Beta feedback wanted: Smart Search Synopsis

Hi Adam

This looks very interesting - so I tried it with the search string is the creation account to be taken literally? 

And I tried it in both an All and a Books Search (see below)

In both cases:

• the synopsis did include citations
• in most cases the cited article seemed relevant (although the creation account: a review article cited - 2nd in the Books search - is slightly strange as it is not the article itself but a review of it)
• And the synopsis does seem a reasonable summary of the article - and it seems fine to present conflicting views (see again the books result)
• The synopsis does make an attempt at answering the query but it is more about listing short summaries than critiquing conflicting positions
• I think a human might have been more likely to present a range of different views than was shown here

I was surprised by a couple of things:

1. Why - in both cases - are search results 1,2 and 5 used but not 3 & 4?
2. Why, in the Books Search, is the search result from Conspectus above that for the Genealogical Adam & Eve yet doesn't appear in the All Search results?

Thanks, Graham

Most of our testing has been around "questions,"

Unfortunately, I find when I use questions I get poor results - the search picks up the wrong elements to focus on.

The question is, that good enough to be useful? What would have to change for Synopsis to delightful?

I really don't know enough to give an answer. It appears that the term has two meanings - one among evangelicals and another among other denominations.

Wikipedia says:

[quote]The emerging church, sometimes wrongly equated with the "emergent movement" or "emergent conversation", is a Christian movement of the late 20th and early 21st century. Emerging churches can be found around the globe, predominantly in North America, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa. Members come from a number of Christian traditions. Some attend local independent churches or house churches while others worship in traditional Christian denominations. The emerging church favors the use of simple story and narrative. Members of the movement often place a high value on good works or social activism, including missional living.^[4] Proponents of the movement believe it transcends labels such as "conservative" and "liberal"; it is sometimes called a "conversation" to emphasize its developing and decentralized nature, its range of standpoints, and commitment to dialogue. Participants seek to live their faith in what they believe to be a "postmodern" society. Disillusionment with the organized and institutional church has led participants to support the deconstruction of modern Christian worship and evangelism, and the nature of modern Christian community.

Which seems the same as:

[quote]

emergent church movement A loosely connected movement of the late 20th century in the United States that reflected disaffection with traditional Protestanet ecclesiastical practices. Emphasis is on following the way of Jesus and Christian community, on dialogue and generosity, and on engaging postmodern culture.

Donald K. McKim, The Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms, Second Edition, Revised and Expanded (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2014), 101.

While there is more of an evangelical emphasis in

[quote]

As advocates of a modern Reformation, these elders of a movement sometimes called “the emergent church” see the hope of evangelical Christianity resting in a deconstruction of modern, Enlightenment methods that they see both radical liberalism and fundamentalism. Traditional evangelicals (1950–1975), they say, embraced the modern worldview with its affinity towards evidentialism, foundationalism, and rationalism. Meanwhile “pragmatic evangelicals” who followed (1975–2000) overreacted by abandoning much of the historic substance of faith for an ahistorical, consumer-friendly, market-driven and therapeutic form. Led by mega-church pastors, popular authors, and a band of well-intentioned Christian brothers seeking to re-invent Christianity in a new, relevant form the result was a de-historicized Christianity lacking substance, appealing to its consumers by imitating culture rather than creating it.17

The new, emerging church (2000–) led by the younger evangelicals involves a re-commitment to the depth and substance of historic Christianity, without the fundamentalism or liberalism that characterized much of the church of the twentieth century. Within these churches one is apt to see a focus on the Trinity and God’s transcendence (“it’s not about me”), a fondness of mystery (“don’t pretend you have all the answers”), a desire for honesty (“don’t make church a show”), space for lament (“I need to know God hears my cries”), the language of story (“don’t give me more principles … show me how I fit into God’s story”), and a craving for community (“size isn’t proof of God’s presence; love is”).

17 Webber, The Younger Evangelicals, 23–42.

Michael P. V. Barrett, The Beauty of Holiness: A Guide to Biblical Worship (Greenville, South Carolina; Belfast, Northern Ireland: Ambassador International, 2006), 237–238.

While historical roots seem important here:

[quote]

We must be careful at this point to describe the Emergent Church accurately. They are not suggesting that Christianity has no positive historical roots, or that the form of Christianity needed to address the postmodern culture must be constructed de novo. In fact certain leaders are returning to the ‘ancient faith and practices’ for Christian examples which pre-date modernity. Thus, some writers are deeply interested in the history of the Church Fathers and Medieval Christianity.14 It is difficult to argue against the premise that the study of history has played a crucial role in the intellectual formation of the Emergent Church.

14 Robert Webber, Ancient-Future Faith: Rethinking Evangelicalism for a Postmodern World (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1999)

Jeffrey K. Jue, “What’s Emerging in the Church? Postmodernity, the Emergent Church, and the Reformation,” Themelios 31, no. 2 (2006): 23.

And this makes it sound evangelical ... which, in general, lacks deep historical roots:

[quote]

The term “emergent church” refers to a new movement among evangelical Christians that builds on a deep engagement with postmodern culture through appreciation of key components in a postmodern outlook. The emergent church is usually identified with Brian McLaren, author of A Generous Orthodoxy and identified as one of the top twenty-five leading evangelicals by Time magazine. Other emergent church leaders include Leonard Sweet, Robert Webber, Sally Morgenthaler, and Thomas Hohstadt. The movement receives its best intellectual support from Dallas Willard and the late Stan Grenz.
Robert Webber has pictured the emergent movement as a third alternative to traditional evangelicals and pragmatic evangelicals. The former term refers to an older evangelical paradigm that places emphasis on apologetics and sound doctrine. By “pragmatic,” Webber means the seeker-sensitive paradigm, connected most famously with Bill Hybels and Rick Warren. Emergent leaders believe that the older models of evangelical Christianity fail either because of an outdated epistemology or because of a capitulation to a consumer view of religion.

James A. Beverley, Religions A-Z (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 2005), 76.

What I can say is that:

• No reference book entry that uses evaluative language should be allowed in the top references
• A reference book entry that provides some historical references is a candidate for top references
• A reference book entry that distinguishes the concept from closely related references is a candidate for top reference.
• A reference book should get a boost for a cross-section of theological positions for authors and editors.

No citations; most of the results ignore the noncanonical requirement.

Odd as a single citation appears 3 times in a row. BTW Michael E. Stone is the major name in Armenian apocryphal literature.

I am not sure a quote from a book review #3, is the best source for this search.  The book review is used as support for most of the conclusions arrived at by the synopsis.

no references