You would think philosophers and academic types who only wrote in journals that other philosphers and academic types read would have no influence on society, but they actually do have quite a bit of influence. Kirkegard was very influential. A philospher can write some ideas somewhere, and twenty years later, what the philospher wrote effects the way the guy on the street views himself.
So we can't say McLaren is not influential. But is it really fair to take the 'emergent' label away from non-McLaren supporters who want it so bad? I don't see why anyone would really want the title so bad. No one can really figure out what it means.
My own definition is that being 'emergent' is about discussing how to reach Post-Moderns using abstract language so that it is difficult to put it down in concrete words, but that does not seem to describe the webpage M Paul referred us to.
M Paul Btw, the web page contains some good ideas. I think it is a little fuzzy on the 'preaching' bit by mixing preaching with prophesying. 'Preaching' in translation almost always always occur in contexts that refer to evangelistic preaching, with one possible exception in one of Paul's letters to Timothy. There are three Greek words translated 'preach.' This is good for us to understand when we read 'preach' in translation, so we can keep evangelistic events and what we do in church separate.
Prophesying is to edify the church. It is generally, speaking as moved by the Spirit of God. Paul does not use 'preaching' and 'prophesying' interchangeable.
Of course, one could prophesy while preaching. Michael Green makes a case for Ante-Nicene prophet-preachers in his word _Evangelism in the Early Church_.
