Christianity in Transition
Invitation to a Two Month Process Focused on the Question of Christianity Today
The Portal this year has been dedicated to month-long mediations with different groups or organisations. In January we hosted Layman Pascal and Bruce Alderman of The Integral Stage, and in February we hosted Chris Cutrone of Platypus Affiliated Society. In the coming months The Portal is launching a two-month process focused on exploring “Christianity in Transition”, see:
This two-month process will involve two major sections, with the first launching this Sunday focused on the concept of the (Emergent) Church as Contradiction. This session will offer an in-depth analysis of the “Emerging Church Movement” of the late 1990s and early 2000s, in terms of both the contradictions that produced it (Seeker Movement), as well as the contradictions that led to its demise (Woke politics, deconstruction-oriented philosophy), as well as what still stands in its “wake” (aftermath). This seminar hopes to set the tone for a month long mediation with the current religious struggles in our culture and society, with the future reconstruction of religion, and specifically the Christian church, in mind. In this context, I will be attempting to not only think about the Emerging Church Movement as a contradiction, but also point towards Peter Rollins’ idea of the “Church of Contradiction” as something that may help us move positively with the Emerging Church Movement’s contradiction(s).1
The first month as a whole will feature an event led by deconstructionologist
focused on "de/reconstruction", an event led by cultural theorist focused on "meta-God concepts", as well as event co-led by Rob Zahn and Kevin Crouse, two religious practitioners with long-term experience working with Peter Rollins, focused on the question of the Church. All four participants will be co-leaders throughout the month as a whole. You can find the first month’s schedule on the website or below:
In preparation for this month, I released a conversation on “de/reconstruction” with both Jim Palmer and Brendan Graham Dempsey, attempting to think about the themes and questions that will be guiding us in our first sessions this month:
There will be more information available on the second month of “Christianity in Transition” very soon, but everything will be connected to the first month. As a teaser, in the second month we will start exploring the concept of “Metagelicalism” — a term coined by “The Internet’s Pastor” Paul VanderKlay to describe the cultural and social environment of his online movement “This Little Corner” (TLC) — in coordination with a prominent contributor to the TLC,
.This two month process as a whole will also be feeding into two very important events that have been building at Philosophy Portal through the Christian Atheism course. The first is the Christian Atheism conference, which will be hosted on Saturday April 12th and Sunday April 13th (more details coming very soon for this event), as well as Philosophy Portal at Wake Festival in coordination with Peter Rollins from April 27th to May 1st in Belfast, Ireland. Philosophy Portal at Wake Festival will feature three mornings dedicated to discussions, Q and As, breakout groups inspired by the Christian Atheism course, and focused on radical theology. For more information, see:
Is this two month process for you?
If you are struggling with the current cultural and social moment in terms of either the return of the Christian religion to cultural and social relevance, or the “surprising rebirth of belief in God”, then this unique process could be exactly the right environment to reflect with others who are also working through this moment.