As you’ll see e.g. in the Apprising Ministries article Big Tent Progressive Christianity As Liberalism 2.0, rather than dying, we’re going to be dealing with the upgraded Emerging Church 2.0—a neo-liberal cult—with a newer, more clearly delineated, Progressive Christian theology. It’s like I pointed out last time, the original Emergent Church was actually a full-on attack against the old cult of liberalism aka modern theology; and its “big tent” version of progressive Christian theology, a Liberalism 2.0 often called Emergence Christianity, has won out.

I also pointed you to the September EC conference Big Tent Christianity: Being and Becoming the Church (BTC) by the Transforming Theology network of Dr. Philip Clayton, and which features such EC notables as guru Brian McLaren, Red Letter Christian and historian Diana Butler Bass, heretical progressive/liberal theologians Tony Jones and Harvey Cox, as well as the Empress of Emergence Phyllis Tickle.  In fact, the entire EC trinity will be on hand as, “Participants also include” head of the EC OOZE Spencer Burke and heretical EC pastor and universalist Doug Pagitt; in addition to Jones and McLaren.

The EC 2.0 has a significant event coming up a week from tomorrow with the inaugural East Coast Gathering of the TransFORM Network (see video below), which I pointed out in was created by Steve Knight. Knight himself was at one time a member of the Emergent Village National Co-ordinating Group including Brian McLaren, Tony Jones, Courtney Perry, along with a couple of others; and, TransFORM: East Coast Gathering is listed under upcoming EV events. Under the subheading What is TransFORM? at the TransFORM website we read:

We are gathering missional practitioners on the East Coast to learn from each other and to mobilize others for forming new missional communities. Whether you’re a pastor, prospective “church planter,” or simply interested in finding out more about transformational missional communities of practice, this gathering is designed to inspire and equip you to go and do likewise! (Online source)

Among the more notable SPEAKERS/WORKSHOP FACILITATORS we find McLaren, purveyor of irrational philosopher Peter Rollins; Tim Conder, author of Free for All: Rediscovering the Bible in Community and one of the founding leaders of Emergent Village [1]; interspiritual advocate Samir Selmanovic, whose website tells us he’s “been integral to the birth of the emerging church movement [2]; “Rev.” Vince Anderson, assistant pastor to gay affirming “pastor” Jay Bakker; founding director of ReIMAGINE Mark Scandrette, and his teaching friend, the Zen Buddhist Reverend Shinko Rick Slone. [3] 

You may recall Sandrette from his involvement with his good friends Tony Jones and Doug Pagitt in The Church Basement Roadshow; he’s also known for coming up with something called “the concept of THE JESUS DOJO” [4], and at the TransFORM EC apostasia-palooza he’ll be teamed up once again with the interspiritual Roshi Slone. Slone is “a Zen Priest who loves Jesus, Ryokan, Rumi and Martin Buber” [5] with Eyes of Compassion Zen Center “in partnership” with the Franciscan Workers of Junipero Serra, also known as Dorothy’s Place after Dorothy Day, founder of the Catholic Worker’s Movement.

Sandrette and Slone will be teamed up for a repeat of their seminar “Seeking the Kingdom Within”: A Conversation & Practice in Stillness Meditation. Here’s what it’s about: 

In an age dominated by hurry, distraction and busyness, we long for practices that will help us become centered, mindful, and connected to the Spirit. Jesus modeled a practice of daily stillness, silence and solitude that empowered his life of revolutionary love.

This one night Forum and six week Learning Lab will invite participants to discover the connections between the teachings of Jesus and stillness meditation and cultivate a regular daily practice. A 40 minute stillness meditation will be incorporated into each session. (Online source)

Both Scandrette and Slone practice corrupt Contemplative Spirituality/Mysticism, specifically transcendental meditation—though the Christian version is called Contemplative/Centering Prayer—so they want us to believe that Jesus also practiced meditation as well, which is what “silence and solitude” means in mystic-speak. But as I pointed out previously in Understanding The New Spirituality: God Indwells Mankind the first thing that has to be done in order to even attempt this big tent bridge into some emergent Global Family of God is to remake Jesus Christ of Nazareth Himself into a mystic.

No matter how much “Christian” love one of those SPEAKERS/WORKSHOP FACILITATORS for this EC apostasia-palooza, Phil Shepherd aka “the Whiskey Preacher,” shows to me:

so @conniejoh2o got me interested n reading ken silva’s new post on @trans4m. it confirms something 2 me. he is a coward full of fear. (Online source)

Brian McLaren is actually right about one thing in his latest book; this new approach is transforming faith, it just isn’t the Christian faith.

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Endnotes

1. http://freeforallbook.com/, accessed 4/22/10.
2. http://www.samirselmanovic.com/about/, 4/22/10.
3. http://tinyurl.com/27sq84l, 4/22/10.
4.  http://tinyurl.com/zd2f59, 4/22/10.
5. http://tinyurl.com/27sq84l, 4/22/10.

See also:

BIG TENT PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIANITY AS LIBERALISM 2.0

BRIAN MCLAREN AND HIS NEW EMERGING PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY

THE EMERGING CHURCH, PHILIP CLAYTON, AND NEW PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY

THE PROGRESSIVE RESURRECTION OF ROB BELL

 THE EMERGING CHURCH AND THE NEW PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY ON OTHER RELIGIONS 

THE EMERGING CHURCH AND THE NEW PROGRESSIVE THEOLOGY ON CHRIST

LIBERALISM 2.0 THE NEW PROGRESSIVE CHRISTIAN