jason evans

Delving into the widespread, contemporary longing for a more serious and communal experience of Christianity, this book provides important theoretical underpinnings and casts a vision for a new monasticism within the Wesleyan tradition. Elaine Heath and Scott Kisker call for the planting of neo-monastic churches which embody the Wesleyan vision of holiness in postmodern contexts. This book also points toward some vital shifts that are necessary in theological education in order to equip pastors to lead such communities. Longing for Spring helps Wesleyans of all stripes understand the theory and praxis necessary for planting neo-monastic communities as a new model of the church that is particularly important in the postmodern context. The authors write in an engaging, conversational style that is conversant with postmodern culture, yet thoroughly informed by critical research. Heath and Kisker boldly challenge the imagination of the church, both within and beyond Wesleyan traditions, to consider the possibility of revitalizing the church through the new monasticism.

via wipfandstock.com

I recently mentioned some thoughts on Wesleyianism today. Some of my new friends in the BiC are interested in continuing the conversation and we found out about this new book from Wipf and Stock, Longing for Spring by Elaine Heath and Scott Kisker. A group of us are going to read through it and dialog about this together. If you're interested in joining in let me know.

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Filed under // books Emerging Church Methodism missional church Wesleyianism

a method to the madness?

On Saturday night, I spoke with a wonderful group of people that are a part of the Brethren in Christ–a denomination with roots in Anabaptism, Pietism and Methodism. Everyone was very kind and hospitable. And my talk was well received. I spoke, in part, about the relevance of the three traditions that inform the BiC, as I mentioned in my last post.

Regarding one in particular, Methodism, I mentioned that I thought the method employed by John Wesley–who founded Methodism–had tapped into a way of organizing people for radical change which goes beyond religion. In particular, I pointed out the similarities between the organizing principles devised by community organizer and author Saul Alinsky during the 1950's and John Wesley's bands, classes and societies during the 1700's. While Wesley's work sparked a historic spiritual revival, Alinsky's sparked great social change. What both men were keenly aware of was that a method was needed in order to empower lay people in a manner that required minimal resources, 'experts' and could work within existing systems so that these people could participate in the change they wanted to see. The bottom line is that the method works.

You can talk to just about any community organizer in an urban context and find they are informed by Alinsky's principles and you can almost bet that if they are seeing change, they are employing the principles. Yet, if you talk to most Christians, let alone many Wesleyans or Methodists, and find that they are unaware of Wesley's methods and certainly aren't using them (I can say that, because I grew up in a Methodist church). Still, you can look around the globe and find movements with a similar "DNA" to what these two men taught. For example, in his book The New Creation, Wesleyan theologian, Thomas Runyon points out the similarities between early Methodism and the base ecclesial community movement rooted in the Latin American Roman Catholic Church and Liberation Theology.

Certainly, our context is much different than either of these men. But is there something to be learned from this. Should we consider how these methods would be employed in our own time and place? Do we care?

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Filed under // anabaptist church Emerging Church John Wesley Methodism missional church Saul Alinsky

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a method to the madness?