Baptists and the Emerging Church Movement: A Baptistic Assessment of Four Themes of Emerging Church Ecclesiology

In Baptists and the Emerging Church Movement David Rathel examines the major ecclesiological proposals of the emerging church movement. Though many theologians argue that the emerging church movement emphasizes epistemology Rathel contends that its primary concern is ecclesiology. Emerging church leaders offer a number of important ecclesiological proposals including restructuring traditional church leadership models to accommodate the rise of postmodernity changing the mission of the church so that the church may strike a more missional tone in contemporary culture removing the categories of in or out within the church body and adopting the multi-site church model. In assessing these proposals Rathel draws upon historic Baptist convictions about the nature of the church using Baptists ecclesiological distinctives and long history of ecclesiological thought as a helpful reference point. This book will not only serve as a guide for those who wish to learn of emerging church ecclesiology it will also be an aid to Baptists who wish to evaluate recent trends in ecclesiology in light of their denominational distinctives. David Rathel has put together an important work explaining why the gospel is central to understanding how to minister in and through the church in todays postmodern climate. His work is well researched his conclusions sound his advice helpful and his writing style is both accessible and enjoyable. This is a good place to jump into the larger discussion of how and why ministry method has its roots in the timeless doctrines of the faith. --Mark Liederbach co-author with Alvin L. Reid of The Convergent Church David Rathels work on four themes in emerging church ecclesiology is a valuable contribution to contemporary ecclesiological discussion. He helpfully recognizes the breadth and diversity of the writers who wrote under that banner and evaluates their contributions both positive and negative on the important topics of community worship and preaching missional ministry and church leadership in an irenic and insightful manner. His critique will resonate most completely among those who share his Baptistic ecclesiology but all will find him a faithful guide into the discussions on these topics that are continuing even if no longer exclusively among those identified as emerging. --John S. Hammett author of Biblical Foundations for Baptist Churches David Mark Rathel is the pastor of Fork Baptist Church in Scottsburg VA and Adjunct Online Professor of Theology and Philosophy at The Baptist College of Florida. He received his ThM from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and is currently completing his PhD at St. Marys College at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland