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lindyvega's review against another edition
4.0
This was obviously a huge subject to tackle, and I think Phyllis Tickle gave it an admirable effort. Some interesting insights and observations. Also, her writing style is enviable in its complexity and articulation.
coruscate68's review
4.0
Wonderful observations of Christian history abound in this reading of the living tradition of Christianity. Yet, one can't but notice simplistic assumptions and generalizations along the way. Nevertheless, Phyllis Tickle gives us a very valuable road map for the future. Much appreciation should be given to the treatment to the past while being most concerned with the present and future. Here's a voice, while far from promoting any form of traditionalism, honors and respects Christian roots and the influences which initially formed Christian identity.
mattgroot1980's review against another edition
4.0
As someone who has been familiar with the emergent movement in practice since the late 1990s and intellectually/theologically since 2003, I judge such introductory discussions about it less on the content itself than on the presentation. In this respect, Tickle does a very admirable job in tracing a general trajectory for developments in Christian theology and church structure both in history and today. The author would no doubt agree that this is but one way of exploring these themes (indeed it would not be emergent if it claimed to represent THE story itself). Taken in this limited sense, it is a very good book indeed, though I certainly take issue with details here and there. And, as it discusses an ongoing phenomenon, its 2008 publication date also makes it a bit dated already. But, as an introduction to the changes and reactions in contemporary Christianity, for the bewildered, confused and curious alike, it remains a success.
bokashi's review against another edition
4.0
Opened up more questions about if the church around the world fits into this quadrilateral turned rose describing the influences on the emergent church. I liked this model for the USA (and perhaps even Euro-Ausi) Church, but I think there may be more going on elsewhere between historical influences and finding authentic self expression that may ultimately be more influential to what emerges as Christianity in the next 500 year circle. Lots to think about.
quodfelix's review against another edition
5.0
I'll reread this one. It's a tight little book with some history to explain a great new emergence in the Christian Church, in line with other great changes that seem to occur every 500 years or so. Thus the Great Reformation, the Great Schism, and before that the reforms of Gregory the Great. While I wished for more evidence at times, I was grateful for its succinctness as an introduction to the Emerging Church.
I found it both challenging and encouraging in its observations about "traditional Christianity". It is struggling, but this struggle as those of previous great revolutions, will lead to a more vital church.
One point i found intriguing was her focus on the locus of authority changing in each instance. In the case of Gregory, in the papacy. In the case of the schism, authority was split between Rome and Constantinople. In the case of the Reformation, authority was in the Scripture. The current Great Emergence has been sparked by the challenge to the idea of sola scripture by Darwin and Freud and by Pentecostalism. Where the new authority will be is part of the question and the reason I want to reread this. A decentralized center? Network theory?
I'm glad I picked this up.
I found it both challenging and encouraging in its observations about "traditional Christianity". It is struggling, but this struggle as those of previous great revolutions, will lead to a more vital church.
One point i found intriguing was her focus on the locus of authority changing in each instance. In the case of Gregory, in the papacy. In the case of the schism, authority was split between Rome and Constantinople. In the case of the Reformation, authority was in the Scripture. The current Great Emergence has been sparked by the challenge to the idea of sola scripture by Darwin and Freud and by Pentecostalism. Where the new authority will be is part of the question and the reason I want to reread this. A decentralized center? Network theory?
I'm glad I picked this up.
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