure (Context Awareness) Current restraining realities ... in tension with ... emerging opportunities.
Opportunities: - Problems needing to be solved - Elites who hold power, resist change or promote negative change - Fissures, Problems among elites that make the status quo vulnerable - Values of the movement in conflict with values of elites - Potential advocates and allies in academic, civil society, arts, church, government, business, science, etc.
2. Rhetorical Framing/Conceptual Architecture What is our message? How do we redefine current reality? Desired reality? What are our proposals or demands?
3. Protest (messaging) strategy Raising awareness, attracting growing numbers of participants... Campaigns, tactics, deployments, making demands, public relations, sustaining conflict, forcing a crisis, managing internal tensions, managing stigmatization, showing results, maintaining momentum, not overreacting, defining acceptable level of disruption
4. Mobilization Structures & Strategies - Authority and Decision-Making Structures - Transparency/Confidentiality, Communication Plans - Leadership development, Relational Development, Conflict Management Plans - Coalition development - Resource, Technology, Finance Mobilization and Management - Evangelism, recruitment, induction - Renewal and Increase of commitment
5. Movement culture - Emotional vibe (fun, serious, angry, playful, heady, gutsy, etc.) - Feel of spaces, physical and digital - Songs, slogans - Virtues, values, moral ethos - Dress, Graphics, - Nicknames, terminology - Emotion, motivation, motion
6. Participant Biography How does involvement benefit - or harm - participants? How does the movement promote emotional and social sustainability ... avoiding burnout, squabbles, etc. How does it contribute to personal formation: - character - attitudes - knowledge - recovery from trauma - relationships - renewal What do participants gain from being involved?
1. Opportunity Structure 2. Rhetorical framing 3. Protest (messaging) strategy 4. Mobilization strategy 5. Movement culture 6. Participant Biography
Jesus launches the Kingdom of God movement ...
Jesus seizes the opportunity structure provided by conflicted elites (Pharisees/ Sadducees; Herodians/ Zealots) and struggling masses (Galilee/Judea)
He provides rhetorical framing on hillsides, in houses, on retreats, in public teach-ins, in debates, through parables, through rituals and practices. He repeats key themes - commonwealth of God, life to the full, life of the ages, liberation - rooted in dynamic tension with tradition.
His protest (messaging) strategy includes public demonstrations (healings & miracles), teach-ins (sermon on mount), civil disobedience (turning tables), guerilla theatre (exorcisms), festivals (feasts & feedings), naming evil (woes), naming heroes (blessings).
He develops a mobilization strategy based on 3, 12, 70, and multitudes. He entrusts freely with responsibility and expresses high confidence in his agents (greater things shall you do ...)
He associates his movement culture with love, joy, justice, risk, hope, healing, creativity, courage, service, willingness to suffer, nonviolence.
He provides his disciples challenge, rest, retreat, encouragement, recovery after failures. They testify that their participant biographies have been forever changed for the better.
If Christianity’s future is pregnancy ... it will require a romance between a movement and institutions.
Pregnancy takes two ...
Pregnancy converts you.
Pregnancy typically involves romance.
The romance leads to a proposal.
Critical conversations become movements when they make proposals. What are our proposals? Here are 8 ...
1. We call upon just and generous Christian communities who have embraced conversion/ pregnancy to identify themselves, and where no such communities exist, we call upon people to start creative new ones.
2. We call upon Christian leaders and parents to begin afresh with children, youth, and college-aged adults - and reenvision Christianity primarily as a youth movement with support by elders.
3. We call upon Christian communities, movements, and institutions to recruit different leaders and train them differently (and without debt - or cost, if possible).
4. We call upon Christian communities, institutions, and movements to convene people in the new old-fashioned way: through stories and saints - rather than doctrinal statements/beliefs/polity.
5. We call upon Christian congregations to sing, pray, and preach differently.