Phyllis Tickle’s “The Great Emergence”
September 22, 2008
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Phyllis Tickle’s newest book, “The Great Emergence,” just came out and it is worth the wait. It was one of the books I pre-ordered on amazon, so its arrival was a welcome surprise. I have been looking forward to this book since I first met Phyllis and her husband Sam at an event put on by Fred Burnham and the ISL where she gave a preview of the book.
I wasn’t very sleepy last night and so I decided to read the book straight through. I may have other things to say about it later, but I thought it would be good to let you all know it is well worth reading and avoiding a couple hours of sleep to process.
If you want to get a full-power Tickle book teaser, go check out her conversation (video here) from the Southeast Regional Gathering, listen to her three-part podcast at Nick and Josh, and then think about going to the national EV event on the book in Memphis. Can you think of a better weekend than Beale St. and Tickle? When you registrar help Adam out, enter pomo, and get him there free.
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September 22nd, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Hey Tripp,
I’ll look forward to more of your thoughts on “The Great Emergence” after you’ve had a chance to get some sleep
Also, FYI — the video of Phyllis Tickle that I posted on the Emergent Village blog is from Disciples’ Fellowship, which is where the Emergent Southeast Regional gathering will be held (Oct. 31-Nov. 2), but this session with Phyllis was from a separate event they put on with her. Sorry if that wasn’t very clear in my blog post!
Shalom,
Steve K.
September 22nd, 2008 at 11:39 pm
Well Steve I will try to read your blog post better next time.
September 26th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
[...] Phyllis Tickle’s newest book is being blogged about all over the place, so I thought I would link to some of my favorite posts andor comment streams under the posts and then throw out some observations or questions that ran through my mind as I read through the book. I read the book in one sitting and the book is in one of my library boxes on its way to California, so my thoughts are really just the ones that stuck. I will say that the book was fun to read and the observations gave me things to think about while being occupied with the momentous process of packing. [...]
October 4th, 2008 at 2:27 am
Just finished watching and listening to the video by Phylillis Tickle. She is an amazing woman. I love someone like her that you know is so very learned, talented, etc. and yet has a tremendous capacity to put such intellectual material into words that anyone can understand. What a great story teller. Very few people possess this great gift. One comment I would make is, a question was presented to Phyllis asking if she thought the emergent conversation, etc. was of God or man. She replied that she thought it was of God. Her insight sees God as nudging us or pushing us to this new understanding or movement, etc. I am in agreement with her based on my experience. Not being a formally educated person as Phyllis I have however been, home schooled, if you like. My passion for learning and reading, etc. has always been with me. As I have read, studied, listened and yes prayed about everything, I began to get ideas and concepts that were not what I had read from anyone. The only thing I could contribute to this happening was that God was speaking to me through all of the things previously mentioned. After a time I would read where someone else had the same ideas, concepts, thinking, etc. This for me was a personal affirmation that at least some of what I was thinking was right for me and was from God. Example for you would be when I first began the Creative Transformation class, I had never heard of or read anything by John Cobb or Albert Whitehead and others. However, as I read I knew this was what I had been thinking for many years. I remember telling Corbin Boekhaus that I had written in the margin of my book, “Thank God I am not Crazy.” Others have spoken of similar experiences in their books, etc. So, if you look at what has been happening to me and to others who are not theologians, etc. and we are receiving this info through prayer, books, talking with others, etc. outside of theological schools, church schools, etc. then you have to believe that this “emerging conversation” has to in some way, come from God. God opening our mind and hearts to hear, see, feel, question, seek understanding, and expect more to come. Because of these experiences, I have begun writing the date in my books when I read something that I have previously gained knowledge of through my prayers, thinking or what ever process you want to call it. I had not previously READ it of heard it until at this time, so I write the date in the margin of my book as a landmark of something that came to me through the nudging or pushing process of God before I just read it. No other explanation can I give to it. Mystery !!! Deep Mystery of God !!!
October 4th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thanks for sharing Jo Ann. I will be looking forward to the next time we see each other in person.
October 5th, 2008 at 4:02 am
After pondering what I thought I heard during the video, I have come up with at least one question that I will share with you. My perspective on the Bible is that it is God inspired. For me most of the writers either knew Jesus personally or had an experience of Him. The writers tried their best to share what they heard from Jesus, what they saw Jesus do, etc. However, being very human none of us can see, hear, interpret what another says completely accurately. I can only relate what I thought I saw, heard, experienced, etc. It is my opinoin that we can do a better job of what we experience, but relating it has our biases in the telling of the experience. All of this is to say that Phylis Tickle recommended the reading of several books now out using the Red Letter Word of Jesus. I have always been told that the Red Letter Words of Jesus were the words actually spoken by Jesus. How can I read what Jesus said when someone else wrote them? Most of the books, letters, were written a long time after the fact. How can you remember the exact words Jesus said? Without a recording device of some sort we cannot know for fact what anyone said. If I tell you that so and so said this or that, my version would only be what I perceived as being said, not what was actually said. I hate it when people tell me, well this is what you said, or this is what so and so said. All I can say is, do not ask me to quote anyone. Go and ask them yourself if you want to know accurately what they said. If you hear something from someone, ask me if I said that. Give me an opportunity to tell you what I said, why I said it and the meaning behing what I said. I may or may not decice to read any of these books. If I do it will be simply for another learning experience, not because I believe in the Red Letter Words of Jesus. Please fo not quote me without checking with me first !!! If you write something about me, check with me first to know the accuracy of something unless it is something someone tells you we did together and they can tell you their side of the story. Let me tell my side of the story. Thanks !!!