Tuesday, January 31, 2006

The Emergent Church: Suffocating Truth Inside Postmodernism

This blog is not to inform readers on the specifics of the movement known as the "Emerging Church". If you have not heard or read anything about it, you might consider checking it out because it is becoming a major issue at hand in the Church. Many of its proponents are coming out with books left and right, so you should not have trouble finding things to read about it. The movement itself is too complex to blog about. The beliefs are wide-ranging and the shifts are never-ending, and my own research could be called nascent. However, there are men of the faith who are old enough to have seen its developments and they have published and spoken about it. The first link I offer you is to a sermon by John Macarthur (pastor of Grace Community Church) from a chapel service of the seminary where he presides as president. I believe this semester's chapel services are going to all be on the topic of the Emergent Church. So keep checking the link for more sermons as time goes on: Chapel Services.

The second link I give you is merely to Christianbooks.com to check out D.A. Carson's new book: Becoming Conversant With the Emerging Church. I have begun reading this book and I'm about half way through it and it is great. He is very level-headed about his review and even points out positive things the movement pushes. However, Carson is a doctrinally sound brother who has done much for the faith and he measures everything biblically.

It is probably also wise to read the things actually being written by the Emergent Church leaders and especially by their poster-boy Brian McLaren. This way you can get a first hand account for their teachings.

My cry is that we love the Bible and heed what it says when it commands us not to "be taken captive by philosophy and empty deceit" (Colossians 2:8) or "do not lean upon your own understanding" (Proverbs 3:5). We can screw up a lot of things when we boast in intellectualism. Check it out and let me know what you think.

3 comments:

Vanessa said...

Brandon,
As I made my way to your blog, I was just bombarded with the increasing heated online banter about postmodernism and "emergent views". I am exhausted! I have to recognize that there is NO perfect church, denomination, or human philosophy. I can't be persuaded by an articulate author, unless he is upholding scripture. Thanks for posting this...

D.O. said...

I know this is an older post and you probably won't see this comment... but I've gotta be honest... I didn't like that sermon.... I love you, but I didn't feel that sermon.

Brandon said...

you don't have to like it bud