Let’s face it, there are ton of books on “how to do” church right now. Right now as I sit at my desk, I count close to 15 recent (6 months) releases in this genre. So what makes Tim Morey’s book so special?
If you are reading this blog, more than likely you recognize the power of nuance. The smallest detail, juxtaposition, or observation can make
a world of difference. Tim Morey’s has made such an observation. He states, “in many ways it is more helpful to talk about postmodernism as a cultural phenomenon with certain characteristics than it is to talk about it as a philosophy” (31).
Everybody is talking about postmodernism as a philosophy, and for Christians that usually means talking about relativism, moral, epistemological, and ontological. Morey, with the
exception of his introduction, essentially ignores these arguments and talks about the operation of the church in a postmodern culture. This is significant, in my view, for two reasons.
First, by naming postmodernism as a culture, Morey does away with socio-political cultural descriptors (i.e. globalism) and locates postmodernism as the conceptual framework (not just as a philosophy) of the average person on the street. Second, Embodying the Church, therefore, skips the discussion of what postmodernism is philosophically, and explains the effect of its implementation in our culture (which is now complete) and how that cultural reality is affecting the church.
More than just identifying the issue however, Morey explains how postmodernism can be used as an effective ministry tool in the church—if the church will consider the culture it now lives in.
Foremost, the church must change its apologetic and definition of mission. For the postmodern mind, “the existence of God is presupposed” the only question is “which God”. This implies not a direct rational apologetic but the requirement that faith be “embodied over time in real people in a way that is winsome and convincing” (44).
This practical emphasis, Morey believes, must be at the heart of the church’s postmodern approach. Our mission, coalesced with our evangelism must puts embodiment at issue here, not arguments, or proofs, or apologetics (44-45). This must involve a recognition of our own biases and a firm grasp of our preconceived conceptual outlook. Postmoderns care nothing for firm logic, and when presented with overwhelming evidence contrary to their own beliefs may reply, as Morey notes, “whatever”(46-47).
Thus, contextualization must occur; truth as offered to postmoderns must conform to their personal experience or it means nothing to them. But this does not cancel out sound biblical teaching, but rather points to understanding evangelism, conversion, and discipleship as dynamically integrated categories all part of one another rather than as autonomous. Morey places these, and many of their accompanying aspects, such as, faithful exposition of the word, spiritual disciplines, community, and mission within in a postmodern cultural context and explicates them under the theological rubric of embodiment.
There is much more that could be said about Morey’s book, but I hope you will read his book and allow him to say it. The book is a profound attempt to show how approaching postmodernism from a cultural perspective has created Morey dynamic church, and how the lessons he has learned can be applied in other, appropriately postmodern contexts. I highly recommend it.
