Synopsis:
An overview of the emerging church movement from two critics, a pastor and a sportswriter.

Review:
I have been a fan of Kevin DeYoung for a while based on his appearances on the White Horse Inn, a favorite podcast of mine. And my interest in the emergent movement stems from my days as Managing Editor for a now defunct webzine covering Christianity and culture. I was there when Relevant Magazine launched and when The Ooze had only a few members. We were one of the first to publish a critic of Brian McLaren. I wish I could link but we had no funds to keep our archive up and running.

I loved Why We’re Not Emergent as much for what it taught me about historical Christianity as for its critique of the emergent movement, which I believe will die out as a fad. Many of its critics worry that its passing will leave many bereft and alienated from Christianity, but I think that historical Christianity, rooted as it is in the gospel and the Holy Spirit, will win many back with the truth. All the same, I am angered by these false prophets who distort God’s good word in the name of a “love” that is ultimately empty and death-dealing. I loved how the book ends with an exposition of the letters to the churches in the book of Revelations, calling all Christians on all sides to repentance. They make sure to take seriously those critiques of the emergent church that hit the mark in a spirit of real humility–as opposed to the false humility that the emergent voices espouse.