Leaving Christian Fundamentalism And The Reconstruction Of Identity

There is an increasing interest in the influence of religious fundamentalism upon people’s motivation, identity and decision-making. Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Re-construction of Identity details the stories of those who have left Christian fundamentalist churches and how they change after they have left. It considers how the previous fundamentalist identity is shaped by aspects of church teaching and discipline that are less authoritarian and coercive, and more subtle and widely spread throughout the church body. That is, individuals are understood as not only subject to a form of judgment, but also exercise it, with everyone seemingly complicit in maintaining the stability of the church organisation. This book provocatively illustrates that the reasons for leaving an evangelical Christian church may be less about what happens outside the church in terms of the lures and attractions of the secular world, and more about the experience within the community itself.

There is an increasing interest in the influence of religious fundamentalism upon people’s motivation, identity and decision-making. Leaving Christian Fundamentalism and the Re-construction of Identity details the stories of those who have left Christian fundamentalist churches and how they change after they have left. It considers how the previous fundamentalist identity is shaped by aspects of church teaching and discipline that are less authoritarian and coercive, and more subtle and widely spread throughout the church body. That is, individuals are understood as not only subject to a form of judgment, but also exercise it, with everyone seemingly complicit in maintaining the stability of the church organisation. This book provocatively illustrates that the reasons for leaving an evangelical Christian church may be less about what happens outside the church in terms of the lures and attractions of the secular world, and more about the experience within the community itself.

This authoritative volume offers the fullest account to date of Christian fundamentalism, its origins in the nineteenth century, and its development up to the present day. It looks at the movement in global terms and through a number of key subjects and debates in which it is actively engaged.

Evangelicalism, an inter-denominational religious movement that has grown to become one of the most pervasive expressions of world Christianity in the early twenty-first century, had its origins in the religious revivals led by George Whitefield, John Wesley and Jonathan Edwards in the middle decades of the eighteenth century. With its stress on the Bible, the cross of Christ, conversion and the urgency of mission, it quickly spread throughout the Atlantic world and then became a global phenomenon. Over the past three decades evangelicalism has become the focus of considerable historical research. This research companion brings together a team of leading scholars writing broad-ranging chapters on key themes in the history of evangelicalism. It provides an authoritative and state-of-the-art review of current scholarship, and maps the territory for future research. Primary attention is paid to English-speaking evangelicalism, but the volume is transnational in its scope. Arranged thematically, chapters assess evangelicalism and the Bible, the atonement, spirituality, revivals and revivalism, worldwide mission in the Atlantic North and the Global South, eschatology, race, gender, culture and the arts, money and business, interactions with Roman Catholicism, Eastern Christianity, and Islam, and globalization. It demonstrates evangelicalism’s multiple and contested identities in different ages and contexts. The historical and thematic approach of this research companion makes it an invaluable resource for scholars and students alike worldwide.

Deconstruction is hard! Bad views of God and harmful experiences lead many of us to deconstruct. But we’re right to run from the nonsense we’ve been taught and from those who hurt us. God After Deconstruction will not be welcomed by traditionalists. It’s not a book for people who want the status quo or who think conventional theology works. It isn’t for people who just want to tweak a bit what they’ve been taught. Thomas Jay Oord and Tripp Fuller offer an open and relational vision of God. This vision makes sense; it fits our experience; it’s livable. The open and relational view aligns with our deep intuitions about love and freedom. God After Deconstruction is for those deconstructing and those wanting help after deconstruction. It’s for people in the fire and those with scars. God After Deconstruction is an adventure for lovers in tumultuous times! Buy this book. Six-Word Endorsements for God After Deconstruction “When everything goes, only God remains.” -- Simon Cross, chair of the Progressive Christianity Network (Britain) "Helpful companion on your deconstruction journey.” -- EDJ, author of Deconstructing Religious Sexual Trauma: A Memoir “A faith beyond deconstruction is possible.” -- Kathy Escobar, author of Faith Shift and Practicing “A relational way to think about purpose.” -- Jonathan J. Foster, author of indigo: the color of grief "This is a really great book." -- Keith Giles, author of the 7-part "Jesus Un" book series“ A God-centric approach to deconstruction.” -- David Hayward, aka NakedPastor “A compassionate primer on our deconstruction.” -- Angela Herrington, author of Deconstructing Your Faith Without Losing Yourself “A thoughtful third way - highly recommended.” -- Olivia Jackson, author of (Un)Certain “Life-giving for doubters, deconstructors, wonderers.” -- Mark Karris, author of The Diabolical Trinity “Powerful, essential, required reading for everyone.” -- Grace Ji-Sun Kim, Madang Podcast and author of Invisible “Adventure guide to life after deconstruction.” -- Brian D. McLaren, author of Do I Stay Christian? "I've always believed in this God!" -- Mason Mennenga, A People's Theology podcast "A deconstruction journey worth taking!" -- Sherri Pallas, author of We Have Ruined God "An exvangelical deconstruction guide to God." -- Jim Palmer, author of Inner Anarchy “A haven for the hard questions.” -- Elizabeth Petters, the Deconstructing Mamas podcast “Faces the hard questions without blinking.” -- Janet Kellogg Ray, The God of Monkey Science “The God you need right now!” -- Gary Alan Taylor, the Sophia Society “Everyone deconstructing should read this book.” -- Tim Whitaker, creator of The New Evangelicals “The God of Love always triumphs!” -- John Williamson, The Deconstructionists Podcast

The Reverend Professor Dorothy A. Lee FAHA is well-known as a New Testament scholar not only in Australia but around the world. An Anglican priest, her ministry, particularly as a preacher and retreat director, is highly regarded and highly sought after, not only in her home city of Melbourne, but in many parts of the country. This Festschrift volume honors her contributions and ministry on the occasion of her seventieth birthday. An interdisciplinary collection of twenty-one essays, it offers two biographical contributions, several essays on New Testament themes, essays on women, feminism, and the church, and cross-disciplinary essays focused on the biblical text. Contributors to the volume come from Australian theological education centers and Australian churches.

Using France as a case study, contributors from around the world explore the factors that create violent extremists, including criminogenic needs, violence-supportive cognition, religious beliefs, identity uncertainty or fusion, the quest for significance, and social and political influences. They present a multidisciplinary and evidenced-based analysis of how and why violent extremism has reappeared as a contemporary issue and provide theoretical and practical approaches to responding to and, when possible, intervening, using deradicalization programs, deterrent and preventive legislations, prison segregation, and permanent monitoring.

The Church, Authority, and Foucault addresses the problem of the Church’s enmeshment with sovereign power, which can lead to marginalization. Breaking new ground, Ogden uses Foucault’s approach to power and knowledge to interpret the church leader’s significance as the guardian of knowledge. This can become privileged knowledge, under the spell of sovereign power, and with the complicity of clergy and laity in search of sovereigns. Inevitably, such a culture leads to a sense of entitlement for leaders and conformity for followers. All in the name of obedience. The Church needs to change in order to fulfil its vocation. Instead of a monarchy, what about Church as an open space of freedom? This book, then, is a theological enterprise which cultivates practices of freedom for the sake of the other. This involves thinking differently by exploring catalysts for change, which include critique, space, imagination, and wisdom. In the process, Ogden uses a range of sources, analysing discourse, gossip, ritual, territory, masculinity, and pastoral power. In all, the work of Michel Foucault sets the tone for a fresh ecclesiological critique that will appeal to theologians and clergy alike.