One of the first things we should mention is that there is a marked difference theologically between
emerging and
emergent.
It would be helpful to your friend if they could answer questions about the nature of their pastor's beliefs to help understand which is which. There is a difference in how we respond. One of the stinging problems with this conversation is an inability to differentiate between the two by well meaning but poorly nuanced recountings of one's belief. For instance in my past I was criticized by someone as being "Emergent" for holding that our church should contextualize our services to reach those in our community by offering a progressive worship style. This is a poor categorization. It caused more harm than good.
For instance asking her pastor what he believes in regards to:
1. Salvation. Are only those who confess and believe Christians or does Christ's atonement also extend to faithful pagans/unbelievers (to their moral system)? Those who haven't/never heard? All peoples at the end of time/end of their lives?
2. Is the Bible the inspired word of God? Does it have flaws? If so where did they come from? Is the Bible faithful to God's plan for mankind? Is it trustworthy?
3. Does he use systematic theology. narrative theology. liberation theology, etc as his primary theological device for interpretation?
4. What is the function of story in communicating God's plan?
5. Can he please define what it means to contextualize theology for a post-Christian culture.
6. How did we get here? Creationism? Six-days? Theistic evolution? Age of earth? Gap theory? How does he understand Genesis 1-12?
7. Does theology require demythologization?
8. Who are his primary, contemproary theological influences? What are the last ten books he has read on theology?
9. What is the point of evangelism?
10. What does he think needs to be "rethought" in their church?
11. What is the purpose of community?
12. Define incarnational living? the Gospel? community?
13. What version of the atonement is his primary lens for understanding salvation? Penal subtitionary? Christus Victor? Ransom theory? etc
These answers will help guide the conversation. One of the challenges to contemporary theology is the destructive labels that are often erroneously ascribed to by well intentioned people. Theology often requires nuance. Too often sound, orthodox, conservative evangelicals get lumped into the Emergent category because they dress differently, talk differently, and live differently than their laity expects. I've got a friend who lost a church because he dressed differently and articulated his sermons differently, yet he was totally a biblical inerrantist who was a good conservative evangelical. Labels can cause harm...especiallly when applied ignorantly.
I've been in the emerging/Emergent conversation for aboout 20 years now. Its mostly over by now. The Emergents are a small contigent whereas the emerging have shifted to "missional" in their categorization. Nevertheless labels persist.
