Dan Kimball is a pastor, author, and influential figure within the Emergent Church movement, which emerged in the late 20th and early 21st centuries as a response to what its leaders saw as the inadequacies of traditional evangelicalism. Kimball’s teachings emphasize cultural relevance, rethinking church practices, and engaging with postmodern culture. While Kimball has shifted some of his positions over time, his association with the Emergent Church involves key beliefs that differ from confessional Christianity, particularly in areas related to Scripture, theology, and church practice.
Key Beliefs and How They Differ from Confessional Christianity
1. Beliefs about Scripture and Interpretation:
- Dan Kimball's View: Kimball holds a view of Scripture that emphasizes narrative, mystery, and story over systematic theology. He often promotes the idea that the Bible should be approached more as a conversation than a set of propositional truths, encouraging Christians to engage with the text in a way that embraces ambiguity and allows for multiple interpretations. This approach reflects the broader Emergent Church emphasis on questioning absolute truth claims and resisting rigid doctrinal statements.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that the Bible is the inspired, inerrant, and authoritative Word of God, providing clear, propositional truth for all matters of faith and practice (2 Timothy 3:16-17). The Westminster Confession of Faith emphasizes that Scripture is sufficient and perspicuous, meaning it can be clearly understood regarding essential doctrines. The Bible’s teachings are consistent and believers are to interpret Scripture through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, within the framework of historic Christian orthodoxy.
2. Views on Truth and Postmodernism:
- Dan Kimball's View: Kimball often incorporates elements of postmodern thought, which questions absolute truth and emphasizes subjective experience, community, and dialogue. In his writings, he advocates for a faith that is open to mystery and exploration, encouraging believers to embrace questions and uncertainties. This approach suggests that faith is more about the journey and relational engagement than about adhering to fixed doctrinal statements.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity affirms that God has revealed absolute truth through His Word and that this truth is objective, knowable, and binding (John 17:17; Psalm 119:160). Scripture provides a clear and authoritative foundation for faith and practice, and believers are called to submit to its teachings. While mystery is part of faith, essential doctrines such as the Trinity, the atonement, and salvation are clearly revealed and non-negotiable.
3. Approach to Church Practice and Worship:
- Dan Kimball's View: Kimball advocates for rethinking traditional church practices to make them more accessible and engaging for a postmodern audience. He emphasizes creativity, visual arts, ancient practices, and experiential forms of worship, often drawing on elements from liturgical traditions. His approach encourages a more informal and interactive style of worship that allows for personal expression and community involvement, rather than following established liturgical patterns.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that worship should be conducted according to the regulative principle, which means that only those elements explicitly commanded in Scripture are to be included in worship (John 4:24; Hebrews 12:28). The Westminster Confession of Faith emphasizes that worship should be reverent, God-centered, and grounded in the preaching of the Word, prayer, and the sacraments. While worship can vary in style, it must always adhere to biblical guidelines and maintain a focus on glorifying God rather than entertaining or accommodating cultural preferences.
4. Beliefs about Evangelism and Engaging Culture:
- Dan Kimball's View: Kimball encourages a relational and culturally sensitive approach to evangelism, emphasizing the need to engage with non-believers in a way that respects their experiences and perspectives. He often critiques traditional methods of evangelism as being too confrontational or formulaic, advocating instead for building genuine relationships and demonstrating the love of Christ through service, dialogue, and community involvement.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that evangelism involves proclaiming the gospel message clearly, calling people to repentance and faith in Christ (Romans 10:14-17; Matthew 28:18-20). The gospel is the power of God for salvation and believers are to share it boldly, trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit. Reformed theology encourages cultural engagement but insists that the message of the gospel must remain unchanged and not be adapted to fit cultural trends or preferences.
5. View of Theology and Doctrinal Certainty:
- Dan Kimball's View: Kimball’s approach often emphasizes a more open, exploratory stance toward theology, suggesting that Christians should hold their beliefs with humility and be open to dialogue and differing viewpoints. He frequently encourages questioning and re-examining traditional doctrines, advocating for a “generous orthodoxy” that allows for a diversity of interpretations and theological perspectives within the Christian faith.
- Confessional Christianity: Confessional Christianity teaches that doctrine is essential for understanding and practicing the Christian faith (Titus 1:9; 2 Timothy 4:3-4). Core doctrines of the Christian faith are clearly taught in Scripture and are to be held with conviction. While believers should approach others with humility and gentleness, they are called to contend for the faith and maintain doctrinal purity (Jude 3).
Summary of Differences
Why Dan Kimball should be regarded as a false teacher and why his teachings should be approached with extreme caution:
1. A Shallow View of Biblical Authority and Inerrancy
Dan Kimball is known for his association with the Emerging Church movement, which often promotes a view of Scripture that is less than fully authoritative and inerrant. While Kimball speaks highly of the Bible, he frequently encourages a more open, questioning, and "conversational" approach to Scripture, suggesting that the Bible can be read with a sense of skepticism or interpreted in light of personal experience and cultural norms. This approach can lead to a subjective understanding of biblical truth, where human opinion becomes more influential than the clear teaching of God's Word.
However, Scripture is clear about its divine inspiration and absolute authority. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 declares, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness." Jesus Himself affirmed the reliability and authority of the Bible, stating, "Your word is truth" (John 17:17). By encouraging a mindset that treats Scripture as open to reinterpretation based on cultural perspectives, Kimball risks leading people to question or undermine the authority of God’s Word, which should be our ultimate standard of truth.
2. Promoting Relativism and Postmodernism in Theology
Dan Kimball often embraces elements of postmodernism, which emphasizes relative truth, personal experience, and skepticism about absolute claims. This perspective can result in a reluctance to make definitive statements about core doctrines of the Christian faith or to affirm the exclusivity of the Gospel. In a culture that increasingly rejects absolute truth, Kimball’s approach often blurs the lines between essential doctrines and non-essentials, fostering an environment where individuals are encouraged to define their own beliefs based on personal experience or cultural preferences.
However, the Bible is not open to private interpretation or subjective redefinition. Peter warned that "no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation" (2 Peter 1:20-21). The Gospel message is exclusive and absolute: "Jesus said, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me'" (John 14:6). By promoting a relativistic approach to theology, Kimball weakens the clear and unchanging message of the Gospel and leads people into a form of Christianity that is more about cultural engagement than about proclaiming the truth of Christ.
3. Downplaying the Reality of Sin, Judgment, and the Need for Repentance
One of the key characteristics of Kimball's teaching is his tendency to avoid or downplay uncomfortable truths about sin, judgment, and the need for repentance. In his efforts to make Christianity more appealing to a postmodern audience, Kimball often emphasizes God's love and grace while neglecting to address the reality of sin and the consequences of rejecting God’s authority. This approach results in a "soft" Gospel that fails to confront people with their need for repentance and the seriousness of their rebellion against a holy God.
The Bible teaches that the Gospel is about more than just God’s love; it is also about the reality of human sin and the need for redemption through Christ’s sacrifice. Romans 3:23 states, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Jesus called people to "repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15). By avoiding or minimizing these essential aspects of the Gospel, Kimball presents an incomplete and distorted message that fails to lead people to genuine repentance and faith in Christ.
4. Emphasizing Cultural Relevance Over Biblical Fidelity
Dan Kimball places a heavy emphasis on making Christianity culturally relevant, often adapting his message to fit the preferences and sensibilities of a postmodern audience. While it is important for the church to engage with culture, Kimball’s approach often leads to a compromise of biblical truth in an effort to avoid offense or appear more inclusive. This emphasis on relevance can result in diluting or modifying the Gospel to make it more palatable, which is contrary to the biblical call to proclaim the truth regardless of how it is received.
Paul warned against conforming to the patterns of this world, saying, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). The true Gospel is inherently countercultural, and it will often be met with resistance and rejection (1 Corinthians 1:18). By prioritizing cultural relevance over biblical fidelity, Kimball encourages a form of Christianity that is more concerned with fitting in than with standing firm on the truth of God’s Word.
5. Failing to Clearly Articulate Core Doctrines of the Christian Faith
Kimball's approach to theology often lacks clarity and conviction, especially regarding essential doctrines such as the nature of God, the atoning work of Christ, the authority of Scripture, and the reality of eternal judgment. His tendency to avoid making definitive statements on these core issues creates confusion and leaves room for doctrinal error. Instead of calling people to submit to the clear teachings of Scripture, he often presents Christian beliefs as one option among many, encouraging dialogue rather than calling for repentance and faith.
The Bible calls teachers to "hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught" so that they "may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it" (Titus 1:9). By failing to clearly and boldly proclaim the core truths of the faith, Kimball leaves his audience vulnerable to deception and false teaching.
Conclusion from Scripture
The Bible consistently warns against false teachers who distort or dilute the truth of God’s Word. Paul writes in Galatians 1:8-9, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed." Dan Kimball’s teachings, which emphasize cultural relevance, postmodern skepticism, and a reluctance to affirm absolute truth, align with the type of false teaching that leads people away from the true Gospel.
Jesus warned that "the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few" (Matthew 7:14). The message of the Gospel is not about conforming to culture or making people comfortable; it is about calling sinners to repentance, faith in Christ, and submission to God’s authority. By promoting a version of Christianity that downplays sin, avoids hard truths, and prioritizes cultural acceptance, Kimball’s teachings lead people away from the true and life-transforming Gospel of Jesus Christ.
For these reasons, based on the authority of Scripture, Dan Kimball should be regarded as a false teacher, and his teachings should be approached with caution or avoided. Christians are called to "contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints" (Jude 1:3) and to "test everything; hold fast what is good" (1 Thessalonians 5:21). We must remain anchored in the truth of God's Word, proclaiming it with boldness, clarity, and love, regardless of how it aligns with the shifting values of culture.
The true Gospel is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16), and it cannot be compromised or altered to fit cultural trends. Therefore, believers should reject teachings that prioritize cultural relevance over biblical fidelity and remain faithful to the unchanging truth of God’s Word.