John Calvin and the church in a time of transition

Abstract

Why do Calvinist’s need to reflect on the church in a time of transition? The importance of theological reflection in such a time is briefly visited. The importance of understanding transition is explored, emphasizing the skill of exegeting cultures, because being a missional church supposes a journey of discernment of reality and the world. The culture in which this transition is played out is a new situation without precedence in previous generational or cultural systems. The transition in which the church finds itself at the beginning of the 21st century is described, using the metaphor of a storm to describe salient features of this transition. The colluding effect of three mega-trends – postmodernism, post-Christendom and globalisation – creates a perfect storm, challenging the church to respond creatively and boldly to the context in which it finds itself. The three mega-trends are considered with particular emphasis on globalisation and a focus on four insights in the nature of a globalised world that may be particularly relevant for the church, as formulated by Friedman in his book “The World is Flat”: the new era of creativity; the new era of connectivity; the impact of uploading and the new era of in-forming.