Torch, Fall/Winter 2012

Everybody Wins Conservative Christians believe that we are sinners who are saved by Christ’s death and resurrection on our behalf. Anyone who repents and believes in Jesus will live forever, while anyone who does not will go to hell. Many Emergent leaders grew up with this conservative Gospel and are now reacting against it. Perhaps influenced in part by our culture’s value of inclusion — where every child is above average and receives a trophy just for participating — several Emergent authors say that we must not exclude others from the family of God simply because they believe differently. Rather than separate people into in- and out-groups, we should recognize that we are all God’s children, accepted by Him just as we are. Some Emergents, such as Pagitt and Burke, say outright that we are born without original sin. Since we are already good, there is no need for Jesus to bear the penalty of our sin on the cross. Many Emergents endorse any and all theories of the atonement except the view that Jesus suffered His Father’s wrath on our behalf. They suggest that this sounds like “divine child abuse,” for if God is love, why does He need a sacrifice in order to forgive? Because we are already accepted by God at birth, several Emergent leaders say there is nothing we must do to be saved. They suggest that salvation is an “opt-out” rather than “opt-in” plan. Everyone belongs to the family of God, though we retain the freedom to opt out if we want. However, since they can scarcely imagine anyone staring the God of grace in the face and opting for hell, these Emergents seem to favor universalism — everyone is saved in the end. Because right beliefs have no bearing on one’s salvation, many Emergents claim that the only thing that matters is good behavior . Rather than call people to believe in Jesus, they urge others to follow or live “in the way of Jesus,” which cashes out as radically inclusive love. Those who embrace the outsider belong to God’s kingdom, regardless of what they believe. What Do You Know? How do Emergents square such statements with Scripture? Some get around it by asserting that Scripture is not a revelation from God. Rollins says that God’s transcendence makes revelation impossible, so that “when it comes to God, we have nothing to say to others, and we must not be ashamed of saying it.” Others, such as Caputo, argue that we only think Scripture is God’s revelation. Since other religions disagree, we should humbly concede that the Bible is only one perspective among many and that it could be wrong. Even those Emergents who use the Bible insist that our interpretations often go astray. While this is a helpful reminder, some Emergents use the possibility that our 10 TORCH Pastor Doug Pagitt leads Sunday night service at Solomon’s Porch in Minneapolis. Members of Solomon’s Porch meet in a former Methodist church that from the outside looks like a typical brick church. The inside, however, is far from typical. AP Photo/Minnesota Public Radio, Elizabeth Stawicki