While I affirm this statement made by Emergent Village through LeRon Shults, I recognize the need to communicate clearly what I believe for those with whom I may be working. This is not a complete doctrinal theological discourse but instead an attempt to point out that I do indeed align with historical and orthodox Christianity.

I affirm the Nicene Creed

I do not uncritically endorse anything emergent, missional, post modern or anything labeled emerging

I do not uncritically endorse everything said by anyone I link to

I do not uncritically endorse every word of any author I review

I invite people to critically engage with this material, asking questions when they have them and being respectful to me and to others who participate in conversation on this blog.

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In 2005 Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, Spencer Burke, Brian McLaren, Dan Kimball, Andrew Jones, Chris Seay put out a statement (a response to critics) that I condensed and that I align with. You can find the complete original statement here.

I truly believe there is such a thing as truth and truth matters

I am not a moral or epistemological relativist any more than anyone or any community is who takes hermeneutical positions – I believe that radical relativism is absurd and dangerous, as is arrogant absolutism

I affirm the historic Trinitarian Christian faith and the ancient creeds, and seek to learn from all of church history – and I honor the church’s great teachers and leaders from East and West, North and South

I believe that Jesus is the crucified and risen Savior of the cosmos and no one comes to the Father except through Jesus

I do not pit reason against experience but seek to use all my God-given faculties to love and serve God and my neighbors

I do not endorse false dichotomies

I affirm that I love, have confidence in, seek to obey, and strive accurately to teach the sacred Scriptures, because my greatest desire is to be a follower and servant of the Word of God, Jesus Christ

But we also acknowledge that we each find great joy and promise in dialogue and conversation, even about the items noted in the previous paragraph. Throughout the history of the church, followers of Jesus have come to know what they believe and how they believe it by being open to the honest critique and varied perspectives of others. We are radically open to the possibility that our hermeneutic stance will be greatly enriched in conversation with others. In other words, we value dialogue very highly, and we are convinced that open and generous dialogue – rather than chilling criticism and censorship – offers the greatest hope for the future of the church in the world.