Questions Raised by Books

I just started reading Deep Church by Jim Belcher. Belcher is a pastor, a trained theologian, and friend to the Emerging Church movement. His book tries to bring all of his backgrounds together in proposing a new (or, really, old/basic/classic) form of ecclesiology. His book is for those who aren’t completely happy with traditional church OR the Emergent movement. As I read this book, I wonder about things like

  1. Can you form a new church without alienating existing churches?
  2. How far can a church go in adapting to new realities before it loses its claim to be church?
  3. Why does the church  founded by the resurrection react so strongly against anything new?

I’m still reading Stephen L Carter’s novel, Palace Council, which is set in African-American circles during the Civil Rights Movement and the growing distrust of government that culminated with Watergate. Carter’s clever and engaging writing makes me wonder . .

  1. Can even a democratic government be deeply changed without rebellion?
  2. How often should a people rise up in violence against its government?
  3. Do people lose something of their humanity when they become totally sold out to a cause?
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