Much has been written by practitioners advocating the emerging church phenomenon, but confusion about the nature and beliefs of those who identify with the emerging church still exists. Now that the movement has aged a bit, the time has come for a more rigorous, scholarly analysis. Here four influential authors, each an expert in his field, discuss important cultural, theological, philosophical, and biblical underpinnings and implications of the emerging church movement. Their sympathetic yet critical assessment helps readers better understand the roots of the movement and the impact that it has had and is having on wider traditions.
Provocative Perspectives on Emerging
Conversations
"This is the most complete, detailed, critically sympathetic, and
totally remarkable overview I have yet seen of where Emergence
Christianity presently is and appears to be going. McKnight's two
essays alone are worth the price of admission."--Phyllis
Tickle, author, The Great Emergence
"At root, the emerging church movement is a set of
conversations about living more faithfully into the way of Jesus
and the implications of this for the life and witness of Christian
communities. This book offers a series of reflections from some of
the best-known voices on a range of important questions. These
essays extend the conversation in significant ways and make it
clear that the questions stirred up are worth pursuing."--John
R. Franke, Biblical Seminary; theologian in residence, First
Presbyterian Church of Allentown
"Over its short history, the emerging church has both challenged
and inspired the practice of church in our time. Church in the
Present Tense brings together in one volume some of its finest
thinkers to reflect on the theological and practical contributions
of this movement. In concise and helpful essays, they lead us
through the impact of 'emerging' on our views of God, salvation,
Scripture, the end times, and the practice of worship. Whatever you
might think of the movement, you cannot ignore its impact, and this
volume won't let you!"--David Fitch, Northern Seminary;
author, The End of Evangelicalism?
"Rather than retreading old ground, Church in the
Present Tense looks at the still-evolving emerging church
movement from new angles, and readers will be rewarded with new
insights. We are in very good hands with Scot, Pete, Kevin, and
Jason--they appreciate the movement, but they aren't playing
Pollyanna. They're tough, smart, articulate interlocutors. I think
this book will be seen as among the best interactions with the
emerging church movement."--Tony Jones, theologian in
residence, Solomon's Porch, Minneapolis; author, The New
Christians: Dispatches from the Emergent Frontier
Contents
Introduction: The Emerging Church--Kevin
Corcoran
Part 1: Philosophy
1. Who's Afraid of
Philosophical Realism? Taking Emerging Christianity to
Task--Kevin Corcoran
2. The Worldly Theology of
Emerging Christianity--Peter Rollins
Part 2:
Theology
3. Consumer Liturgies and Their Corrosive Effects
on Christian Identity--Jason Clark
4. Thy Kingdom Come
(on Earth): An Emerging Eschatology--Kevin Corcoran
Part 3: Worship
5. The Renewal of Liturgy in the
Emerging Church--Jason Clark
6. Transformance Art:
Reconfiguring the Social Self--Peter Rollins
Part 4:
Bible and Doctrine
7. Scripture in the Emerging
Movement--Scot McKnight
8. Atonement and
Gospel--Scot McKnight
Scot McKnight (PhD, University of Nottingham) is Julius R. Mantey Professor of New Testament at Northern Seminary in Lombard, Illinois, and the author of more than twenty books, including A Community Called Atonement. Peter Rollins (PhD, Queen's University, Belfast) is founder of Ikon, an emerging collective in Belfast, Northern Ireland. He is the author of several books, including How (Not) to Speak of God: Marks of the Emerging Church. Kevin Corcoran (PhD, Purdue University) is professor of philosophy at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan, and author of Rethinking Human Nature. Jason Clark (PhD candidate, King's College, London) coordinates the Emergent UK online resource network, is founding/senior pastor of Vineyard Church Sutton in Sutton, England, and is adjunct professor at George Fox Evangelical Seminary.