Window on the World - What's Emerging in the Church?

Excerpt: 'Today it is not uncommon to hear leading voices in the emerging church make reckless statements that cast doubt on the absolute divine authority and complete historical reliability of Scripture, downplay the doctrine of personal sin as an offense against a holy God, deny that the substitutionary atonement is central to the gospel, or open the door to salvation through non-Christian religions. Emerging churches also tend to be critical of confessional Christianity. Although they use the ecumenical creeds, they are uneasy about the Reformation confessions, with all of the specificity they bring to doctrines like total depravity and justification by faith. It is good to ask honest questions about theology, but a church that fails to give clear and complete answers will inevitably become a divergent church.'

The Window on the World is our weekly opportunity to examine our culture from the vantage point of biblical Christianity.

Many of these are now published in 'My Father's World: Meditations on Christianity and Culture', 2002, and 'He Speaks to Me Everywhere', 2004, both by Philip Graham Ryken, P&R Publishing.

For the complete text of this and other Window on the World articles click the link below.