Michael Frost’s Incarnational Challenge

Filed in Book Reviews, Christian Living by on September 1, 2014 0 comments

If you promise to keep a secret, I’d like to share some embarrassing information with you. For my MDiv senior project, I chose to research and develop praxis toward the “emerging” church in a rural context. I read as much of the literature on all things emerging/emergent and spent countless hours developing a way for rural churches to engage with postmodernism. Yet like the stock market crash of 1929, one day I woke up and publishers wouldn’t touch the words “emerging” or “emergent” with a ten foot pole. Of course the issues still existed and questions were still being asked but it appeared as if, at least within Evangelicalism, the fad was over, much to my academic depression, ha!

Thankfully, two important concepts remained: being missional and incarnational.

For those who are interested in understanding and articulating those concepts, as well as integrating a holistic approach to missional and incarnational living, Michael Frost likely needs no introduction. As a leading missiologist, he is the founding director of the Tinsley Institute, a mission study center, of Morling College in Sidney, Australia. Frost has also written many important books (see his Amazon page), including The Shaping of Things to Come (w/ Alan Hirsch), The Road to Missional, and Exiles.

IncarnateSo what innovative, challenging, and prophetic offering does Frost now present us with? In what missiological ways are we to be guided? Michael Frost’s latest book is Incarnate: The Body of Christ in an Age of Disengagement.

Frost introduces the subject of desiring for us to “understand the urgent need for incarnational living” by explaining to us the opposite: excarnation, or defleshing. We live in a world/society/culture that has serious excarnational challenges. As Frost writes:

“… we currently find ourselves in a time in history where another kind of excarnation occurs, an existential kind in which we are being convinced to embrace an increasing disembodied presence in our world. This kind of excarnation is based on a body-spirit dualism where less value and influence is placed on the physical and enormous importance is accrued to the spiritual. What we do with our bodies is of lesser interest to us than what we do with our spirits, an increasingly pervasive stance in Western society and one that is exacerbated by a Platonic form of Christianity.” (pp. 10-11)

In more simple terms, Frost highlights how disconnected and disengaged we are becoming and, unfortunately, we have become.

The first chapter, “Rootless, Disengaged, and Screen Addicated,” is a brilliant social commentary that exposes many of the holes found in western culture. Being rootless and disengaged has led us to connecting in our world less through face to face interaction and more via screens. If there is any question on this, consider that you are reading this review on a screen, likely participate in social media through screens, and spend time watching a screen for your entertainment. Screens dominate the cultural landscape of the western world (and apparently Australia!). Frost believes that in “an excarnate world there is a discernible lack of commitment or loyalty to any one worldview.” Those who are disconnected remain disconnected and struggle to experience “reality.” As an example, Frost notes that 41 percent of teens are reported to be “addicted” to their technology. Hitting closer to home, 28 percent of teens with parents who use technological devices believe their parents are also addicted.

If we’re going to correct this problem, we likely need to have a better understanding of the philosophical assumptions that often lead to either unwittingly embracing or knowingly living disengaged without root. Frost addresses this in more depth in the second chapter, “The Schizophrenic Sense of Self.” The bottom line, according to Frost, is that dualism is a real problem. Dualism is both foundational and pervasive toward influencing us to become more and more disembodied, defleshed, and disconnected.

Transitioning from deconstruction mode, Frost begins to build a framework for incarnational living by first addressing morality. “Nowhere is the disconnect between the body and the mind/spirit more apparent in contemporary society,” writes Frost, “ than in the area of morality.” Frost helpfully demonstrates that morality is concerned with social issues and we need to incarnate ourselves into the picture.

The rest of Incarnate is full of critiques and ideas toward the church’s collective process of becoming embodied in the Missio Dei. Frost looks to a host of theologians, philosophers, and activists as well as to the master of incarnation, Jesus the Christ. What will likely be extremely valuable for SVS readers is Frost’s interaction with James K. A. Smith, whom he both agrees with, nuances, and offers constructive counter-points to.

The most enjoyable chapter for me was his twelfth, “Adopting an Incarnational Posture.” Frost suggests that missional followers of Jesus can incarnate if they (1) operate in community, (2) collaborate with the neighborhood, (3) declare the shalom of God, (4) identify persons of peace, (5) enter into the social rhythms of their community, (6) heal the sick, and (7) announce the universal reign of God. Those within the Vineyard would respond with a hearty “Yes” and “Amen.”

Reflecting as a Small Town USA church leader, rural community missional practitioners can apply Frost’s ideas toward incarnating in a variety of ways, though there are certainly some contextual challenges. For example, it would be rather difficult for those in rural contexts to prioritize “walkability” as is being advocated by the Walkable Church movement because, quite frankly, there is a lot of distance between people! Yet Frost’s ideas certainly need to be applied in rural America as well as in other cross-cultural contexts. In fact, I wanted to throw furniture out of my windows in excitement as I read Frost emphasize that those who incarnate should move in and listen and partner with and stay with them – for a long time. Yes! Yes! Yes!

Incarnate is a must read for those who are looking to enter into and engage with people toward God’s mission. For those who’s eyes are open to see what the Father is doing around them and desire the inbreaking of the kingdom, Frost’s work will guide you from living defleshed to a life of incarnation.

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About the Author ()

Luke Geraty is a young budding pastor/theologian who serves at Trinity Christian Fellowship. Husband of one, father of five, and deeply committed to proclaiming Jesus and the kingdom, Luke contributes regularly to ThinkTheology.orgVineyardScholars.org, and Multiply Vineyard. You can follow Luke on Twitter or Facebook.