A Theory of Everything

I’ve been spending some time with the writings of Ken Wilber. I’m especially fascinated by his A Theory of Everything, which is a synthesis of his previous work. His integral vision is compelling and challenging. He is not coming at it from a Christian point of view, but I’m convinced that more Christians need to be a part of this type of conversation. If nothing else, Wilber paints an interesting picture of what a post-postmodern world might look like. Everyone interested and involved in “The Emerging Church Movement” should read it just to make sure they’re not suffering from what Wilber calls “Boomeritis,” which according to Wilber is “pluralism infected with narcissism.” As Wilber sees it, the lofty ideals fostered by pluralism (the appreciation and acceptance of diversity) often ends up being a magnet for egocentric narcissists who use the rubric of tolerance to make sure that no one is able to tell them what to do. Rather than being an “enlightened” state of mind, pluralism infected with narcissism becomes permission to regress into the worst kinds of selfish behavior. When applied to the emerging church movement/revolution, the question of Boomeritis comes to us like this: “Are you here because your heart has been stirred by a fresh vision for sharing the gospel with a changing world, or are you just rebelling against your mom and dad’s church?”