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Post by Soulfyre on Jul 23, 2005 23:42:50 GMT -5
I recently read the book, Becoming Conversant with the Emerging Church by D. A. Carson, Ph.D., University of Cambridge, and research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. I have come to expect excellent scholarship, generosity of spirit, and clarity of reason from Dr. Carson, and was not disappointed with this book. This book is not written for the average individual involved with the "emerging" church movement, as is evidenced by some of the reviews of his book. Some seemed particularly disappointed that Dr. Carson attempted to make his assessment based on what leaders of the movement have written, rather than by "experiencing" one of the community meetings. This, however, appears to be a hallmark of the "emergent" believer, who tends to believe that experience trumps the propositional. One reviewer averred, "My advice would be to read Carson's book keeping in mind the fact that he has not spoken with those he is critiquing prior to the its publication. He just might be setting up strawmen and misrepresenting the teachings of many good people who could otherwise clarify for him what is intended in their published works." Again, this appears to demonstrate the lack of clarity some leaders within the movement assign to propositional communication (even their own). I think that this book is must reading! In Christ, Matthew (soulfyre)
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Post by rgrove on Jul 24, 2005 0:54:10 GMT -5
I've heard about this book on an email list I'm on. Thank you for the review and I certainly intend on getting it one of these days if this emergent church thing continues to go on.
Yours In Christ, Ron
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Post by Soulfyre on Jul 24, 2005 1:05:41 GMT -5
I would get it simply because it addresses some issues in our shifting culture which I think are crucial to effective evangelism. Frances Schaeffer warned of this paradigmatic shift almost twenty years ago. D. A. Carson pinpoints in a more specific sense how this has shown up uniquely in the "emerging" church phenomenon. And it points to how some, in seeking to make their churches "user friendly", have made themselves ineffective in reaching our current generation. I believe the "emerging" church to be the most subtle, dangerous incarnation of subjectivism yet. In Christ, Matthew (soulfyre)
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