bookreview "An Emergent Theology for Emerging Churches" 4

The chapter is called 'It's about the Spirit, not just spirituality', which reflects the warning that is given early in the chapter that contemporary protestant spirituality can tend more toward the human spirit than the Holy Spirit, Preoccupated as it is with personal edification and the internal world of an indiviual.
Anderson then argues that people have an instrinsic spiritual nature, that includes emotional, mental and even physical well-being. 'The kind of spirituality that we embrace is dependent on the kind of spirit that we seek.' (p.62) We therefore need a clear understanding of the Spirit to have a spirituality that is both stimulating and 'safe'. 'We must take care that emerging churches do not become just another form of spirituality but a movement of God's Spirit on the creative edge of the kingdom of God breaking into the carious cultures of our present age often in conflict with existing forms of spirituality (p.64, my italics).
Again (as we read more in emerging circles) he sees spirituallity as a holistic principle that extends to the entire spectrum of life.

The emergent theology of the Spirit, again inspired by the church in Antioch and Paul, is not to be an accesory, as it was in Jerusalem, rather it should be the enginge that propels and the fuel that empowers (p.69). Here Anderson starts to repeat himself (Jerusalem having the ethnic and religious tradition and the tradition of the twelve, Antioch being the emerging church that manifested a Spirit-derected life that issued in a messianic mission).

Paul's experience on the road to the Damascus is used as an example of how knowledge of Christ without the Spirit is still to be blind. Paul was only filled with the Spirit after three days. (see comment 2).

Spirituality is to lead to 'a deeper knowledge of Christ and the edification of the community trough Christ.(comment 3) Also Anderson writes that Paul seems to have trusted the Spirit of Christ to provide guidance and leadership for the emerging churches not trough strong top-down leadership but trough the community (even in Corinth)

Some comments:
1) Good warnings troughout the chapter. The ec needs to remember that without a strong biblical basis and emergent theology, it will be like a sailing ship without rudder ...drifting aimlessly... over the open waters of contemporary religiosity (p.71). This warning in contrast to Spencer Burke's community: they have a Buddhist family in their church and visited a Buddhist temple, participating in guided meditation. ‘They reach out to other traditions, and they see them as beloved children of God.’ (Gibbs and Bolger, emerging churches). I don't know though whether Spencer Burke still represents the emerging churches well, after having followed his discussion with Scott McKnight on universalism (www.jesuscreed.org)
2) How does that relate to the Spirit being the spirit of Christ? How come Paul first meets the ascended Christ and only later is filled with the Spirit? Apparently there's something that is added to ones' faith in the gospel, what is this something?
3) What is this deeper knowledge of Christ? I actually think it is a spiritual experience, it is then expressed in deeds/obedience/following Christ as evidence of this experience.