Steve Taylor was on Radio Rhema this morning responding to this guy Roger Oakland who is cruising round NZ having a go at the Emerging Church (EC). I didn't hear what Steve said - I was making Briar pancakes :) - but I did go have a look at some of Oakland's stuff on YouTube.
I think there are better critiques of the movement than what he has to say. He seems to take a slanted view on the movement. I get the sense that he has it in his head that the emerging movement is trying to integrate the demonic with Christianity. He criticizes the EC for focusing on experience over scripture. He even refers to Hinduism and other Eastern Religions and suggests that the EC is following their lead in trying to read God through experience. This seems contrary to stuff I've read - sure the post-modern society prefers experiential activity - like the Labyrinths - but there are plenty of EC's that still look at scripture as well as experience. While people like Brian McLaren are leaders in the EC I wouldn't take them as normative for the whole movement. But you guys should go give him a listen at YouTube and see what you think. Like I said, there are better critiques.
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Roger has written some excellent articles exposing the emerging church and the spirituality behind it. One of them at http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/index.php?p=1231&more=1&c=1 is titled "How to Tell if Your Church is Becoming Emergent . . . Even If They Say It's Not" and lists some signs on how to tell if your church is going or has gone emergent.
Deborah
Sorry I took a while to respond, I have been away. Also, I have still not listened to Steve Taylor so that I may respond without his influence.
I read the blog link and still, I have to say, Oakland has taken a particular view of the EC. By my understanding the EC questions everything ecclesial, making everything to do with the church a variable (i.e. core doctrines, worship styles, leadership, church function etc). This is coupled with a lower Christology than orthodoxy has as they focus more on Jesus' work in culture. The alternative worship services (the experiential stuff) spread throughout the UK (and other places) shouldn't be taken as to be the sum of the EC, but perhaps a phase, or aspect of EC. Even these alternative worship services are varying from church to church. One EC may believe in centrality of scripture, another may not, another may believe in a literal millenial period, another EC may not. The point is reaching culture, not upholding doctrines and building uniformity across the EC. Oakland has [i]some[/i] good points to watch out for, but like I said, he has taken a particular view of EC and is speaking like it sum's up the whole EC - which is mis-leading for those who don't know anything about EC.
Cheers
Philip
Also for anyone else who reads this and is interested, here is the url for Steve's radio broadcast.
http://www.wikiupload.com/download_page.php?id=78244
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