I have read a lot on, from, and about the Emerging/Emergent Church. Many pastors, theologians, and scholars have sought to define, explain, and critique the movement and virtually all have failed. Many of those books have been reviewed on this site (see panel on the right of this page). But one book that perhaps gives the best scholarly/academic critique of the movement is "
Evangelicals Engaging Emergent: A Discussion of the Emergent Church Movement." The books editors, Dr. Adam Greenway and William Henard (both from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) have assembled the greatest voices in Evangelicalism to write on various aspects of the Emerging/Emergent Church movement.
One of the things I enjoyed about the book, outside of its scholarly credentials, was its tone. This is not just another book bashing the ECM but rather a careful critique of various aspects and persons in the movement. The chapters cover a whole range of topics such as evangelism, preaching, Christology, salvation, hermeneutics, truth, and much more. In each chapter is a careful thought-out and defended argument made by the contributors. It is tempting with movements like the ECM to simply bash them and move on, but the contributors here are honest enough to say that the ECM is asking the right question, but coming to the wrong conclusions (though sometimes they don't come to any answer at all).
Furthermore, I found many of the chapters quite detailed, yet precise. Perhaps my personal favorite chapters that gave me further insight into the movement were the chapters on Christology, salvation, and preaching. I had never seen a review of Emergent Christology before and very few seem to be discussing it in great detail, though clearly it is a front-burner issue. Likewise, the chapter on salvation provided one of the best survey and summary of the subject. But each chapter is commendable. Then again, what would one expect from this class of scholarly contributors? All of the contributors were thorough in their study and precise in their critique. In one chapter, each contributors managed to cover the topic they were given in great detail, yet without chasing rabbits.
I also found a common theme throughout the book from the contributors that was helpful and much needed. They were careful to note that the arguments they were presenting was not mere modernism. They were mindful to go out of their way to debunk such a myth. Usually Emergents critique detractors as merely resembling remnants of modernism.. It must be convenient to be Emergent when all one has to do to ignore criticism is to write such criticism off as remnants of modernism. But what the contributors bring here is not more modernism, but an honest response that the ECM needs to hear.
But as I was reading the book I was struck with this question: will Emergents listen? By this I mean, is this a forum that Emergents want to enter? The book is presented in a typical Evangelical way. Each chapter covers a specific subject. It does not tell a story. To an Emergent, this immediately must be written off (primarily because it is just too modernistic). Unfortunately, Emergents are all too often so connected with narrative, poetry, and myth that they forget the value of propositions and theological discourse. This is why I raise the question. Will Emergents care?
But that is not the only point of the book. The editors write with a sense of concern for the Church. As Dr. Greenway makes clear in his conclusion, the ECM is history repeating itself. Yesterday it was Protestant liberalism, now its the ECM. The Church must be aware and careful what voices they are listening to. The editors and contributors seek to lay out clearly and definitively the arguments proposed and the dangers of the ECM and they succeed in doing just that.
To the average believer this is not the easiest read, but a necessary read nonetheless. The ECM is one of the greatest challenges the Church is/will face. It is necessary that she realises the threat and responds accordingly. The main concern here is the gospel and the ECM has long abandoned it. Let us not make the same mistakes of the past. For those who want to know more about the ECM, its dangers, its beliefs, and how we should respond, I can think of no better, definitive book than this.
Lisa Bergren, author of "God Gave Us Love," has continued her insightful, much needed series with the bears in her new book, "God Gave Us Christmas," A beautiful compilation of the teaching of the Savior's birth, the importance of showing your children that God can be found in all things around them and a great book to answer the question of the importance of Santa Claus. This book teaches children how to find God everywhere they look, in all of His creation, and to have faith in Him without seeing Him.
