What is driving the development of the emerging church?

Burke, Michael (2007) What is driving the development of the emerging church? Masters thesis, University of Gloucestershire.

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Abstract

This research has been undertaken in order to examine what forces, both theological and societal are driving the development of the Emerging Church. A working definition is employed throughout the research, which states that 'Emerging churches are communities that seek to practise the way of Jesus in ways that respond to the landscape of a culture in transition.' This cultural transition is comprised of social and economic changes which affect the way in which communities operate, as well as changes to family life and work patterns. This is accompanied by ecclesiological developments including the numerical decline of existing Christian communities and the attended loss of social influence, changes in leadership roles and expectation as well as new patterns of attendance and membership. These developments are also affected by philosophical changes associated with postmodernity which affect how faith is practiced and understood. The research also examines recent changes in ecclesiological and missiological thinking and practice and seeks to understand how such developments might have impacted upon the emerging church and in particular how the decline of Christendom is leading to new thinking and the use of new models in order to understand the role of the Church in post-Christendom society. The study examines the particular impact of the emerging church upon current ecclesiological thinking and missiological practice in the Church of England, seeking to investigate ·the distribution of 'fresh expressions of Church' and to explore how a number of such communities operate through a series of case studies and questionnaires, focusing upon the Dioceses of Oxford and Canterbury whilst also including illustrative case studies from further afield. Finally the research seeks to offer a critical appraisal of the contribution of the emerging church to the life of the Church of England, identifying helpful insights into current missiological practice and leadership training, as well as raising concerns and drawing conclusions about how the emerging church might lead to a new understanding of local community church in the future.

Item Type:	Thesis (Masters)
Related URLs:	Organisation
Subjects:	B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BL Religion B Philosophy. Psychology. Religion > BR Christianity
Depositing User:	Anne Pengelly
Date Deposited:	30 Mar 2022 09:26
Last Modified:	30 Mar 2022 09:27
URI:	https://eprints.glos.ac.uk/id/eprint/10886

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