A Tickle In Our Ears
The General Governing Council here at presbymergent is deeply troubled by a recent interview with the otherwise estimable Phyllis Tickle. In that interview, which was conducted over at the Ooze, she lays out her informal thoughts about the role that we as “hyphen-mergents” might play in the revitalization and renewal of denominational Christianity. We have heard much of the chatter in the emergent world around her assertion that the timeline for denominational acceptance of the emergent ethos is short. In response to this conversation, we feel we must raise a cautionary voice. There is, in her description of presbymergent, a deep and critical conceptual flaw that we on the GGC feel must be addressed.
We do not use a hyphen.
Other than that, she’s got some pretty cool things to say. If you haven’t yet seen the interview, give it a watch:
Comment by landon on 29 August 2009:
We do not use a hyphen.
Bravo. Well played.
Comment by Curtis Bronzan on 29 August 2009:
Can the use of a hyphen really say that much!?
Comment by Jim Bonewald on 29 August 2009:
boy, she makes my heart ache for a new day and a new church.
Comment by Bob Pearson on 31 August 2009:
I actually think she is raising a good point but I believe her timeline is way off. No existing denominational body can possibly act in 18 months. Heck Ga only meets every two years now. If we are lucky we can expect to begin to see some movement in a decade and perhaps not reach full acceptance and transformation for a century. Yet we must continue to act with a sense of urgency and work for each small victory or twitch of the larger body.
Comment by David Gambrell on 3 September 2009:
This is good stuff. Thanks for posting the video, and for the clever introduction. I resolve to use no hyphens whatsoever in my writing for the rest of the day.