For a condensed—and still easily readable—version of Scot McKnight’s What is the Emerging Church (a speech he gave at an October contemporary issues conference at Wesminister Theological Center), see Five Streams of the Emerging Church at Christianity Today. In the article, McKnight aims to examine key elements, “undermine the urban legends and provide an accurate description of the movement” in North America—and, like much of McKnight’s work, I find he’s fair, thoughtful and easy to take in.
So Paul took his stand in the open space at the Areopagus and laid it out for them: "I'm here to introduce you to this God.... He doesn't play hide-and-seek with us. He's not remote; he's near. We live and move in him, can't get away from him!" ~Acts 17