Time magazine recently named Brian D. McLaren one of the top 25 most influential evangelicals in America. He is a leader in the "Emergent Church" movement. (Although they don’t like to call it a movement, if it walks like a duck…). There is a lot to like, I think, about the Emergent Church, but one of the things not to like is it’s over-acceptance of postmodernism.

As such, the Emergent church is (in general terms – one of the main characteristics of postmodernism is that it defies characterization) about experience over propositional truth, ambiguity over clarity and mystery over certainty. In the midst of this, the Emergent church claims to want to return to historic orthodoxy. However, as Al Mohler rightly points out today, in a review a McLaren’s new book, A Generous Orthodoxy , orthodoxy does not mix as well with postmodernism as Emergent Church leaders would have us believe.

He claims to uphold "consistently, unequivocally, and unapologetically"
the historic creeds of the church, specifically the Apostles’ and
Nicene Creeds. At the same time, however, he denies that truth should
be articulated in propositional form, and thus undercuts his own
"unequivocal" affirmation.

Mohler goes on to explain that McLaren addresses many thorny questions within Christianity and religion by simply refusing to answer them and concludes

The problem with A Generous Orthodoxy, as the author must surely
recognize, is that this orthodoxy bears virtually no resemblance to
orthodoxy as it has been known and affirmed by the church throughout
the centuries. Honest Christians know that disagreements over issues of
biblical truth are inevitable. But we owe each other at least the
honesty of taking a position, arguing for that position from Scripture,
and facing the consequences of our theological convictions.

Orthodoxy must be generous, but it cannot be so generous that it ceases
to be orthodox. Inevitably, Christianity asserts truths that, to the
postmodern mind, will appear decidedly ungenerous.
Nevertheless, this is the truth that leads to everlasting life. The
gospel simply is not up for renegotiation in the twenty-first century.
A true Christian generosity recognizes the infinitely generous nature
of the truth that genuinely saves. Accept no substitutes.

Don Johnson Evangelistic Ministries