Why We're Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be (NF 2008)

Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be (NF 2008) - Kevin DeYoung & Ted Kluck (Trade paperback, 256 pages, $14.99, Moody Publishing, ISBN 9780802458346) Available in stores and online.

Maybe you’ve heard of the emergent movement in Christian circles. Or maybe you haven’t, but have heard of some of its people. Names like Rob Bell (author of Velvet Elvis), Donald Miller (Blue Like Jazz), Brian McLaren (The Secret Message of Jesus) and others crop up in discussions of emergent leaders. Authors Kevin DeYoung and Ted Kluck are not emergent and although they see much good in the movement, they also see much danger.

The good comes in what the authors believe to be a genuine attempt by the emergent church to reach the lost. The bad comes in the form of their theology. It seems many emergents are seeking to reach unbelievers by convincing them that Christians and non-Christians alike are all on a sort of mysterious spiritual journey to discover God. That might sound like a noble effort, but too many emergents convey the idea that they’re searching for God without having found any answers and without the authority of God’s word.

DeYoung (senior pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan) and Kluck (a writer for many sports venues including ESPN the Magazine) could both easily be mistaken for emergents. They’re thoughtful, young, and seeking to engage the diversity of our culture for Christ. Yet they’re not emergent. By a careful examination of Scripture and emergent theology, the authors show why they aren’t emergent...and why we shouldn’t be, either.

DeYoung’s chapters are somewhat academic (but very readable), closely examining the theological aspects and deficiencies of the emergent movement, while Kluck’s are more personable, reminiscent of a conversation you might have with a good friend. The combination of styles works well, giving the book a broader scope and depth than perhaps could have been achieved by a single author. For anyone who wants to know what the emergent church is all about, or for anyone who wants to engage the culture in a biblical manner, Why We’re Not Emergent is an excellent book.