No one exists in a vacuum, and everyone is dependent on others who have helped form their thinking. That’s why 9Marks has an done us a great service in their article on The Emerging Consequences of Whose Ideas? The article provides the reading list on theology from Emergent Village, considered by many to be one of the leading sites dedicated to a new, post-modern friendly version of Christianity that they call the “emergent church.” The article gives a helpful summary of the theological background of the authors of the recommended books.
The article is very enlightening, although the theological lingo might be a bit thick for some readers. A few additional comments of my own:
- I was surprised to see Hans Gadamer (Truth and Method) in the list. Following Heidegger, he steers us away from seeking for the intent of the author to discover the meaning of Scripture. His approach to interpretation is a long ways from anything that could be labeled Evangelical.
- I have not read George Lindbeck (The Nature of Doctrine), but in when I read Ancient-Future Faith by Robert Webber, I discovered that most of his theological foundation comes from Lindbeck.
It is interesting to note that two of the authors, Nancy Murphy and Miroslav Volf, teach or have taught at Fuller Seminary, which claims to be Evangelical. It is difficult to see how any of the authors of these books could be considered Evangelical according to the historic meaning of the term. Ideas have consequences, and it is important to understand the theological foundation underlying the views of those who wish to tell the church how to reach the next generation.
For an overview of Emergent theology from a solid Evangelical, see this helpful summary by Justin Taylor.
[Sighted on Between Two Worlds]