Chapter five contains Carson\u2019s most detailed critique of the emerging church movement itself. He voices five criticisms, all of them related to the movement\u2019s handling of truth-related issues. They are (1) their failure to come to terms with the importance of non-omniscient truth-claims (126-132); (2) their failure to face the tough questions especially if they are truth related (132-138); (3) their failure to use Scripture as the norming norm over against an eclectic appeal to tradition (139-146); (4) their failure to handle \u201cbecoming\u201d and \u201cbelonging\u201d tensions in a biblically faithful way (146-155); and (5) their failure to handle facts, both exegetical and historical in a responsible way (155-156). Chapter six specifies this critique by carefully examining two significant books, Brian McLaren\u2019s A Generous Orthodoxy and Steven Chalke\u2019s The Lost Message of Jesus. Carson\u2019s criticisms are irenic and charitable in tone, though he doesn\u2019t hesitate to call these authors on the carpet where he deems it warranted by Scripture.<\/p>\n
Finally, in chapters seven and eight Carson points his readers to some biblical passages to help us in our evaluation of postmodernism and the emergent church. He lists over 120 passages (some more helpful than others) relevant to truth, knowledge, and pluralism (188-202), then briefly comments on ten texts that are particularly insightful for this discussion (202-217), and concludes with an excellent biblical meditation on truth and experience, grounded in a chapter-length exposition of 2 Peter 1. Scripture, subject, and name indices are included at the end of the book.<\/p>\n