dissertation

7
gical) vision – although the exact terms that are used may differ 33 and some particularities
or nuances remain. A further explanation of this concept is now called for.
1.1.2 The Term ‘Emerging-Missional Conversation’ (EMC)
The ‘Emerging-Missional’ part of the expression EMC refers to the fact that sources will
be consulted from authors in both the Emerging Church Movement and Missional
Church Movement. 34 This is further explained below, after we clarify why we use the
term ‘conversation’.
The first reason that the word ‘conversation’ seems useful is that it helps to specify
what areas of the Emerging-Missional milieu will be investigated and where we will
draw the line. Negatively stated, no research will be done concerning the actual practices
within existing emerging or missional churches that could be observed through ethnographic
research – although we did consult existing ethnographic studies. Furthermore,
this thesis does not focus on the role and function of digital networks, nor will it
inquire as to what individuals are experiencing in these networks or churches. Positively
stated, the focus is on conversations – or discourses 35 – such as those found in written
sources, for example books, articles, and blogs. Contributions by influential writers will
be consulted, particularly books or articles that form important nodes, or crystallization
points, of the discourses that are conducted in this milieu.
In this category fall publications by Mark Driscoll, Craig Van Gelder, Eddie Gibbs,
the late Stanley Grenz, Darrell Guder, Alan Hirsch, Tony Jones, Dan Kimball, Brian
McLaren, Ian Mobsby, Alan Roxburgh, Leonard Sweet, Karen Ward, the late Robert
Webber, and others. The influence of their works is not limited to a certain region. For
example, Alan Hirsch is influential in Australia (where he started his ministry) but also
in the United States, Europe, and South Africa. The same pertains – mutatis mutandis –
for most of the other names that were mentioned. Thus, sources from different continents
will be consulted, with an emphasis on those from Australia, the United Kingdom,
and the United States. From our research, we gained the impression that the most
33
Publications on the following ecclesial topics may be considered more or less part of the EMC (the list is
not exhaustive): borderland church, coming church, church next, deep church, emerging church, externally focused
church, fresh expressions of church, future church, house church, hyphenated church, liquid church, missional church, new
paradigm church, neo-monastic church, organic church, simple church, total church, transformational church.
34
It should be noted that this does not happen often: many commentators focus on just one movement, as
two recent publications may illustrate. Tony Jones states that “it is not at all clear that the ‘missional
church’ has a particular identity of its own.” Jones, The Church is Flat, 5. On the other hand, the Emerging
Church Movement is not dealt with in a thorough way in a recent overview of the Missional Church Movement.
See Craig Van Gelder and Dwight J. Zscheile, The Missional Church in Perspective: Mapping Trends and
Shaping the Conversation (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2011).
35
Cf. James Bielo, an Emerging Church Movement researcher and anthropologist, who uses the word ‘discourse’
(instead of movement), in James S. Bielo, “The ‘Emerging Church’ in America: Notes on the Interaction
of Christianities,” Religion 39 (2009), 220.