Why We’re Not Emergent: By Two Guys Who Should Be is a recent book by Kevin Deyoung & Ted Kluck, published by Moody Publishers of Chicago. The authors explore and define the “Emergent” movement within Christianity, and call it to balance and biblical authority.

It is well written. I found it to be an engaging mix of serious theological thinking and discussions combined with humorous stories, experiences, reflections and personal musings. In fact, it’s like an “emergent conversation” without the typical “emergent” excesses.

To any younger (say in their 30′s or younger) Christian raised in the evangelical tradition and also in the predominant post-modern culture, who finds themselves drawn to the “emergent” church, it’s celebrities (Brian McLaren, Rob Bell, Tony Jones, Doug Pagitt, and others), it’s theology (or lack thereof), and its values (social justice, mercy, justice, service), I highly recommend this book. You need to hear the call in this book to biblical balance and wrestle with where you will stand.

I am personally sympathetic to much of what the emergent church is saying, especially in terms of our “orthopraxy” (right living). We evangelicals have focused strongly on “Orthodoxy” (right beliefs), and in this mostly left-brain process we have almost ignored the call of Jesus to become disciples. We have also ignored the mostly right-brain realm of the Holy Spirit. Following Christ is not just about saying a prayer and being all set for heaven because you verbally assented to a certain set of propositions. It is also a call to sacrifice, service, community and a life transformed. It is about learning to live under the control of and within the power of the Holy Spirit. It is all about becoming more and more like Christ.

Ravi Zacharias has said that the toughest question he gets asked is:

“Why, if Christianity is true and claims to change lives, do we see so little evidence of that transformation in the lives of Christians?”

How do you defend against that? This is the existential indictment that the ‘emergents” are pointing their finger at. There is the lack of real difference in the lives of most of us Christians and our almost full-scale adoption of the culture around us. We don’t look that much different. Why should someone follow Christ if that is the case? We don’t even seem to care, or to even notice we have a problem. Our churches are full of lukewarmness and lack the powerful life changing work of the Spirit.

This is where the emergent church has got it right. Sadly, many of their spokespersons do not want to be nailed down on what they will base their alternatives on. Their truth seems to be very relative. The movement cannot last if this is the case. It will become a passing fad. Any true insights and indictments there may be in the emergent movement are doomed if they cannot rest it upon God’s Truth.

I think the book’s Epilogue is especially good: “Listening to all the churches of Revelation.” In it, the authors call the emergent church (and all believers) to assess where we are in light of what the Spirit had to say to the seven churches. The cultural, philosophical, social and spiritual parallels are amazing. I think they really nailed it in their assessment of where we are as the western church, at the beginning of the 21st century. It begs the personal question: Am I ready to confess my sins of lukewarmness, tolerance of sin, loss of my first love, numbness to the lost around me, and my focus on the material world? Am I ready to hear Jesus say, “But I have this against you?” Will I let Jesus come in and clean house – I mean really clean it?

Chapter Titles:

• Intro: Still Submergent After All These Years (Kevin)
• Intro: Maybe (Ted)
• 1 – Journey: Are the Pilgrims Still Making Progress? (Kevin)
• 2 – Rebel Without A Cause: What Is Worth Submitting to? (Ted)
• 3 – Bible: Why I Love the Person and Propositions of Jesus (Kevin)
• 4 – Thank You for Smoking: On Dialogue, Futurism and Hell (Ted)
• 5 – Doctrine: The Drama is in the Dogma (Kevin)
• 6 – A Funeral for a Friend: On Churches, Story, and Propositional Language (Ted)
• 7 – Modernism: The Boogeyman Cometh (Kevin)
• 8 – Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Dialouging for the Sake of Dialogue (Ted)
• 9 – Jesus: Bringer of Peace, Bearer of Wrath (Kevin)
• 10 – Real Topeka People: In Search of Community (Ted)
• 11 – Why I Don’t Want a Cool Pastor (Ted)
• Epilogue: Listening to All the Churches of Revelation (Kevin)