I like to start a post with a title like that... should drive some good traffic to the site. Grin.
I wrote an article on this subject to help SBC people understand the Emerging Church. It was picked up by several non-SBC outlets and has been widely quoted, praised, and vilified. I'd probably change it a bit now. Yet, even though it was imperfect, I think it was helpful because it helped people to see that the Emerging Church has many "streams" to it.
If you search google for the three descriptors I used in the article, you would find lots of opinions on the article. (One of them leads to an article my friend Mark Driscoll wrote for the Criswell Theological Journal.) Mark liked the description I gave of the Emerging Church. And, for full disclosure, Tony Jones, head of Emergent, did not.
And, yes, I have a confession to make. I have been holding back. But, here it is... I am about to come out. Are you ready? Drumroll...
I know a little bit about the Emerging Church.
Not a lot, but just enough to make some of my friends nervous.
But, not knowing much has never kept me from being a part of a good book project. And, we have one coming up. See below.
Last year, my denomination asked for LifeWay Research to "investigate" the Emerging Church. (I got to LifeWay as quick as I could... grin.)
Such an analysis is, well, rather challenging since there is such a broad diversity among those who call themselves emerging, from inerrantist evangelicals to mainline liberals, and everything in between.
I think this book, written by an array of scholars with differing views, will provide some thought provoking reading and analysis from an evangelical perspective.
It seems to me that evangelicals are both intrigued by, and concerned about, the Emerging Church. I look forward to being a part of some conversations about the movement in the coming months. For example:
Just today, I agreed to lead the Evangelical Free Church of American (EFCA) Mid-Winter Ministerial (their annual national "theology conference" for their pastors) on the Emerging Church. (The link will be updated tomorrow.)
It is my understanding that we will be talking some about the Emerging Church at the Assemblies of God conference this winter at North Central University.
And, New Orleans Seminary, has asked me to do a theological confab with them on Emerging Church issues April 4th with their college professor theology partnership.
Of course, today I am in Raleigh Durham teaching at the Acts 29 bootcamp and then speak at the Convergent Conference. The hope of the Convergent Conference is that we might take the best from emerging and traditional churches (crazy idea, eh?).
Since I am in an Emerging Church state of mind today, let me be the first to tell you that B&H Publishing will be publishing a book on the subject of the Emerging Church. Bill Henard, a great pastor/scholar, and our LifeWay Chairman of Trustees, will be the editor.
I believe it will be a key contribution to the Emerging Church conversation.
Here is the lineup (with generic titles that will be fleshed out later)...
E3: Evangelicals Engaging Emergent
Introduction--Bill Henard, Senior Pastor, Porter Memorial Baptist Church, Assistant Professor of Evangelism, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
An Overview of Emergent/Emerging Church: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly--Mark DeVine, Associate Professor of Theology, Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
A History and Potential Futures of Emergent/Emerging Church--Ed Stetzer, Director of LifeWay Research, Missiologist in Residence, LifeWay Christian Resources
Biblical Section
Chapter 1--Biblical Authority and Inspiration according to Emergent/Emerging Church--Norman Geisler, Norman Geisler Chair of Apologetics, Co-Founder, Southern Evangelical Seminary
Chapter 2--The Hermeneutics of Emergent/Emerging Church--Doug Blount, Assistant Dean for Ethics and Philosophical Studies, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary
Chapter 3--The Emergent/Emerging Church Concept of Truth--Scott Smith, Associate Professor of Ethics and Christian Apologetics, Biola University
Theological Section
Chapter 4--Jesus according to Emergent/Emerging Church--Darrell Bock, Research Professor of New Testament Studies, Professor of Spiritual Development and Culture, Dallas Theological Seminary
Chapter 5--Emergent/Emerging Church Salvation--Russ Moore, Associate Professor of Christian Theology; Dean of the School of Theology; Senior Vice President for Academic Administration, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Chapter 6--The Church according to Emergent/Emerging Church--John Hammett, Professor of Systematic Theology, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Practical Section
Chapter 7--The Emerging Church and Ethical Choices: The Corinthian Matrix--Danny Akin, President, Professor of Theology and Preaching, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary
Chapter 8--Preaching according to Emergent/Emerging Church--Jim Shaddix, Senior Pastor, Riverside Baptist Church, Denver, Colorado
Chapter 9--Emergent/Emerging Church Evangelism--Chuck Lawless, Dean, William Walker Brookes Professor of Evangelism and Church Growth, Billy Graham School of Missions, Evangelism, and Church Growth, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Conclusion--Adam Greenway, Director of Professional Doctoral Studies, Instructor of Evangelism and Applied Apologetics, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
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