Book Review: Reforming or Conforming

Book Review: Reforming or Conforming: Post-Conservative Evangelicals and the Emerging Church. ed. Gary L.W. Johnson and Ronald N. Gleason.

This helpful book is an collection of essays examines trends within the emerging church and post-conservative evangelical. After a forward by David Wells and an introduction by G.L.W. Johnson there are 12 essays dealing with a variety of issues either within post-conservative theology or the emerging church. The essays break down this way:

1,2. There are two essays on Scripture first tackling the doctrine of Scripture and its "humanness", the other addresses the issues of Sola Scriptura.

3. Paul Helm examines John Franke's nonfoundationalist theology and argues that it falls short.

4.In his essay, R. Scott Clark argues that one cannot merely 'reboot' Christianity and thereby avoid creedal dogma. He argues that the church has always believed there are creeds to which one must subscribe in order to be saved.

5. There is an interesting essay on the use of "Right Reason" at Old Princeton and it a helpful rejoinder to those who turn Old Princeton into the proverbial whipping boy of all things wrong about evangelicalism.

6. This is followed by an introduction to Van Til showing that his Reformed theology of archtypal/echtypal theology is neither old liberalism or fundamentalist foundationalism (this essay strikes at some of Nancy Murphy's arguments).

7.Ron Gleason looks at Bavinck and the subjectivism imported into theology in his day arguing there is similarity to today's emerging church.

8. Guy Waters examines parallels between NT Wright and Brian McLaren. It is both fair but perceptive in pointing to weaknesses of one or both men. This is helpful for those who might uncritically embrace some of Wright's conclusions that are by no means undebated in the field of NT theology. There is whether one likes it or not a disturbing trend the emerging church movement to embrace scholarly conclusions as sound and proven in research while they are still tentative and being tested by the guild of NT scholarship.

9. Phil Johnson looks at the Downgrade Controversy and its application for downgrades in theology in every generation.

10. Martin Downes argues the emerging church is captive to the culture particularly as he looks at Doug Pagitt's views. He is fair but points to some clear failings and problems.

11. Greg Gilbert examines and shows the inherent failings of Brian McLarerens view on hell. He shows it is not Biblical, and is created on grave theological and exegetical mishandlings. Interestingly he takes on McLaren's bogus uses of deconstructionism and speech-act theory and is even able to pit C.S. Lewis against McLaren's articulation.

12. Guy Giley gives an overview of the philosophy, worldview and doctrines of the emerging church.

Like any collection of essays some are better than others. This book is helpful because it addresses some of the theologians the emerging church relies on (Nancy Murphy, John Franke, N.T. Wright, etc.). The authors write from a position generally within more confessional evangelicalism (Reformed, Presbyterian or Baptist). They do not take narrowly fundamentalist positions but bring confessional evangelical Protestant theology to bear on the issues. They authors generally do not make sweeping generalizations but each essay picks a narrower topic or individual to address (like McLaren or Pagitt).

Most of the essays are written more for non-specialists but several essays are a bit more technical or deal with narrower fields that will probably only interest pastors or specialists in the field. Nevertheless, these essays are helpful in response since a number of post-conservative evangelicals are no mere featherweights. While the essays to the emerging church are helpful most of them either take on McLaren or Doug Pagitt. I can see emerging friends saying "they don't represent us". However particularly R. Scott Clark's essay and Gary Giley address issues characteristic to the larger movement as a whole.

One unfortunate oversight by the editors: Phil Johnson and Martin Downes were missed in the list of contributors on page 7.

While not the last word on the emerging church nor the final conservative evangelical response this book does move the "discussion" forward drawing some lines in the sand and making some clear warnings.