Emergent vs. Emerging

Symantics or Real Distinction?

I've heard both words floating around and I wondered if there was any difference. Mark Driscoll in this YouTube clip says they are different. He says that Emerging Church is the overall movement and there are lots of little groups in that movement. He says some are pockets are really conservative theologians trying to engage their culture (sound familiar BFC?) but he says there are others that are social gospel, liberal theologians hyped up on the new perspective on Paul (this group labels itself "Emergent").





Research on the Distinction

So I did some research to see who says what about each word.

Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones are high-ups in the Emergent Village, I watched this clip and Tony couldn't stop from saying "words like justice love and gospel mean the exact same thing. Justice IS Gospel, to work for justice to be actively engaged in God's justice in the world means to be gospel people." Clip below:




Enter the Modernists

SO then John MacArthur, very modern, anti-emerging pastor and author comes along and listens to the overall conversation of the emerging church. He isn't happy with it.




He, DA Carson, many many others in the modern Church rail against the emerging movement because they are concerned that the movement is a reincarnation of social gospel. These are men who grew up in churches that fought against liberalism and then became solidiers in the same battle and really won that battle. Now they see they old enemy rearing its head again. I like MacArthur, I really do. I think (especially if Driscoll is right) that MacArthur is in reality not against the emerging church (even though he says he is). Instead he is really against the emergent church.


Should We Wade In?!?

But the question remains: is emerging and emergent the same? Can a BFC Church or the BFC be part of a movement which has under the same large umbrella social gospel types. Just because emergent is a small group amidst a large umbrella of emerging... does it disqualify us from participation in the greater point? I said earlier, I don't count myself as part of the emerging movement. I'm closer than many of the brethren at the ministerial convention, but I'm not in yet. I'm headed that way slowly (so Tim B and others: rescue the perishing!). What I said earlier is this emergent thing (if in fact the two words ought to be distinct) does make me think twice. But if Driscoll is right, it is valuable and "safe" to be in it and not be identical to everyone in it. FIF sang a song: unity not uniformity. That may fit at this point.


Rescue me before I hurl myself headlong!