ABSTRACT The Promise of the Emerging Church: A Critical Engagement

This thesis maintains that the development of the "emerging church, " in terms of both its theology and ecclesiology, is a needed and advantageous development within the cunent postmodem climate. Key introductory issues in relation to the emerging church are dealt with including its defInition, its values, and its development. A theological evaluation is used to examine the emerging church's ecclesiology. The theological criteria developed to test the emerging church are whether it is incamational and missional. Both criteria are theologically grounded with conesponding principles drawn from the theological examination. The principles are then used as means to evaluate the emerging church's theology and ecclesiology. The emerging church as an advantageous and positive development is substantiated through the missional and incamational evaluation. IV Acknowledgements I would like to thank my family first for all their support through my years of school. Specifically I'd like to thank my Dad, Don Mills, for his constant support and fo