John Piper on the Emergent Church

My root sense is at the bottom [the emergent movement's guiding principle is] - commited relationships trump truth. ...

I don't understand the way these guys think. There are profound epistemological differences - ways of processing reality. I can't make definitive statements about what they believe about almost anything, except a few strong statements about certain social agendas where they would clearly come out of their chair on the hatred of human trafficing or something like that. But as far as doctrinal issues I can't tell because as I pushed on them, I could tell, 'That's not what we do here. We don't try to get agreement on the nature of the atonement. That is alienating to friendships so we don't do that.'

Galations 1 - 'If I or an angel from heaven brings you a gospel other than the one I gave you, let him be accursed.' That's just no friendship. So it seems like Paul is putting the gospel down as whether there is a good relationship or not. ...

That's what's so mindboggling to me - when I read some of the emergent main leaders, they talk about how Jesus has been domesticated by the church and they want to recover 'the radical Jesus'. In my judgment, the Jesus they're recovering is NOT radical. There's not a radical Jesus without Hell. There simply is no radical Jesus. Everything becomes milk toast without the wrath of God. He came into the world to rescue us from the most horrid thing.

Once you get that straight, then having your head chopped off is minor, it's minor. Because - don't fear those who can kill the body and after that have nothing more they can do. I mean, who talks like that today in America?! Fear the One who can kill both soul and body in Hell. If you strip that away from Jesus, He's just a local guy; He's no big deal. I don't see how they can talk about, 'We're gettin' the radical Jesus back.' You've lost Him. He's just gone without His radical call, "I'm here to rescue you from Perdition and you'll all have to die on the way to Heaven. Through many tribulations you must enter the kingdom."

-John Piper [in Conversations with the Pastors from Desiring God Conference 2006]