MBN Open Line had an interview [MP3] on the emerging church this week by Moody Bible Institute professors John Koessler and Kevin Zuber. I am expanding this post to include more info and to give a more accurate picture of my response to this interview:
Verdict: These guys were MUCH better than Masters Seminary but not as good as Dallas Theological Seminary.
The Good - I liked their description of emerging church worship as "participatory" and things all happening at the same time, similarity to Jesus Movement, and the lowering of volume, and using an appropriate tone and texture. They want to engage the culture with an attitude of humility. Good overview of modernism and postmodernism, and the complexity of trying to nail this down. Challenge to not pre-judge but to listen with discernment.
Technorati Tags: emergent, emerging church, moody
The Bad - Nothing about the missional impulse of the EC, nor its legacy and history in overseas missions. And also none of the EC representatives under scrutiny studied at Moody. It would have been more helpful for Moody fans if they critiqued some of the Moody graduates now leading emerging churches. People like Moody Grad Lance White who has a good article on Next-Wave. Also, i dont like the way "emerging" and "emergent" has become a new dichotomy that more fundamental groups employ to distance themselves from the other.
The Ugly - Why is it assumed the EC plays "loose" with doctrine and has a defective Christology? "When they question the virgin birth" [hello - did someone do this?] I find this offensive. Why the heck does obeying Jesus call to the emerging culture result in a downgrade of doctrine?
Hey - who out there went to Moody??????
