The Church that is emerging in the 21st century will be different from the common tradition of the historical Church in many ways. What is happening cannot be identified simply with some network (such as the Emergent Village) or some semi-organized movement called the Emergent Church.

People around the world increasingly value compassion and acceptance of others and resist inherited traditions imposed upon them by force of institutional hierarchies of all kinds. Nonviolent activism that challenges traditional authority and demands direct voice in determining the circumstances of their lives shakes political and religious foundations everywhere today.

This international shifting at the core of cultures of power lies at the heart of the changes in the Church around the world. I believe it is a movement of God’s Spirit, as well as human spirit. This transformation comes out of the traditions of the prophets and of Jesus and the best traditions of the Church through the ages, including the monastic and reformation movements.

Here’s a good place to start exploring the emerging Church phenomenon.