Emergence Christianity: What It Is, Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters

by Phyllis Tickle

Whatever else one might say about Emergence Christianity, one must agree it is shifting and reconfiguring itself in such a prodigious way as to defy any final assessments or absolute pronouncements. Yet in Emergence Christianity, Phyllis Tickle gathers the tangled threads of history and weaves the story of this fascinating movement into a beautiful and understandable whole.

Through her careful study and culture-watching, Tickle invites you to join this investigation and conversation as an open-minded explorer. You will discover fascinating insights into the concerns, organizational patterns, theology, and most pressing questions facing the church today. And you’ll get a tantalizing glimpse of the future.

Genres: Religion, Theology, Nonfiction, Christianity, Spirituality, History, Christian

237 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2012

About the author

Phyllis Natalie Tickle was an American author and lecturer whose work focuses on spirituality and religion issues. After serving as a teacher, professor, and academic dean, Tickle entered the publishing industry, serving as the founding editor of the religion department at Publishers Weekly, before then becoming a popular writer. She is well known as a leading voice in the emergence church movement. She is perhaps best known for The Divine Hours series of books, published by Doubleday Press, and her book The Great Emergence- How Christianity Is Changing and Why. Tickle was a member of the Episcopal Church, where she was licensed as both a lector and a lay eucharistic minister. She has been widely quoted by many media outlets, including Newsweek, Time, Life, The New York Times, USA Today, CNN, C-SPAN, PBS, The History Channel, the BBC and VOA. It has been said that "Over the past generation, no one has written more deeply and spoken more widely about the contours of American faith and spirituality than Phyllis Tickle." A biography of Tickle, written by Jon M. Sweeney, was published in February 2018. Phyllis Tickle: A Life (Church Publishing, Inc), has been widely reviewed.

Reviews

[Raborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! I felt like Mrs. Tickle had been reading my mail and writing my biography. I am finding that so many things that I thought were unique to my journey are actually quite indicative of Emergence Christianity. I have long had an affinity toward Emergence Christianity, but I did not realize how similar my journey was to a lot of others out there. This book helped me understand my journey and how affected I have been by so many other parts of the Church that I thought were unrelated.

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating discussion of some of the new thinking about Christianity. Tickle says that major change has affected the western Christian church about every 500 years. The councils of Nicea which resulted in Christianity becoming the religion of the Roman Empire occurred from 300 AD to 500 AD. At about 1000 the Great Schism occurred which divided eastern Christianity from western. The last major change was the Reformation when authority moved away from church hierarchy to the bible. Today as mainline Christianity seems to be declining, new forms of worship and living as Christians in the secular world are developing.

This book is definitely dense and theological, but I found it very interesting. When I visit my son in San Francisco I enjoy worshiping at St Gregory's, one of the new communities identified in the book. I first went there because I had read "Take this Bread" by Sara Miles...another book I recommend.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read so heard so much in the media and from here and there about Emergence Christianity that I felt a need to learn a bit more. This is an excellent book to get such a snapshot. I learned a lot about the diversity of what is called Emergence Christianity and understand a little better how it occurred. I am not sure I agree with the 500 year turning points described in this book, but the idea that every 500 years society, and the church, go through an upheaval and restructuring is intriguing, and we are, no doubt, in an era of great change. Time will tell what the church will look like in 100 years.

[Alexandria Skinner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don't think of this as a book advocating for or against Emergence style Christianity. Rather, view it as a sociological description of a phenomenon which is affecting every aspect of society, as it is felt and experienced and played out within the Christian community. Once the phenomenon has been described, its issues, boundaries, and constructs are more readily conceived of and dealt with, enabling those affected to be more aware and intentional in responding to and making judgments and decisions within the fishbowl we find ourselves swimming in.

[Steven H · Rating 5 out of 5]

HER 4TH AND FINAL BOOK ON THE EMERGENT CHURCH MOVEMENT

Phyllis Tickle (1934-2015, who was a college professor and dean of Humanities, as well as prominent in the publishing industry) wrote in the Preface to this 2012 book, “This is now the fourth time I have spoken in book form about what is happening to us in the 21st century… Now, after almost two decades since I first began this line of study, the time has come to file another report… an interim one. Whatever else one may say of Emergence Christianity, one must also say that it is growing and shifting and reconfiguring itself in such a prodigious way as to still defy any final assessments or absolute pronouncements. What is needed… [is] no more than a dispatch from the field, an opportunity for us all to assess where we are, project where we probably are going, and enter prayerfully into this new thing that God is doing.” (Pg. 11-12)

She notes, “Women’s rights and feminist theology … function among us today as expressions of this … push toward an egalitarian stance in both church and state as well as in culture and society… The rightness of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered life… was to dominate cultural conversations for decades. It certainly was to thrust latinized Christian theology and ecclesiology into a divisive turmoil that has not yet reached resolution… the injunction against homosexuality … is the last of the biblically based injunctions still standing in the latinized world. Should it come to be resolved, the doctrine of Protestant inerrancy will have no other battlefield on which to defend itself.” (Pg. 74)

She states, “Emergence Christianity is not a physical address or organization in the way that …[we are] accustomed… to think of ‘church’ as being. Consequently, it is impossible either to define or to ‘locate’ it in the ways or with the standard definitions that most of us are used to employing. What Emergence Christians do exhibit… however, is a kind of ‘centrality of mind-set.’… That cache of shared sensibilities, values, and positions is not only the best but more or less the only sensible and productive route into any kind of usable description of what Emergence really is.” (Pg. 115)

She observes, “Emergence Christianity today is governed, first and foremost, by the kind of discernment among the gathered. Governance in Emergence, consequently, is always going to be just beyond the reach of titles and addresses and location, but it is definitely going to be operative and directed.” (Pg. 123)

She explains, “The distancing of [Emergence]… from seeking the oversight of seminary-trained and institutionally ordained clergy is not… one of animosity. It is, rather… It fears that academic theology, most of which still comes almost entirely out of the institutional church, will indoctrinate and thereby limit the seminarian as pastor; and second, it regards the proper clerical role as a much humbler thing than once it was… Most small Emergence groups… could not offer any kind of financial support to an ordained clergyperson, even if they wanted one… yet, to provide for the inevitable events in life like marriage, baptism, burial, and consecration… they want someone who is a known and consistent spiritual friend.” (Pg. 124)

She asserts, “Emergence Christianity is, first and foremost, deinstitutionalized… Deinstitutionalization is likewise a prime characteristic that Emergence Christianity shares completely and unequivocally with the culture at large… It has followed logically that where there was no interest in institutions as such, a concomitant disaffection for hierarchy would surely follow… there is a continuing disconnect between Emergence Christianity sensibilities and all those other inherited ecclesial patterns and habits that function and run themselves by hierarchical means.” (Pg. 130)

She points out, “the perception of an advancing interconnectedness of all things and all people has led, in Emergence in general and in Emergence Christianity in particular, to a strong emphasis on social justice and on ecological concerns.” (Pg. 135)

She suggests, “there is a vast new mission field in what we call virtuality and that it will, in all likelihood, be Emergence Christianity and Emergence Christians who are apostles to it… a veritable horde of questions arises the minute the physical faith enters the virtual world: can an avatar priest consecrate pixel-based elements? Can he or she hear confession?... can sacred unions be consecrated in virtuality?...” (Pg.153)

She concludes, “Like its predecessors in the inherited church, Emergence Christianity has already asserted for itself the primacy of Scripture and of story as code. It likewise has established … the primacy of community, of the body together in prayer, as agency. The question then is not so much where will authority rest and by whom will it be effected as what shall animate the union of those two and make of them a sacred authority.” (Pg. 206)

She adds, “Emergence Christianity is a human conversation among human conversations. It has all the limitations of that condition and will make all the mistakes and missteps patent in it. None of that will matter, I suspect, because what has happened in our lifetime seems to be more than just another semi-millennial shift. It seems instead to be more akin to the Great Transformation of two thousand years ago: less a fifth turning than a great and monumental shift.” (Pg. 209)

This book may interest those who are studying the Emergent Church.

[Mary Banken · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phyllis Tickle speaks with a wisdom that takes my breath away. She has an extraordinary command of historical perspective as well as contemporary movements to help form an understanding of the journey of Christianity... how did it get to its newest and freshest expressions... and where might it go from here? And she presents this understanding in a voice that is both clear and elegant.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 2 in Phyllis Tickle's trilogy concerning Emergence Christianity. It proved to be a fascinating read on the place of religion in our modern day world and how it is evolving. I think this should be required reading for all who work in Christian institutions. We best pay attention to what is happening and respond accordingly. The question that has to be answered with every 500-year upheaval in the religious world is, "where does our authority come from?" That's an important question. I think the answer is most definitely changing now.

[Denise Sudbeck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tickle's work re: doctrine and dogma informs much of my own theological work as well as what it means to work in emerging ministries such as I do now. The one shortcoming [?] may be in the discussion of imago dei. I see that more at the center than this particular work does. But I do realize that the lack of discussion around that concept may be more the result of its current infancy than anything else.

[Jack Wilkie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Skimmed it after 60 pages. Useful for hindsight’s sake. It’s funny to see such enthusiasm about the Emergent Church a decade later, now that we know how the story played out. Some of the ideas were worthwhile, but the movement’s admitted incoherence about core issues (as documented in the book) gave it a foundation of sand.
Having said that, there’s some value to the “5th turning” discussion and tracking how the change has continued to happen since 2012.

[Chastidy Parks · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really beneficial read. She covers some of the same material as in her previous book on the emerging church but this was definitely worth the time to read. I will probably need to reread it a few more times.

[Larry Epp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not sure how to rate this. In a series of 22 short chapters, Tickle outlines what "emergence Christianity" is -- a difference from the Christendom model. Often technical and academic, sometimes in need of an editor, not what a lay person needed.

[Roslyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read about the basic of Emergence Christianity. Gives and whose and whose and a basic timeline of events.

[James Salimes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A succinct and sensible account of major turning points in Christianity, how Emergence and Emergent arrived, and questions regarding moving forward.

[Lee Harmon · Rating 5 out of 5]

How does the Church shed its stodgy, antiquated feel while retaining its reverence for 2,000-year-old ritual? How does it jettison denominational pigeonholing and institutionalization while still clinging to Christ?

Answer: Emergence. This seems to be one of the labels that nobody understands; perhaps not even its practitioners. Emergence Christianity is a relatively new worldwide movement in the Christian world, and it's still evolving. It generally transcends such labels as "liberal" or "conservative," stepping sideways to address, instead, issues like social activism. It usually emphasizes the "here and now" over eternal salvation, but beyond that, its decentralized structure can make it very hard to tie the movement down in terms of doctrine. Tickle likes to think of Emergence Christianity as “spiritual Christ-knowing,” not as religion. Compared to their secular neighbors, however, Tickle says Emergence Christians are both spiritual and religious.

Maybe it's best to explain by example. Readers of my reviews may recognize radical Christian leader Shane Claiborne and mega-church pastor Rob Bell, who share the face of Emergence Christianity. However, while the increase in mega-churches probably is a result of the same cultural pressures that evoked the Great Emergence, it would be wrong to put Emergence Christianity entirely in the mega-church corner. Most Emergence Christians may still prefer house churches, and an unwritten doctrine seems to be that the "church is a people to be, not a place to go." Says Tickle, "Emergence Christians think of themselves as communal and relational more than sacred or holy."

Still confused? Consider the title of Brian D. McLaren's recent book: A Generous Orthodoxy: Why I Am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/calvinist, anabaptist/anglican, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed-yet-hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian.

Yeah. Dig it. If you buy Tickle's book—and you should—I suggest eating dessert first: in the center of the book is an annotated section of full-color pictures. Start by paging through the pictures of Emergence Christianity in practice, and read there a little about its methodology, before returning to the meat in chapter 1. I particularly loved seeing the communion table in one picture: outdoors, on the grass, lies an American flag rug, and on top of that stands a beautiful chess set. On the chess board sits a small loaf of bread and a glass of red wine. (Scotch, perhaps? For you chess enthusiasts, the opening looks like it's transposing into the Scotch Gambit. Could this possibly be coincidence? Did anyone else notice this?)

This book hit the mark with me, because Tickle legitimizes Christianity among scholars. For better or worse, Emergence Christians generally share a higher education level, and more of a willingness to embrace technology in the service. If you find that authors like Bell and Claiborne write down to the eighth grade level of reader, you'll find the opposite is true of Tickle. Her writing is intelligent and informative, and she knows her stuff. I have not yet read Tickle's The Great Emergence (2008), but I'm thinking now that I must.

[Greg D · Rating 4 out of 5]

Somewhat academic, Tickle gives a bird's eye view of Emergence Christianity. She begins by introducing the premise that there is a major shift in Christianity every 500 years, that can easily be observed over the past 2,000 years. Ironically, Brian McLaren refers to this in "A New Kind of Christianity". Today, this shift into a post-modern world and the ideologies that accompany it is called the Great Emergence. Tickle then gives a historical overview of Emergence Christianity, both the good and the bad. Surprisingly, Emerging Christianity is not a new term nor a new ideology, but its genesis can be found in the late 19th century and continues to evolve over a 100+ year timeframe to this day. Tickle then proceeds to define what Emergence Christianity is, what it is not, and the direction it is currently headed. Tickle explains that there is a distinct difference between Emergence and Emerging Christianity which is quite often mistakenly used interchangeably. Emergence is separate from any mainstream (or mother) denominational group. Whereas, Emerging is often still attached to a denominational or mainstream group, but often venturing to the outer edges and embracing some elements of Emergence. The best way that Tickle defined Emergence Christianity is found in the subtitle of Brian McLaren's book, "Generous Orthodoxy" which states: Why I am a missional, evangelical, post/protestant, liberal/conservative, mystical/poetic, biblical, charismatic/contemplative, fundamentalist/Calvinist, Anabaptist/Anglican, Methodist, catholic, green, incarnational, depressed- yet hopeful, emergent, unfinished Christian. This indeed is the confession and manifesto of Emergence Christianity. Finally, Tickle ends the book on her thoughts about the future of Emergence Christianity, including some self-reflective questions. For example, what will be used as the authority for Emergence Christianity? What potential struggles await? If we are truly seeing a major shift, how can the old and new orders fit together? Tickle gives her best estimation on each of these questions, and more.

Overall, this is an excellent book. Tickle tries to remain objective throughout this book to which she does a terrific job. But, she did take license in labeling some things as being "Emergent" where I am not so sure they are in fact "Emergent" (i.e. Azusa St., Pentecostalism). She also believes the rise of New Calvinism in recent years is a pushback or resistance to the rise of Emergence Christianity, which I too am not convinced is the case. Nevertheless, this book is an outstanding overview of Emergence Christianity and I highly recommend it to all who want to know what exactly it is and where it is going.

[Jonna Higgins-Freese · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this because the pastor at the church I attend referenced it in her adult education course, but I have to say that having also read _The Great Emergence_, I still have no clear picture in my mind of what emergence Christianity it, which is a bit frustrating after two books. I'm not sure whether this is a failure of imagination or connection on my part or a failure of clarity on Tickle's.

I assume her audience must be primarily those who come from a Biblical literalist background, because she spends what felt to me a ponderous amount of time making the case that religion is always the fruit of a particular culture -- a point that feels obvious to me, but I have an academic theological background, so maybe that's not as self-evident to most of her readers.

I won't repeat here her central argument that Christianity experience 500-year cycles of change (Jesus movement/Dark Ages/Great Schism/Reformation); it was somewhat compelling to me but also simplistic, and seemed not to recognize that this interpretation of history is a construct (and perhaps a helpful one) versus a fact.

She notes that the movement has strong roots in evangelical communities that wanted to move from notions of church as doctrinal/politicized to places of doing (versus believing), which struck me personally as not terribly revolutionary -- though it must be for her intended readers. She also notes the strong influence of Pentecostalism/the Spirit, as well as the importance of social justice and ecological care. She specifies that social justice is seen in a nondualistic manner, i.e., not "us" doing this for "them" but all of us taking care of each other.

She references believing with both the mind and the heart, the importance of beauty and iconography (often from the Orthodox tradition), the apophatic tradition, and nonhierarchical leadership styles, yet she seemed to find that each of these was problematic in various ways. The apophatic tradition left her with little to say about God, while the notion of nonhierarchical organization methods seemed particularly puzzling to her. All of this seemed a bit strange to me since she referenced Quakerism as one source for Emergence, and Quakerism has a long and fruitful history of coping well with both of those phenomena and some very practical, tested ways of living them out.

I felt I had a better grasp of what she was talking about when she referenced Moltmann, Hauerwas, Rahner, Brueggeman, and David Tracy -- but then she also listed N.T. Wright, who has relatively conservative views of the historicity of Jesus and has actively opposed the inclusion of homosexuals in the church.

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emergence Christianity
Phyllis Tickle
Book Summary: Welcome to the story that's still being written . . .Whatever else one might say about Emergence Christianity, one must agree it is shifting and reconfiguring itself in such a prodigious way as to defy any final assessments or absolute pronouncements. Yet in Emergence Christianity, Phyllis Tickle gathers the tangled threads of history and weaves the story of this fascinating movement into a beautiful and understandable whole.Through her careful study and culture-watching, Tickle invites you to join this investigation and conversation as an open-minded explorer. You will discover fascinating insights into the concerns, organizational patterns, theology, and most pressing questions facing the church today. And you'll get a tantalizing glimpse of the future.
Review: There is a number of confusion, by the author, related to the many ideas stimulated in this book. To say one does not have a dogma is a dogma. This was one of many themes and contradictions in this book. That emergence as a new movement or isolated is thin since Universalists are not that different in their beliefs, i.e., everyone’s beliefs are equal to the extent that they need them to be. That is relativism at its best, despite being popular. The only ‘new’ idea they have is a building. However, there is a ministry named ‘church without walls’ so I am going to have to say again there is nothing new under the sun. I would like to agree that the author restrained from projecting her own beliefs into the book, but again there was little mistaking that she was a follower of this. I once heard it said you can be very sincere, but sincerity does not make one right and this sums up the entire book. I am afraid that even her account or understanding of the Reformation was poor and limited. I am sorry to say that as the book continued many of the ideas or rhetoric in the book was silly. There is no other way to explain so many of the contradictions. The author brings up 2/3rd into the book that there has never been a split in Emergence and yet quickly contradicts this by explaining the difference now between Emergence Christianity and Emerging Christianity and how they are no longer interchangeable titles. That I made it through this book was a chore. The best part of the book was that it ended.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Baker Books for allowing me to read and review this book in return for a free copy and I was never asked to write a favorable review by anyone.

[Ethan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A follow-up of "The Great Emergence," detailing more about the present shakeup, particularly the emergent/emergence movements, their doctrines, praxis, and the greater intellectual movements shaping such things.

Reading "The Great Emergence" first will provide background regarding the 500 year shakeup concept, obliquely mentioned in this book but not expanded upon in any depth. This book focuses much more on the shifts in Christianity over the past 200 years while providing a history of the modern emergent/emergence movements. The author is quite convinced that the future of Christianity in the world rests in these movements in whatever form they might head.

As a history of a movement in progress the author succeeds admirably. The author attempts to remain objective although her sympathy for the movement is evident. She does well at investigating the different strands of development, how they are alike how they are different, and how so many of them are part and parcel of the larger intellectual, cultural, and social developments and changes over the past 10/25/50/100/200 years.

Yet, as with any such book, what will happen will happen; perhaps the author is right in seeing emergence and/or emergent Christianity as becoming the big thing coming out of the present shakeup, or perhaps something quite different will manifest itself over the next few generations, if the Lord does not yet return. Those in the future will be in a much better position to sort out how the paradigm shifts will turn out than we are today. After all, what would speculators have concluded about the Reformation based on the situation in 1559, or regarding the Great Schism based upon the situation in 1094?

If you are interested in modern trends in Christianity, this book is an excellent read to come to a better understanding of the emergent/emergence movements. As to the future, we'll see.

[Charlie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Emergence Christianity is primarily a list of names and dates strung on a simple narrative. It offers a good overview of certain groups and figures, but contains little profound insight. The opening material that discussed her preference of the term "Great Emergence" was stimulating.

As a historian, I thought Tickle elided between descriptive/objective judgments and normative/subjective judgments without sufficient warning or warrant. For example, her sections on Pentecostalism seem to applaud the movement, but without giving any consideration to the truth of its claims. There is a difference between saying, "Pentecostalism grew rapidly and with energy" and even "Pentecostals claimed a special outpouring of the Spirit" and asserting that the Holy Spirit actually sent a revival, which seems somewhat outside the competence of a historian and probably ought to be reserved for theologians to debate.

In general, it succeeds fairly well at "what it is," is light on "where it is going," and answered "why it matters" with a schema of church upheaval every 500 years.

There is a very good annotated bibliography for those seeking more literature.

A few more thoughts:

Very short chapters made the book choppy.
Her reliance on web sites and blog posts is unusual but appropriate for her subject, since so much of the emergent conversation is taking place online.
Toward the end, she mentions New Calvinism as a movement that consists of "citizens of the Great Emergence" (meaning that they live in an Emergent time/culture) but that does not participate in Emergence Christianity. The book as a whole could have used a bit more discussion of how one can embrace or resist Emergence trends.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Emergence Christianity is the follow up to The Great Emergence (for my review of this book see my blog -- http://www.bobcornwall.com/2009/01/gr...). While I'm not a big fan of the idea that history moves in grand 500 year leaps, I found it an intriguing read. I was hoping for more in this follow up book, but I was disappointed by the book. I'm not sure why this happened, because Baker usually does a good job with editing, but the book is full of errors, including wrong names and affiliations. To give but one instance -- she writes that John Wimber directed Fuller Seminary's Department of Church Growth. While he did co-teach a signs and wonder's class with Peter Wagner, he wasn't a regular faculty member. Instead he worked for the Charles Fuller Evangelistic Association. In another place she suggested that the early church didn't have an atonement theology before Augustine, but that is clearly wrong.

But more to the point, in her effort to lift up the broad spread of Emergence Christianity I think she covered things way too superficially. Thus, just about everyone who is at least a bit hip is emergent. My suggestion is read The Great Emergence and look elsewhere for follow up.

[Paul Rack · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very good overview of emergence and emergence Christianity, giving some history, development, and the characteristics of different strains. It may seem trivial, but "emerging" and "emergent" are, according to Tickle, two different movements, the former being less radical than the latter. But they all participate in the phenomenon of Emergence Christianity, which is soon to include all Christianity, since all Christians and churches will have to deal with emergence at some point. Emergence is a comprehensive social change affecting every area of life; there is no avoiding it. Even avoiding it is dealing with it. Emergence Christianity deal with it in different ways, from wildly reactionary (Neo-Calvinism, Mark Driscoll (yuk)) to the growing edge where theological basics are being rethought (McLaren and figures even further out). She says that McLAren's 2010 book, A New Kind of Christianity" is the touchstone separating different strands of EC, with the more conservative ones reluctant to go with him. Other manifestations include NeoMonasticism and The Hyphenateds (denominational people who do emergence). A very good and essential read for anyone who wants to know what is going on.

[Rob Skirving · Rating 5 out of 5]

Appreciated Phyllis Tickle's overview of the elements and influences of Emergence Christianity. Helped me to locate myself in this movement. While I am certain that lots would offer critiques of her work, from the particular perspectives to which they are committed, I would praise her attempt at comprehensiveness. Will we locate ourselves within some inherited and continuing tradition, in one or another of the various permutations that it will take going forward? Will we live in a way that allows to continue our connectedness to that which we've inherited while traveling regularly in and out of that new land that cannot be fully understood from within the limitations of an inherited tradition? Will we associate fully with one or another of the strands of Emergence Christianity which already exists or which will come to exist in the not too distant future?

Tickle's doesn't seem to seek to point any of us in a particular direction. Rather, she sketches out a really useful road map, knowing full well that there are roads and pathways yet to be drawn.

[Len Hjalmarson · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's the grand tour of things reformational and emergent. Here we are in the next Reformation, and Tickle exposes the cultural, philosophic, and theological strands that make up the tapestry. Missional and monastic and some of the textures in between, as well as some of the less favorable threads.

I found it interesting because there were pieces I did not know, and in some cases pieces I saw but I did not know how they fit in the puzzle. Tickle has both the big picture and the detail. Whether you are new to the show or a veteran, there are things you will learn here. I was particularly happy to have some of the pieces from the UK and Australia revealed to be the roots of some of the phenomena we are seeing here in NA. More to come - I will make a blog post or two with more detail.

Her work is somewhat more wordy than it need be - but she leans toward the poetic style even when she is doing history, and the pace is agreeable overall. One could read this book in three hours.

[Dave McNeely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phyllis Tickle's most recent examination of contemporary trends in Christianity is not without its flaws, but I cannot think of a book that is simultaneously more exhaustive (and exhausting!) and ambitious while also being highly readable and engaging than this. This book is especially ideal for the following readers: those who realize something unique is happening in the world and in Christianity but aren't quite sure what to make of it; those who are excited about the changing face of Christianity but aren't completely sure how and why it's happening; those who are scared about the changing face of Christianity and need a hopeful picture of why fear is unnecessary; those who are interested in a popular meta-theory of emerging Christianity. Highly recommended.

[Carol Brusegar · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first of Phyllis Tickle's books that I have read. It provided historical context of massive changes in Christianity over the centuries, which is never disconnected from other changes in culture. It also describes the current changes called "Emergence Christianity" which, according to Tickle, began in the last decade of the 19th century.

Her descriptions of changes and connections between things are fascinating and eye-opening. I especially like the footnotes to each chapter which provide further information and resources.

I was intrigued by the variety of current examples of Emergence Christianity; I was unaware of how many there are!

Tickle also raises questions about where this is all heading and I'm looking forward to reading others of her books

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emergence Christianity by Phyllis Tickle: What It Is Where It Is Going, and Why It Matters chronicles the religious history that precedes our time. We live in the Age of the Spirit--"But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name will teach you everything, and remind you of all that I have said" (John 14 26).

In the Christianity that I learned, the Holy Spirit was far less clear than the Father and the Son. In the course of Emergence Christianity, however, my experience of the Trinity is fully represented and balanced: the Holy Spirit stands equal to the Father and the Son.

[Kathy England · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought that The Great Emergence was incredibly interesting and thought that I would find this book equally so. Instead I felt like the book dragged on and on about "Emergence and Emergent" Christianity without really telling what it was. I kept wanting to know what Emergence and Emergent Christians thought, but the book was more about how they worshipped - more on-line, computerized, etc. But what I want to know is how Christianity is dealing with the things we have learned about science in the last couple of hundred years.

[Ephrem Arcement · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tickle excels when succinctly chronicling history. Her expanse of knowledge and mostly objective reading of the tradition, as well as her integral approach, make this volume both a helpful and enjoyable read. It's refreshing to hear the voice of one of Emergence Christianity's keenest observers at once admire what God is doing in the church as well as offer caution and critique where and when needed.

[Jeff · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really dug this- enjoyed both the historical connections the author made that showed Emergence Christianity as a development a century in the making. Tickle writes with a light touch. Her enthusiasm for her subject does not preclude her seeing possible obstacles/problems that could arise within the movement. i recommend it to anyone interested in EC or current theological trends

[Dwayne Shugert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent resource for those wanting to know about what is happening in our world around the idea of Emergence/Post modernism, especially as this relates to the church/faith/Christianity. Phyllis Tickle describes what is happening now and puts it into a historical context. Well worth the read, especially the Annotated Bibliography. My reading list keeps growing.