Why We're Not Emergent

Phil Johnson on the new book Why We're Not Emergent:

I'm really stoked about this book. It's the best, most even-handed, most interesting, most insightful, most well-written analysis of Emerging trends yet. DeYoung is a thirty-something pastor in a college community, and Kluck is an engaging sportswriter who has written for several publications, including ESPN Magazine, The Door, and Cigar Magazine. Their writing styles are markedly different, but both men are superb writers with a stunning knack for making points powerfully and succinctly.

I'm especially proud that Moody published this book. I began my career in 1976 with Moody Press (now Moody Publishers), and Moody has been involved in one way or another in every major turning point in my ministry. This book is edgier, meatier, more serious, and more significant than you might expect from Moody on a subject such as this. In fact, Moody sometimes seems to avoid controversial topics altogether. But this is a rousingly bold book produced with impressive flair and a suitable style for the subject matter. . . .

In fact, I think I said wow at least once in every chapter of this book. No matter how little or how much you know about postmodernism and the emerging church, you will find this book informative and thought-provoking. I'm pretty sure I have read more material on both sides of this issue and spent more hours thinking critically about it than the average evangelical lay person. But I found myself repeatedly being challenged with new facts, fresh ideas, and arguments I hadn't considered before. I gained a clearer perspective even on some of the very aspects of Emergent thought that are most familiar to me.