One of the things this approach to communal exegesis does is combat certain modernist cults. The contemporary Christian leader battles several modernist cults. There is the “cult of the expert.” If someone has written a book or is on television, wears a lab coat, or is even merely from out-of-town, he is considered an expert. With the rejection of modernist rationalism, postmoderns have not rejected the modernist awe of experts, but have merely adopted a pattern of believing their own choice of experts, habitually failing to examine their claims for falsehoods. With the community gathering around the texts of Scripture together, the group can challenge preconceived or misplaced trust in the teaching of experts, which on careful examination of actual texts may prove to be erroneous.
Another modernist cult is the “cult of celebrity.” The local pastor can never compete with the popular entertainment icons or the Christian celebrities who dominate the public media and private imagination. Like in the “cult of the expert,” people will simply give attention and allegiance to celebrities. Every public servant is compared to the most popular celebrity. The preacher is compared to Chuck Swindoll. The worship band is compared to U2. But the real hero ought to be the local guy who works hard, every week, to serve his congregation by helping them pay attention to real texts and real lives. It is easy to entertain, especially from a distance or in short bursts.
