The Middle

I am sitting in Atlanta airport right now waiting a flight to Newark where I am going to go spend 2 days with my mother before heading back to Atlanta and speak at an event at North Point Church. 

I had an interesting thing happen on the plane which caused the Jimmy Eat World song "The Middle" to get stuck in my head for the past two hours. It still is in my head, although here in the aiprort Bon Jovi's "Dead or Alive" is playing through the sound system and I am mentally trying to keep that out of my head and keep Jimmy Eat World in there instead. I am from New Jersey, yet have not ever quite connected with Bon Jovi. I recently had dinner with Zach, the drummer from Jimmy Eat World when they played in Santa Cruz and Zach is quite a thinker and someone I love chatting with.

I was re-reading my good friend Tony Jones' book The New Christians straight through. I had read through the manuscript but wanted to re-read it now that it is in hardback form. As I wrote in the blurb for the book on the back cover, I think this book is the finest book out there which gives an overview of Emergent Village's values, thinking, history and direction and I highly recommend it for those looking to get a glimpse into all things emergent.

Tony writes about the desire for Emergent to be a "third way" (page 21) or a "middle" of sorts, not being a "left or right" in terms of avoiding fundamentalism or liberalism or what comes with those options of politics and theologies.

I finished re-reading Tony's book and then I pulled out another book I have been wanting to read and it's The Reason For God by Tim Keller. Tim is the pastor of Redeemer Church, a church of 5,000 in New York City. Tim is Reformed and pretty conservative theologically as a strong evangelical.  He has spoken at Mars Hill Seattle with Mark Driscoll and seems to run in those circles, which would be somewhat different theologically from Tony and Emergent. I was sitting in the plane and after just finishing Tony's book, I opened up and began reading Tim's book and in the Introduction on page xix, I start reading the same exact thing as Tony said. Tony said that Emergent is striving to be the "third way" - and now I am reading that Tim and what he is saying here is also striving to be the "third way" (same words used as Tony).

Tim, as someone who is a conservative evangelical and Reformed is claiming that we need a Third Way or "middle" and his book walks through some apologetics about questions about evil in the world, hell, world religions etc. Tim hopes that his book will be a third way of conversation and his answers to these questions are refined to a strong evangelical conservative response as the "third way".

This "third way" topic is interesting and I recently blogged about it before and have been in several conversations about it with people.  But as I have "The Middle" song in my head, I find it interesting to think about who shall end up defining the "third way"? What will define the boundaries that form a middle? If one defines the middle or third way in one way, and another defines the middle in another way - how do we know which third way is the actual third way?   

My plane is boarding right now. I will walk into the plane and be pondering this.

  ** Saturday ---  My friend Kristin Culman let me know that even Deepak Chopra is now thinking of third ways. 

Comments

[Ed Simpson]

Val,

I don't think this is talking about a "third way
between liberal and conservative. This is talking about a third way between fundamentalism and liberal. Sounds like the middle is evangelicalism, but not fundamentalism.

[Val]

Tony Blair was using the term "Third Way" years ago in the political realm and his "Third Way" ended in disaster for the UK. He thought there was a Third Way between conservative and liberal, too. Turns out there wasn't. Biblical truth divides, as Christ described even family members divided by it. We're not going to get beyond good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error. With emerging leaders like Brian McLaren denying the doctrine of hell and the atonement, and Samir Selmanovic and Pagitt promoting open universalism---all religions lead to God---the line between truth and error in the emerging world is becoming clearer all the time. By the way, the philosopher Hegel also taught a Third Way. It involved a thesis, an antithesis, and ultimately a synthesis out of both of them. It became the basis of communist doctrine, called the dialectic. Are you suggesting that we can take a truth, an error, fuse the two and come up with a Third Way, or synthesis theologically? If so, that's pretty scary.

[MikeOles3]

the liberal/conservative/evangelical debate is all on a false spectrum.

i think jesus talked about the third way quite explicitly. walter wink writes alot about this and his take on the third way should be noted by emergents.

"when a church that has not lived out a costly identification with the opprressed offers to mediate between hostile parties, it merely adds to the total impression that it wants to stay above the conflict and not take sides. The church says to the lion and the lamb, "here, let me negotiate a truce," to which the lions replies, "Fine after I finish my lunch."

[Dan]

Hey Matthew --

Just so you know, the Deepak Chopra book was not being recommended but was just showing the "third" language being used in all kinds of ways. I scanned that book and he is into the whole Cosmic Christ consciousness and what would not be considered the biblical Jesus by any means. So that is not something I was recommending, but showed that to make the point when someone says "third" or "third way" we need to examine what it is they are specifically saying is the third way and what are the other two ways. As there are differences when using that language and phrases as the two books I was reading showed as they both used the term but in different ways.

[Matthew]

The third Jesus title kind of shocks me, I guess that is the purpose to make me look into the book.

www.matthewsblog.waynesborochurchofchrist.org

[Tony Stiff]

I figured I'd missed ya, its on me when it happens. I'd love to hear more about what's happening in Santa Cruz and your PHD journey's...

[Steve Lutz]

Dan,
Thanks for highlighting this discussion. Keller's book is excellent, and he is quite persuasive in speaking on these topics (just heard him in Philly). An easy to miss, but crucial distinction when it comes to Keller's description of the Third Way is that he is not talking about a middle, mediating, or balancing position. That's a 2 dimensional perspective, and what I suspect others mean when they refer to a 3rd way. Rather, Keller argues that the Gospel is a Third Dimension. If humans tend to land somewhere on the horizontal spectrum of beliefs that we create (and often end up polarizing each other), then God, His Message, His Kingdom are from outside humanity. It is the vertical axis breaking into human existence.
This works well when we consider that the answer to legalism (on the one hand) and license (on the other) is not a balance of the two (since both are false gospels), but the true Gospel, something man did not invent.
The "Dimensional Third Way" makes sense of neither being "Religious" on the one hand, nor vaguely "spiritual" on the other--but a passionate, vibrant, informed, Third Way faith.
It also works in terms of Christians neither being conservative, liberal, NOR squarely in the middle politically.
A true, Dimensional Third Way is essentially non-human in origin, and so it is impossible for people to pin down into neat categories. It's profoundly counter-cultural in a good way.
Keller's been describing the Gospel this way for years and it continues to bear good fruit among jaded NYCers.

[Dan]

Hey Tony,

I am back in Santa Cruz now.... I am listening to Scot's workshop from the National Pastors Convention right now too on the Blue Parrot.

I wouldn't doubt that I would find myself very much in alignment with what Scots is defining more as a third way.

Perhaps next time in Atlanta we can hang out...

Dan

[Tony Stiff]

Dan did you notice the 'third way' language Scot Mcknight used in his "The Blue Parakeet" forthcoming book. Another in the mix.

I'm just outside atlanta if you have the time I'd like to buy you a coffee or lunch.

[Jeffrey]

This "third way" question is a needed one. Because if different people are now saying they are coming up with a "third way" - then that becomes very dangerous if we aren't checking it by Scripture.

Or if different people are saying they now define "the middle", it means that what the theological middle is, has shifted for different people. So the whole starting point is now different.

We need to check the Scriptures to see if what people say is this middle or third way, really is a third way Scripturally.

I can say that from what I know the emergent church and Tim Keller will certainly define the middle differently.

Thank you for raising this up.

[donsands]

"After I create this middle way I am going to middle earth."

Say hi to King Aragorn alias Strider for me.

[joe troyer]

anabaptism has often been called the "third way". in some circles of the emergent/emerging conversation there are deep anabaptist roots.

[C. Michael Patton]

I think that I will create a second or . . . ummm . . . third middle way. This will fit right between the first middle way (Dan's) and the third middle way (Jones'). But, don't try to say that this is the same thing as the second middle way (McKnight's) because THAT middle way is just slightly off center. After I create this middle way I am going to middle earth.

Which brings up a good question. If earth is right between heaven and hell, does that mean that the earth really is heaven? Are the preterists right? Ahhh . . . Can think any more.

[Michael C. New York]

Tim Keller is a righteous man who is speaking truth. He demonstrates a commitment to the Scriptures and to orthodoxy. I would trust his third way and middle.

Tony Jones is not laying out a new third way or any new frontiers. It is liberalism in new clothing.

[Ed Eye]

C'mon.. Please, stop this.

Tony Jones is no more a new third way, than Mark Driscoll is a new third way.

[Allen T.]

I like to think that after 2,000 years of church history and debates and creeds, that the "middle" or third way - is pretty much defined.

Haven't we already gone through this and created "evangelical" as a good "middle" between fundamentalism and liberalism? What is wrong with keeping evangelical as the middle or third way?

[Jeffrey]

I think Ben Pun is right and Jones and Keller have drastically different "third ways".

It shows that we can't use language and think that we are talking about the same thing. Emergents "third way" seems like plain old fashioned liberalism with some slight variations - but still is liberalism and sometimes even worse. Keller's "third way" seems a bit more like what a true third way could be.

[Ben Pun]

it seems that Keller and Jones define "the other two ways" differently. they define "conservatism" and "liberalism" differently, i think. perhaps what separates them is epistemology. Jones seems to have a very different view of epistemology.

[John]

Who gets to define the middle? With respect to the authors mentioned, I would assert it tends to define itself, as a kind of organic tension that results from meaningful conversation across the aisle, between conservative and liberal (theologically, politically and otherwise) in order to find that elusive common ground. It's actually encouraging to hear authors who represent more or less opposite ends of the spectrum use similar language in this way.

[donsands]

"What will define the boundaries"

The Bible. Or hopefully it will. For the Bible is becoming less and less revered and sought after as our final and all sufficient authority in the earth, with the Holy Spirit being as sovereign.

If three different Christ following personalities start here, and this is their common ground,- their foundation,- and "Jesus Christ Himself the chief corner stone" (Eph. 2:20), then there surely could be a middle way, which must abide on the straight and narrow, as the other two must as well.

I'm definitely desiring to read Tim Keller's book. Probably won't read Tony's.

Thanks for always thinking a little deeper than the mainstream Dan.

How about the Boss? Do you like him? He's a NJ dude. I'm a big time, and long standing, fan myself.

[Samuel Sutter]

it's kinda a cheap polemical device... in reality you won't find anyone who starts a book by saying "there are two extremes...people err on both sides... and i'm going to pick this extreme."

Calling for a third way is a cheap way of calling everyone else on the field errant extremist and is a bit of a straw man attack. Having said that, it typically works and helps people understand what you're trying to say. It's just not as noble as it looks at first glance.

[jon]

joann and i spent the better part of one of our School of Theology class meeting discussing Jesus's thoughts about a third way. interesting.

see you tonight.

[John]

It will be interesting to see if Scot McKnight ends up helping us chart a "third way" as he often does with his blog (jesuscreed.org) It seems as if Keller and Jones might be on opposite sides of the road with McKnight walking the Via Media.

[Rick]

Dan- You wrote: "I find it interesting as who shall end up defining the "third way"? What will define the boundaries that form a middle?"
It depends on what problem is being addressed.
For Jones, he apparently (I have not read the book) sees a theological problem. For Keller, he sees a missional/communication problem. For many in the church, meeting places are a problem ("third spaces"). For the early church in Jerusalem, they saw a Gentile/legalism problem (Acts 15).
All these may have a common theme behind them (difficulty reaching the world and making disciples), but there specific situations and solutions vary.
In order to agree on a "third way", we must agree on a problem/solution.
Have a great time seeing your mom and while here in Atlanta (at Northpoint, not the airport). Andy Stanley does a great job (the youth pastor in him does not seem to have left). Give my best to Bill Willits there as well.

[Chris Beggs]

I do think it's interesting that both call for this 'third way' or third avenue for approaching all things Christian.

Let me admit my bias by saying that I tend to agree much more with Keller than Jones on several fronts, this book is no exception.

While both call for a 'third way', it seems only Keller has articulated what that way is---and is taking it. Jones, on the other hand, seems to want to 'pave' a new way that might splinter into several little ways--all which are equally valid to each other and the other 'ways' they are diverging from.