emerging church ‘conversation’ continues…
- Filed under: emerging church, theology
- Date: Nov 24,2006
Two important papers on the emerging church have been written and presented recently within the last few weeks by two men respected by many within Evangelicalism.
The first paper, entitled What is the Emerging Church? was written by Scot McKnight who is the Karl A. Olsson Professor in Religious Studies at North Park University in Chicago, Illinois. McKnight presented this paper at the recent Westminster Theological Seminary Student Association Conference, An Eternal Word in an ‘Emerging World? It is available in its entirety in PDF format here.
Overall, I think McKnight does a good job of furthering the discussion. I haven’t split hairs on it, but it feels like a fairly moderate take from a pro-emerging church voice on the ‘conversation.’
The second was written by Brett Kunkle who is a staff member and traveling student speaker of the apologetics ministry, Stand to Reason. Kunkle presented this at the Evangelical Theological Society National Conference in Washington D.C. last week. You can read it here.
Kunkle does a good job of expanding what D.A. Carson started in his book, Becoming Conversant With the Emerging Church: Understanding a Movement and its Implications. Kunkle particularly attacks what many within conservative strains of Evangelicalism are concerned that the more liberal are diminishing: the cross, the authority of the Bible, and the nature of truth. He also expands his personal criticism from Carson’s concern with Brian McLaren and Steve Chalke to include Doug Pagitt, Spencer Burke, and the like.
Both of these papers are important to read if you are a leader concerned with reaching the postmodern. Your general church layperson could care less about the conversation [for the most part], but you should…
