Book Review "Why We're Not Emergent"

This book was written in a way that held my attention.

I am not an academic scholar so just wanted to mention a couple of things to me.

The writers are very open about their strong reform theology.

1. In reading the book I believe that their contention with emergent/emerging church is that it is not reformed and does not hold to a reform definition of God's "sovereignty".

I believe that the post-modern emerging/emergent church is weak and desperately needs to find some help. It was/is built on its opposition to foundationalism but has not found any real meaning. I was hoping for a critique that offered something more than a defense of traditional reformed theology.

2. I found their critique of the emergent authors to be substantially lacking. one example page 35 Kevin is writing about God being knowable and he criticizes Brian McClaren and builds his case with an illustration of husband and wife. He says that he can't love his wife without knowing her and writes several paragraphs about how important knowledge of facts are to love. It is well written but logically weak. My children each were born with love for their mother and quickly developed love for me. They knew nothing about the facts of who I was/am. Even as they grew and learned minute details about me and "knew me" it was almost nothing of who I was and yet they still loved me.

I was disappointed with the hasty conclusions that if I can't love my wife without knowing her then I can't love God without knowing him. It is a logical fallacy that I have taught my children in elementary school.

Even if the conclusion is correct the logic is flawed. In just the introduction and first chapter I found repeated examples of this logic.

3. on page 40 He uses a quote from John Calvin and then builds a logical conclusion as if John Calvin is a final authority and there is no argument of legitimate opinion that disagrees with John Calvin.

My conclusion an interesting read. If you are reformed you will feel affirmed that you hold a great theology. If you are seeking for answers to emergent church and are not considering reformed theology you will be disappointed with the lack of substantive discussion.