Comments on Between Two Worlds: The Emergent Church

I've already read Carson and numerous other critic...

2008-02-25T16:17:00.000-06:00

I've already read Carson and numerous other critics and I'm just not impressed. I recently read the Barna study, UnChristian, and it lays out research on "outsiders" and how they perceive the church. Many fundamentalists probably feel kind of self-righteous and good when they are critically perceived by outsiders: like it is a stamp of their authority.

But I don't get these kinds of vibes from "emergent" believers. I honestly think that this is the direction the Holy Spirit is heading with the church. Wow! Wouldn't it be incredible if we actually loved one another rather than grab our "scriptural" cannons and bomb anybody that doesn't agree with us. I'm afraid, if this is the case, we do not yet know what we ought to know.

It has been discussed in many a forum, book and co...

2007-09-03T13:00:00.000-05:00

It has been discussed in many a forum, book and coffee shop that Carson's critique of the Emerging/Emergent movement demonstrates a lack of familiarity with the movement- as it actually exists.

If you want to gain academic and brotherly credibility then please accurately portary the movement before you go about critiquing it.

Interviews with Brian McLaren for further study:
http://www.precipicemagazine.com/brian-mclaren-conversation.html

http://www.precipicemagazine.com/brian-mclaren-interview.htm

I appreciate your position on the emerging church ...

2006-07-17T11:31:00.000-05:00

I appreciate your position on the emerging church movement. I have written a lengthy critique of the movement that can be found at http://www.apologeticsindex.org/290-emerging-church

David Kowalski

This was a very thoughtful and well laid-out argum...

2006-01-18T14:46:00.000-06:00

This was a very thoughtful and well laid-out argument.

However, I can't help wondering if the opponents of the emergent church and all types of church innovation just want to protect their fiefdoms.

Christianity changes. It always has. I say thank God we are no longer like the very early Christians, who were apocalyptic and violent. Thank God we are no longer like the medieval Christians and their power struggles over popes, their inquisitions, their mass murders in the name of God. Thank God we are not like the Victorian Christians, with their racism and xenophobia and mean-spirited morality. The orthodoxies and rules-and-regs of those days have mercifully perished with those people. What is orthodoxy now was emerging church back then.

If Christianity is indeed drifting in these directions, then it will continue to drift there. I have a great deal of faith that Someone is leading this process of growth, and that our job is to have faith and follow

recent long interview/dialogue with Brian McLaren:...

2005-09-23T11:39:00.000-05:00

recent long interview/dialogue with Brian McLaren:
http://www.newpantagruel.com/issues/2.3/who_has_the_last_word_an_inte.php

Hi Justin,Many proponents of "emergent" include ho...

2005-04-11T00:32:00.000-05:00

Hi Justin,

Many proponents of "emergent" include house churches in their grand scheme, which are also highly diversified. But many of these would distance themselves from certain "emergent" themes, in fact.

As you wrote: "A broad lecture or book cannot always contain every nuance."

Well said, brother.

May the things which are true become "emergent" as error is exposed.

Thought you might like to see this post I just wro...

2005-02-26T21:44:00.000-06:00

Thought you might like to see this post I just wrote about Emergent. I was a bit amused to see one of your commenters complain that critics of Emergent often don't really understand Emergent thinkers. I think that is because Emergent thinkers don't want people to know what they believe.

http://lawnrangers.blogspot.com/2005/02/continuing-emergent-conversation.html

I just read your introduction. I'm definitely int...

2005-02-24T23:44:00.000-06:00

I just read your introduction. I'm definitely interested to read it.

You wrote:
"Our desire is not merely to debate, but to enter into dialogue; not only to denounce, but to accurately and charitably describe; not only to critique, but to learn."

When I read the rest of your chapter descriptions, however, I didn't see a lot of references to dialogue, charitable descriptions, or ways that you and your colleagues have learned from Grenz and Franke.

Granted, I haven't read the book yet. I hope to soon. I just have to wonder, is the description I quoted above really fair? Can you point to some positive things that you have learned from your postconservative friends "across the aisle?"

My experience has been that critics often really d...

2005-02-24T23:08:00.000-06:00

My experience has been that critics often really don't understand some of what thinkers in the emerging church are saying.

If people want to critique material coming out of the emerging church, that's fine. I think what has bothered many from the emerging church is that critics don't appear to have read the material. I'm not speaking of what people like Carson or Erickson are saying. I'm talking about some of what I read online.

Uhggg. You have not idea (well maybe you do) how ...

2005-02-23T07:34:00.000-06:00

Uhggg. You have not idea (well maybe you do) how this thinking is infecting various areas of Christianity. In my own circles (Countercult apologetics) there are some who are going this very way. And just as Josh has stated, when you critique their material, the come back is that you don't fully understand their position - see keep reading.

How frustrating! Carson, Erikson, Koukl, Oliphint, yourself, etc... all these great theologian are just missing the boat. I think not.

This was helpful, thank you for tackling this. I ...

2005-02-22T10:23:00.000-06:00

This was helpful, thank you for tackling this.

I have also noticed, like you said, “many proponents of Emergent, Open Theism, and the New Perspective on Paul claim ‘No one understands us!' "

I find that frustrating, especially when they say (for instance, I have read people say this about Piper), “Nope! He still doesn’t get it. :)” regarding NPP. It strikes me as “we’re elite and know what it is all about, and nobody understands what we believe (except Wright, of course).” I find it immature and ridiculous, and it really bothers me.

That being said, you’re response “No, some understand you quite well, you just don't like the critique” is exactly what I’ve thought every time I hear people complain!