{"id":501,"date":"2013-12-05T19:05:45","date_gmt":"2013-12-05T19:05:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/beta.dminlgp.com\/?p=501"},"modified":"2014-08-13T21:02:41","modified_gmt":"2014-08-13T21:02:41","slug":"emerging-conversations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.georgefox.edu\/dlgp\/emerging-conversations\/","title":{"rendered":"Emerging conversations"},"content":{"rendered":"

Respectful conversations<\/strong><\/p>\n

In may 2013 Harold Heie,\u00a0Senior Fellow of the Colossian Forum (TCF) and Rob Barrett, TCF Director of Fellows and Forums launched an online project called \u201crespectful conversations.\u201d<\/p>\n

They felt the urge to initiate conversations. It was their goal to take immediate steps to encourage and help facilitate forums for respectful conversation regarding important contemporary issues.\u00a0This conversation was designed to host heterogeneous opinions in an communicative surrounding. And despite the contrasting opinions, the idea was to originate \u201crespectful conversations\u201d as a way to engage those disagreeing.<\/p>\n

Respectful conversations project is designed on three levels: providing resources, initiate conversations online as well as lectures and consultations.<\/p>\n

The main focus of those conversations dealt around topics about future expressions of Evangelicalism in America. The conversation just started, but the themes the project already focused on were:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \u00a0Evangelicalism and the Broader Christian Tradition<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  2. \u00a0Evangelicalism and the Exclusivity of Christianity<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  3. \u00a0Evangelicalism and the Modern Study of Scripture<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  4. \u00a0Evangelicalism and Morality<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  5. \u00a0Evangelicalism and Politics<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  6. \u00a0Evangelicalism and Scientific Models of Humanity and Cosmic and Human Origins<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  7. \u00a0Evangelicalism and Higher Education<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n
  8. \u00a0The Future of American Evangelicalism<\/a><\/em><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Starting in may 2013, every month a new topic, symbolized by a new \u201cchapter\u201d was put online. So called \u201cprimary contributors\u201d launched the \u201crespectful conversations\u201d and also provided \u201cleading questions\u201d for readers to interact and comment on.<\/p>\n

    In a inner-denominational setting (and even more in a ecumenical setting) respectful conversations around hot potatoes of main theological questions are pretty rare.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Emerging conversation<\/strong><\/p>\n

    A setting in which I experienced healthy, respectful and enlightening conversations in a ecumenical horizon was the emerging church movement.<\/p>\n

    Searching for new ways to live Christian fellowship and community and also yearning for multi-denominational inspirations, I joined Emergent-Deutschland<\/a> (the German branch of the Emerging church movement) some years ago. I read the books and blogs, started blogging myself, went to barcamps and forums.<\/p>\n

    Apart from the inspirations, I was yearning for, I got something even more valuable, that I wasn\u2019t expecting: a desire to provide save places to communicate, to get to know others and their (faith) backgrounds and to discuss hot potatoes.<\/p>\n

    Communication is one of the essential basics of the emerging church movement. And through discussions with others I did not only learn new perspectives provided by others, but also I clarified my own profile.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Emergent Forum<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Each year Emergent Deutschland hosts a small interactive conference called the Emergent Forum. This year, the title was: \u201cSpirituality: Rhythm and encounter.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

    Heterogeneity is one of the main pillars engaging with the topics, the organization committee chooses. Attendants of the forum are aged 20-65 years old. Male and female. Lutheran, Reformed, Evangelical, Catholic, Baptist Independent, Non-denominational and many backgrounds more. Ordained and lay.<\/p>\n

    The forum usually includes a service or devotional time, inputs, workshops, interactive panels and a lot of time to communicate while a cup of coffee, a beer or a nice dinner.<\/p>\n

    Apart from the conversations during the forum, the emerging forum also stimulates a process of further online discussion. Most of the speakers of inputs and workshops also provided their material after the forum<\/a> online to enable a further local conversation in the contexts and settings of the attendants. Resources, pictures, music, media, retrospect\u2019s and reviews are supplied online.<\/p>\n

    Spirituality of balance<\/strong><\/p>\n

    I was honored to be asked as the main speaker and to hold on input lecture on \u201cspirituality\u201d. (It can be reached here: Spiritualit\u00e4t ist Balance in Bewegung<\/a>, in German though).<\/p>\n

    Arranging the lecture, I was really challenged to provide plural approaches on the topic of spirituality. During the discussion after my lecture I could sense the heterogeneity of the audience in their questions during the communication process. For the lecture and the following discussion I tried to foster a respectful conversation atmosphere.<\/p>\n

    My aspired attitude to welcome all opinions and to open save space to communicate are quite similar to those, Harold and Rob Barrett use as \u201cideals\u201d for their project \u201crespectful conversations\u201d:<\/p>\n