Mapping The Emerging Church

The emerging church is a pretty slippery little sucker to wrap your hands around, even if you've spent some time reading the Padgitt's, Jones' (both Tony and Andrew) and McLarens, the gurus of all things emerging.  Throw Bell, Don MIller, and some of the other guys into the mix, it gets even tougher.  C. Michael Patton posted a chart on his blog that I think is pretty helpful which he used to teach a class on the subject.  It maps out where the different emerging church guys and gals and other Chirstian leaders fall on the spectrum of evangelicalism vs. fundamentalism, vs. liberalism vs. emerging, etc.  I think this is his third or fourth try at this chart after recieving much critism in earlier generations.  Kinda intersting if nothing else.  What do you think?  Accurate?

    

Comments

[Nathan]

Love the chart! I was just about to craft one myself, but thought to Google the idea first and stumbled upon you and Patton's chart. In fact, I'm about to use it in a post of my own (giving credit where credit is due, of course).

For my part, the only thing that jumps off the chart at me that I might change is re: McManus. I'm more and more convinced that he belongs further to the right on this chart. I'd put him closer to the McLaren's of the world. Now that I look again, I'd also move Burke into the far right (read: heretic) category. Just one man's opinion.

Hatushili

[David Herrick]

Hi Hatushili,

Thanks for the props and your thoughts. Just to let you know, this is 100% Patton's chart, not mine. So if you're giving someone credit for this, feel free to give it all to him. Thanks brother!