The Emergent/emerging movement has not been without controversy. Although still quite young, it seems to have been attacked by those on all sides of the theological spectrum. Many people not as well versed in postmodern thought are frustrated with the movement’s lack of a stated creed and the mélange of theological beliefs all lumped under one movement. One of Emergent’s only tenets is the lack of a stated belief system, allowing room for dialogue, not dogmatism. For many, this is a breath of fresh air. Many people today have felt silenced or shamed by the Church when they experienced doubts or questions about beliefs they were taught from a young age. The emerging movement has opened doors for people to connect with others who are working through their theology honestly without turning away from God or the Church. As Brian McLaren phrased it, postmoderns strive to share a “generous orthodoxy” with all persons and churches. It is for this reason that the title of the book, The Emergent Manifesto of Hope (Baker), including as it does the word “manifesto,” is somewhat ironic and misleading. From the title, one would expect the writers of the book to have nailed down at least some “emergent” claims to truth, or possibly adherence to one essential “emergent” doctrine. That is not what this book does.

To those of you who will read the book expecting a theological system, I am afraid you will be sorely disappointed. But if you come to the book desiring to read a chorus of voices from many different people who are all at least marginally involved in the emerging church, you will enjoy this compilation of essays immensely.

Doug Pagitt and Tony Jones, the editors of An Emergent Manifesto, accomplish exactly what they set out to do: provide 25 of their “friends” and “fellow conversationalists” an opportunity to write brief, compelling essays about some facet of the emerging church. The topics cover such topics as postcolonialism, leadership, mission, sexuality, imagination, parenting and church. The voices are varied, and the editors seemed to not have discriminated on the basis of gender, ethnicity, geography or church tradition. Perhaps because of this wide range of styles and voices, there are many ideas and statements that RELEVANT readers may find new and challenging. Mark Scandrette writes in his essay, “Growing Pains,” “Sometimes we think we are caring for the needs of the poor just because we read about issues of justice.” In his essay, “The Sweet Problem of Inclusiveness,” Samir Selmanovic writes, “Christianity has developed an inordinate sense of importance.” This book was full of brief sentences powerful enough to stop a reader dead in their tracks—statements that required further thinking and analyzation, worthwhile whether or not you agree with the writer in the end.

The main problem with the book is that due to redundancy, it begins to drag a little toward the end. You may find yourself thinking, as I did, “I know, I know, dialogue is important. I get it, the world has changed.” Overall I would assume that the reader’s response to this book will be similar to their response to other books about emergent theology. If you like the emergent movement and what they are doing, then you will probably enjoy this thought-provoking book of essays very much. However, if you disagree with the direction of the emergent movement or are frustrated with it, the book will probably only heighten that sense of frustration. Personally, I would highly recommend The Emergent Manifesto of Hope. The authors are both entertaining and challenging and would appeal to many RELEVANT readers. Whether you are a pastor, parent, student or layperson, you should find several essays that are applicable to your life and might even keep you up thinking—or dialoguing—late into the night.

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