Real Roots of the Emergent Church Documentary: Updated!

April 28, 2014 By

Here is the 3-hour Updated Director’s Cut of The Real Roots of the Emergent Church documentary:

Because diversity characterizes the Emergent Church movement, it is difficult to paint everyone in the movement with a broad brush. Some have observed that defining the Emergent Church is like nailing jello to a wall. All participants agree on their disillusionment with the institutional church, but do not all agree on where the church is destined to go from here. They share a common concern with many evangelicals over the state of the modern church, especially the mega-church phenomenon and “seeker-friendly” churches. For this reason, many evangelicals who observe the Emerging Church are fascinated by it, drawn to its creative approaches to worship, genuineness of many of the leaders and desire to reach Gen Xers. However, these evangelicals fail to look beyond it to understand its underlying theology, or lack thereof. [Read more...]

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Filed Under: Bill Hybels, Bob Buford, Brian McLaren, Contemplative Prayer, Emergent Church, Eschatology, Feminism, Gay Agenda, Gospel, Hell, Homosexuality, Islam, Jay Bakker, Judgment, Kingdom of God, Mark Driscoll, Meditation, Mysticism, New Age, Peter Drucker, Postmodernity, Prayer, Rick Warren, Rob Bell, Roman Catholicism, Salvation, Sin, Tony Campolo, U2/Bono, Universalism, Willow Creek, Women

A Christian Movie Review of Son of God

March 6, 2014 By

son-of-god“All who heard Him felt His power,” says the John the Apsotle player in Son of God the movie. What? Felt His power? You won’t hear this saying in the Bible but many postmodern relativists may use these types of phrases in their appeals to feeling the truth rather than knowing the truth and heart knowledge vs. head knowledge.

Hollywood’s goal is to make money and entertain, not to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. According to Christian Post Entertainment, the filmmakers of Son of God (2014) accomplished their goal as the film earned $26.5 million in a second place win at the box office this past weekend. Christian reviewers celebrated the success, calling it a “miracle.” I was not as impressed.

I haven’t been to a movie theater in years, but I did attend the movie last night for research purposes. Religious leaders including Rick Warren, Joel Osteen, TD Jakes, and Bill Hybels have urged churchgoers to view the film. In fact, Christian leaders, including megachurch pastor Rick Warren, rented every screen in numerous multiplex theaters across 10 cities for the premiere on Feb. 27. Rick Warren is also offering the Son of God: The Life of Jesus in You Bible Study from LifeWay. So, I had to see what the big deal was for myself. Considering such endorsements (and commentaries from evangelicals and Roman Catholics for the film), I expected the worst.

I anticipated that the producers would use their artistic license to add and subtract from the Gospel record and I also expected Roman Catholic overtones based upon the endorsements from the Catholic community (I will elaborate on the ecumenical agenda below). Most of the additional side stories about the religious Pharisees, governing Romans, and Mary Magdalene as a more prominent figure were just fine and to be expected in a Hollywood movie about the Son of God. But sadly, these additions became the focal point while the substance of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God was almost completely gutted from the film.

Audiences don’t want to hear the teachings of Jesus. They want to be entertained with emotion, violence and nudity. And Son of God the movie offers as much of that as it can for a PG-13 rating. There were several unneeded scenes of Roman violence and oppression of the Israelites. I also could have done without seeing Pilate’s half-naked wife from shoulders up and Pilate training with a Roman male soldier wearing nothing but a loin cloth.

I’m afraid that most people who are curious about the most impacting figure of world history will walk away from the film unimpressed by Hollywood’s Jesus and uneducated about the profound and radical teachings of Christ. Hopefully, it will perk their curiosity to actually read the Gospels for themselves because those documents are really the only truth we have for the historical Jesus.

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Filed Under: Catholic Mass, Gospel, Hollywood, Joel Osteen, Kingdom of God, Postmodernity, Rick Warren, Roman Catholicism, Son of God movie, T.D. Jakes

The Emergence CANA Initiative

November 19, 2013 By

brian-mclarenEmergent leader Tony Jones recently said,

Some people say the Emerging Church is dead, other people say the Emerging Church has spread so far it’s just been absorbed into the fabric of the American church. (source)

The Emerging Church is not dead, and the new CANA Initiative is evidence of this fact. Earlier this year in May, Emergent guru Brian McLaren sent out a donation plea for a mysterious project. On McLaren’s blog he said,

Readers of my books and blog know that I am a movement person. . .

I’m looking for some people to join in this initiative. . .

If you believe in the kinds of things I write, say, and do, and would like to join me in making a significant financial investment over the next three years - to help a broad-based, diverse, and deep Christian movement rise to the next level, I am hoping we can come together in a joint project.

You might be able to give in the four, five, six, or seven figures. Or you might know a person, foundation, or other donor who can. Or you might be willing to start giving a smaller amount on a regular basis for the long term. (source)

Seven figure donations? What kind of “initiative” requires millions of dollars? Amy Spreeman of Stand Up for the Truth responded to McLaren’s donation plea to which McLaren responded in an e-mail saying that the initiative would be called the CANA Initiative. This CANA Initiative is now up and running. Who are the “initiators”? You guessed it: The typical Emergent cast of Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Spencer Burke, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Phyllis Tickle among many others (source). The homepage reveals other participants:

The CANA Initiative is comprised of Roman Catholic, Evangelical, Mainline Protestant, Orthodox, and other Christians who believe the future for Christian life and mission will be different in many ways from the past and present.

The CANA Initiative brings together innovative leaders from all streams of the faith to collaborate in the development of new ways of being Christian…new ways of doing theology and living biblically, new understandings and practices of mission, new kinds of faith communities, new approaches to worship and spiritual formation, new integrations and conversations and convergences and dreams. (source)

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Filed Under: Brian McLaren, Emergent Church, Rob Bell, Roman Catholicism