"The Out of Bounds Church?"

written by Steve Taylor

Reviewed by Murray Brown

Steve Taylor from NZ has written a useful book for the whole postmodern/emergent discussion in which he begins by exploring culture and proceeds to the implications of cultural change to mission.

Using a comparison between Franco Zeffarelli's film of Romeo and Juliet and the more contemporary version produced by Baz Luhrmann, Taylor draws differences between today's youth culture and the culture of the 60's. To use two films to draw cultural conclusions is inherently fraught with dangers of generalisation, but Taylor draws on other sources and comes up with interesting observations related to today's "fast-cutting" and "fragmented" world.

Chapter two explores some of the edges of our culture arguing that there is "an interesting interplay between the chaos of the edge and the brooding and the breathing Spirit". Interesting no doubt providing we don't take from that that God cannot also be found in the mainstream. The statement that "God has always been found at the edges" deserves some critical reflection. Whilst Taylor correctly gives Scriptural references to illustrate this, care must be taken not to assume this as normative. Some "edges" border on heresy and we must critique the edges of Christian expression carefully and not assume God is there because it is creative and "edgy". In fairness to the author I'm sure he would agree. His intent, namely that when God leads in new directions these directions can be found towards the edges, is valid - change often begins slowly with a few.

Taylor moves on to talk about "Koru Theology" and "Creativity Downloaded" in which he shares a theology for God's creative new beginnings and how His creativity is at work in the new expressions of church we see springing up. Some might take issue with his statement that "Rather than sticking with an existing or inherited theology, the emerging church understands theology as a place for innovation and the fresh breathing of God." Yet these chapters make for interesting reading in that they attempt to tie in theology with what is happening on the emergent edge, thus giving a theological base to understand where Taylor and others are coming from.

"Spiritual Tourism" is the term coined by Steve Taylor in the next chapter to describe the journey that many today find themselves on. He argues that the role of churches must change to be that of "tour guides" and proceeds to give examples of how they might do this. Anticipating the objection that that would see us simply pander to the consumerism of the seeker, Taylor argues firstly that not all are "consumers" and secondly that those that are need not say so. He points out that ultimately spiritual tourism is "not an act of consumption, but an alignment with a heart that is restless until it has found its home in God."

The Church, says Taylor is to be a redemptive community or portal through which people enter into faith. In a helpful chapter he delineates between peg communities where people gather around a focus or peg and receive and experience of community without making any long term commitment or becoming personally vulnerable - a trait of the second type of community, ethical communities. Without arguing for one over the other, he looks at a number of examples which are helpful for us in youth ministry to determine which of our gatherings are peg communities and which are ethical.

It is heady stuff in places for the average youth leader but for those who want to think deeply about why and how we do what we do. Youth ministry will always gravitate toward the "edge" - and there is good reason to argue that it should do. Steve Taylor paints a picture of this edge and in the process challenges both our theology and practice. A helpful feature is the comments made by others in the margins that enables us to sit in on a conversation and assist us to draw our own conclusions.