Creation Project

Revisiting Hirsch/Stetzer Missional Ecclesiology

By | January 23rd, 2009 | Category: Missional Church | 4 comments

We had a great discussion in a previous post trying to figure out which should take priority in determining a missional ecclesiology—missiology or ecclesiology? Both Stetzer and Hirsch have kindly provided their schematics to help clarify their positions. Stetzer writes:

My point is that scripture sets the agenda and has provides direction for all three– one does not “come from” the other but they are all derived from scripture, interact with each other, etc

Ed Stetzer

stetzer-missional-matrix

Hirsch explains: We believe that Christology is the singularly most important factor in shaping our mission to the world and the forms of ecclesia and ministry that form that engagement…Before there is any consideration given to the particular aspects of ecclesiology, such as leadership, evangelism or worship, there ought to be a thoroughgoing attempt to reconnect the church with Jesus; that is, to ReJesus.

Alan Hirsch

christology-v2

Stetzer sets Scripture as the starting place and Hirsch begins with Jesus. What are the implications for these slightly different starting places? Do these differences matter?

4 comments
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  1. Ed Stetzer January 23rd, 2009 6:52 pm :

    I think that Alan’s version here is much clearer than the original one. Great stuff. Alan and I talked about it as I was writing Breaking the Missional Code.

    And, I think that the “Christ” we obey must be the scriptural one or else all else is lost.

    There is no “Alan vs. Ed” here. Let’s not make one.

    Thanks,

    Ed

  2. Jonathan Dodson January 23rd, 2009 7:03 pm :

    Thanks for clarifying that for us, Ed. We certainly don’t want to promote an Alan vs. Ed.

    Since your writing styles are so different, it is hard to tell if you are saying the same thing. Also, you seemed to make a distinction between yours and Alan’s approach during the interview with David Fitch? Are you saying, then, that Hirsch’s explanation has aligned with yours in ReJesus?

  3. Ed Stetzer January 23rd, 2009 9:11 pm :

    Jonathan, I am out of the country so I only have a minute.

    But, Alan and Mike both made modification to the linear christology->missiology->ecclesiology approach after the Shaping of Things came out.

    This version is better.

  4. Warrick Farah December 28th, 2010 2:43 pm :

    J.D. Payne, in Discovering Church Planting, says that church planting is the INTERSECTION between missiology and ecclesiology (see the diagram in pg. 8).

    What do you think about that proposal?

    (You can preview his entire book at google books.)