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Belcher does an amazing job at defining the Emergent Church and postmodernism by not tying those labels to one particular straw-man definition. He recognizes that a person or church can mean several things by defining themselves as "Emergent," and is careful to distinguish between those whom some consider "Emergent" because they spend a lot of energy and resources on a style of church and worship that will reach a younger generation but firmly adhere to the Bible and orthodox theology (such as Mark Driscoll's Mars Hill Church) and those who hold to a harder postmodern worldview that is inconsistent with a biblical worldview (such as Brian McLaren). Anyone or any church staff that is wrestling with how to engage those within our American/western culture while being faithful to the Gospel should read this book.
In addition, this is a book whose importance extends beyond the Evangelical/Emergent debate. It's just good, plain, pastoral theology written in a very accessible way. I definitely recommend this book and will refer to it often.
*My words, not Belcher's. And yes, I say this with my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I realize that it is a broad and unfair generalization to say that all traditional churches are off the mark culturally, and that is not what I'm trying to say. My point is that there's a difference between sticking to our theological guns--i.e. what we find in the Bible--and being scared to innovate within the bounds of Scripture for the sake of reaching the lost and broken-hearted with the Gospel of Jesus. Don't worry, in thirty years, I'm sure I'll be holding on to my 16:9-formatted screens in the sanctuary insisting that it's the way Paul would have worshiped had he been given the option.
