Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #123567 in Books
• Published on: 2005-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
A careful and informed assessment of the "emerging church" by a respected author and scholar The "emerging church" movement has generated a lot of excitement and exerts an astonishingly broad influence. Is it the wave of the future or a passing fancy? Who are the leaders and what are they saying? The time has come for a mature assessment. D. A. Carson not only gives those who may be unfamiliar with it a perceptive introduction to the emerging church movement, but also includes a skillful assessment of its theological views. Carson addresses some troubling weaknesses of the movement frankly and thoughtfully, while at the same time recognizing that it has important things to say to the rest of Christianity. The author strives to provide a perspective that is both honest and fair. Anyone interested in the future of the church in a rapidly changing world will find this an informative and stimulating read. D. A. Carson (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois.

He is the author of over 45 books, including the Gold Medallion Award-winning book The Gagging of God, and is general editor of Telling the Truth and Worship by the Book. He has served as a pastor and is an active guest lecturer in church and academic settings around the world.

Customer Reviews

Post-modernism and the church
Don Carson has written an excellent critique of post-modernism and its appearance as the Emerging Church. He writes as a theologian giving a critique which may be hard going for the average Christian but one which well repays the effort in reading. I believe this is a generous, fair yet devastating critique. He shows the strengths and weaknesses of the Emerging Church in reading contemporary culture and its commendable desire to reach post-modern people. I believe Carson gives us an excellent critique of post-modernism and shows why the Emerging Church has gone more down a route of syncretism with post-modernism The books of McClaren and Chalke are well critiqued in their departure from biblical orthodoxy. The conclusion is the Emerging Church should be handled with great caution. It is a departure from evangelical Christianity. If you are drawn to Emerging Church you must read Carson's critique. It is also a book which gives an excellent critique of post-modernism in general. Carson believes it is a spent force academically but it seems to me to be an increasing one in popular culture.

Excellent overview (and more)
Whilst D.A. Carsons book is not for those looking for a light read on a Sunday afternoon it is an excellent resource. His informed and clear examination of the emergent church is really helpful - someone with his ability and intellect was needed to help us to see the pitfalls (particularly doctrinal) related to some of the emergent church ideas. His recognition of the good motives of those christian leaders trying to reach their generation with the gospel is well set out, but as we know it cannot be at any cost (particularly the truth).

Coversant how?
How can you author a book entitled "Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church" without actually conversing with any communities, individuals etc.? buy it if you want an anti-emergent polemic to reinforce your presumptions and prejudices... if you want a balanced, well researched, evidenced and informative exploration of the breadth of views, ideas and theologies within what has become known as the emerging church conversation, then don't buy this buy Gibbs and Bolgers "Emerging Churches"