Research for MDiv Thesis

[Dean Lawrence]

Let me first introduce myself as I am new to the community, but a long time Anglimergent lurker. I am a senior Seminarian at Virginia Theological Seminary to be ordained (God willing) in June. I am currently writing a thesis about use of Anglican Liturgy within the emergent community.

I have occasionally heard a few people (Brian McClaren, Shane Claiborne, and Chris Seay to be specific) talk about the richness of the Anglican tradition and how it has informed their own community in worship. I theorize that there is something that resonates within the Anglican liturgical tradition that connects with the Emergent church mindset. I suggest that this has to do with what I would call a “practical piety” or a symbolic system that speaks both to and from a life lived in radical discipleship. I believe this symbol system is deeply tied to the earliest forms of Christian worship and community.

What I hope to gain is an open discussion particularly of how you see the prayerbook(s) informing a church that is deeply bound in intentional community and active faith. I am particularly interested if you have seen Anglican liturgy used in a community that is not Anglican. Yet, any experience is of interested to me. I look forward to any conversation that this generates and hope to hear from you soon.

[Dean Lawrence]

I would like to amend my analogy from above. I said it is like we are spitting on a forest fire. It is perhaps more like we are planting trees in front of a forest fire in hopes of saving the forest.

[Demi Prentiss]

Be sure to read Phyllis Tickle's book The Great Emergence. I think you and she are connecting at a number of levels.
Perhaps my cock-eyed optimism is shaping what I'm seeing, but I have to disagree with your statement: "We are, for the most part, just changing out one dwindling group of traditionalist rooted in modernism to another group still rooted in modernism. We are still doing church from a rationalist perspective." From my viewpoint, I'm seeing more emergence than changing out. But there's still plenty of "hiding in the bunker."
Blessings! on your work.
Demi Prentiss

[Dean Lawrence]

This was not intended as a criticism of what is being referred to as emergent, but instead a criticism of what has been the typical approach to this problem of dwindling congregations. Replace the organ with a praise band, the nave with a gym, etc. Worked in the 60-70s not sure it transfers to what is happening now.

Thanks for the book recommendation, already reading.

DL

[Demi Prentiss]

Trust me - it didn't work in the 60s-70s. ;-)