I doubt that most of the current crowd of critics would understand that 'compelling and sound presentation' of an emerging theology. Gut reaction. But I also don't think you've made that 'IF' big enough.

Andrew, I agree that I didn't make it big enough. I was speaking to a specific audience with the question.

I thought the whole point of being emergent was that there wasn't one single theology.

I recall we were going back and forth on this one about a year ago. Here was my take then.

It's still my take.

Grace and Peace,
Raffi

Due to the variety of voices in the conversation, I would think any theology would have to be pretty broad. That alone would cause some of the critics to say, "See, I told you those emergents don't believe in anything."

There are some folks who will never be satisfied.

Wouldn't matter. Most are more interested in bickering than exploring theology (gut opinion).

Honest, gut reaction? My own initial identification with the emerging church was that they seemed to be like me, i.e., an evangelical who, having stepped outside the bubble and gone to a mainline seminary, found that having discovered a different world from mine, I could no longer go back to that previous world. What I've heard since then seems to me to be indistinguishable from what I learned in that mainline seminary 20 years ago, so I'm sorry to say that I don't really think the emergents have anything to say theologically that hasn't been said already. They seem to me to be evangelicals finally giving themselves permission to consider what mainliners and liberals have been saying for 75 to 100 years.

My guess is that most would still find something to criticize.

Is it possible to formulate one single Emergent Theology? I thought one of the most attractive things of the emerging voice was one of diversity.
If it is possible to balance the eclectic nature and paradigms of the emerging church then cool. The next question comes up. For the benefit of whom?

Why get bogged down in meaningless words when there more active pursuits to be involved with...?

I think the those in the emergent church sphere tend to use words that christians who are outside of it have a hard time tracking along as they're used to giving out their "amens" to phrases littered with Christian-eze.

One thing I think those within the Emerging Church could do to better learn - only at certain gatherings - to be able to present emergent theology in their terms. That may mean using that old, misunderstood theological phrase, but I think it'd be much easier for the religious to track with our ideas.

(i think that emerging theology is already "compelling" and "sound" to average, everday westerners. They don't want the theology they've seen on the news (if any at all), and the Emergent church offers that)