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Christianity Today, October, 2009

My Top 5 Books on the Emerging Movement

Scot McKnight, Professor of Religious Studies, North Park University | posted 10/06/2009 10:11AM

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The New Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier
By Tony Jones

This intelligent and informative book is the only insider story from one of the leading lights of the more progressive wing of the emerging movement, the former national coordinator of Emergent Village.

* * *

The Emerging Church: Vintage Christianity for New Generations
By Dan Kimball

Kimball, who gets credit for first using emerging in a book title to describe the movement, articulates the nitty-gritty of what goes on among these Christians, and does so from an evangelical basis.

* * *

Emerging Churches: Creating Christian Community in Postmodern Cultures
By Eddie Gibbs and Ryan K. Bolger

A richly documented survey of what emergent churches believe and practice, this book sketches emerging congregations around the globe.

* * *

Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and Its Implications
By D. A. Carson

Carson offers the first thorough critique of the movement; he demonstrates where some have wandered from biblical revelation and focuses on the postmodern threat to the biblical concept of truth.

* * *

Why We're Not Emergent: (By Two Guys Who Should Be)
By Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck

This hard-hitting analysis of the liberal tendencies of some in the emerging movement is theologically informed, biblically alert, and pastorally concerned

Related Elsewhere:

Christianity Today has a special section on the emergence of the emerging on our site.

Scot McKnight also wrote "Five Streams of the Emerging Church," "The Ironic Faith of Emergents," and "McLaren Emerging."

Why We're Not Emergent won first place in the church/pastoral leadership category of Christianity Today's 2009 book awards. The Emerging Church won first place in the church/pastoral leadership category of Christianity Today's 2004 book awards.

Previous Top 5 lists have featured Islam, loss, Calvin, spiritual memoirs, neglected doctrines, spiritual memoirs, marriage, Lent, fiction books for the soul, managing your money, devotionals, how character shapes belief, food, Atheism, China, Presidents, World Christianity, Ancient-Future Faith, the Civil Rights Era, Social Justice, Church History, Popular Culture, the Civil War, Apologetics, Atheism, and Sex.

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October 2009, Vol. 53, No. 10

Comments (7)

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Anti-Anti-Emergent

October 16, 2009 10:53pm

"Why We're Not Emergent" makes the Top 5 list of books about the emerging church movement? Seriously? Emergent is one stream of emerging, and an ultra-niche anti-Emergent book gets included in your list? Where's Frost, Hirsch, etc.? Missional is emerging. Anti-Emergent is NOT emerging.

October 16, 2009 11:35am

I can write a quick summary about the Emergent Church so you don't have to reading these books. The Emergent Church has departed from Scripture Alone and has turned to Conversations (about feelings and ideas). The Emergent Church is full of men who "will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths." (2 Timothy 4:2-4) Please Stay away from the Emergent Church, especially Tony Jones, Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Tony Campolo, and anyone who likes them. READ YOUR BIBLE. Grace and Peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who rescued us from the dominion of darkness.

Scot McKnight

October 07, 2009 9:42am

I tried to get six books on the list, but CT restricted the listing to five. Belcher's was so new it wasn't even available when I wrote up this list so I didn't put him on the list. In considering which books to include, I tried to be inclusive of the discussion instead of just listing books with which I agreed. By the way, I had to rate the piece in order to comment ... well, I thought five stars might help!

MikeknaJ

October 06, 2009 9:56pm

I thought the DeYoung/Kluck book was a superb critique, written with grace and love but whole-heartedly in pursuit of the truth. Can't recommend it highly enough.

Caleb

October 06, 2009 6:37pm

I am thankful Scot McKnight chose books from several vantage points, given that he himself has contributed to the movement. I'm intrigued Scot posted at this time given Jim Belcher's recent release (Deep Church) that seems to be praised by folks on every team (and am wondering if it was in the running at all). I can see how Dianne might think Ted Kluck's chapters were "outrageous" or "silly," but to say the same of DeYound's chapters seems rash. I do agree that it could've been helpful to have a little more understanding of why these selections were made; though I believe they are great selections nonetheless. Cheers

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